Low Country Boil

(repeated from my regular blog- constantgrowingamazement.blogspot.com)

Sunday, July 5, 2020

Celebrating the 4th with a Low Country Boil

We had a wonderful afternoon for the 4th of July- having 3 of our 5 families over for dinner (so about 20 people) and swimming/pickleball/games-Aggravation, Rumikub, Cover Your Assets- and celebrating Heidi and Elijah's birthday (and post-birthday- son Ryan's).(Ben wasn't here or we would have celebrated him too!)

I thought it would be fun to do a Low Country Shrimp Boil.  Then I felt a titch of disappointment to learn several of the grands either didn't like or had allergic reactions to shrimp.  I felt the wind squeaking out of my sails...

But we did it anyway.  I just had David grill some chicken as well.  And we had more salads and watermelon than we could possibly eat.  And banana cake with browned butter frosting.  And birthday cakes and cheesecake and ice cream bars.....and POW!  We were all exploding like firecrackers!

First in the large pots is boiling water and the spices- I used Zararains and also Old Bay. I also threw a couple of halves of lemon and onions in each pot. When that gets boiling good, add your baby potatoes.  I used red and white.  No blue ones....

We boiled them about 5 minutes.  Then we added cut up cured sausages- like kielbasa or from Costco- Aidells (I used chicken and apple), beef polish sausage.  I did 3 different kinds.  Boil about 10 minutes more.

Add corn on the cob (broken into large chunks)- cook for about 6 more minutes and finally add shrimp.  I used the Costco, cleaned, shell off but not cooked.  Honestly, just cook them when you are ready to start- they take mere minutes and shrimp gets tough the longer it cooks.  When it turns pink it is done!

I had bowls of cocktail sauce.  The yummy sour dough bread from Costco you bake for 15 minutes.  Plus Gracie helped me make Red Lobster biscuits.  I love these so much!  (we used the mix.  I made lots of garlic butter that we then drizzled over the drained boil foods.)

We sat out in another part of our big yard to find the shade.  Long tables with brown paper and parchment paper in the middle where I could just pour out the food.

Such a fun, fun time.  I love our family so much and everyone just runs off and plays or talks and we continue to eat.  Heaven!

Birthday girl Heidi- 17

 Birthday Boy Elijah- 15

“America is a tune. It must be sung together.”— Gerald Stanley Lee

 Friend Tauna served this  Coconut Milk Shrimp over rice for our GNO last night.  Simple, easy and very good.

 

          

While waiting for Tauna to send me the recipe, I think I found it in Sunset Magazine.  Make sure you squeeze the lime on the top- totally kicks it up!      I think I'll add some cashews to amp up the texture.   

Coconut Milk Shrimp

                                                                                                     

 

Ingredients

 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 1 small onion, chopped

 1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks

 1 teaspoon red chile flakes

 1 can (15 oz.) coconut milk

 1 medium tomato, chopped

 1 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp (26 to 30 per lb.)

  Steamed rice

 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

  Lime wedges

 

Step 1

1

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook onion, carrot, and chile flakes until onion is softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk. Add tomato and shrimp and cook until mixture is simmering and shrimp are pink, about 4 minutes.

Step 2

2

Spoon shrimp mixture over rice and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Teriyaki Salmon with Sriracha Cream

(reposted for our GNO dinner- it's the BEST!)


My new favorite dish!!!!  I served this for our Bon Appetit dinner -  here was the menu.

Baked Sesame Cream Cheese with fruit and crackers
Teriyaki Salmon with Sriracha Cream Sauce
Thai Sweet Potato fries with Sweet Chilli dipping sauce
Asian noodle salad

Friend Valene brought the dessert- Lemon Sugar bundt cake with vanilla ice cream.  We agreed it was the perfect meal!

Teriyaki Salmon with Sriracha Cream Sauce


Yields 2 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons honey
2 salmon filets
   

For the Sriracha cream sauce: (this makes it!)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2-3 teaspoons Sriracha  (more if you like hot)
1 1/2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS:

To make the Sriracha cream sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise, 2 tsp. Sriracha and condensed milk in a small bowl. Taste for spiciness and add more Sriracha as needed; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water; set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, honey and 1 cup water; bring to a simmer.

Stir in the cornstarch mixture until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine the teriyaki marinade and salmon filets; marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight, turning the bag occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick spray.

Place the salmon filets along with the marinade onto the prepared baking dish and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes.

Serve the salmon immediately a dob of Sriracha cream sauce, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions is desired.

Lemon Italian Shrimp

(reposted from GNO dinner but I forgot the butter!!!!)

