Lemon Butter Shrimp Pasta (GF)

I’d love to have fresh seafood more for dinner, but where I live it’s hard to get, so this was a treat for me. Pasta is also something I don’t eat very often, but do enjoy so I combined the two. I’ve enjoyed most of the gluten free pastas that I’ve tried and this linguine was really delicious and had a nice texture. I stayed light on the butter and topped it with just a bit of of shredded parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:
2 lemons, juiced and zested
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound medium sized shrimp deveined
10 oz linguine
3 tablespoons butter
fresh ground pepper, to taste
parmesan cheese, to taste

In a medium sized bowl add the lemon juice, zest, garlic, olive oil, salt and shrimp and allow to marinade while you prepare the pasta noodles.

Cook the linguine noodles for about 2 minutes less than the package directions recommend. Reserve about 1.5 cups of the pasta water.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add butter and the shrimp. Cook until each side is starting to slightly brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan. Add the marinade and the reserved pasta water. Next add the cooked linguine noodles, and add the shrimp back. Top with a bit of fresh ground pepper and allow everything to cook together for 5 minutes. Serve hot and top off with a bit of fresh parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

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Shrimp and Pancetta over Polenta

Polenta is very popular in the American south and Italy. It makes a great naturally gluten free base to many meals – or as I had it as a child, for breakfast with a bit of honey and milk made by my grandmother. I added a bit of goat’s cheese and basil to the polenta for a bit more taste and creaminess.

For my personal bowl I added just a bit of Sriricha – which I kept out of the main dish since I was feeding family that doesn’t like food as spicy as mine. It really gave it some punch and I really enjoyed the extra heat.

Ingredients:
For the polenta
3 cups water
1 cup polenta (corn grits)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces plain goat’s cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

For the main dish:
1/2 pound shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
4 ounces pancetta, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon parsley
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Bring 3 cups of water and salt to a boil and add the polenta. Reduce heat and allow to thicken, stirring occasionally. Add the goat’s cheese and basil and stir well. Remove from heat and cover.

In a large saucepan over medium low heat, add the oil, garlic, and pancetta. Allow to cook until the pancetta is starting to become crisp. Add the tomatoes, basil, shrimp, salt, pepper, and parsley. Cook until the shrimp are cooked all the way through, and the sauce is hot. Serve over the polenta. Serves 4. Enjoy!

*Topping with a bit of sriracha or green onions adds a bit more punch.

Jambalaya

I haven’t gotten to have a spicy dinner for awhile and I’ve always enjoyed jambalaya. I’ve tried it several different ways, and this is my favorite way of having this dish. I do include tomatoes in my dish, along with three types of bell peppers. I also include okra, which is a vegetable that I don’t get to have very often and wasn’t able to get fresh today (frozen works just as well!).

Ingredients:
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
1/2 pound chicken breast, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large stalks of celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup okra, sliced
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups long white rice
2 tablespoons creole or cajun seasonings
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon thyme
2 green onions, sliced

In a large saute pan over medium heat add the olive oil, onions, celery, peppers, jalapeno and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing the vegetables to soften. Add the chicken and sausage and cook until the chicken is no longer pink. (If using frozen chicken, cook in a separate pan first.)

Next add in the rice, tomatoes, chicken stock, creole seasonings, worcestershire,  Sriracha, thyme, bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Stir together and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until the rice cooked, about 90 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf, and add in the shrimp and okra. Allow it to simmer until the shrimp are no longer pink. Top off with some green onions (and more Sriracha if you like) and serve warm. Serves 4-6. Enjoy!

 

Jalapeno Crab Dip

This is one of my favorite appetizers to whip up for parties. It’s easy to put together, and people would never guess it’s gluten free. Everything I serve here is, and I bring gluten free items to pot lucks since I never know what I’m going to be able to have. I set this out with blue corn and regular corn tortilla chips (my family scoffs at the blue corn)! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season.

Ingredients:
12 ounces lump crab meat (double check for cartilage!)
1 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese
2 jalapenos, seeds removed and diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large skillet over medium heat place the garlic and butter. When melted add the flour and slowly add the milk, stirring occasionally until thickened. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, the crab meat, the lemon juice and the jalapenos. When combined place the mixture into a 9×9 baking pan or 1 quart dish. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and place into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Makes about 2 cups.

Shrimp and Squash

I was given an acorn squash the other day, and as a child my mom would roast the squash with a little bit of butter and brown sugar. This was always good and we’ve had it like that a lot, but I wanted to get away from the sweetness. I bought a good amount of shrimp the other day wanting to try another recipe, but having a friend mention using the shrimp with the squash got me thinking. I really enjoyed how it came out, the spices in the squash that I choose reminded me a bit of Thanksgiving. This is really simple to put together, and besides the cook time on the squash – the rest doesn’t take long.

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon sage

1 pound shrimp (I got mine already de-veined and tails removed)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F. Slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Melt the butter and add the rosemary and sage to it. Carefully brush or spoon the butter over top the squash. Place in the oven on a baking sheet for 50-60 minutes, until the squash is soft to a fork.

In another bowl mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk together and place the shrimp in the bowl and toss them in the dressing until they are covered. Place them in a skillet over medium heat for about 4 minutes, just enough to heat them up. (Mine were also precooked so needed minimal cooking.) Place the shrimp inside the squash bowls and serve immediately.

The recipe will double or triple very easily – I was cooking for 2 today and this was more than enough to fill us for dinner.