“Steamed” Shrimp

|
By
|
11 comments

Easy Steamed ShrimpI’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I’m so fortunate to live here on the beautiful Eastern Shore, with the abundance of fresh seafood and wonderful produce available all throughout the year. Whether it’s buying crabs right off the boats in Crisfield in the summer, buying bushels of oysters from the Chincoteague Bay in December, or getting up early to do some rockfishing with Dad in the fall – it’s the environment that I’ve been raised in, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way. I’m so thankful to call this place home, and have the opportunity to raise my family here.

That being said, I’m very excited to announce that tomorrow I’ll (along with Jon) be heading to Charleston, SC to compete as a finalist in the Avalon Great Foods Of America Recipe Challenge at the Charleston Food & Wine Festival. It’s such an incredible honor to represent my great state of Maryland, and I can’t thank Avalon Winery enough for sponsoring it. For this foodie who also happens to be a history buff, visiting Charleston is pretty much a dream come true. I’ve got a couple restaurants lined up that I have to visit, and the old tree on John’s Island is on my list too. Any other must-do’s in that wonderful city? It’s going to be our first time visiting, but I’m fairly certain it won’t be our last!

Ok, so enough about me. Let’s talk about these shrimp! My favorite fish monger closes for a couple months after Christmas, but thankfully – he just reopened on Valentine’s Day! Ray has been a waterman for as long as I can remember.  He’s also had his restaurant, Ray’s Shanty for about as long as I can remember too. It’s the place to go for fresh fish, THE BEST hushpuppies known to man, and gorgeous fresh shrimp. There’s a seafood market on the side of the restaurant too – gorgeous scallops, heads-on shrimp, and various filets of fish; most of which Ray has caught himself on his charter boat. Ray taught my mom his way to cook shrimp over 20 years ago, and it can’t get any easier. While technically, they aren’t steamed – they are always perfect, and you’ll never have an overcooked shrimp again. They’re great to season with lots of Old Bay and eat as is, peel and serve in a martini glass for a fancy shrimp cocktail, or chill down and make shrimp salad with.

“Steamed” Shrimp

2 quarts water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp whole coriander
1/4 tsp whole allspice
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp Old Bay (or any seafood seasoning)
Lemon wedges, for garnish

Combine water, vinegar, peppercorns, coriander, allspice, and bay leaf in a large saucepan*. Bring to a boil. Once water comes to a boil, add shrimp. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the water comes back to a boil. Remove from heat and drain IMMEDIATELY once water returns to boil. Remove bay leaves and toss shrimp with seafood seasoning. Serve with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.

* You could also use a steaming spice mix. I love this one from Blue Crab Bay Co.

Ginger Pork Stir-Fry

|
By
|
3 comments

Ginger Pork Stir Fry

Stir-fries are one of my favorite options for a weeknight meals. Healthy, quick, and flavorful – I usually find myself adding one to our menu weekly. They’re also great for a “clean out the fridge” kind of night. I had close to a whole pork tenderloin leftover that I used for this dish. I was worried that the pork would be overcooked after stir-frying. But, it was just as tender and juicy as it was the first night we enjoyed it.

But, if you didn’t have a cooked pork tenderloin hanging around (which, you totally should make that recipe. It’s pretty much amazing) – you could of course slice it thin, and then cook in the wok before the veggies. I added broccoli, red pepper, and water chestnuts for a crunchy kick. But mushrooms, carrots, or snow peas would be other great additions. That’s why I love stir-fries – they are pretty much good with anything you throw at it!

Ginger Pork Stir-Fry

3/4 pound pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 red pepper, diced
1 can water chestnuts, drained
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 scallions, chopped

For the sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp hoison sauce
2 Tbsp Mirin (or dry sherry)

Combine soy sauce, veggie oil, garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, and scallions in a Ziploc bag. Add pork to bag and toss to coat. Let marinade 30 minutes while you prep the rest of the veggies and sauce.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of ice and 2 cups of water. Toss broccoli florets into the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove, and place in the ice bath to set the color and stop the cooking process. Drain, and place florets on a clean kitchen towel to dry.

