Shrimp Scampi Risotto

Enjoying a good risotto usually means standing over the stove stirring rice for the classic 18 minutes. Not so with this scrumptious shrimp and rice dish. Be sure to use the best shrimp you can find, and don’t skimp on the cheese either. You won’t be sorry!

SHRIMP SCAMPI RISOTTO

¼ cup olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups arborio or carnaroli rice
½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
4 cups chicken broth, simmering
1 tsp. dry oregano
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 lb. medium raw shrimp, thawed if frozen, shelled and deveined
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

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1. Heat oil and garlic in saucepan. Add rice and sauté a few minutes. Pour in wine and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until absorbed.

2. Add hot chicken broth, oregano, and salt. Simmer, covered, for 18 minutes.

3. Stir in butter and shrimp and simmer, covered, another 8 minutes.

4. Stir in Parmesan cheese and parsley until cheese melts. Serve risotto with additional cheese, a green salad and/or steamed broccoli, crusty Italian bread, and white wine, if desired. Serves four.

Adriatic Shrimp Brochettes

I’ve been making easy and delicious shrimp for years and have experimented a lot with the original recipe, which I found in the late Marcella Hazan’s Classic Italian Cookbook. As with most of the recipes on Kitchen Excursions, the ingredient amounts are an approximate guideline. As Marcella says, “An essential ingredient is your good judgment.”

Whether you use fresh or frozen shrimp, be sure to buy the best you can find. I’ve tried several kinds of breadcrumbs, both store bought and homemade, and have found that for this recipe, the good old Progresso dry Italian breadcrumbs work best.

Buon appetito!

ADRIATIC SHRIMP BROCHETTES
1 - 1½ lbs. medium to large shrimp
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tb. light extra virgin olive oil
Several minced garlic cloves, to taste
1 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley
½ tsp. salt (optional)
Lemon wedges (optional)

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1. When ready, set the top rack in the oven close to the broiler. Preheat the broiler at least 10 minutes before cooking the shrimp.

2. Shell, devein, and wash the shrimp. Dry and place in a mixing bowl. Add enough of the oils to coat the shrimp. Fold in the minced garlic.

3. Stir in the breadcrumbs a little at a time, until the shrimp is lightly coated. Don’t worry if the breadcrumbs don’t completely stick to the shrimp.

4. Add parsley. Season with salt, if desired. Let the shrimp marinate at least 20 minutes at room temperature, or several hours in the refrigerator.

5. Thread shrimp on flat skewers, threading each shrimp in two places to keep it from spinning on the skewer. Leave a little space between each shrimp so they all brown evenly.

6. When the broiler is ready, Set the skewers on a tray or cookie sheet (lined with aluminum foil, if desired). Cook the shrimp on one side until a crisp, golden crust forms, about 3 minutes. Turn shrimp and cook another 2 minutes or so.

7. Serve hot with lemon wedges and side dishes of your choice. A good dry wine, such as Pinot Grigio, will complement the shrimp well.

Shrimp with Pancetta and Cannellini Beans

The discovery that my local supermarket now carries pancetta already diced up sent me scouring my cooking files for recipes made with this tasty Italian bacon. Serve this one with plenty of crusty bread to sop up every bit of the delicious sauce.

SHRIMP with PANCETTA and CANNELLINI BEANS

4-5 Tbs. olive oil                                         6-8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
4 oz. chopped pancetta                              4-5 large garlic cloves, sliced
1-2 fat shallots, minced                              ½ cup dry white wine
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined       2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans,                     Fresh ground pepper
     rinsed well and drained

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1. Heat 2 Tbs. of oil in a large skillet over low heat. Sauté pancetta slowly until fat is rendered and meat starts to brown. Raise heat to medium, add shallots, and sauté until golden, about five minutes. Fold sage and beans into bacon mixture and set aside until ready to serve.

2. Reheat beans over low heat. Heat garlic in remaining oil in large skillet over medium heat until garlic colors. Remove garlic and discard. Add shrimp to oil and sauté for 1 minute. Add wine, parsley, and a grind or two of pepper (salt if desired, keeping in mind that pancetta is fairly salty). Cook until shrimp are done, another 2-3 minutes.

3. Toss hot beans and shrimp together. Add more liquid if necessary. Serve at once with crusty bread and a salad, if desired. Serves 2-4 depending on side dishes. Don't be looking for leftovers!

Trofie with Spinach, Garlic, and Shrimp

Trofie

Our writers' group revisited an old favorite tonight, a wonderful Italian casserole dish for seafood and pasta lovers. Vegetarians can omit the shrimp. Vegans can omit both shrimp and cheese, or serve Veggie cheese on the side. All variations are scrumptious.

Trofie, a thin, squiggly Ligurian pasta with tapered ends, is traditionally served with pesto sauce. It's perfect in this dish, as the spinach would become entangled in longer pastas like linguine. Don't let all the steps discourage you. This one is delicious!