Made this delicious shrimp for our New Year's Eve party and I think it was a winner.  Here's the recipe with my thoughts.

First of all, I covered a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. 

Here is the recipe:
Melt a stick of butter in the pan. Slice one lemon (I needed almost 3) and layer it on top of the butter. Place fresh shrimp on top of the lemon, then sprinkle one pack of dried Italian seasoning. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 15 min.

Easy and  quick...but here's what you need to know about the shrimp. You want to buy UNCOOKED  but peeled and cleaned, tail on shrimp.  If you use c
cooked shrimp, it will become tough and rubbery.   Shrimp cooks quickly so don't forget and overcook it.  I'm a Bubba shrimp kind of girl- I love it cooked about every way possible EXCEPT overcooked!  I will make this again.  and again.  (Don't eat the lemons...they just flavor the shrimp really fine...)

Shrimp and Cucumber Salad with Dill Vinegrette

Bon Appetit this month was so fabulous!  Valene hosted and this was the complete menu: 

 

 

Shrimp and Cucumber Salad with a Dill Vinegrette  (I think my favorite dish of the night.  I'm craving it as I type.)

 

Smoked Salmon Rolls
Sourdough bread

Main Course:

Spice rubbed Chicken Breast (Valene did thighs)

Lemon Pistachio Pilaf

Fresh Corn on the Cob

Bake Fresh Tomatoes with Mozzerella

Riced Cauliflower with a Chutney topping

I made a fresh Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd and Raspberries

 

 

Shrimp and Cucumber Salad with Dill Vinegrette

• 8 cups water
• 5 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 24 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, tails left intact, deveined
• 1  
• 3 large English hothouse cucumbers
• 1/3 cup safflower oil or grape seed oil
• 1/3 cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1  
• 8 large butter lettuce leaves

Recipe Preparation

• Combine first 4 ingredients in large saucepan; boil 10 minutes. Add shrimp; cook just until opaque in center, about 1 minute. Drain. Transfer shrimp to bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
• Peel cucumbers and cut lengthwise in half. Using spoon, scrape out seeds and discard. Coarsely grate cucumbers. Transfer cucumbers to bowl of ice water. Whisk oil, vinegar, shallots, dill and sugar in medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Cucumbers and vinaigrette can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover; chill.
• Drain cucumbers well. Transfer to paper towels; pat dry. Return cucumbers to bowl. Add 1/4 cup vinaigrette to bowl with shrimp and toss. Add remaining vinaigrette to cucumbers; toss to coat. Arrange 1 lettuce leaf on each of 8 plates. Using slotted spoon, divide cucumbers among lettuce leaves. Top each serving with 3 shrimp.

Creamy Shrimp Alfredo

This is a recipe I found lurking in an old blog post (before I had a recipe blog) and thought I needed to move it to the correct place.  It is so easy and yummy!
Creamy Shrimp Alfredo

1/2 lb. linguine, uncooked
2 Tbsp. Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
1/2 lb. uncooked deveined shrimp
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Philadelphia cream cheese cubed
3/4 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 c. Kraft grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat dressing i large skillet on medium heat. Add shrimp; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, adding garlic for the lat minute. Remove shrimp with slotted spoon; set aside.

Add cream cheese and broth to skillet; cook until cream cheese is completely melted, stirring frequently. Stir in Shrimp and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan.

Drain pasta. Add to skillet; toss to coat. Transfer to platter; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and parsley.

Honey Garlic Shrimp Skillet

From TheCookingJar and my Pinterest files- I made this marvelous recipe that is a new favorite.

 

Honey Garlic Shrimp Skillet

 

Author: The Cooking Jar

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail on

Sauce:

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon ginger, minced
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

1. Combine the sauce ingredients and divide it into half
2. Marinate the shrimp with one half of the sauce for 15-30 minutes. Discard marinade
3. Over medium high heat in a 10" skillet, pan sear the shrimp in some oil. Sear them on both sides in two batches until browned, about 1 minute per side
4. Using tongs, rub the shrimp into the caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan
5. Dish and serve hot drizzled with the remaining sauce

Notes

For even more flavor, try adding in some red pepper flakes for heat or fresh lime juice for zest!

Market Street Clam Chowder

This is a repost of one of my favorite soups- a chowder really- that you can get at a favorite Salt Lake restaurant called Market Street Grill.  I make mine a titch thicker but you can do thick or thin, whatever you want.  (It's your chowder after all!)

Market Street Clam Chowder

3/4 c. butter, melted

1 cup flour

1 cup diced potatoes (sometimes I double the potatoes)

1 cup diced celery (sometimes I double the celery)

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced green pepper

1 c. diced leek

3/4 c. chopped clams

3/4 T. freshly ground pepper (ha!)

