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Inspired Meal... shrimp & broccoli pasta

2/20/2016

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     When I'm not home taking care of a 3 month old puppy, I'm traveling. I spent some time in the southwest visiting family and friends... all in different locations.  We started out in Phoenix, followed by several days in Palm Springs.  My husband's goal is to see all of the national parks in the U.S.  Many of them he's already been to (many without me).  But on this occasion I accompanied him to Joshua Tree and Sequoia National Parks.

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       Of the two parks, Joshua Tree was my favorite.  The rock formations were amazing.....

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    No....................................................................I did not sleep in a tent

    Plus, in Joshua Tree's favor... it is not 7000 feet above sea level as is Sequoia National.   Those who know me well, know it is extremely difficult for me to be captive in a car driving up the side of a mountain. I act obnoxiously, I've been told.  It's a trait I am not proud of, and I feel badly for anyone who has to put up with my behavior.  But you know... that's just the way it is.  I'm sure I have many other sterling qualities that compensate for my disappointing display on the mountain side... 

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      I also didn't pack for Sequoia National Park.  Before we left, I read the 90 degree forecasts for the desert and never imagined being cold, in a place that had just received 3 feet of snow.  No winter coat packed.  No boots.  Nothing warm.  But... it was beautiful.
     After spending two days in the mountainous winter wonderland, we left Sequoia with a slow descent down the mountain (tire chains required) and headed south to warmth and a couple of days with my husband's relatives outside of L.A.  The last leg of our journey took us to Tucson and a visit that was very special to me.  We spent time with Ginny and Ron; friends we made when I was a student at the Kansas City Art Institute back in the 70's, when I was in the Fiber Department and Ron in Ceramics.  It was a visit that never felt like we parted ways when school ended so many years ago. 
     The Broccoli and Shrimp Pasta recipe is my version of a beautiful meal made by Ron and enjoyed outdoors... something we won't be doing in Saint Paul fore another 3 months (if that soon).  Serve with some really good bread and glasses of white wine!


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RECIPE SERVES 3
• Broccoli florets, halved, from 1 head of broccoli
• 3/4 pound capellini (angel hair) pasta
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
• 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon wedges, for serving
• Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

1. Gently boil the broccoli florets in lightly salted water until just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.  Drain and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Add the capellini and cook until al dente.  Drain and reserve.
3.  In the meantime, in a large sauté pan, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil.  Add the broccoli and cook briefly over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and cook, adding more olive oil if necessary, until the garlic is fragrant. Add a sprinkling of salt and transfer broccoli to a bowl.
4.  Add a little more olive oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp to the hot pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook the shrimp, turning once, until pink and opague.  This should take approximately 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp.
5.  Adjust the heat to low and add the reserved broccoli and drained pasta.  Stir to combine and add an addition drizzle of oil.  Divide the pasta between 3 bowls and serve.  Squeeze some fresh lemon juice overs each serving and pass the Parmigiano Regginao.




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Jalapeño Havarti Custard with a Honeyed Sauce, Grilled Shrimp and a Cornmeal Cookie

2/25/2015

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     Whenever I visit France, I'm there in search of inspiration.  And France never disappoints.  Last summer in the south of France, it seems as though every amazing meal I ate incorporated a savory shortbread into the dish. 


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     At Le Château de Mazan (check out the beautiful hotel and restaurant HERE) assorted chilled vegetable purées were piped atop a thin savory cookie.


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     At Chez Serge in Carpentras, my first course balanced a savory cookie over my smoked salmon.


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     When I returned home with thoughts of cookies, savory and sweet, I made this dessert of fresh strawberry ice cream topped with strawberry rhubarb compote, and placed it on a pistachio cookie.
    
     ... and I continue to dream of ways to include savory pastries (and cookies) in the meals I create.

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     For this appetizer or first course, I rested a savory jalapeño Havarti custard with honeyed cocktail sauce on top of a delicate cornmeal cookie, then crowned it all with a giant grilled, lemon shrimp.  I can't wait to make this part of an al fresco meal on the patio this summer!
     I fortunately had some leftover cocktail sauce that a friend made, and which I used in this recipe.  * Ina Garten's cocktail sauce (recipe HERE) would be a good substitute.  An excellent commercial brand of cocktail sauce would also work as a coating for the custard.
    

