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Grilled Garlic Shrimp Over Baguette….

Posted by on October 3, 2010
When I had my gal pals over for food and bubbly, this seemed to be the favorite.  This is a beautiful and extremely flavourful appetizer.  At the end when you put the shrimp on top of the bread, be sure to baste with plenty of the flavorful butter and garlic mixture.  It will soak into the yummy grilled bread.  There are a few steps in the preparation process, but they’re very simple.  If you’re entertaining, prepare everything right up to the cooking.  All you’ll have to do is about 10 minutes of grilling and you’re ready to serve.

Garlic Lemon Shrimp Over Grilled Baguette

2 lbs. large deveined frozen shrimp, thawed and peeled leaving tails
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
16-18 6” bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes

For the lemon butter:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 pinches kosher salt
2 pinches black pepper
1 whole lemon, zested, then juiced
2 large baguettes, cut into 6″ pieces, then halved

Garnishes

3 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 lemons cut into wedges

1) If you’re using bamboo skewers, soak in water for 20 minutes. To thaw frozen shrimp: place in a large bowl and allow cold water to slowly run into bowl and down drain. Once thawed, peel and drain in colander. Put shrimp into a dry bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Skewer 2 per skewer. Refrigerate.
2) Put all sauce ingredients into a microwavable dish. Refrigerate.
3) When ready to cook, preheat grill.  Cut baguette and set aside.
4) Microwave the sauce ingredients until just melted.
5) Grill the bread first on both sides, you just want to get the bread a little crunchy with grill marks.  Cut each piece in half on a diagonal and place on a large serving platter. Grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side or until bright pink. Immediately place the grilled shrimp on the grilled bread in a criss cross.
6) Generously baste with the lemon and garlic butter mixture. Garnish with chopped parsley and a fresh lemon wedge.  Enjoy!

Isn’t this an elegant presentation???

Enjoy!
Angie


Filed Under: Appetizers, Fish, Uncategorized | Tagged: Tagged With: , ,

Oven Roasted Broccoli…..

Posted by on September 29, 2010

Tired of plain old steamed broccoli?  Bring out the natural flavor by doing a quick oven roast.  Enjoy hot, cold, or at room temperature.  I love to squeeze some fresh lemon juice over just before serving.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

1 large head of fresh broccoli, cut into large pieces, large stalk removed (or peel the stalk and cut into large pieces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
3 pinches salt
2 pinches red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons water

1)  Preheat oven to 375′.  Foil line a large cookie sheet and set aside.
2)  Place cut up broccoli onto prepared pan.  Drizzle olive oil over broccoli and sprinkle seasonings over as well.  Toss well with your hands until evenly coated with oil and seasonings.  Drizzle water over broccoli and toss.
3)  Bake for 10 minutes, give a turn, and roast another 5-8 minutes.

Filed Under: Side Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tagged: Tagged With: , , ,

Wildly simple things you can do with frozen broccoli…..

Posted by on February 5, 2010

I love quick and easy vegetables.  The first recipe below is for broccoli as a side dish, followed by the recipe pictured above. The beauty of it is that you can use frozen broccoli.  It is frozen at the peak of freshness. No need to buy the expensive”steam bags,” this is less expensive and totally delicious!

1 pound package frozen broccoli florets (or one large head fresh, cut into bite size pieces)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 cloves fresh garlic or ½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
2 pinches salt
1 pinch dried pepper flakes (optional)
Lemon wedge (optional)

1) Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper flakes, cook for one minute. Add frozen broccoli and cover with lid.
2) Stir after a couple of minutes, repeat until broccoli is heated through. Taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve warm with a squeeze of a fresh lemon wedge.

Take it a step further……add pasta and cheese and you have a delicious vegetarian main dish or add some left over shredded chicken.  Add whatever you like!

1 pound Barilla whole grain pasta
1 pound frozen broccoli florets
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
34 cloves fesh garlic or  1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dried pepper flakes
1 cup reserved pasta water
Parmesean cheese to taste (about 1/4 cup is good)

1)  Before you begin to make the broccoli, cook whole wheat pasta according to package directions.  Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
2)  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil and onion.  Cook stirring often until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, salt, and pepper flakes, cook for one minute.  Add frozen broccoli and cover with lid.   Additional ingredients you can add at this time if you wish:
  Sundried tomatoes,chopped
  Shredded chicken
  Left over diced italian sausage
  Fresh or frozen, drained spinach
  Frozen peas
  Fresh tomatoes
 
3)  Heat all ingredients through, 3-4 minutes.
4)  After a couple of minutes add pasta water and pasta, mix well to evenly combine.
5)  Toss with grated parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Filed Under: Pasta | Tagged: Tagged With: , ,

Spaghetti Squash with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Garlic

Posted by on January 16, 2010

1 medium size spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¼ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
½ teaspoon salt

1)  Preheat oven to 350’.
2)  Carefully cut squash in half lengthwise.  Using a large spoon, scoop out seeds & discard.  Place halved squash cut side down on a foil lined cookie sheet with sides.  Place in oven and pour water into pan.
3)  Bake for 45 minutes, the squash should be soft to the touch.  Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.  Carefully flip squash over and allow to cool enough to handle.  Using a fork, remove spaghetti like flesh from outer shell and place into a medium size bowl, set aside.
4) Heat a medium size non stick pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, add onions; cook until translucent. Add garlic and sun dried tomatoes; sauté one minute. Add cooked squash; heat through. Add parsley and mix well. Season with salt & pepper. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary.

Filed Under: Side Dishes | Tagged: Tagged With: , ,