Category Archives: Shrimp

Shrimp Scampi Pizza

Appetizers, Events, Game Day, Italian, Kids, Pizza, Seafood, Shrimp

This past weekend was one of those special days for many people. Yes, it was Valentine’s day, and it was that time of year when it seemed as though every male was in a panic mode around 5:00 p.m. on that Friday, hustling to purchase a card, and a bunch of red roses. It’s sad to say the least. I say that only for the fact that the thought only occurs once a year for many people. I often joke with my wife that she gets Valentine’s day, every day, as I am the one cooking, and cleaning up the dishes, every. Single. Day. Plus I’m funny, at least in my book.

Kidding aside, I’m game when it comes to that special day, and as we both my wife and I agreed that we were not going to do much, I decided to add a special touch to the evening, not just for my wife, but also for my kids.

Shrimp Scampi Pizza Recipe

I decided to buy some chocolates for my wife, as well as purchase a handful of purple iris’s, and well, make a crab and shrimp boil for the family.  Crab clusters, along with shrimp, corn, and potatoes, were the center piece of the dinner table, and it is always a great time watching the kids dig in. With that said, I had made plenty of clarified garlic butter for dipping, and I had plenty left over. That’s when it sparked an idea, only to reuse the butter and poach some shrimp in it to be used in a shrimp scampi pizza. Yes, a shrimp scampi pizza that was to die for.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 batch of your favorite pizza dough
  • 12-15 shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1/4 cup of white wine
  • 2 tbsp Italian flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded

Set your oven rack, closet to the top of the oven, and preheat your oven, and pizza stone (if you have one) to 500 degrees. Let the oven preheat until you prepare all of the remaining items.

To a small pot, add the butter, and let this melt. Skim any of the foam off of the top and discard. If you want to strain the butter into a fine mesh sieve, you can go that route, but for this recipe, any of the solid fats that might remain are fine. Reduce the heat to low, and add the garlic, chili flakes, wine, and shrimp.

Poach the shrimp just until the become opaque, about 5 minutes on low heat.

How to make a shrimp scampi pizza

Stretch out your pizza dough for about a 14 inch pizza. Once stretched, remove the stone from the oven and carefully place the dough on top.

Add the cheese, the place the shrimp on top of the pizza. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the garlic butter. Place the stone back into the oven, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the pizza dough is golden, and everything is cooked through.

Remove the pizza from the oven and place onto a wired rack. Let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes, then shower with the parsley. Slice and serve.

Shrimp Scampi Pizza

I ended up making this pizza only because I had that leftover butter, well, not only that, but my wife (and I for that matter) really loves shrimp scampi. As I would normally eat this with some pasta, or just the shrimp by itself, this pizza was incredible to say the least.

I served my wife the first piece, and I heard her from afar talking to herself with food ‘umms and ahhs’, that I knew this was going to be great. The smell of the garlic buttered shrimp, with that white wine was apparent right off of the bat, and believe it or not, the cheese just held things together and did not interfere much with the shrimp. I know I say this from time to time, but this pizza was really, really good.

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Shrimp Scampi Pizza
Author: 
Recipe type: Pizza
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • ½ batch of your favorite pizza dough
  • 12-15 shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • ½ stick of unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • ½ tsp red chili flakes
  • ¼ cup of white wine
  • 2 tbsp Italian flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
  1. Set your oven rack, closet to the top of the oven, and preheat your oven, and pizza stone (if you have one) to 500 degrees. Let the oven preheat until you prepare all of the remaining items.
  2. To a small pot, add the butter, and let this melt. Skim any of the foam off of the top and discard. If you want to strain the butter into a fine mesh sieve, you can go that route, but for this recipe, any of the solid fats that might remain are fine. Reduce the heat to low, and add the garlic, chili flakes, wine, and shrimp.
  3. Poach the shrimp just until the become opaque, about 5 minutes on low heat.
  4. Stretch out your pizza dough for about a 14 inch pizza. Once stretched, remove the stone from the oven and carefully place the dough on top.
  5. Add the cheese, the place the shrimp on top of the pizza. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the garlic butter. Place the stone back into the oven, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the pizza dough is golden, and everything is cooked through.
  6. Remove the pizza from the oven and place onto a wired rack. Let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes, then shower with the parsley. Slice and serve.
  7. I ended up making this pizza only because I had that leftover butter, well, not only that, but my wife (and I for that matter) really loves shrimp scampi. As I would normally eat this with some pasta, or just the shrimp by itself, this pizza was incredible to say the least.