TROFIE WITH SPINACH, GARLIC, and SHRIMP

Bread Crumb Topping
8 Tbs. fresh bread crumbs                     3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
3-4 garlic cloves                                      2 tsps. olive oil
3 tsps. grated Parmesan Reggiano        Salt and pepper

Pasta
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil                 ¾ lb. trofie or other small pasta
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced           1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
A pinch of dried red pepper flakes        ¼ cup grated Parmesan Reggiano
10 oz. fresh spinach,                               1 lb. raw jumbo shrimp
        stemmed and chopped *                2-3 Tbs. dry white wine

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1. Make fresh breadcrumbs by dropping fresh or day old bread in the food processor with garlic cloves. Combine topping ingredients in small bowl and reserve.

2. In a large pasta pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add salt. Preheat the broiler.

3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic over a low flame. Slowly cook the garlic slivers until they turn a light golden brown. Remove garlic slivers with a slotted spoon and discard.

4. Add red pepper flakes to the oil. Cook 30 seconds. Toss spinach in the oil. Add wine and cook until limp, turning often with tongs or a kitchen fork. Remove pan from  heat and reserve until pasta is done.

5. Plunge the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Just before draining the pasta, ladle 1 cup of cooking water into the spinach and oil and place the pan over moderate heat. Drain pasta and add to the pan with the spinach and oil. Sprinkle the cheese directly onto the pasta and toss well. Transfer pasta to an ovenproof serving platter and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mix. Broil until the crumbs are golden brown and serve immediately.
 
* Frozen chopped spinach, thawed before adding, works well. Decrease cooking time.
 
** To add shrimp, shell, clean, and sauté it with the spinach, but not too long, as it will continue to cook when the pasta is added, and again in the broiler.

Serve with crusty bread, salad, and white wine. Serves 4-6.

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Paella

Posted on Behalf of Jean Carnegie.

My next door neighbor, Jean, is a fantastic cook. She’s always trying new things, has a knack for knowing what foods go best together, and enjoys entertaining. Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending her Third Annual Paella Party and convinced her to share her version of this classic Spanish dish, adapted from her daughter’s recipe, on Kitchen Excursions. Jean never makes her Paella the same way twice (see Note), and any cook can modify the ingredients according to his or her taste. Thank you, Jean!

PAELLA

3 Tbs. olive oil
6 fresh Cajun, sweet Italian, or hot Italian sausages
12 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on, excess fat trimmed (about 4¼ lbs.)
2 large onions, chopped (about 5½ cups)
10 garlic cloves, chopped, plus 1 garlic clove, minced
12 oz. tomatoes, chopped (about 1½ cups)
2 bay leaves
4 medium zucchini, halved crosswise,
                       then quartered lengthwise (about 1¼ lbs.)
3 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch-wide strips

1½ lbs. raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Generous pinch plus ¼ tsp. saffron threads

2½ cups Arborio or Paella rice
                       (about 17½ oz. - don’t substitute any other rice)
1½ tsps. salt

5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
2 tsps. paprika
Chopped fresh parsley

NOTE: Jean sometimes substitutes frozen peas for the zucchini and adds 12 chopped crimini mushrooms and a mix of shrimp and mussels or clams instead of all shrimp. She steams the clams and/or mussels separately and adds them to the Paella once it is finished. For this year’s Paella Party, she also added lobster.

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1. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in heavy large shallow pot over medium-high heat. Add sausages and sauté until cooked through, turning often, about 10 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add chicken, skin side down, to pot. Cover and cook until brown, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken over, cover and cook until brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes longer. Transfer check to bowl with sausages. Add onions and 10 chopped garlic cloves to pot. Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves. Stir 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini and bell peppers (and mushrooms, if using).

2. Toss shrimp in a medium bowl with remaining 2 Tbs. oil, 1 minced garlic clove, and a generous pinch of saffron. (Chicken-sausage mixture, vegetables, and shrimp can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush an 18-inch paella pan or a 18x12x2¼-inch roasting pan with olive oil. Mix rice and 1½ tsps. salt into vegetable mixture. Spread rice mixture evenly in prepared pan. Cut sausages diagonally into 1-inch slices. Using wooden spoon, push sausage and chicken pieces into rice mixture. Pour any remaining juices from bowl over. Add paprika and remaining ¼ tsp. saffron to 5 cups chicken broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour evenly over rice mixture. Cover roasting pan tightly with foil. Bake until rice is almost tender, about 40 minutes.

4. Sprinkle shrimp mixture with salt and pepper. Arrange atop rice mixture. If using mussels and clams, push these down into the rice mixture at this time. If using frozen peas, add at this time. Re-cover pan with foil. Bake until shrimp are opaque in center, rice is tender, and most of the liquid in the pan is absorbed, about 20 minutes longer. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Easily serves 12.

