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.