Shrimp Burgers

If you don't mind busting out the food processor, these shrimp burgers are super simple, come together in a flash, and require little in regards to your shopping list.

Shrimp Burgers

Adapted from Cooks Country Magazine

Ingredients

3/4 cup sour cream (or mayo)

1/2 tsp Old Bay

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

a few dashes of lemon or lime juice

1 1/4 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tbsp sour cream (or mayo if it doesn't repulse you)

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp Old Bay

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 cup bread crumbs

vegetable oil for cooking, about 3 tbsp

4 burger buns

lettuce

1. Mix first set of ingredients in a small bowl for saucing up the burgers after they are cooked.
2. Place 1/3 of shrimp, sour cream, pepper, salt, cayenne, Old Bay, and celery in the food processor.  Pulse until shrimp are finely chopped. Add remaining shrimp and pulse until coarsely chopped.
3. Divide mixture into 4 patties.  Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish.  Working with 1 patty at a time coat with bread crumbs.  When all patties are coated heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side.
4.  Serve on toasted buns with lettuce and prepared sauce.



How did I only take 1 picture!? Sorry readers, I have failed you.

San-J Sauces

When this packaged arrived from San-J I couldn't contain my excitement. 3 delicious gluten free sauces and a tote bag! and a basting brush! and a cutting board! and the best, a mini USB in the shape of a tamari sauce bottle!  How cool is this company!?

Needless to say I couldn't wait to dive in.  All three of the sauces I cooked with are gluten free certified and non-gmo verified.  They all come with suggestions on the bottle as to what pairs best with each sauce.

I used the Mongolian sauce to make a quick chicken stir-fry with broccoli and green beans over rice. It was so nice to have a sauce waiting for me in the pantry.  It meant I didn't need to get out all the measuring cups and spoons and assemble ingredients which is a total life saver on a weeknight.

The Thai peanut sauce went great with shrimp; the sauce has a little kick to it.  I made shrimp avocado burritos with mixed greens and cilantro lime rice.  I also used this as a dipping sauce later in the week for chicken spring rolls.

I used the orange sauce for a steak and mixed vegetable ramen noodle bowl.  I stir fried the steak and veggies in the orange sauce then tossed in the cooked noodles and topped it all with a hearty shake of sesame seeds.

I am so excited to have these sauces in my condiment stash right now.  I can't wait to continue to use them to add great flavor to more meals.

I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my honest opinion on my blog. The opinions posted are my own.

Slow Cooker Low Country Boil

I have always dreamed of a shrimp boil where everyone is eating with their bare hands off a newspaper lined table.  I was gifted a extra large Old Bay container for my birthday and so with a little editing, I made this dream a reality.  See kids, dreams really do come true!

Low Country Boil

Ingredients

2 ears of corn, halved

1 lb small red potatoes*

2 stalks celery, cut into thirds

1/4-1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning (YES!!)

1 lemon, sliced

1 lb shrimp, with shells

1. Place potatoes, corn, Old Bay, and lemon slices in a slow cooker.  Fill with water until vegetables are mostly covered. Cook on low for 7 hours.

2. Add shrimp and cook an additional 20-30 minutes until they are cooked through.

3. Remove from slow cooker with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, or if you are bold enough, on to a newspaper lined table.

*I did not halve my potatoes because they were very small, but I regretted this because they did not soak up the delicious Old Bay flavors.  I hesitate to tell you to cut them because I didn't do it this way, but think about it.

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you..

Loved it! 

This is such a fun and easy dinner to make this summer.  You can easily make this for a crowd.  

Hoisin Shrimp

This recipe is super simple and comes together in a flash. Perfect for a weeknight; classy enough for company.

Let's get right to it!

Hoisin Shrimp
From Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, I just used cider
2 tsp soy sauce
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
sesame seeds
*I added about a cup or so of broccoli, steamed in the microwave, to make this a more complete meal
rice, for serving

1. Combine hoisin, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large saute pan.  Season shrimp with salt and pepper.  Cook shrimp until they are pink, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
3. Pour sauce over shrimp (and add in vegetables if using).  Saute 1-2 minutes until everything is coated and sauce is heated through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice.

