I’m not going to get to visit the beach this summer, but when I go out to the lake I sometimes pretend I’m back in South Carolina.  I put on my floppy beach hat, sip cold beer on the dock, and make this recipe (aka Frogmore Stew) for dinner.  It’s almost as good as being at the beach in person, minus the sand, crashing waves, salty air, beach music and my beloved boiled peanuts – sigh.  Okay, the lake is not like the beach at all.  But I can pretend.

You need to give this a try, and I’m fixin’ to tell you how to do it.

You’re going to need a pretty large, tall pot.  The biggest, deepest one you have.  I bought a huge one at Marshalls a few years ago – strictly for the purpose of Low Country Boil - for not that much ($30.00 maybe?), and I’ve gotten my money’s worth for sure.

This is the perfect dinner for entertaining, especially if you have guests who don’t mind getting a little messy.  For serving, line your picnic table with layers of newspaper, and set out plenty of cocktail sauce (the spicier the better, IMO) and lots of butter and kosher salt for the corn and potatoes.  Make sure you have plenty of napkins, cold beer and pitchers of sweet ice tea.

“Can I get you some sweet tea?  It’s the house wine of the south” - movie line?

Just a side note, I had roommates that drank sweet tea for breakfast, because apparently, it’s an appropriate beverage choice for any meal of the day.  Southern children are started on sweet tea shortly after they’re weaned from formula.  Personally, I prefer my iced tea unsweetened, but then again, I was raised in Minnesota.

I’m just a Carolina-girl wannabe.

LOW COUNTRY BOIL
SERVES:  6-8
SOURCE:  foodnetwork.com, recipe by Tyler Florence.

Water
2 lemons, halved, plus more for serving
2 bay leaves
2 t. kosher salt
1/4 c. Old Bay seasoning
1/2 bunch thyme, tied together
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
2 serrano chiles, split in half lengthwise
1 head garlic, halved
1 1/2 lbs. baby new potatoes
3 ears corn, husked and cut into thirds
1+ lb. kielbasa sausage, cut into chunks
2 lbs. jumbo shrimp, the biggest you can find (I used jumbo easy-peel prawns)
Cocktail sauce and butter for serving

Fill a huge stockpot with about four quarts of water.  Keep in mind that when you add the solid ingredients, the water level will rise, so don’t fill the pot up more than halfway.  Squeeze the lemons into the water, tossing in the halves too.  Add the bay leaves, salt, Old Bay, thyme, onions, chiles and garlic; bring broth to a boil over medium high heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Taste it; don’t be afraid to make it strong so some of the flavor can penetrate and get absorbed by the potatoes and other ingredients.  Adjust seasoning with salt.

Add the potatoes to the pot and give them a head start; simmer for 15 minutes.  Next add the corn and sausage; cook another five minutes, making sure everything stays covered with the cooking liquid.  Add the shrimp, stir everything together.  Cover pot and shut off the heat.  Let shrimp steep for 15 minutes.  Drain pot and spread the shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes out on a newspaper covered table.  Serve with extra lemons, cocktail sauce, butter, and plenty of napkins.

I grew up in Minnesota and never had grits until I landed at Winthrop in 1987.  The college cafeteria is really a lousy place to try grits for the first time, even if said college happens to be in South Carolina, because plain cafeteria grits have the look, taste, and texture of wallpaper paste: bland and boring.  My opinion changed when I went home with a friend from Atlanta for a weekend, and her momma fixed ‘em up right:  she stirred in half a stick of butter, and handfuls of crispy bacon bits and shredded cheese.  With a side of scrambled eggs, are you kidding me?!  That weekend in Atlanta introduced me to my favorite breakfast of all time.

It really was no small wonder my button fly GUESS jeans didn’t fit long into sophomore year.