1 ½ T. salt

3/4 tsp. thyme

6 bay leaves (I have a bay tree out in the greenhouse. Borrow as much as you like!)

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

3/4 c. cooking sherry or bouillon

2 c. water

3/4 c. clam juice

2 qt. half-and-half

Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof dish and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.  (I put a picture of this since it is different than making a flour/butter rue.  It actually turns out crumbly.)

 In large saucepan, combine potatoes, celery, onion, peppers, leeks, clams, ground pepper, salt, bay leaves, Tabasco, sherry, water and clam juice. Simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Add butter and flour mixture to chowder and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat. Stir in half-and-half until blended. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately. Serves 12

Asian Flatbread

This is one of the winner's friend Fay cooked for us on our Charm Girl adventure in Seaside, Oregon.  Truly one of my favorite meals.  We had it with shrimp which was perfect!  I love all the textures in this dish and flavors.



Asian Flatbread

flatbread of choice
sweet and spicy chili sauce
garlic
chopped green onions
grape tomatoes (halved)
mozzarella cheese
roasted peanuts
shrimp or chicken, cooked

Coat the flatbread (both sides lightly) with olive oil
Mix the rest of the ingredients (amounts of your choice) with the chili sauce to lightly coat

Bake until crisp -about 12-15 minutes.

Topping:
very thin English cucumbers
cilantro 
bean sprouts

Salmon and Angel Hair Pasta with White Wine Lemon Sauce

Friend, Funny Kathy served this at our "Techie-Bucket" luncheon.  It was fabulous!!!

Salmon and Angel Hair Pasta with White Wine Lemon Sauce

2 large salmon fillets

1/3 c. butter

lemon pepper

1-16 oz. pkg. angel hair pasta

2 bunches asparagus

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place salmon fillets on foil ad place on a jelly roll pan.  brush fillets with butter and lemon pepper.  Seal the foil and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Bring water,  2 T. olive oil and salt to a boil.  Cook the angel hair al dente.  Cut ends off asparagus and blanch.

White Wine Lemon Sauce

1/2 cup butter

t tsp. granulated chicken bouillon

1/3 cup flour

3/4 tsp. coarse black pepper

3 cup cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

4 t. lemon zest

1/2 c. 1/2 cup white wine

Saute butter in skillet, adding granulated chicken bouillon, flour and pepper.  Stirring constantly, scorch the mixture until it is golden brown.  Slowly fold in cream, Parmesan cheese, 2 T. lemon rind and white wine.  Simmer 3 to 4 minutes.

To serve, place asparagus on plate.  Add angel hair pasta and broken pieces of salmon.  Drizzle with White Wine Lemon Sauce and finish with fresh ground pepper, grated fresh lemon zest and top with a parsley sprig.  Serve.

Asparagus, Grape Tomato and Crab Cake Salad with Chili-Lime Sauce

What a wonderful treat to have lunch at friend Gail Millers.  She fixed this delicious dish- yum crab cakes and salad.  It is truly a winner!

Asparagus, Grape Tomato and Crab Cake Salad with Chili-Lime Sauce

2 lb. asparagus, trimmed
1 lb. grape tomatoes, halved
3 cups chopped romaine
salt and pepper

Crab Cakes

1 13-oz. can lump crab meat (12-14 ounces fresh)
2 T. mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped green onions
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 large eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2-1 Tbsp. chili lime hot sauce or other hot sauce
2 T. lime juice
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces.  Steam or blanch for 3 minutes in salted water, then drain and chill in iced water.

To prepare crab cakes, combine crab, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, green onions. cilantro, eggs, panko and salt and pepper in a bowl.  Stir until well blended and form into 6 cakes.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add crab cakes and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and heated through.

To prepare the dressing, whisk together all sauce ingredients.

Combine asparagus, grape tomatoes and lettuce.  Place 2 cups of vegetable on each plate.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Place 1 crab cake on top of each serving of vegetables and drizzle dressing over all.  Make 6 servings.  (truly, you'll want 2 crab cakes!)

Tip:  garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

While on my recent Charm Girls beach trip, we ate at this fabulous pub called The Public House in Temecula California.  I was intrigued by The Now Infamous Goat Toast....but didn't realize the real treat was the sweet roasted somethings on top.  Was it sweet cherries?  Tart cherries?  No, it turns out it was roasted tomatoes.


After researching and trying 4 different recipes, I settled on a mix of my favorites.  I fixed them, swooned and served them on wheat thins with an herbed soft whipped cream cheese, then just cream cheese on the cracker topped with a caramelized tomato, then I had to whip up a little pasta dish.  I'm thinking these would be good on scrambled eggs and salads and pizza.  I am IN LOVE!!!!!  (OK, I did eat the whole recipe myself.....)  Thankfully I have the whole end group of tomatoes still to be picked!

