Creamy Corn Fettuccine with Grilled Shrimp

I was flipping through the pages of "Cuisine at Home" magazine the other day and this recipe caught my eye. Although it said it was a "summer" recipe since it calls for fresh corn I decide to give it a shot using the frozen stuff instead. I added grilled shrimp to the top and made this a really light dish. So throw this dish together, grab a glass of wine, and relax pretending its Summer again!

• 12 oz fettuccine noodles


• 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes


• 8 oz corn


• 1/2 cup pasta water


• 1/4 cup milk


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/2 tsp pepper


• 1 clove garlic, chopped


• 1 tbsp olive oil



• grilled shrimp


• parmesan cheese


• chopped parsley

Boil pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and garlic. Saute for a minute. Add corn, tomatoes, pasta water, milk, salt, and pepper. Heat for 2-3 minutes. Add in pasta noodles and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until pasta has absorbed some of the liquid.

Serve with grilled shrimp on top. Sprinkling over it cheese and parsley.

Garlic Shrimp with Citrus Lime Dipping Sauce

I am pretty much crazy about shrimp. It’s one of my favorite foods yet it’s rare that I make it (I think I assume I will have to do much more work to make it a solid meal). After making this dish though I think I will put it on the menu much more often. I originally made this recipe as an appetizer, but it definitely could easily be paired with rice and a vegetable or even added to the top of a salad and there you have it -- a main course.

Shrimp:

• ½ lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined


• 1 clove of garlic, minced


• Small handful of cilantro, chopped


• Salt and black pepper


• Cayenne pepper to taste (I just sprinkle a little on the shrimp to give it some heat)


• Oil

Sauce:

• ½ cup orange juice


• 1 tbsp lemon juice


• 1 tbsp lime juice


• 1 tbsp corn starch mixed with ¼ cup chicken broth

In a skillet, heat a couple tablespoons of oil on medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds (you don’t want to burn the garlic). Add shrimp (seasoned with salt and peppers) and cilantro and cook until shrimp is pink. Remove from heat and set aside.


In a small saucepan, heat remaining ingredients on medium heat until just boiling. Lower heat and simmer about 5 minutes. This allows the sauce to thicken a bit. Serve in a dish beside shrimp.

Note: If you want to make this recipe as a main dish you will need to at least double it. You can also modify the sauce into more of a dressing if you add olive oil and leave out the cornstarch.

Adapted from a recipe by Robin Miller

Pad Thai

I love making pasta-like dishes that my mom can eat with the rest of the family. This dish is light and satisfies your thai-food craving without a lot of oil and batter and can be served as a side dish or main course. (I wish I got another picture but by the time I checked my camera it was all gone)

• 8 oz rice noodles


• 1/4 cup chicken broth


• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar


• 2 tbsp sugar


• 1/4 lb shrimp


• 1/2 lb chicken, sliced thin


• 1/4 tsp cayenne


• 3 tbsp peanut oil


• 2 tbsp minced garlic


• 2 large eggs


• 1 cup bean sprouts


• 1 cup green onions, chopped


• 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter


• 1/8 cup minced fresh cilantro


• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

In a large bowl, combine the noodles with water to cover. Soak until just tender, about 45 minutes, then drain. In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, vinegar, peanut butter and sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Season the shrimp and chicken with cayenne.


In a wok or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and chicken and cook until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Add the eggs and cook, stirring, until just set, about 45 seconds. Add the sprouts, onions, sauce mixture, and noodles, and cook, stirring, until warmed through.


Add the shrimp and chicken and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving platter and toss with the cilantro and lime juice. Serve immediately.

Jambalaya

The first Food Network show I ever watched was Emeril Live when he first began his live-audience cooking show. A recipe he once featured during a New Orleans episode was a spicy jambalaya that I have wanted to try ever since. From memory, I tried to remember all the ingredients while shopping through the grocery store so this adaption includes both his original recipe ingredients and some extras that I decided to throw in.

• 1 lb. cooked chicken breast, shredded or cut small


• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined


• 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into bit size pieces


• 1/4 cup oil


• 1 medium yellow onion, diced


• 2 medium green bell peppers, diced


• 4 cloves garlic, minced


• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes


• 2 zucchini, chopped


• 2 bay leaf


• 1 tsp. coarse salt


• 1 tbsp. black pepper


• 1 tbsp. paprika


• 2 tbsp. parsley


• 6 cans chicken broth or stock


• 3 cups cooked white rice

In large pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add sausage and continue cooking until edges of sausage are golden brown. Add zucchini, chicken, can of tomatoes (including juice), and spices to pot. Stir until well-combined. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bring heat back to medium-low. Add shrimp and continue cooking about 10 minutes or until shrimp is pink.

Serve in a bowl over a scoop of rice. Serves 6-8.