  
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SAVORY CORNMEAL COOKIES
makes 8 cookies

• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt or fleur de sel
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 large egg yolk
1.  Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and set aside.
2.  Combine the flour, cornmeal and salt in the bowl of a food processor; pulse once or twice.  Add the cubed butter and pulse until small pieces form.  Add the egg yolk and pulse briefly until the mixture just starts to come together.  Do not over mix.
3.  Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured work surface.  Roll dough to approximately 3/8-inch thickness and cut out 3 1/2-inch to 4-inch rounds.  Place cookies on prepared baking sheet.
4.  Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until golden.  Remove and allow to cool.


JALAPENO HAVARTI CUSTARDS
makes 4 servings

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup finely diced Jalapeño Havarti
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons cocktail sauce (see
* above)
1.  Preheat oven to 375˚F
2.  Prepare four 1/2 cup ramekins by drizzling 1/2 tablespoon honey into each.  Gently spread 1 tablespoon cocktail sauce over the honey, evenly coating the bottom of the ramekin.
3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and Jalapeño Havarti.  Divide the custard evenly between the ramekins.  Place the ramekins in a baking pan and make a bain-marie (water bath) by pouring hot water in the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
4.  Gently slide the baking pan onto the middle rack of the oven and bake the custards for 30 minutes, or until set.  When finished baking, remove from the oven and then remove the ramekins from the bain-marie.  Cool for 10 minutes.
5.  Prepare and grill shrimp while custards are resting.

GRILLED LEMON SHRIMP

• 1 to 2 large shrimp for each serving of savory custard
• Olive oil
• grated lemon zest
• kosher salt
• cilantro, for serving
1.  Peel and devein shrimp.  In a bowl, toss the shrimp with a good drizzle of olive oil.  Add lemon zest and sprinkling of salt.
2.  Grill shrimp either on a preheated grill pan indoors or on an outdoor charcoal or gas grill until pink and cooked through.

TO ASSEMBLE:

1.  Using a small paring knife, run the tip around the outside of the custards.  Top  custard with a small plate and invert.  Shake to release custard.  Place a cookie on a serving plate and using a thin metal spatula center a custard on the cookie.  Crown the custard with a grilled shrimp and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.  Repeat with remaining cookies, custards, and shrimp.  Serve immediately.


                                         



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Dinner with New Friends from Spain

9/21/2014

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     Oh... how to make a long story short...?  Well, here goes.  Last spring I received an email from a stranger.  The stranger, from Spain, was wondering how to get in touch with neighbors and close friends of ours.  Why, of all people, was he contacting me?  He had found them through LivingTastefully.  Of course, I was suspicious.  Yes, photos of Isla and Jeff have been on LivingTastefully's Passions to Pastry, but I never give last names.  What in his search brought him to my blog in the first place?  And most of all, were his questions legit or did he have nefarious intentions? 
     I forwarded the email onto my friends and found that they did know him.  José had been a foreign exchange student many years ago and lived with Jeff and his family while attending high school for a year.
     OK... I have had all of this explained to me several times -- how he put their names in search engines.  But why did I come up?  In one of José's searches he found a photo of Jeff and Isla at one of our New Year's Day celebrations.  I still don't get it -- especially with nothing more than first names in my postings.  But as my daughters always say -- "Mom, you aren't the first to know things."  Or, as I'll admit, not the first to understand things, either. 
     Recently, José and his wife Marisa were in the Twin Cities for a class reunion, from his days as an exchange student.  We finally were able to meet and one evening, along with friends Isla and Jeff, José and Marisa joined us for dinner!  
     Probably the most amazing thing of all, were the photos Marisa showed me of dishes she had prepared from recipes she found on Passions to Pastry.
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                                                    José and Marisa


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     Grilled Shrimp with Watermelon, Basil, Corn, and Burrata was dinner that night.  I'm crazy about this dish.  Most important is that you have the freshest summer produce when making this.  It may just be getting a little too late for that.