Shrimp Scampi with Rice and Spinach

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

Gardening is one of my many hobbies. The other day I was at the garden center, ogling this plant and that, when I found the cinnamon basil plant pictured above. Of course, I had to have it. I took the herb home, snipped off a few of the spicy-sweet leaves and used them in a romantic shrimp scampi dinner for two.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown rice
2 cups spinach, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound shrimp
6 leaves basil, minced
¼ teaspoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
black pepper

1. Add rice to two cups boiling water, cook on medium heat (low boil) with no lid for 30 minutes. Stir in spinach, cover with lid, remove from heat and set aside.

2. Melt butter in sauté pan. Add olive oil and garlic and stir over low-medium heat to flavor oil. Raise heat to medium, add shrimp, basil, mustard and lemon juice, and stir often until shrimp is opaque and cooked through.

3. Drain rice in colander. Split rice and spinach between two bowls. Pour scampi over top of rice mixture and sprinkle with pepper to taste.

Serve with white wine. Enjoy!

Risotto with Shrimp, Green Beans, and Pesto Sauce

I had a great vegetarian soup planned for our writers' group last Monday night, but icy weather nixed our meeting, and I didn't want to make a huge pot of soup just for my husband and me. What do to with fresh French green beans, a bunch of basil, and a gorgeous chunk of Parmesan Reggiano? Sounded like risotto to me. I put a few recipes together and came up with something new and delicious. For a vegetarian delight, omit the shrimp and use vegetable broth.

Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to make, and I've made dozens of scrumptious variations of this classic Italian dish. Don't be put off by all the stirring. It's really quite soothing, and there's something great about starting to stir and announcing that no one can bother you for the next twenty minutes or so. If you've never made risotto, give this one a try, and keep an eye on Kitchen Excursions for some great risotto recipes!

RISOTTO with SHRIMP, GREEN BEANS, and PESTO SAUCE

Make the pesto sauce:

2-3 garlic cloves                        1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups of fresh basil                  Salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbs. pine nuts                         1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano

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Drop garlic into food processor and mince. Add basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and salt and pepper and process well, scraping down sides once or twice with a spatula. Add cheese and process into a creamy sauce. Empty into prep bowl and reserve.

For the Risotto:

½ lb. French green beans,          1¼ cups arborio rice                       

   trimmed and cut into thirds     ½ dry white wine

4½ cups chicken broth               1 lb. medium shrimp, cleaned

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil          Salt and pepper to taste 

1 large shallot, minced

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1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Blanch green beans for 5 minutes and drain. Place in a bath of cold water and drain again.

2. Bring broth to a simmer, preferably on the burner right behind the nonstick skillet in which you'll make the risotto.

3. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallot until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the rice, stirring until the grains are well coated with oil.

4. Increase heat to medium high. Add wine and stir until liquid is almost absorbed.  Using a ladle, add about 1 cup of broth to the skillet, stirring again until liquid is almost absorbed. Continue for 14 minutes, then add the shrimp. Continue stirring until shrimp is cooked and rice is al dente. Total cooking time 18-20 minutes.

5. Remove risotto from heat. Stir in green beans and pesto, adding enough of the remaining broth for a creamy consistency. Serve with crusty bread and extra cheese, if desired. Serves 4. 

Thai Pizza with Shrimp

After much agonizing over some recent recipe experiments, I have finally decided to take the plunge and post one here. I concocted this a few weeks ago after eating both homemade pizza and Thai food in the same weekend, and realizing how awesome it would be to somehow combine the two.

A note about pizza in general and this recipe in particular: To my knowledge, there is no strict definition for pizza other than an open faced pie or oven-baked bread covered with sauce and cheese. According to one source, it is a misconception that "pizza" means "pie" in Italian. It actually means "a mess", which makes sense. In the spirit of both pizza and mess, please keep in mind that all ingredients and amounts listed should be subject to your own discretion and pleasure.

THAI PIZZA with SHRIMP

Pizza dough
Tea oil or light olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch ginger root, finely chopped

Sauce:
Combine the following:
1-3/4 cups plain tomato sauce
3/4 cups coconut milk or to taste
Juice from one half lime or to taste
1-2 tbsp sugar to taste
1-2 tbsp Huy Fong chili garlic sauce (or 1 tbsp red curry paste) to taste

Toppings:
About 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
About 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
8-10 large raw shrimp, shelled and deveined, halved lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium white onion, julienned
6-8 medium mushrooms, thinly sliced
Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Start by simmering 2-3 cloves of finely chopped garlic and about 1 inch finely chopped ginger root in oil, at low heat for about 10 minutes, making sure garlic and ginger don't burn.

Brush pizza crust lightly with oil, add sauce to your liking and a thin layer of cheese. Add vegetables and shrimp, but save the cilantro and basil for later.

Bake at 400 degrees for 22-to 25 minutes. When there are about 5 minutes remaining, sprinkle with basil and cilantro leaves. Let cool for for a few minutes, and serve.

Enjoy!