 

Grilled Shrimp with Cilantro Pesto

Appetizers, Barbecue, Events, Game Day, Grilling, Kids, Sauce, Seafood, Shrimp, Sides

Are you like me when it comes to pesto? You love it right? I think pesto goes great with so many things, whether you are simply dipping vegetables into it, lathering it on a sandwich, or going with a classic and tossing it with pasta, pesto is really bright and delicious. I’ve made everything from your classic pesto, to a pea pesto to be used on pizza, and lately a carrot top pesto. All were very delicious, and extremely easy to make.

Grilled Shrimp with Cilantro Pesto Recipe

Recently I had an abundance of cilantro, and an idea sparked to use the cilantro and make a pesto out of it. Why not, right? After all, pesto is typically herbs, nuts, and cheeses crushed together to make a sauce, so why not try it with cilantro. At first, I had no idea what I was going to make to accompany the cilantro pesto, and as I quickly thought of pasta, or mixing it into some rice, I decided to lather it onto some shrimp skewers that I had grilling. They were a total hit, and everyone of them consumed.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, cleaned
  • 1/4 cup lightly salted almonds
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup of olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt, to taste
  • Raw shrimp, deveined, tails on
  • Skewers, soaked in water

Toss the cilantro, almonds, cheese, garlic, water, and salt into a food processor. Pulse until things become rather smooth. Start adding the olive oil, using a nice drizzle, until things become really nice and smooth. Scrape out the pesto into a small serving bowl. Taste, and season with any salt, if you desire.

Next, take the shrimp, and run the skewer through them. You can probably get 5-6 shrimp on each skewer. I like the 21-25 shrimp, raw, from the store. They are a good size, and hold up well, texturally.

Heat your grill. Again, I am a fan of charcoal, but you do what you need to do. Gas or coal, your call.

Once your coals are heated, and the grates are super clean, add the shrimp skewers, over indirect heat if you can. Cook for a few minutes, then flip. Brush on a nice amount of the cilantro pesto. Cover, or close the lid, and let cook another couple of minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK THE SHRIMP. Who likes overcooked shrimp anyway?

Cilantro Pesto Recipe

Remove the skewers from the grill, and place the skewers onto a serving dish. I find that people tend to like removing items from a skewer, or going full force and eating directly off of the skewers (that would be me). Brush more of the fresh cilantro pesto onto the skewers. The heat from the cooked shrimp with pair nicely with the fresh pesto.

Dig in. There is a great freshness to this cilantro pesto. Sure, you get a bit of garlic, and a bit of saltiness from the cheese, but when when grilled with the shrimp, well, it takes you over the top.

My daughter, who doesn’t even like shrimp, devoured a handful of these great grilled shrimp with cilantro pesto, and that always scores in my book. That should say something, at least it did for me. I hope you enjoy.

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Grilled Shrimp with Cilantro Pesto
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, cleaned
  • ¼ cup lightly salted almonds
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • ¼ - ½ cup of olive oil
  • ¼ tsp salt, to taste
  • Raw shrimp, deveined, tails on, approximately 25
  • Skewers, soaked in water
Instructions
  1. Toss the cilantro, almonds, cheese, garlic, water, and salt into a food processor. Pulse until things become rather smooth. Start adding the olive oil, using a nice drizzle, until things become really nice and smooth. Scrape out the pesto into a small serving bowl. Taste, and season with any salt, if you desire.
  2. Next, take the shrimp, season with a bit of salt and pepper, and run the skewer through them. You can probably get 5-6 shrimp on each skewer. I like the 21-25 shrimp, raw, from the store. They are a good size, and hold up well, texturally.
  3. Heat your grill. Again, I am a fan of charcoal, but you do what you need to do. Gas or coal, your call.
  4. Once your coals are heated, and the grates are super clean, add the shrimp skewers, over indirect heat if you can. Cook for a few minutes, then flip. Brush on a nice amount of the cilantro pesto. Cover, or close the lid, and let cook another couple of minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK THE SHRIMP. Who likes overcooked shrimp anyway?
  5. Remove the skewers from the grill, and place the skewers onto a serving dish. I find that people tend to like removing items from a skewer, or going full force and eating directly off of the skewers (that would be me). Brush more of the fresh cilantro pesto onto the skewers. The heat from the cooked shrimp with pair nicely with the fresh pesto.
  6. Dig in. There is a great freshness to this cilantro pesto. Sure, you get a bit of garlic, and a bit of saltiness from the cheese, but when when grilled with the shrimp, well, it takes you over the top.
  7. My daughter, who doesn't even like shrimp, devoured a handful of these great grilled shrimp with cilantro pesto, and that always scores in my book. That should say something, at least it did for me. I hope you enjoy.