+  Grilled Shrimp with Watermelon, Basil, Corn, and Burrata
          slightly adapted recipe from Joseph Lenn | Blackberry Farm


• 4 ears of corn, shucked
• Canola oil, for brushing
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I like to get 5 shrimp per person)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 tablespoons finely sliced basil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 - 4 cups watermelon balls or cubes
• 2 balls burrata, halved, at room temperature

• Fleur de Sel for finishing


1. 
Brush the corn with canola oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place on a grill over medium-high heat and sear the corn lightly on all sides.  Remove from heat and let cool briefly.  Cut the corn from the cobs and place in a large bowl.  Set aside.
2.  In a small bowl, combine the shrimp, 2 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon of the basil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss and set aside.
3. 
In a small dish, combine the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.  Pour over the roasted corn.  Add the remaining 3 tablespoons sliced basil and toss gently.  Fold in the watermelon balls.  Adjust seasonings and add a little more olive oil if needed.
4.  Thread the shrimp on wooden skewers that have been soaked in cold water (I put 5 large shrimp on each skewer).  Grill the shrimp over medium-high heat for approximately 1 to 2 minutes per side or until pink with the ends curled.
5. To plate the salad:  Divide the corn-watermelon mixture between 4 large plates.  Place shrimp skewers on top along with a halved burrata nearby.  Drizzle the burrata with some really good extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with fleur de sel. 






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Alfresco Dinner Next Door

11/20/2013

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     My timing is a little off here.  It's November.  Thanksgiving is next week and I'm sharing images of an alfresco dinner that took place on our neighbor's patio in August.  There are no more thoughts this year of dining under the stars.  But I'm in the middle of a project -- making drapes (very nice actually ;-) for the large, arched window at the front of my daughter's house.  As is the case with most things I do, it is taking longer than expected.

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     So I'm rummaging through old photos and recipes I've meant to share.  And since this August dinner was at the height of summer's glory, many of the meal's ingredients will be sub-standard if purchased now.  But I suggest that you keep this recipe for Crab Cakes with Buttermilk-Basil Dressing and Marinated Tomatoes and Corn tucked away for next year; it's the best thing I've eaten in a long time!

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    Crab Cakes with Buttermilk-Basil Dressing and marinated Tomatoes and Corn

     ... recipe HERE

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Dinner-on-the patio (someone else's)... a great house... and a recipe (or two)

6/25/2013

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     Actually, it was appetizers on the patio and dinner indoors.  We successfully dodged raindrops, but no one has a fighting chance against a Minnesota mosquito. 
     I'll show you around our friends' home -- the patio and indoors -- and give you a couple of recipes from our dinner that night.
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                   Wisconsin award-winning cheese by Holland's Family Cheese
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                                      I love French jacquard tablecloths!
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                               Bruschetta with ricotta, tomatoes, and pine nuts
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                Our main dish of Scallops with Cilantro Sauce and Asian Slaw
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      My contribution... Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting.  Best carrot cake I've ever eaten!


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Salmon-and-Spinach Cakes with Jalapeno-Dill Sauce

1/5/2012

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    As much as I enjoy the holiday season, I am always ready for it to be over.  I like the clean, sparseness of January.  The decorations are down, the tree is removed from our living space, and there is usually bright, white daylight bouncing off the snow and illuminating the rooms; altho' that doesn't seem to be the case this year with our lack of snow cover and unwinter-like temperatures.  Another change once we enter January -- fewer cartons of heavy cream in my refrigerator.  I miss the baking, but not the consumption of rich desserts and meals that seem too common in December.  Salads with crisp lettuces and citrus is what I crave. 
     These Salmon-and-Spinach Cakes are going to be dinner tonight, along with a salad of greens, oranges, red onion, and toasted almonds.  I think they'd also be great as part of a brunch menu. 


                      + Salmon-and-Spinach Cakes +
                                    recipe by Marcia Kiesel via Food & Wine

• 1 1/2 pound large Yukon Gold potatoes
• 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus additional for garnish
• Salt
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• Vegetable oil, for frying

1.  In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water.  Simmer over moderately high heat until tender, about 30 minutes.  Drain and let cool.  Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/4-inch dice.  Transfer to a large bowl.
2.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of water over moderately high heat.  Add the spinach in batches; cook until wilted.  Drain, squeeze dry, and coarsely chop.
3.  In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, the jalapeno, and the chopped dill; season with salt.
4.  Put the salmon in a food processor and pulse a few times, until chopped.  Pulse in the cream until incorporated.  Add the salmon to the potatoes.  Stir in the spinach and onion and season with salt.  Form the mixture into 12 patties.
5.  In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1/8-inch of oil.  Add half of the cakes and fry over high heat until lightly browned on the bottom, 1 minute.  Reduce the heat to moderately high and cook until well-browned, about 2 minutes.  Turn and cook for another 3 minutes, until browned.  Repeat with the remaining cakes, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.  Garnish the salmon cakes with the dill sprigs and serve with the sauce. 


