Camarones a la Diabla "Devilish Shrimp"

For this month's Chef Spotlight Dinner where we are highlighting Chef Rick Bayless, my friend Nicole prepared this dish. It's a wonderful shrimp dish with a bit of heat!

Camarones a la Diabla "Devilish Shrimp"
recipe from Rick Bayless
serves 6 generously

For the sauce:
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
8 medium-large (about 4 ounces) dried guajillo chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, whole or freshly ground
1/8 teaspoon cumin, whole or freshly ground
1 medium-small onion, sliced into 8 rounds
2 cups fish broth, chicken broth or water, plus a little more if needed
3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup red hot sauce (in Acapulco, many cooks choose Tamazula brand)
Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon, depending on the saltiness of the broth
Sugar, about 3/4 teaspoon

For finishing the dish:
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds shrimp

1. Making Spicy Guajillo Sauce. Roast the unpeeled garlic directly on an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft (they’ll blacken in spots), about 15 minutes; cool and peel. While the garlic is roasting, toast the chiles on another side of the griddle or skillet: 1 or 2 at a time, open them flat and press down firmly on the hot surface with a spatula; when they crackle, even send up a wisp of smoke, flip them and press down to toast the other side. In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even soaking. Drain and discard the water.

Combine the oregano, black pepper, cumin and 1 slice of the onion in a food processor or blender. Add the drained chiles, garlic and 1/2 cup of the broth. Blend to a smooth puree, scraping and stirring every few seconds. (If the mixture just won’t go through the blender blades, add a little more liquid.) Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy, medium-small (2- to 3-quart) pot (such as Dutch oven or Mexican cazuela) over medium-high. When the oil is hot enough to make a drop of the puree sizzle sharply, add the puree and stir constantly until it reduces into a thick paste, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth or water, partially cover and simmer over medium-low, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes for the flavors to come together. Add the hot sauce and, if necessary, stir in a little more broth or water to bring the sauce to a medium, saucy consistency. Taste and season with about 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the sugar.

2. Finishing the dish. In a large skillet, melt the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the remaining onion, breaking the rings apart, and cook, stirring, until the shrimp are done and the onion is beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the sauce and stir everything together until the sauce is boiling. Serve right away.

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Spicy Shrimp & Bell Pepper Pasta

This pasta dish is great for a weeknight because it's easy to put together. I always try to have shrimp on hand because it cooks quickly and is a nice change of pace from the usual chicken dishes. I couldn't decide on what type of past dish to prepare for our dinner guests tonight so I improvised with what I had on hand... and thankfully it came out great!

Joelen's' Spicy Shrimp & Bell Pepper Pasta
original Joelen recipe

1 cup syrah wine
1 1/2 lbs frozen raw shrimp, de-shelled with tails on
2-3 cloves minced garlic
dried rosemary, oregano, thyme to taste
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups homemade or prepared tomato sauce
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, green)
1-2 tablespoons butter
1/2 box dried bow tie pasta, cooked

In a saute pan, pour in wine and allow it to reduce by half over medium heat.
Once reduced, add your tomato sauce and garlic and stir to combine.
Season with dried rosemary, oregano, thyme to taste.
Add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and stir.
Add the shrimp and bell peppers and cook until shrimp turns pink and absorbs the wine sauce.
Add the cream and butter; stir.
Add the pasta, toss to combine and serve with freshly grated parmesan.

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Shrimp & Mango Skewers

With a Cuban inspired dinner menu planned in February, I wanted to give a taste of the tropics despite the cold winter weather. I always thought food on a stick were fun so skewers were added to my menu. These shrimp and mango skewers are both sweet and savory as well as colorful! They're easy to make and lend a nice refreshing flavor.

Shrimp & Mango Skewers
original Joelen recipe

1 cup homemade salsa verde
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lbs shrimp (jumbo size)
1-2 cups fresh mangoes, cubed
chopped cilantro for garnish
lime wedges for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (or warm your grill to a medium heat).

Prepare your salsa verde (or use a bottled version) and add the minced garlic and oil. Stir to combine to create a basting sauce.

Skewer the shrimp and mangoes alternately onto your skewer (I used metal skewers).

Once they are all threaded onto the skewers, brush the salsa verde basting sauce over the prepared skewers and place on a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes until shrimp are pink and cooked through.

Serve on a platter with lime wedges and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

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Brazilian Braised Chicken & Shrimp

For our Brazilian Carnival dinner, my friend Melissa prepared the following recipe to share. This was a definite favorite of my husband's because it included many ingredients he loves including cilantro & shrimp!