 

Thai Toast

Appetizers, Asian, Bread, Events, Game Day, Pork, Shrimp, Sides, Snack, Thai

I made this recipe a handful of years ago, and realized that I never took a picture! Go figure. This past weekend was a great cooking weekend. Yes, it was St. Patty’s festivities, but I had already been corned beefed out by eating corned beef hash a couple of times during the week, as well as some reuben style potato skins. I was ready to move onto something else if you know what I’m saying. This recipe is really easy to make and really delicious to boot. A few simple ingredients, with a bit of Thai flavors really make this a great appetizer, or lunch item.

Thai Toast Recipe

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of rustic bread
  • 1/4 lb of ground pork
  • 12 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 3 tbsp canola oil

Add the shrimp to a food processor, or get your knife rocking, and turn the shrimp into a paste. Add this to a mixing bowl, along with everything but the oil and bread and mix it really well. Cover and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours, or preferably overnight.

When you are ready to make the toast, add the oil to a large skillet and bring it to medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Spread the mixture on top of the slices of bread, being generous with the amount on each one.

How to make Thai Toast Recipe

Lay each slice down, meat mixture side down, into the skillet. Cook for a few minutes, being careful not to lift it too early. Gently lift after a few minutes and if you have a light golden brown, flip it to cook the other side, if not, keep cooking until you have the meat mixture fully cooked.

Cook the Thai toast on the other side, a few more minutes, or until it turns a golden brown.

Set the toast on a serving dish, and slice if desired. Garnish with fresh cilantro for presentation, then dig in.

The result is nothing short of amazing. The pork and shrimp combination is awesome. Think of Chinese shaomai dumplings, but on toast. It is super fresh, and well balanced, and would be a perfect quick appetizer for any party. I hope you enjoy.

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Thai Toast
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizers
Cuisine: Thai
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 2 slices of rustic bread
  • ¼ lb of ground pork
  • 12 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
  • 3 tbsp canola oil
Instructions
  1. Add the shrimp to a food processor, or get your knife rocking, and turn the shrimp into a paste. Add this to a mixing bowl, along with everything but the oil and bread and mix it really well. Cover and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours, or preferably overnight.
  2. When you are ready to make the toast, add the oil to a large skillet and bring it to medium heat for a couple of minutes.
  3. Spread the mixture on top of the slices of bread, being generous with the amount on each one.
  4. Lay each slice down, meat mixture side down, into the skillet. Cook for a few minutes, being careful not to lift it too early. Gently lift after a few minutes and if you have a light golden brown, flip it to cook the other side, if not, keep cooking until you have the meat mixture fully cooked.
  5. Cook the Thai toast on the other side, a few more minutes, or until it turns a golden brown.
  6. Set the toast on a serving dish, and slice if desired. Garnish with fresh cilantro for presentation, then dig in.
  7. The result is nothing short of amazing. The pork and shrimp combination is awesome. Think of Chinese shaomai dumplings, but on toast. It is super fresh, and well balanced, and would be a perfect quick appetizer for any party. I hope you enjoy.

 

Vietnamese Stuffed Pancakes

Appetizers, Asian, Ethnic, Game Day, Kids, Pork, Shrimp, Snack

I am a big fan of Vietnamese food and I have been fortunate enough to sample quiet a bit of it while I was living in Dallas. There were a couple of great restaurants in areas where I used to work so it was pretty easy for me to bounce into a place, get a nice clay pot of food, or sample really authentic cha gio, pho, or things such as bánh xèo, otherwise known as “sizzling cake”. I am also a big fan of creating new things and allowing my family to experience things that they would either never order off a menu, or probably never try in their lifetime.