I still love grits for breakfast, of course.  But shrimp and grits are also about the most delicious thing you’ll ever eat.  I have two recipes that I love – one comes from a restaurant called The Boathouse on the Isle of Palms.  It’s to die for, but I only bring it out on special occasions.  Like when I’m entertaining in the dead of winter and everyone’s wearing big sweaters and it feels perfectly acceptable to serve a sauce whose main ingredient is two cups of whipping cream.  Remind me in January, I’ll make it for you.

In the interest of swimsuit season and keeping things quick and easy for summer, I make today’s recipe when I need a fix.  It comes from Cooking Light and I’ve been making it since I first saw the recipe in 2010.  I’m not sure why I’ve never brought it out before now.

Maybe I had to make sure you really liked me before I hit you with a recipe for grits.

SPICY SHRIMP & GRITS
Serves 4
Source:  cookinglight.com

3 c. 1% milk
1 c. water
1 T. butter
1/2 t. salt, divided
1/4 t. black pepper, divided
1 c. uncooked quick-cooking grits**
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices applewood-smoked bacon
1 lb. peeled, deveined large raw shrimp (these are on sale this week, 7/6/11 – 7/12/11)
1 c. thinly vertically sliced white onion
2 c. grape tomatoes, halved (on sale this week, 7/6/11 – 7/12/11)
1 t. Tabasco sauce
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. scallion strips for garnish

Combine milk, water, butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Bring to a simmer; gradually add grits, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Reduce heat to medium, cook 4 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat; stir in cheese.

While grits cook, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan, discarding all but 2 teaspoons of drippings; crumble bacon.  Add shrimp to remaining 2 teaspoons of drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.  Remove shrimp to a plate.  Add white onion to pan; saute 1 minute.  Stir in bacon, tomatoes, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; saute 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add shrimp, Tabasco, and cayenne; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are heated through.  Serve over grits; garnish with scallion strips.

** You’ll find them in the cereal aisle, right next to the oatmeal on the bottom shelf. 

These delicious skewers made the cover of last June’s Bon Apetit, so you know they’ve gotta be good.  They’re the perfect do-ahead dish and would be an excellent main course for any weekend entertaining you’ve got planned.  Change out the sausage based on whatever you like; last time I made them with andouille (super yum), but today I swapped in Usinger’s Chicken Sausage with Cilantro and it was also delish.  I’ll just toss this in too:  I might have gotten a little heavy handed on my pepper flakes today – my skewers got a little spicy.  Just keep that in mind if you’re feeding a spice-sensitive crowd.

I think that’s it.  Except, I forgot to say that these are really nice with a little rice pilaf on the side.

Now, I’m off to help three twerps clean out their lockers.  Jealous much?  :-)

GRILLED SHRIMP & SAUSAGE SKEWERS WITH SMOKY PAPRIKA GLAZE
Serves 6
Source:  Bon Apetit Magazine, June 2010.  p. 82

3/4 c. olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
2 T. chopped fresh thyme
5 t. smoked paprika
4 t. Sherry wine vinegar
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. dried crushed red pepper
12 uncooked jumbo shrimp (CenSea Brand are on sale)
12  1″ long pieces of andouille or other fully cooked smoked sausages
12 cherry tomatoes (One Sweet Cherry Tomato tomatoes are on sale)
12 2-layer sections of red onion wedges
Cooking spray

6 metal or wooden skewers (soak wooden skewers for a good hour before threading ingredients)

Whisk oil, garlic, theyme, smoked paprika, Sherry wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper in medium bowl to blend for glaze.  Transfer half of glaze to small bowl and reserve for serving.

Alternately thread shrimp, sausage pieces, cherry tomatoes, and sections of onion wedges on each of the 6 skewers.  Arrange skewers on a large rimmed baking sheet.  (Can be made up to 6 hours ahead.  Cover and chill skewers and bowls of glaze separately).

Coat grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).  Brush skewers on both sides with glaze from one bowl.  Grill until shrimp are opaque in center, turning and brushing occasionally with more glaze, 6 to 8 minutes.

Arrange skewers on platter.  Serve with remaining bowl of glaze.