Drain the excess marinade from the pork. Place your sauce, vegetables and pork near the stove.

Heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced pork; stir slowly until almost opaque; about 1 minute. Transfer to plate; discard the oil and wipe out the pan.

Heat the pan over high heat; 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons oil and add the vegetables, starting with the red peppers – then the broccoli and water chestnuts. Stir-fry until crisp-tender.

Add the pork and sauce and stir until the sauce is thickens, about 3 minutes. Thin with chicken broth, if needed. Serve over rice and garnish with sliced scallions.

Source: adapted from Food Network Magazine, March 2010

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

|
By
|
5 comments

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Shrimp. Pasta. Spicy cream sauce. What’s not to love here? This Cajun chicken pasta has long been one of our weeknight favorites. Comes together so quickly and easily, it’s a dish I know I can always turn to on those nights where I want something good and comforting – but I don’t feel like putting that much effort into dinner.

So, it was only a matter of time before I swapped out chicken for other proteins. Like, shrimp. All truths being told, I think I love this dish with shrimp, even more than the chicken. Think shrimp alfredo, but kicked up with the addition of cayenne pepper, sliced bell peppers, and onions that have been sauteed for a bit of a crunch amidst the tender pasta. Rich and decadent, with a bit of heat – it would be a perfect dinner for Fat Tuesday. Or, for Valentine’s Day for that matter. Dinner is ready in under 30 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to do “other” things with your Valentine 🙂

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
½ onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cream
1/2 cup white wine (I use dry Vermouth)
1/2 cup chicken broth
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 pound cooked fettuccine
2 scallions, chopped (for garnish)

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons Cajun spice over the shrimp, toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to skillet, and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip shrimp over and cook for 1 minute more. Remove to plate and set aside. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over medium high heat until peppers and onions are tender. Remove all vegetables from the pan to a plate, and set aside.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium low and pour in cream, whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Add cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Add the vegetables to the sauce. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine. Serve spicy shrimp on top of pasta. Sprinkle with scallions for garnish.

Source: adapted from this Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

|
By
|
3 comments

Quick Vanilla Buttercream

Being a Maryland girl who is married to is married to one of the biggest 49ers fans around, we’re just a wee bit excited about the game tonight. Last year, we hoped against hope that we’d have this matchup – only to be disappointed in the end. But this year, it happened!

Kind of puts me in an odd place, actually. You see, I’m a Redskins fan – born and raised. For a long time, Washington was all we had. When the Ravens came to town (or, back to town – I should say?) I felt like I couldn’t just change my loyalty to a team like that – so for years I’ve kind of hated on them. But, when you’re in a place who’s town is going to the Super Bowl, well you can’t help but soften up a bit. Everyone is wearing their purple, but we here in the Davis house are proudly rocking our red and gold (which is incidentally the Redskins colors too). It’s been fun jabbing all the Ravens fans, and showing our support in the heart of the so-called “Ravens Nation”. frostyBut, I have to say I’d be happy to see either team win. Both have had a terrific season, and the fact that they are brothers? So cool. So, I had to do something extra-special to mark the occasion. And, what better way to do that than with cupcakes? I did a standard red velvet with cream cheese frosting for the 49ers, glazed with some gold dust, then topped with a #7 for our star quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. I ran across the idea for these “kaepcakes” last week, and thought they were so cute! They turned out great. For the Ravens cupcakes, I did a simple chocolate cupcake and topped with an even simpler buttercream frosting – with white and gold embellishments, and a royal icing football on top. They’re very festive, and didn’t take much time. Will make a great centerpiece on our munchie table tonight!

This quick buttercream frosting is my go-to standard frosting. A few ingredients, and you’ve got a homemade frosting that will crush anything that comes from a can. I hope you all enjoy game day, and have some great food in your future today! Go Niners!

Quick Vanilla Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to low, and add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt and increase speed on mixer to medium. Beat for 1 minute. Frost cupcakes as desired.

Frosting adapted from Wilton, “Kaepcakes” inspired by Frost Bakery & Fine Foods