Vietnamese Pancake Recipe

As my wife was a big fan of the Korean pancakes I made some time ago, I decided to make another spin off of those, but introducing her to a Vietnamese style, savory pancake, or crepe, if you will.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of rice flour
  • 1 cup of all purpose flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 12 oz light beer
  • 13.5 oz of coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 cups of cold water
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup cooked pork, chopped
  • 1 cooked shrimp, chopped
  • 1/4 cup of fresh bean sprouts
  • fresh cilantro
  • fresh mint leaves
  • Thai bird chile, optional
  • Romaine Lettuce leaves
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • Nuoc Cham, optional

I have listed the pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts in the quantity that will make one pancake, so prepare more if you are feeding a small army of people.

Start by mixing both flours, and salt. Add in the coconut milk, beer, and water. Whisk until you have a smooth batter. Toss in the green onions, stir, and set aside and let the mixture rest for at least 30 minutes, or even better, overnight, covered in the refrigerator.

Prepare all of your ingredients as these pancakes cook rather quickly.

How to make Vietnamese Pancakes

Heat a nonstick skillet on medium, to medium high heat for a minute or so. Add in the oil and swirl around. When you begin to smell the oil heating up, toss in the cooked pork and shrimp, just to warm them through.

Give the pancake mixture a good stir as things will have settled to the bottom of the bowl.

Ladle in enough of the mixture to lightly blanket the shrimp and pork. You are not going for a thick and dense pancake here. Add the bean sprouts to the top of the pancake.

Cover the skillet and cook the pancake for about three minutes. Uncover, and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Using a spatula, slide it under the pancake, sliding it around the edges, and carefully fold.

How to make Vietnamese Pancakes recipe

Place on a serving dish, and garnish with fresh mint, cilantro, lettuce leafs, and the Thai chile.

Take a bit of the pancake, place it inside the lettuce leaf, and top with the fresh herbs.  Drizzle some of the nuoc cham on the top and dig in.

This Vietnamese savory pancake is a thing of beauty. Nice and crisp on the exterior, and soft and velvety on the interior. That along with the shrimp and pork, with the crunch from the bean sprouts, well, I think you just found your new best friend.  Hope you enjoy.

Print
Vietnamese Stuffed Pancakes
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups of rice flour
  • 1 cup of all purpose flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 12 oz light beer
  • 13.5 oz of coconut milk
  • 1½ cups of cold water
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup cooked pork, chopped
  • 1 cooked shrimp, chopped
  • ¼ cup of fresh bean sprouts
  • fresh cilantro
  • fresh mint leaves
  • Thai bird chile, optional
  • Romaine Lettuce leaves
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • Nuoc Cham, optional
Instructions
  1. I have listed the pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts in the quantity that will make one pancake, so prepare more if you are feeding a small army of people.
  2. Start by mixing both flours, and salt. Add in the coconut milk, beer, and water. Whisk until you have a smooth batter. Toss in the green onions, stir, and set aside and let the mixture rest for at least 30 minutes, or even better, overnight, covered in the refrigerator.
  3. Prepare all of your ingredients as these pancakes cook rather quickly.
  4. Heat a nonstick skillet on medium, to medium high heat for a minute or so. Add in the oil and swirl around. When you begin to smell the oil heating up, toss in the cooked pork and shrimp, just to warm them through.
  5. Give the pancake mixture a good stir as things will have settled to the bottom of the bowl.
  6. Ladle in enough of the mixture to lightly blanket the shrimp and pork. You are not going for a thick and dense pancake here. Add the bean sprouts to the top of the pancake.
  7. Cover the skillet and cook the pancake for about three minutes. Uncover, and cook another 2-3 minutes.
  8. Using a spatula, slide it under the pancake, sliding it around the edges, and carefully fold.
  9. Place on a serving dish, and garnish with fresh mint, cilantro, lettuce leafs, and the Thai chile.
  10. Take a bit of the pancake, place it inside the lettuce leaf, and top with the fresh herbs. Drizzle some of the nuoc cham on the top and dig in.
  11. This Vietnamese savory pancake is a thing of beauty. Nice and crisp on the exterior, and soft and velvety on the interior. That along with the shrimp and pork, with the crunch from the bean sprouts, well, I think you just found your new best friend. Hope you enjoy.