So my timeline was more like 40 minutes.  But I’m sure it can be done in 20 as they’ve promised.   I was surprised that such a quick dish could deliver such big flavors - we loved the combination of the shrimp with the gnocchi, the sweet asparagus, and the tangy (but simple!) pesto.

Enjoy!

GNOCCHI WITH SHRIMP, ASPARAGUS, & PESTO
Serves 4
Source:  Cooking Light Magazine, Sept. 2010, p. 146

2 q. + 1 T. water, divided
1 (16 oz.) package vacuum-packed gnocchi (Cucina Viva Brand are on sale in the pasta aisle)
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1″ lengths (asparagus is on sale)
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (Sendik’s Raw Shrimp are on sale)

1 c. fresh basil leaves
2 T. pine nuts, toasted
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
2 t. fresh lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 t. olive oil

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven.  Add gnocchi to pan; cook 4 minutes or until done (they will rise to the surface).  Remove with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl.  Add asparagus to pan and cook for three minutes.  Add shrimp and boil and additional 1 1/2 minutes.  Drain well and add asparagus and shirmp to the gnocchi.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon water, basil, pine nuts, Parmesasn, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides.  Drizzle oil through food chute with processor running; process until well blended.  Add basil mixture to shrimp mixture; toss to coat.  Serve immediately.

However, the big game is coming and a girl’s gotta eat!  So I’m sharing a lighter appetizer today – my favorite Shrimp Quesadilla.  I could eat these every day of the da’gum year, I swear!  The recipe is just a guideline; spice it up or down, swap in whatever cheese you like, in whatever quantity you desire.  I used a block of pepperjack that I had in my fridge, but there are two types of cheddar on sale this week if your cupboard is bare.

I’ll be back later in the week with more football goodies.

GO PACK!

SHRIMP QUESADILLAS
Serves: 2

½ lb. large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (CenSea Brand are on sale)
The juice of 1 lime (limes are on sale)
2 scallions, minced
A hefty pinch of minced cilantro
½ jalapeno, minced (seeded and deveined if you don’t want the heat)
1/ 4 t. chipotle chili powder
Salt and pepper
2 medium flour tortillas (La Tortilla Factory Wheat Tortillas are on sale)
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice  (Hennings Cheddar and Murray Bridge Cheddar are both on sale)

Guacamole or sliced avocado (both are on sale)
Sour cream (Breakstone’s is on sale)
Additional cilantro sprigs for garnish

Chop the shrimp into bite sized pieces.  In a medium glass mixing bowl, combine the lime juice, scallions, cilantro, jalapeno, and chipotle chili powder.  Toss the shrimp in the lime mixture and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside to marinade for 20 – 30 minutes.  Drain off lime juice.

Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium high heat.  Spray one side of the flour tortillas and place them spray-side down on work surface.  Top one half of each tortilla with some of the shredded cheese, then some of the shrimp mixture, then a bit more cheese.  Fold tortillas in half.  Place both quesadillas in the grill pan and cover partially with a lid.  Toast until golden and cheese is melting, then flip quesadillas and cook on the other side.  Remove to work surface and allow to rest for a minute or two.

Cut into wedges and place on a serving platter.  Garnish with sliced avocado, a spoonful of sour cream, and cilantro sprigs.

** NOTES ** I like Monterey Jack or any type of cheddar – but any of the Mexican melting cheeses are also incredible.  Find them underneath all the shredded cheeses at Sendik’s.

And what mommy wants, mommy gets.

HA!

SHRIMP WITH INDIAN SPICED POTATOES
Serves: 4
Source:   epicurious.com

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (got mine at the Meat & Seafood sale last week!)
5 T. vegetable oil, divided
4 t. minced peeled ginger, divided
3 garlic cloves garlic, minced and divided
1 T. curry powder
½ t. turmeric
Generous ¼ t. cayenne pepper
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 1lb package frozen plain hashbrowns (Oreida Potatoes are on sale)
1 c. frozen peas (not thawed) (Westpac Frozen Veggies are on sale)
Chopped cilantro to taste
Hot sauce for serving

Toss the shrimp with ¼ teaspoon salt.  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a very large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot, then cook half of ginger and half of garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add shrimp and cook, stirring, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a dish and cover.