Soooo much better than take out! And possibly quicker too!

Shrimp With Garlic Bread Sauce

I busted out the food processor for this one guys! I know, I was feeling brazen this evening. It was definitely worth the trouble.

There is really nothing challenging about this recipe, but who the heck wants to clean that food processor? AmIright? All those damn parts! Ugh.

Shrimp with Garlic Bread Sauce
From Pinch of Yum

Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 slice crusty white bread about 1 inch thick
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 cup almonds
2 cups vegetable broth
2 lbs shrimp

1. Heat oil in a large skillet (you will cook the shrimp in here later) to toast the slice of bread.  Place bread in a food processor and pulse to crumbs. Add garlic, parsley, almonds, and a few tablespoons of broth. Pulse until a paste forms.
2. Pour broth into pan and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the bread paste and mix until it looks like a cream sauce. Add the shrimp and cook until no longer pink, 5 minutes or so.
3. Serve this with something green as well as some nice crusty bread to sop up the sauce.

This is for a cold rainy night when you are thinking we don't really need nutrients, right?

Shrimp and Biscuit Bake

This is one of those OMG I can't believe I cooked up this delicious dinner kind of moments. 

The Red Lobster Biscuits were a fantastic topping for this filling, but feel free to use whatever biscuits you prefer.  Feel like making your own biscuits? More power to ya!

Shrimp and Biscuit Bake

Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

For the filling:

1 lb shrimp

4 tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 yellow squash, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning

2 tbsp flour

14 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth

For the topping:

1 package Red Lobster biscuit mix

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup of butter

1. To prepare the filling: Melt butter in a large pan.  Add onion, celery, and squash.  Cook until tender.  Add Old Bay and garlic, cook until fragrant. Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer and cook, covered for 5 minutes.  Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink.  Set aside and prepare topping.
2. Preheat oven to 425. Stir together biscuit mix, cheddar, and water.  Pour shrimp and vegetables into a 13x9 inch casserole dish.  Top with biscuit mix. Cook 14-16 minutes, until biscuits have browned slightly.  Melt butter and stir in seasoning packet.  Brush butter over biscuits.

Even Bailey knows something incredible is going to come out of this oven!

The box calls for much more butter than necessary.  At least that was my opinion,  I saved the remaining butter to use for garlic bread another night.

Seriously, it is almost a crime to not bake this up immediately.

So get on it!

Shrimp Scampi

This recipe is perfection.  It's from Ina Garten so you know it's the real deal too.  Of course she wants you to use the "good" oil and the "good" butter so don't use that bad stuff you have in your pantry, ok? Ok on with the recipe!

Shrimp Scampi

Adapted From Ina Garten

Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti

1 lb large shrimp

4 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 lemon, zested
juice from 1 lemon
1/8 tsp hot pepper flakes

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In a large skillet heat oil and butter. add the garlic and hot pepper and cook 1 minute.  Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper. Saute 2-3 minutes on each side, until pink.
3. Remove from pan from heat and mix in lemon juice, zest, and parsley. Add drained pasta to pan and stir until combined.

Garlic + butter + lemon + shrimp = perfection

Do yourself a favor and cook this one up right quick.  It's a cinch to make, tastes amazing, and it's gorgeous. It's the whole package!

Shrimp and Bacon Pizza

Shrimp and bacon sounds pretty darn indulgent doesn't it?  Top it on a pizza and you've got yourself a serious upgrade to your usual tomato sauce and cheese pie.

Shrimp and Bacon Pizza
Adapted from Cook's Country Magazine

Ingredients
8 oz shrimp, peeled, deveined, patted dry, and chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 pizza dough
1 1/2 cups mozzarella, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
2 tbsp oil

1. Preheat oven to 500.  In a small bowl mix shrimp, bacon, garlic, and oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spread evenly atop prepared pizza dough.  Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
2. Cook until crust has browned and shrimp is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

This pizza was really quite exquisite and a definite welcome change from your usual pizza toppings.