Hmmmm- on pasta and bruschetta  and scrambled eggs and paired with soft cheeses.... 



Roasted Cherry-Tomato in Balsamic Glaze


1 pound, 6 ounces cherry or grape or heirloom tomatoes 
3 cloves garlic, smashed 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
1 tsp. thyme  (or rosemary or your favorite herb or no herb at all!)
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar 
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together tomatoes and garlic in a nonreactive (like glass) 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Whisk together oil, vinegar, thyme, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Drizzle over tomato mixture. 
. Bake until tomatoes are softened and caramelized, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature. Tomatoes can be store in a mason jar in the  refrigerator up to 10 days; let cool before storing.

I'm going to plan on using my roasted tomatoes in this dish -

Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta

 

5- large tomatoes, cut into eighths

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

kosher salt and black pepper

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup Feta, crumbled

crusty bread, for serving

Directions

1. Use your already roasted tomatoes or use their recipe:  Heat oven to 450° F. Place the tomatoes in a large baking dish and spoon the olive oil and garlic over them.
2. Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon each salt and pepper and toss. Roast on top rack of oven for 20 minutes.
3. Remove baking dish from oven and stir in the shrimp, parsley, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the Feta.
4. Return the dish to oven until the shrimp are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with the bread.

California Roll Salad

If you like california rolls, you are going to LOVE this salad.  You can make it a meal by adding chilled crab or, as I did, about 3 cups of cooked, cleaned, chilled, tail off medium shrimp.  If you are not a Wasabi lover, try making the dressing with just a 1/2 tsp. of the wasabi powder ( or prepared Wasabi.) Then add more if you like.

California Roll Salad

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar (I'm a Miso fan)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

while rice cooks, bring vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil in a saucepan, stirring so sugar dissolves.  remove from heat.  transfer hot rice to a large bowl.  Stir in warm vinegar.

• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (black or white seeds)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled ginger
• 3-4 scallions, cut lengthwise into thin 1-inch strips (about 3/4 cup) using white and light green parts only
• 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
• 1 large seedless cucumber (about 1 pound), quartered lengthwise,  cored, (If you buy regular cucumbers, just slice length wise and with a spoon, rake down the middle taking out the seeds.  I always do this with my cucumbers.  When you slice them, you get little cucumber moons!)
• 2-3 handfuls baby spinach, sliced into strips
• 1 avocado (I used 3.  I'm an avocado lover!)
• chilled crab or shrimp if you desire

For dressing

• 2 teaspoons wasabi (Japanese green horseradish) powder (look in your Asian section)
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Transfer rice to a large bowl and stir in vinegar mixture. Cool rice and stir in sesame seeds, remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar, oil, ginger, scallions, carrot, and cucumber. Salad may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before proceeding.  When ready to serve, add the spinach.

Peel and pit avocado. Quarter avocado and cut crosswise into thin slices. Add avocado to salad. 


Make dressing:
In a small bowl stir wasabi powder into hot water and stir in cold water, soy sauce, and ginger juice.
Serve salad drizzled with dressing. 

This recipe is adapted from the new Keeping Up cookbook- by the authors of my favorite cookbook called (what else?)  Favorites which is a fundraiser for Make a Wish foundation.  I want to try every single recipe in this new cookbook.  You can buy it online.

Bobby Flay's Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

Recently, while I was in South Carolina on a girlie friend trip, I discovered another wonder of the world.  Who thought "true luv" would involve "grits?" The only "grits" experience I have ever had was once, trying to impress college friends, one from the South, having grits on hand for breakfast.  The rest of the box sat, unused, unopened for several years until a move.  When I reached for the box of grits, it kind shook...then continued to shake after setting it down.  I gingerly carried it to the trash.  Outside.  The grits and critters. (you know how I exaggerate...maybe little teeny tiny critters....and maybe not shaking but trembling. Little buggies munching.) 

 

I have now forgotten that sad experience because one bite of THIS DISH was heavenly .....but like all truly great things, moderation is the key.  I ordered this dish (not Bobby Flay's recipe) as a main course and it was almost overpowering.  Too much goodness needs balance.  Serve it with a good green salad and crusty bread. (I haven't mastered the fine art of hush puppies...)  I've added some diced grape or cherry tomatoes to Bobby's recipe- it adds a little contrast and texture and the acidity is perfect.  This is a keeper!

 

Bobby Flay's Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup stone-ground grits
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2-3/4 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes

Directions

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions, tomatoes and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.
Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.