Wipe skillet clean and heat remaining oil over medium high heat until hot, then cook remaining ginger and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add spices and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add scallions and 1 ¼ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring, until softened.  Stir in hash browns and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through and are golden and crispy in patches, about twelve minutes, stirring in peas about halfway through.  Stir in shrimp and chopped cilantro.  Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with cilantro sprigs if desired.

Seester’s has a great summer vibe.  I love the spectacular lake view.  I love their chilly margaritas and their super-atomic-fireball-salsa that makes my nose run like a faucet and forces beads of sweat to appear from out of nowhere on my forehead.

(I don’t think super-atomic-fireball-salsa is actually what they call it, but I love the stuff.  It lets me know I’m alive!)

Apart from all the amazing summer energy the place gives off, my favorite thing about Seester’s is their awesome chipotle shrimp tacos – smokey hot shrimp topped with creamy slices of fresh avocado (you have to ask for that special), a little cheese and cilantro, wrapped up in a soft corn tortilla……oh lawsie, do I love those tacos!

This afternoon a chipotle taco craving was darned near enough to overwhelm me, but because back-to-school errands are all but consuming my days and nights, I certainly did not have the time to haul myself out to Pewaukee for tacos al fresco.  Alas, I made do with my own little creation, which didn’t taste exactly the same as the fabulous tacos at Seester’s, but were perfect in a pinch.

One word of warning:  don’t serve these tostadas to guests donned in ballgowns, tuxedos, or formalwear of any degree.  You’re gonna make a mess eating these.  You’ll probably break a sweat too.

Ole!

CHIPOTLE SHRIMP TOSTADAS WITH SIMPLE PICO
Makes 4 tostadas
SOURCE:  adapted from foodandwine.com

4 Sendiks Shrimp Skewers (on sale in the fresh fish case) **see note**
3 T. butter
1 T.++  Salsa Chilpotle ** see note **

2 avocados, halved cut into thin slices (on sale)
Tostada shells
Lime wedges and cilantro sprigs for garnish
Cholula Hot Sauce, for an extra punch, optional

Simple Pico de Gallo, recipe follows

Melt butter in microwave and whisk in chipotle sauce to blend.  Taste and adjust to the level of spiciness you like.  (I don’t recommend seasoning the sauce with salt and pepper because the shrimp skewers are already seasoned).

Preheat grill to medium high.  Preheat oven to 350.

Brush the shrimp skewers on both sides with the chipotle butter, then grill for two to three minutes per side.  Do not overcook.  Remove from grill and slide shrimp off the skewers when they’re cool enough to handle.  Remove tails if desired.

While shrimp are grilling, place tostada shells in the oven to warm for 5 to 7 minutes.

To serve, divide avocado slices among toasted tostada shells.  Top with grilled shrimp and some of the pico de gallo.
Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs if desired.

SIMPLE PICO DE GALLO

3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced small
¼ small white onion, small dice
½ fresh jalapeno, seeded and minced
Smallish handful of fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped
Generous squeeze of fresh lime juice (limes are on sale)

Place all ingredients in a small glass bowl and toss to blend.  Season with salt to taste.

**NOTES**
These can be made with regular peeled and deveined shrimp if you like (I plan on trying that soon; I’ll probably aim for a 16-20 count).  The original recipe calls for melting the butter mixture in a large skillet and sautéing the shrimp until they’re cooked evenly, then drizzling the finished tostadas with the remaining butter from the pan.  In this case you should definitely hit them with a little salt and pepper.

Also, I just found this yummy stuff in the Ethnic aisle:  it’s by La Preferida and it’s called “Salsa Chilpotle”.  It comes in a 7 ounce can.  I’m freezing the rest for the next time I get a Seester’s craving. 

