Summer Shrimp Boil | Easy Entertaining

After the kiddie parade and a brief break for some running (for Emma... I had pizza), we made our way all the way to St. Louis to celebrate the Fourth at my sister's house (remember her kitchen?).  They hosted a fabulously simple Shrimp Boil for their friends followed by a walk to the 18th green for fireworks.

The Boil was the perfect thing to serve for the 4th - it is much like the annual Clambake we host at our house... that we still need to schedule for this year.

 Jill, Baby Kate, Samantha, Emma & Me

 

Corn waiting for its turn in the boil.  Aaaand a bottle of Blue Moon, of course.

Jill's husband was in charge of the Boil - he seasoned the water with Old Bay, peppercorns and onions.  It was so delicious - wonderfully seasoned.

Shrimp Boil
serves 8

1/3 cup of Old Bay Seasoning
1 onion, quartered
1 tablespoon of peppercorns
2 pounds of potatoes
2 pounds of smoked andouille sausage, 3-inch pieces
4 ears of corn, cut in half
2 pounds of large, shell-on shrimp (15-20 per pound)
4 lemons, halved
1 baquette

Bring a very large pot filled with water to a boil (a 12 quart pot, or so).  Keep adding the ingredients to the pot one at a time until everything is in - it will all finish cooking at the same time.

#1 - Season Water : Add Old Bay, onion and peppercorns.
#2 - Add potatoes, cook for 10 minutes.
#3 - Add sausage, cook for 3 minutes.
#4 - Add corn, cook for 3 minutes.
#5 - Add shrimp, cook for 3 minutes.

Remove from boiling water and "dump" onto papered table.  Serve with lemon wedges and chunks of baguette.

Perfect outside summer entertaining - casual and bountiful.

Cousins enjoying their "rocket dogs" and each other : )

Such sweet girls.

Here are some essentials for your Shrimp Boil, or any summer party.

Paper Cocktail Napkins

A sturdy apron & hot pads.

Skimmer for pulling that seafood out of the big boiling pot & Tongs for serving.

Shirmp, Baby Portobello & Spinach Pasta in a Creamy White Wine Lemon Sauce

Mike was out of town last week.  Boo.  One upside of having the house to ourselves is that I get to make "girly" food for dinner.  In our house that means shrimp, angel hair and mushrooms.  This is definitely my go-to dinner every time Mike travels because it is one of my favorite things and I know it is not his favorite - thought he would never say it!

I'm pretty sure this is one of my favorite dinners because it has a lot going for it - easy to make, pretty light, contains mushrooms and shrimp, and the fact that it is pasta automatically makes it great.

Shrimp, Portobello & Spinach Pasta
in a Creamy White Wine Lemon Sauce

1 pound of angel hair pasta
sea salt
....
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 pound of shrimp
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of cream
2 teaspoons of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 lemon, juice of
2 cups of spinach
....
good olive oil
parmesan cheese

Begin by boiling water with salt for the pasta.

In a large saute pan, brown mushrooms on medium high, then add shrimp and cook for just 30 seconds, then add garlic.  Add white wine, cream and season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer, cooking for about 2-3 minutes.  Add lemon juice and spinach and turn off the heat.  

At this point, put the pasta in the boiling water and cook for just 2-3 minutes.   Strain the pasta from the water.  Rinse with cool water, then add it into the sauce.  Toss together.

Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp Skewers | Grilled Summer Appetizer

These Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp Skewers were a Summer staple for me as a caterer- always one of the first things to go.  After I had served these a couple of times I had to raise the price of these on my menus because I was having to prepare so many of them to keep up with the demand of the guests... I never wanted to run out of anything.  

As I've mentioned before, I'm a stickler for making sure that everything on my menus goes well with each other... I find that these are much better to serve at a party than traditional shrimp cocktail because the flavors of the herbs and lemon go much better with a drink and other menu items than a strongly flavored ketchup based cocktail sauce.  They are perfect party food- flavorful, elegant, easy to prepare in advance and easy to eat.

This recipe was inspired by a Barefoot Contessa recipe - she served them as a main course with pesto pasta... also one of my favorite ways to enjoy them. 

You can find the skewers, here, that make these look great and perfect for a party.

Lemon Basil 
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
4 appetizer portions
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon of cracked pepper
bamboo skewers

In a bowl, combine garlic, basil, parsley, dijon, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Combine well with a fork.  Add shrimp and toss.  If time allows, let the shrimp marinate for 1 hour or over night.