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Lemon Risotto with Shrimp

2/22/2011

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     There are many reasons why I look forward to spring.  Probably the unanimous reason shared by every Minnesotan is the prospect of warmer weather.  After Minneapolis-St. Paul received another 12+ inches of snow this past weekend, we're all thinking... enough already!  Being outdoors in my vegetable garden would also be in that top tier of "reasons why I look forward to spring".  But what do I really, truly look forward to this time of year as spring approaches?… extended daylight hours!
      I made Lemon Risotto with Shrimp for dinner.  It was 8 p.m. before we sat down to eat, and any natural light coming through my kitchen window was long gone.  I rarely photograph food with the flash on my camera; the results are never good.  (Oh, how I miss those sun-lit summer dinners on the patio!)  But I really wanted to share this meal with you.  Not only was it delicious, but also makes a beautiful presentation.  The lemon risotto (made even more lemony-yellow from the orange colored organic vegetable broth I used) along with the large, pink shrimp clustered on top is a colorful dish, and perfect for all of those spring dinners that lie ahead.
     
    
          …Lemon Risotto with Shrimp…
      adapted from Marie Claire Seasonal Kitchen by Michele Cranston

• 4 1/2 cups organic vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 leeks, white part only, rinsed and finely sliced
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 organic lemon
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 16 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail intact
• extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
• flat-leaf parsley, to serve

1.  Bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan, then reduce the heat and keep at a low simmer.
2.  Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and leek and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the leek is soft and transparent.  Add the lemon zest and rice and stir for 1 minute, or until the rice is well coated and the grains are glossy.
3.  Ladle 1 cup of the hot stock into the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has been completely absorbed.  Add another 1 cup stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed, then test the rice to see if it is al dente.  If it needs more cooking, stir in the remaining stock.  Lightly fold the Parmesan and half the lemon juice through the risotto.  Remove the pan from the heat while you cook the shrimp. 
4.  Quickly heat a large frying pan over high heat and coat pan with a light film of olive oil.  Sear the shrimp on both sides for a few minutes, until they turn pink and begin to curl up.  Pour the remaining lemon juice over the shrimp, then remove from the heat.  Spoon the risotto into warmed pasta bowls and top with the shrimp.  Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a scattering of parsley.

SERVES 4



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FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER pan-barbecued shrimp

5/28/2009

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  It was our turn to host "gourmet", the term we've all been using for the dinner that six of us partake in several times a year.  Too chilly to be outdoors for more than our appetizers, we ate three courses in our dining room.  I served the main course in my favorite bowls, made in Spain, that I hauled back from Aix-en-Provence last summer.

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The shrimp almost seemed camouflaged within the marbleized red and yellow glazed swirls.  Prepared in a spicy herb butter, we ate the unpeeled shrimp with our hands and soaked up the sauce with French breads.
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  This is a fantastic dish that does not involve much time and the results are hugely delicious!  The shrimp were excellent... large and meaty.  I figured 1/2-pound per person and that was really pushing our limit.  From a Sunday New York Times magazine, "This Southern recipe, altho' called "barbecue", is actually prepared in a hot cast-iron skillet".

                                         PAN-BARBECUED SHRIMP

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 5 thyme sprigs, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt to taste, if desired
• 2 pounds unshelled large shrimp, approximately 20 to 24, rinsed briefly in
   cold water
• 1/2 cup bottled clam juice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine

1.  In a large cast-iron skillet or frying pan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter over high heat.  Add all the remaining ingredients except the remaining eight tablespoons of butter, the shrimp, clam juice and wine.  Stir well and add the shrimp.  Cook about three minutes, stirring and shaking the pan.
2.  Add the remaining eight tablespoons of butter, clam juice and wine.  Cook, stirring and shaking the pan, until the shrimp are cooked through.  Remove from heat and serve immediately with the hot butter sauce from the pan and French bread or rice.   YIELD:  Four servings.


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