My friend Lori made this Roasted Shrimp & Orzo Salad, and it tasted so fresh and delicious, I knew I had to share it with all of you – especially with all of the gorgeous shrimp that’s featured in the current ad.  It’s pretty, light, and comes together in a snap.  Perfect for a steamy summer evening!  Enjoy!

ROASTED SHRIMP & ORZO
SERVES: 6
SOURCE:  Barefoot Contessa at Home, by Ina Garten.  pp. 74-75

Kosher salt
Good quality olive oil
¾ lb. orzo (rice shaped pasta)
½ c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined (on sale, see note **)
1 c. minced scallions, white and green parts
1 c. chopped fresh dill
1 c. chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
½ c. small-diced red onion
1 package feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400.

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 T. salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil.  Add the orzo and simmer for 9 – 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s cooked al dente.  Drain and pour into a large bowl.  Whisk together the lemon juice, ½ cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer.  Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through, do not over cook!

Add the shrimp to the orzo, and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper.  Toss well.  Add the feta and stir carefully.  Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight.  If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

**NOTE**
This week’s Shrimp Spectacular features two different varieties that would work well for this recipe:  Sendik’s Brand Extra Jumbo Prawns (16/20 count) or Sendik’s Brand Jumbo Raw Shrimp (26/30 count). Ina Garten recommends a 16/20 count in the original recipe.

(How’s that song go?  ” You’ll like em, you’ll love ‘em, you’ll want some more OF ‘em….”)

I have a blast making shrimp cakes from scratch, really I do.  But believe me when I say that the ones they’re featuring this week taste exactly like my favorite recipe, and I didn’t even have to dirty up my food processor to enjoy them tonight!  With a simple green salad and a box of rice pilaf – what a perfect and easy summer dinner!

Just sauté the cakes in a bit of neutral cooking oil (three minutes the first side, two on the second), and drain them on a paper towel.  Place them on a pretty platter along with the delicious basil jalapeno dipping sauce, then stand back and watch them disappear!

They’re priced at a very reasonable $9.99 per pound, which will get you 5 nice sized cakes.   The DamFam is duking it out over the leftovers even as we speak, and trust me — it ain’t pretty.  I’ll meet you at the seafood counter, I’m goin’ back for more. 

( And by the way, if they look familiar, it’s ’cause you saw ‘em here first! ) 

No one has to know how easy these shrimp are to make – you can of course, disclose their simplicity if you’re open, honest, and forthcoming with information.  I find it much more gratifying to sit back and accept the praise of guests who might think I slaved away all day.  But that’s just me.

In the interest of fiscal responsibility, I used the 21/25 raw shrimp that are on sale in the service case.  I thought they were quite good; they’re already peeled and deveined and they grill up in a jiffy.  Jumbo fresh water prawns are also on sale, and they would be terrific here too.  In fact, I might try them this weekend – maybe just one per person, served on top of a big ol’ steak.

Yum.

GRILLED HERB SHRIMP
Serves: 6
Source:  Barefoot Contessa PARTIES!, by Ina Garten.  Copyright 2001, pp. 138-139.

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, minced (organic Vidalia’s are on sale)
¼ c. minced fresh parsley
¼ c. minced fresh basil
1 t. dry mustard
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 t. kosher salt
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
¼ c. good quality olive oil
The juice of one lemon

2 lbs. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tales left on (I used the sale 21/25 count) **

Combine the garlic, onion, parsley, basil, mustards, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice.  Add the shrimp and allow them to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate them for up to 2 days.

Preheat a grill to high heat.  Brush the grates with a bit of cooking oil to prevent shrimp from sticking.  Skewer the shrimp (I used 6 per skewer).  Grill the shrimp for 1 ½ minutes per side; serve.

**NOTE** The original recipe calls for 2 pounds of 16/20 count shrimp.  I used only 1 pound of the 21/25 count when I made these last night.