Shrimp Pad Thai

I was gifted a fabulous magazine subscription this Christmas: Cook's Country.  For those of you who may not know, I have a deep affection and appreciation for Cook's Country and America's Test Kitchen.  They are the best cooking shows and cook books I have ever laid eyes on.  If you have not experienced the glory of America's Test Kitchen on PBS, I suggest you change that asap.

Or you could just make this recipe, it's from their magazine.

Shrimp Pad Thai
From Cook's Country Magazine

Ingredients
8oz rice noodles
1/3 cup lime juice, about 3 limes
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
8oz bean sprouts, I used snap peas
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

1.Soak noodles in hot water until softened, about 15 minutes.  The package will have instructions.  Combine lime juice, brown sugar, and fish sauce in a measuring cup.  Pat shrimp dry, add to oiled and heated skillet along with garlic.  Cook until shrimp is pink, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.

2. Place drained noodles in the now empty skillet on medium heat.  Cook for about 2 minutes until some of the excess moisture is removed. Add lime juice mixture to skillet and cook until thickened slightly.  Add sprouts (or snap peas) and shrimp, cook until heated through,  Serve in bowls topped with cilantro and peanuts.

I made mine with double the noodles and double the sauce because my noodle packet was quite large.  This is certainly not necessary unless you are feeding a small army.

This was so simple and delicious, and just requires a few odd ingredients that you can find in the international section of your supermarket.  Don't be afraid of fish sauce, and don't substitute it.

Go experience the joys of Cook's Country, and cook yourself up some shrimp pad thai!

Jambalaya

It's my 4 year blog anniversary!  What better way to celebrate than with some jambalaya?

Don't be intimidated by the lengthy list of ingredients.  This is originally a Rachel Ray 30 minute meal recipe.  I made some tweeks to the ingredient list based on what I had on hand.  Although I can't say I was able to put this together in a mere 30 minutes, it was very simple and took less than an hour to prepare.

Jambalaya
Adapted from Rachel Ray

Ingredients
2 cups white rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken
3/4 lb sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ribs of celery
1 chipotle pepper diced, or a few dashes of hot sauce
2 tbps flour
14oz diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 lb shrimp
chopped cilantro, for garnish

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. In a large pan coated with oil brown chicken and sausage, 5-10 minutes.  Add onion, celery, chipotle pepper.
3. Saute for 5 minutes, sprinkle flour and cook for 1-2 minutes more.  Stir in tomatoes, broth, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and Cajun seasoning.
4. Bring liquid to a boil and add shrimp.  Cook until shrimp is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
5. Scoop jambalaya into bowls, top with rice and cilantro.

It's all made in one large skillet, with exception of the rice of course.

There ya have it kids.  Delicious one pan jambalaya an excellent, stick-to-your-ribs kinda meal that's just perfect to warm up these cold winter nights.

Shrimp Pot Pies

Tired of the same ol' chicken pot pie I got bold and made some shrimp pot pies. I didn't just change out the meats, I swapped out the sage and poultry seasoning for some Old Bay and Cayenne Pepper and the vegetable broth for milk after looking at a bunch of recipes. I can't say I loved it, but I would like to try making it again to improve it.

Happy Anniversary!

This is Why I'm Hot turned 1 year old on Saturday. To celebrate we made shrimp tacos with an avocado salsa, fried plantains, and saffron rice.

Roasted shrimp with cilantro and lime and fried plantains:


Avocados, tomatoes, cilantro, lime, olives:


My plate of all of the above:

Microwaving Dinner with Martha Stewart

I was excited to make this recipe because it is made entirely in the microwave. I was disappointed when I read it took a whole 20 minutes to cook. 20 minutes? who has the time to wait around for that! who can afford to stare longingly into the microwave and risk all that radiation? Apparently I do.

This recipe did not need an entire lemon, and it also did not need the cup of dried parsley I accidently dropped in post-photo. Other than that it was quite tasty, Martha knows what she's doing.