Garlic Shrimp

Simple. Quick. My two favorite words on the weeknight. And adding a third word... Delicious... Makes for a successful evening. If I were gonna do this again, I'd strip these big guys of their skin and eat them naked. Not that the flavor didn't penetrate the skin... I just didn't have the time to work for my food by peeling it off! Okay, maybe I had time, I was just lazy. Okay?! I said it, I'm lazy... just that one time anyway. Found this recipe over at Rasa Malysia. On a different note... pharmacy school application has been sent!! Crossing fingers that I get an interview!!!

Ingredients:

15 Jumbo Shrimp, or a bunch of little suckers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sake, more for drinking
chopped scallions

Make sure you shrimp are rinsed with some cold water. Not hot because you'll obviously cook the little guys, or big guys in my case, prematurely. Dry the shrimp off with a paper towel.

Heat a medium skillet under medium high heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, just a minute or two.

Add the shrimp and toss to coat in the butter and garlic. Add sugar, salt, and sake. Toss again. Cover the skillet and let shrimp steam for about a minute. They'll be bright pink. They've got built in thermometers that tell you when you're allowed to eat them.

Serve with some brown rice (I've been on a rice kick... and hey, how can you blame me... Asian's love rice). And top with the chopped scallions.


See, what did I say. Quick. Simple. And you'll soon find out... Delicious!

Yellow Squash & Zucchini Bowties

Well, after an uneventful lamb dinner on Tuesday night, I knew I had to make up for it yesterday. I mean, I've only cooked with lamb about 3 times, and each time it just seems like I flop. I can't get rid of that game-y taste and it just doesn't end up being a winner, so I think I'm going to retire the lamb cooking, for now at least. So sticking to what I'm good at, I decided on a pasta dish. I've never really been let down by pasta, and this was no exception either.


Ingredients:

1 large zucchini, cut into 1 & 1/2 inch sticks
3 small yellow squash, sliced and quartered
12 basil leaves, chopped
handful of pine nuts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and fresh black pepper to taste
1 box bowtie pasta
1 cup parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup white wine, like a chardonnay

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

While waiting for the water, you can start on the rest of the components of the dish. In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium-high heat. Stir constantly so the nuts do not burn, and they should be good in about 2-3 minutes.

I really liked the pine nuts, they gave a nice added crunch and texture to the dish!

Then in a large fry pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil. Melt butter and then add your veggies. I had so much that I did it in 2 batches, 5 minutes each batch.

You want the veggies to start to get soft and slightly browned. Season with salt to taste, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.

When water comes to a boil, add a large pinch of salt and pasta to water. Cook until tender. Drain the pasta and reserve in the pot.

In the same fry pan you used for the veggies, melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and add garlic. Stir until fragrant. Add white wine and then add back in the zucchini, squash, and pine nuts. Mix together.

Add the zucchini/squash mixture, along with the chopped basil, to the bowties. Make sure everything is mixed well and then add in your parmesan cheese. This will melt and kind of make a light sauce.

Plate the pasta and top with additional parmesan cheese, if desired, and freshly ground black pepper.

This was a great meal. We both cleaned our plates in a matter of minutes. Definitely a meal that didn't leave you bloated either. I'm pretty sure it's pretty healthy too. So there's pluses all around with this one! Enjoy!