Pumpkin Mac

Just because Halloween is over doesn't mean the pumpkin flavors have to stop! I always wanted to try to create a pumpkin mac. Pumpkin is naturally a savory ingredient, but I think people automatically associate it with pie. This Mac is creamy with just a hint of pumpkin (not to mention more fiber and Vitamin A heyyyyy).

Easy One-Pot Shrimp and Orzo Dinner

Hey there, it's been a while! After my on and off hiatus I've decided to really set aside the time to start blogging again. It's difficult when I'm on the computer all day trying to promote my clients' social media pages and then going home and trying to do that with my personal content but here we are, I couldn't stay away. But enough rambling, we've got a recipe to discuss!

Garlic Butter Pomodoro with Shrimp

First recipe post in the new place!!! That's always a major accomplishment in my book, it's quite the process - trying to find the place with the most ideal lighting, tracking down all of your randomized plates, backdrops, and perfectly antiqued silverware from among the plethora of boxes you just stuffed in the closet (the wayyyy back of the closet) - it's quite the task.

While I still don't have a well lit kitchen, I am able to photograph on our porch without suspicious characters staring at me. I really like this recipe from Pinch of Yum, it's super easy and makes your house smell like a countryside Italian villa (or what I would imagine a country side Italian villa smells like anyway). It's a great meal to whip up and enjoy along side a glass of red wine. I decided to add the tomato paste because I found that the raw tomatoes didn't have enough flavor for me. Also, some people prefer to cook the shrimp with their skins and tails on, it does add more flavor but man it's messy picking those suckers off when all you wanna do is enjoy your meal.

Garlic Butter Pomodoro with Shrimp

serves 4
recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

1 lb. large shrimp, deveined
salt, pepper, and olive oil for the pan

Pomodoro Sauce:
4 cloves garlic
4 cups diced fresh tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
3 oz. tomato paste
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 TBS butter
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut or torn into small pieces
salt to taste
PASTA:
6-7oz. dried spaghetti noodles (I used the remaining half of a 12oz. box of pasta so I am kinda guestimating here)
Parmesan cheese for topping
Fresh basil garnish

Directions:

SHRIMP: Heat a TBS of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook until pink, about 2 minutes per side. Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside.
SAUCE: In the same pan, heat just a tiny bit more oil over medium low heat and toss the garlic in. Saute for a minute or two until it smells amazing. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth and simmer for 10-ish minutes. The tomatoes will start to become saucy, and gradually that sauce will start to thicken - patience.
PASTA: Cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
ALL TOGETHER NOW: Add the butter and basil to the thickened sauce and stir to combine. If it needs thickening, let it hang out on low heat for just a little while longer. Season to taste. When the sauce is ready, add the shrimp back in. Serve the sauce over top of the pasta with a little Parm, salt, and pepper.

Note:I just added my pasta into the pan of sauce and mixed it all together but some people like to dish out their sauce so do whichever you fancy.

Grandma's Seafood Pasta Salad

It's funny how all of a sudden you crave something from your childhood. I was fixing myself lunch the other day and suddenly I was in desperate need of my grandma's famous shrimp salad. I remember sitting on the back porch on my Grandparent's farm during the summer and eating this salad (usually from a fancy glass bowl). I can still remember watching her making it in the kitchen, she always had this magical ability to move really slow at a memorizing pace but before you knew it, she had a 6 course lunch laid out on the table.

I actually made and photographed this twice but as it turns out, it's really hard making a mayonnaise based salad look appetizing (plus apartment lighting is super awesome). The first time I made it strictly with shrimp, but for some reason the shrimp haven't been too tasty here in Texas this season so this time around I decided on crab meat instead.

I love this salad because of all the textures going on, the slight crunch of the celery, the freshness of the tomato, and because of the eggs and pasta it can hold up as a satisfying and filling lunch.

Fran the Great's Seafood Pasta Salad

serves 5-6

1/2 pound of macaroni pasta
1 cup shredded fresh crab
1 cup of cooked shrimp
1-2 small Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2-3 stalks of celery, minced
3 hard boiled eggs, diced
1/4 mayonnaise (or a little more just to bind it)
1 tsp dried mustard
salt and white pepper to taste
squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about 1-2 tsp)

Directions:
1.Boil the pasta and drain. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2.Add remaining ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until combined
3.Enjoy now on cracker (or by itself) or chill for 15 min. in the fridge.

Lump Crab White Wine Fettuccine with Garlic Chives

Have you ever made something that was almost too good? Like, I just might eat my portion and my husband's portion too before he comes home type of good? Yeah well, this is one such meal, I advise you proceed with caution...

In all honesty though, with ingredients like cream, wine, and cheese, it's pretty much impossible for this to go wrong. It is rare that we make a creamy based pasta dish, just because they're so darn delicious, it should almost be illegal for something to taste this good! I decided to use canned lump crab which I feel kinda gets a bad rep, at first I was hesitant to try this, for some reason if it's fish and it's in a can I always associate that with tuna. The first time I used in was actually in culinary school, we were making a crab salad to feed 100 people and buying fresh crab would have been wayyy out of our budget and I was pleasantly surprised at the results. Don't get me wrong, it won't be as good as fresh and you have to doctor it up a little but for less than half the price of fresh it's pretty satisfying!

Lump Crab White Wine Fettuccine with Garlic Chives

serves 3-4

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

2 TBS butter
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 lb. whole wheat linguine (or you can use Smart Taste, I couldn't find any fettuccine noodles)
1 (6oz.) can lump crab meat
1 TBS lemon oil (or vegetable oil)
1/4 cup Riesling
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 heaping cup grated Parmesan cheese
bunch of garlic chives, cut small with scissors
1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.For the pasta, heat two tablespoons butter in a large pot over high heat. Add one cloves of garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add the broth and water; bring to a boil. Add the pasta and boil until the pasta is cooked. Lower the heat and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. Do not drain - there should be some liquid left in the pan to help coat the noodles.

2.While the pasta is cooking, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the crab and saute for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned on the outside. Add the white wine (you don’t necessarily have to measure - just eyeball a few good glugs) and remaining garlic, cook until most of the wine has evaporated (about 1-2 min.) remove from heat and set aside. Cover the crab so it stays warm.

4.To finish, add the whipping cream, Parmesan, and chives to the cooked pasta. Toss everything together and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper (Note: the pasta might look watery at first but keep stirring and it should thicken up). Top with crab and more chives if desired.

Roasted Tomato and Shrimp Pasta

This has to be one of my all time favorite Paula Deen recipes. It's light, fresh and tasty with absolutely no butter included! Yes, I said NO BUTTER! It's super easy and quick to make and the left overs keep well also.

Roasted Tomato and Shrimp Pasta

(adapted from Paula Deen, serves 6-8)

2 (12 ounce) packages cherry tomatoes
2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 small shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta, cooked and kept warm (I used Smart Taste pasta)
garnish with chopped fresh basil


Directions

1.Preheat oven to 475. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminun foil.

2.In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, shrimp, shallot, 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper; toss gently to coat. Place tomato mixture in an even layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and firm.

3.Toss cooked pasta with remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Serve tomato mixture on top of pasta. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

It's as easy as that!