Creamy Pesto Shrimp Pasta

I was taking dinner to a friend and I wanted a one dish meal so they could just pop it in the oven, heat and eat. The problem was that I wanted something special and casseroles don't usually fall into that category. So I decided I'd start with shrimp. Then I added pasta because who doesn't love pasta? For some color I thought pesto and peas would work well and add the veg. I was onto something... Pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 & 1/2 and Parmesan were all I needed to gussy it up. They loved it! Here's what you'll need:

1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 box linguini
2 C frozen peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C basil pesto
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C 1/2 & 1/2
1/2 C pine nuts, toasted
red pepper flakes
olive oil

Begin by cooking the pasta according to the directions, making sure to season the water with plenty of salt. While it's cooking, you can cook everything else, just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't overcook. I set a timer just to be sure.

In a saucepan, add a little olive oil and the minced garlic and begin to sauté.

After about a minute, add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper.

When the shrimp just begins to turn pink, add the pesto. I used the frozen basil pesto cubes I made this summer.

Add the red pepper flakes to taste.

Pour in the 1/2 & 1/2 and stir to combine.

Add the peas to your serving dish. There is no need to worry about cooking them.

Your pasta should be ready now, so drain it and add it to the peas. Save some of the pasta water in case you need to thin the sauce later.

Toss to combine.

Pour the shrimp mixture over the pasta.

Add the pine nuts, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Top with the Parmesan.

Toss it all together.

Cover with foil and deliver (or eat!). If it needs to be reheated, put it in a 350 degree oven until warmed through.

Enjoy!

Lynn

Wild Rice and Shrimp Casserole

I've taken on the huge project of going through my family's recipes to make a family cookbook. It's been a bit overwhelming, but in a really good way. I'm focused on hand-written recipes that I remember having at different times of my life. It's amazing to recognize family members by their handwriting. Each is so unique, not only in the way they look, but also in the way they wrote their recipe. I've got recipes on the back of milk delivery bills, envelopes, written in the middle of letters, on the back of used envelopes, on actual recipe cards, you name it, I've probably seen it. It's made me wonder how long recognizing someone's handwriting will even be possible. If you think about it, everything is electronic these days. How often do you hand write anything? Anyway, I digress... I'm not sure who originally served this recipe because I have hand written versions from my aunt as well as my grandmother. It doesn't really matter who came up with it, just that one of them did, because it's a winner. It's super simple to make and good enough to serve for company. Here's what you'll need:

1 box Uncle Ben’s Wild and Long Grain Rice, cooked according to directions
2 C shrimp, shelled and cut in half (or bite-sized pieces)
1 can chicken and rice soup
1 soup can 1/2 & 1/2 (or milk)
1 stick butter
1 onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 C flour
1 small jar pimentos, drained
cayenne pepper
cajun seasoning
salt & pepper

Cook the rice according to package.

In a large skillet, melt the stick of butter. Sauté the onion, garlic, and celery in the melted butter until the vegetables begin to soften.

Sprinkle the cajun seasoning on the shrimp, then add the shrimp to the vegetable mixture and cook until slightly under done.

Add the pimentos, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Then add the flour and mix well, cooking for a minute or two to get rid of the raw flour flavor.

Now add the soup, milk, and cooked wild rice. Stir well to combine. Adjust seasonings as desired.

Pour the mixture into a greased casserole and bake at 425 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until hot an bubbly.

Enjoy!

Lynn

Wild Rice and Shrimp

1 box Uncle Ben’s Wild and Long Grain Rice, cooked according to directions
2 C shrimp, shelled and cut in half (or bite-sized pieces)
1 can chicken and rice soup
1 soup can 1/2 & 1/2 (or milk)
1 stick butter
1 onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 C flour
1 small jar pimentos, drained
cayenne pepper
cajun seasoning
salt & pepper

In a large skillet, melt the stick of butter. Sauté the onion, garlic, and celery in the melted butter until the vegetables begin to soften. Sprinkle the cajun seasoning on the shrimp, then add the shrimp to the vegetable mixture and cook until slightly under done. Add the pimentos, cayenne, salt and pepper. Then add the flour and mix well, cooking for a minute or two to get rid of the raw flour flavor. Now add the soup, milk, and cooked wild rice. Stir well to combine. Adjust seasonings as desired. Pour the mixture into a greased casserole and bake at 425 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until hot an bubbly.

Shrimp and Andouille Skewers

This is a super simple and delicious appetizer that looks very impressive. You could also serve them as a main dish if you made enough of them. All you need is 2 ingredients and a grill. That's right. just some peeled jumbo shrimp and some andouille sausage.

Start by soaking your skewers in some water so they won't scorch on the grill. Light the grill and heat it to about 459 degrees. When the grill is hot, cook the sausage. The sausage needs to cook first because it takes a lot longer than the shrimp. Once the sausage is almost cooked, remove it from the grill and slice it into 1" pieces. Take one shrimp and curl it around one piece of sausage then skewer them together. Repeat until all are assembled.