Simple Shrimp Scampi

I love how simple this recipe is. It has just a few ingredients, but still has big flavor! The lemon, butter, and shrimp are perfect together!

The Recipe:

Simple Shrimp Scampi

• 1/2 Pound Shrimp - Peeled and Deveined
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 1/2 Dry White Wine
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 Shallot - Minced
• 3 Garlic Cloves - Minced 
• 3 Scallions - Chopped
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt and Pepper
• Linguini
• Fresh Parsley

In a heavy bottom skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic and shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Add some crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Add in the white wine and lemon juice. I prefer a dry white wine, like a sauvignon Blanc. 

Cook the shrimp until on both sides. The shrimp will cook fast, so just a few minutes per side. When the shrimp are almost done, add in the scallions and cook just long enough to heat. You don't want them to over cook.

Serve over linguine and garnish with the fresh parsley. If you're feeling up for an adventure, this is great with fresh pasta! This pairs really well with some Cheesy Garlic Bread!

Happy eating!

Lamb Ragu

This dish is an Italian classic that I've had the idea to make for quite some time. I've been putting it off because it honestly sounded more difficult than it was. In the end, it was so worth it. The lamb and tomatoes go together so well, with the added crunch from the celery and carrots. The Romano cheese tops it off the sauce to add a creamy flavor.


The Recipe:

Lamb Ragu

• 1/2 Pound Ground Lamb
• 1 Small Onion - Diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves - Minced
• 1 Stalk of Celery - Diced
• 2 Carrots - Peeled and Diced
• 15 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Fresh Parsley - Chopped
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt and Pepper
• Romano Cheese
• Rigatoni

To start, brown the lamb over medium heat. Remove the lamb from the pan when it just medium rare, leaving behind as much of the juices as you can. Add the olive oil to the pan and raise the heat to medium-high. Add in the crushed red pepper flakes, onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Saute until the vegetables are wilted and add in the crushed tomatoes, white wine, ground lamb. I like to swirl the wine around in the tomato can to make sure I get all of the tomato juice out of the can. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the sauce reduce. Just before the pasta is done, add a few ladles of the pasta water to the sauce and let it reduce some more. Add in the parsley and let it reduce with the sauce. 

I mixed the pasta together with the sauce and then stirred in the Romano cheese. Pair the pasta with some garlic bread. 

For a few variations, sub the lamb with ground beef or pork. I'd like to try this again with some fresh pasta as well, maybe some pappardelle. 

Weekly Favorites 05/20/18 to 05/26/18

This week's batch of favorite food and restaurant articles features summer and summer flavors!


Whatever Happened to Sun-Dried Tomatoes? - via Taste Cooking

Sun Dried Tomatoes
Photo Credit Taste Cooking/Antonis Achilleos

Personally, I love sun-dried tomoatoes. I like them in sandwiches, pizza, salads, you name it. But I do know, that are quite a few folks out there who don't care for them. What's your take on them?

Game Changing Grill Hacks
Photo Credit Delish.com

10 Game-Changing Barbecue Hacks You Need in Your Life This Summer - via Delish.com

With Memorial Day just around the corner, summer is officially here. Barbecues will be a regular occurrence. I even saw that our neighborhood pool is opening next week! This barbecue hacks will you up your game on and around the grill!

Linguine and Red Clam Sauce

One of my favorite classic Italian dishes is Linguine and Clams, especially with red sauce. I'll settle with the white or cream sauce, but I definitely prefer the tomato based sauce.

The Recipe:

Linguine and Red Clam Sauce Served with Cheesy Garlic Bread.

• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Shallot -  Diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves - Minced
• 1 Can Whole Clams
• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes
• 1/4 Cup Clam Juice
• 1/4 Dry Chardonnay
• Juice of 1 Large Lemon
• 1 Package Linguine
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley to Garnish
• Salt and Pepper
• Crushed Red Pepper
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Sauté the garlic, shallot, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper in the butter and olive oil. Add in the clams and tomatoes. Stir until heated. Add in the the lemon juice, chardonnay, and clam juice. Cook until the liquid reduces by half. Stir into linguine and garnish with chopped parsley. You can top the pasta with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese as well. Sometimes I like to get fancy and  add some shrimp, scallops, or fresh clams. If you go this route, add them at the very end. They will cook very quickly. For the fresh clams, add a lid to the pan. Once the clams open, they are done. 

Variations on Vinagerettes

Finished Balsamic Vinaigerette

Here lately I've been noticing that some of my clothes aren't fitting like they used to. So it looks like it's time to start eating a little healthier. One of my favorite ways to eat healthy is salads. Salads can get a bad rap for being heavy in calories, but if you pay attention to what you put in them, and on them, it's easy to to keep that calorie count down. Here are a couple of simple and easy to make variations on vinaigrettes. If you've never made a vinaigrette before, don't worry. They are mostly variations of a base recipe. I'll start with the simplest and work through to the more complicated ones. 

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar 
• 4 Garlic Cloves - Minced
• Salt and Pepper 
• 3/4 Cup Olive Oil

In a large bowl, combine Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly. first only drizzle in a little bit at a time. As the oil and vinegar begin to emulsify, you can pour the oil in a little faster.

Roasted Red Pepper Red Wine Vinaigrette

Use a silicon hotpad to keep the bowl from moving around

• 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 4 Garlic Cloves - Minced
• 3 Roasted Red Pepper Slices from the jar - Minced 
• Salt and Pepper 
• 3/4 Cup Olive Oil

In a large bowl, combine red wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, red bell peppers, salt, and pepper. For the red peppers, I just use the jarred variety. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly. first only drizzle in a little bit at a time. As the oil and vinegar begin to emulsify, you can pour the oil in a little faster.

Taragon and Lemon White Wine Dijon Vinaigrette

• 1/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar 
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 4 Garlic Cloves - Minced
• 1 teaspoon Taragon
• 1/2 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard 
• Juice of 1 Small Lemon



Use a squeeze bottle to help control the oil.
At first it will just just drip out, which is all you need. 

• Olive Oil

In a large bowl, combine white wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, lemon juice, dijon mustard, taragon, salt, and pepper. I like to use a course grain mustard, but some people like to use something with a little less spice to it. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly. first only drizzle in a little bit at a time. As the oil and vinegar begin to emulsify, you can pour the oil in a little faster.

These dressings store really well in mason jars in the fridge. Pull the jar of dressing out as you begin to prep the salad to give it a chance to come to room temperature. Give the jar a shake to mix it up and pour over the salad.