Brazilian Braised Chicken & Shrimp
recipe from Recipezaar.com

2 lbs chicken thigh fillet, cut into strips
1/2 lime, juice of
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon crushed ginger
1/2 bunch coriander leaves
2 tablespoons crushed cashews
200 g peeled prawns, raw
chopped chile (optional)
salt & pepper, to taste

Marinate chicken in lime, garlic and salt, we did overnight. Fry onion and stir in marinated chicken. Add diced tomatoes and peanut oil and let cook for 10 minutes. Add shrimp paste and coconut milk and simmer gently for another 10 minutes. Add coriander, cashew nuts and prawns and cooked until prawns are done. Sir in chillies if using and serve. We served with rice.

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Brazilian Shrimp Soup

For our Brazilian Carnival dinner, my friend Kurt prepared the following recipe to share. This was rich and delicious... almost like a gumbo with a Brazilian twist!

Brazilian Shrimp Soup
recipe from Food & Wine

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup long-grain rice
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (from one 15-ounce can)
5 cups water
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and cut in half horizontally
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro


In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the rice, red-pepper flakes, salt, tomatoes, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the rice is almost tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir the coconut milk into the soup. Bring back to a simmer and then stir in the shrimp. Simmer,
stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just done, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the black pepper, lemon juice, and parsley.

Instead of the shrimp, use one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about three), cut crosswise into quarter-inch strips. Cook for the same amount of time.

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Cajun Shrimp Pasta

The following recipe was prepared for my Chef Spotlight Dinner highlighting New Orleans chefs. You can read about it and get other recipes from the event HERE.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta
shared at the event by Betsy
recipe can be found here

2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 cup diced peeled and seeded tomatoes
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
3 cup chicken or shrimp stock
1 pound vermicelli pasta or linguine
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deviened (can substitute chicken)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Saute the onion in the olive oil for approximately four minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Add thyme, cayenne and black peppers, and basil and cook at low heat for five more minutes. Add everything else except for the pasta, shrimp, and cheese, and cook over low heat for an hour. Saute the shrimp in some butter and garlic until three-quarters cooked (pink, but not totally opaque). Add the sauce and cook for an additional two minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss well with the grated cheese. Serve hot.

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Leftovers Aren't So Bad...

One of our staple dishes I resort to whenever we have leftovers is fried rice. It's a dish that we make to use up leftover veggies and meats we have on hand... and the rice we use is always cold. That's key for perfect fried rice, just like what you'd get at Chinese restaurants and how my parents made theirs for their catering business. Here's my recipe for fried rice:

1 cup leftover meats - pork, chicken, beef, seafood
1-2 eggs
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 onion finely diced
3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped vegetables (fresh or frozen)
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1-2 tablespoons light or dark soy sauce
1-2 cups prepared rice, cold (or day old)

In a hot skillet or wok, heat oil.
Add garlic and onions & stir.
Add leftover meats of your choice, chopped up in bite sized pieces.
Stir fry meats until you get them a bit crispy.
Push the meats aside and crack eggs into the pan.
Scramble the eggs into the pan until cooked.
Add cold rice over the eggs & meat into the pan, making sure to crumble it in your fingers. (Dumping a large chunk of rice is not going to work here. You need to crumble it so it separates nicely).
Add salt, pepper, onion & garlic powders and soy sauce; toss.
Allow the rice to heat up and absorb the spices and soy sauce, tossing to help it along.
Add the fresh or frozen veggies and toss into the rice.
Continue cooking it all on high heat until rice is heated through and veggies are cooked.

I used leftover grilled chicken and some frozen veggies for lunch and served this with some homemade eggrolls - which I'll be dedicating a whole post to in a couple of week. I'm teaching an eggroll class so I'll save the details and recipes on making eggrolls then!

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Seafood Paella

The following recipe was made and shared at my Tapas party. You can read about the event and view links to the other recipes shared HERE.

Seafood Paella
shared at the event by Joelen
recipe adapted from here

3 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil

1 large head garlic (or 12 cloves), peeled and chopped
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/4 cup chopped roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup julienned carrots (matchstick)
2 cups frozen green peas, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 pound shrimp
1/2 pound calamari rings
1/2 pound sea scallops, halved
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, to garnish

Ingredient Options: If you don't care for mussels or any of the other seafood ingredients, simply substitute more of your favorite.

In a paella pan or large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add rice and sauté for about 4 minutes or until rice becomes translucent, stirring frequently. Add 3 cups of the broth and 1 cup wine, saffron, paprika, marjoram, red pepper flakes and flakes and salt. Cover pan and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 minutes. Check occasionally, keeping moist with broth if needed. Add all seafood, peas, red peppers, carrots, roasted tomatoes and the remaining broth and wine. Squeeze lemon over entire dish and sprinkle with parsley. Serve straight from the pan.

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Shrimp Ceviche

The following recipe was made and shared at my Tapas party. You can read about the event and view links to the other recipes shared HERE.

Shrimp Ceviche
shared at the event by Kurt
recipe from here

1 pound medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp salt
3/4 cup lime juice (juice from 4-6 limes)
3/4 cup lemon juice (juice from 2-3 lemons)
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cucumber, peeled diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 avocado, peeled, seed removed, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

In a large pot, bring to a boil 4 quarts of water, salted with 2 Tbsp salt. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute to 2 minutes max, depending on size of shrimp. (Over-cooking the shrimp will turn it rubbery.) Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.

Drain the shrimp. Cut each piece of shrimp in half, or into inch-long pieces. Place shrimp in a glass or ceramic bowl. Mix in the lime and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for a half hour.

Mix in the chopped red onion and serrano chile. Refrigerate an additional half hour. Right before serving, add the cilantro, cucumber, and avocado.

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Cold Paella Salad

The following recipe was shared during my Chef Spotlight Dinner highlighting recipes of Chef Wolfgang Puck. You can view other recipes and pictures of the event HERE.

Cold Paella Salad
shared at the event by Robert
Original recipe here

1 small whole chicken (about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 red onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, de-veined, and diced
1 green bell pepper, cored, de-veined, and diced
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/2 pound chorizo, sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups rice
4 cups chicken stock or water
1 pound mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
Fresh Herb Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Season chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. Add oil to a large, heavy, oven-safe skillet and heat over high heat. When oil is almost smoking, carefully add chicken to pan and sear until almost cooked through; remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add shrimp to oil and sear until almost done; remove shrimp from pan and set aside.

Add more oil if needed, reduce the heat to medium, and then saute the onions and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes; do not let onions and garlic brown. Add bell peppers and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add saffron and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chorizo and brown for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes. Add rice, and stir until the rice is well coated, about 1 minute. Add stock, return the chicken and shrimp to the pan, and add mussels and peas.

Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle vinaigrette over. Refrigerate and serve chilled or at room temperature. If serving at room temperature, refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving and then bring to room temperature.

Fresh Herb Vinaigrette: 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves 1/4 cup minced chives 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/4 cup sherry vinegar Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Put chopped herbs in a medium bowl. Add garlic and vinegar. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil until combined. Set aside until paella is ready.

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Wasabi.. not only for Sushi!

In an attempt to use up some leftover wasabi, I decided to make a sushi inspired sauce combining wasabi and soy sauce. I call this, shrimp with wasabi soy noodles.Here's my recipe:

1 lb large raw shrimp
1/2 package Shanghai egg noodles

2 cups water

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon wasabi
1 tablespoon sugar
splash of mirin
splash of sesame oil
1/2 cup julienned green beans
1 tablespoon slivered almonds

In a wok, add water & shrimp.

Cook shrimp until pink.

Add remaining ingredients except noodles, beans and almonds.

Allow shrimp to simmer and absorb flavors.
Remove shrimp and set aside.

Add noodles and cook until softened and sauce is absorbed.

Add beans and almonds; toss to coat.
Serve noodles with shrimps on the side.

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Shrimp oreganata

This recipe was made for my 2007 Holiday Party featuring an Italian inspired menu. You can read about it and view the additional recipes I made for this event HERE.

Shrimp oreganata

3lb large cooked shrimp (31-40 count)

olive oil for sauteeing

1/4 cup minced garlic

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon italian seasoning

1 box sun-dried tomato Wheat Thins
1 stick butter, melted
Chopped parsley (garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet, coat bottom with olive oil.

Saute garlic and onion in olive oil.

Turn off heat and toss in frozen cooked shrimp in baking pan.

Add italian seasoning.

Process Wheat Thins in a food processor to crumbs.

In a bowl combine processed Wheat Thins with melted butter.

Sprinkle this cracker mixture over shrimp.
Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley.

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So Shrimpy With Cream, Cream...

Blah ~ Back to the daily grind and dinner adventures! We've managed to polish off most of our leftovers so now we're moving into some new, non-Thanksgiving fare. My husband loves shrimp s0 I made a quick shrimp & pasta dish using what I had on hand. Nothing too fancy, but pretty darn simple and tasty!Here is my recipe for Creamy Lemon & Basil Shrimp Fettucini:

1/4 stick butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1 lemon
2-4 oz cooked fettucini pasta
1 cup cooked & peeled shrimp
4-6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1/2 cup grated gruyere
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large pan, melt butter with minced garlic and lemon juice.
Cook garlic until golden.
Add cooked shrimp and cooked pasta.
Toss and add fresh basil.
Gently fold in grated cheese.
Add cream & toss.
To serve, plate and garnish with more chiffonade basil and grated cheese.

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Homemade Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

Here are the recipes for the appetizers I'm serving up 2 hours prior to the Thanksgiving buffet dinner. I figured I'd post the recipes now before the kitchen chaos begins...

Shrimp Cocktail Platter
w/Homemade Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

2 tablespoons horseradish cream
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
dash of black pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill.
Serve with cooked & chilled jumbo shrimp and a few slices of lemon.
**It's best to make ahead to allow the flavors to meld.

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