Soak wooden skewers in water for 1 hour.  Skewer shrimp onto the sticks.  Grill for 1 minute on each side until pink.  Serve warm, at room temperature, or refrigerate and serve cold.  If the weather isn't cooperating for the grill, they can also be prepared in the oven- just roast them at 450 degrees for 5-7 minutes. 

For the complete menu and all of the recipes from my Ladies Night Patio Party, click here!

Stop by Everyday Occasions, The Store for more of my favorite entertaining essentials that make entertaining easy.  

Shrimp Scallop Parchment Packets with Lemon, Chive & Potatoes

Shrimp & Scallops in Parchment
with Lemon, Chive & Potatoes

*This recipe was featured in a blog post I wrote for the Humana's Real For Me website.  Click here to get the recipe.

When I'm hosting a dinner party I love when everything is made individually - it is so much easier to prepare portions rather than just guess how much everyone will take.  These Shrimp & Scallop Parchment Packets are such an elegant solution to a dinner party.  Your guests will be thrilled to have their very own package to open for dinner - and it is fun to have something so rustic looking contain an elegant, fresh and flavorful dinner.

Each packet contains sliced potatoes, bay scallops, jumbo shrimp, lemon, garlic, chive and butter... an entire meal!  The lemon and garlic create an amazing aroma in the kitchen while they are baking in the oven.  Your guests will be shocked to find such a wonderful meal wrapped in such a cute package.

The contents before cooking... You can experiment with different combination of things you love.

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Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Lemon Caper Cream Sauce

Shrimp Cocktail was THE most popular item at my catering events - especially large, crowded cocktail events.  Why?  Because everyone is hungry and they know that they can eat a shrimp in one easy bite while they are holding their cocktail.  Strong and spicy classic cocktail sauce is just that, classic.  I really like classic cocktail sauce, but unfortunately it doesn't compliment many things.  I'm big on everything on the menu 'going' together and I don't like the idea of ketchupy cocktail sauce mixing with other things.

My solution was to come up with a new version of Shrimp Cocktail that my clients would love.  For the sauce, I love the combination of lemon, garlic and capers, so I came up with a simple lemon, caper cream sauce that was a big hit.  I found that tossing the raw, peeled shrimp in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasting them (instead of boiling) made it very flavorful.  It is definitely an easy recipe to make for a crowd.  All you do is put them on a baking sheet and toss them in the oven for 5-7 minutes!  I recommend preparing 3-5 pieces per person... or more.  Trust me, they'll be popular.

For more holiday appetizer & hors d'oeuvres ideas for your cocktail parties, visit my Holiday Hors D'Oeuvres Ideas!

Roasted Salt & Pepper Shrimp
with Lemon Caper Cream Sauce

2 pounds of shrimp, peeled with tails on
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon of Sea Salt
1/2 tablespoon of Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  If the shrimp is frozen, run cool water over it until they have thawed.  Place them on a baking sheet.  Drizzle olive oil over the shrimp, then toss with salt & pepper.  Roast in the oven for 5-7 minutes until they are bright pink and no longer translucent.  

Sauce:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of capers
1 cup of sour cream 
Salt & Pepper

To make the sauce, in a small bowl, combine oil and garlic.  Microwave for 10-15 seconds to slightly cook the garlic.  Add lemon juice, capers and sour cream, using a fork or a small whisk to combine.  Salt & Pepper to taste.

For more holiday appetizer & hors d'oeuvres ideas for your cocktail parties, visit my Holiday Hors D'Oeuvres Ideas! 

Vegetable Ragu with Shrimp & Rigatoni | Dinner Recipes | Pasta

Vegetable Ragu with Shrimp and Rigatoni

Ragu comes in all shapes and sizes...  I've posted my beef ragu and pappardelle pasta, but this is a lighter version made with vegetables.  The texture, slight sweetness and flavor from carrots, onions and cherry tomatoes.  It is a quick recipe - a whirl in the food processor, then 10 minutes in the skillet. 

I added shrimp (reminiscent of a dinner I had at a French bistro with wide egg noodles) to this recipe, but you can add mushrooms, chicken, pork, pancetta, etc.

Vegetable Ragu with Shrimp and Rigatoni

2 large carrots
1 yellow onion
5 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 tablespoon of italian herbs (any combo of dried or fresh basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of red wine
4 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved or sliced
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 pound of shrimp, peeled
1 pound of pasta - rigatoni or penne work great
parmesan cheese
italian flat leaf parsley

Before you begin the sauce, put a pot of water on to boil.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt to the water.

Cut onions, carrots and garlic into a large dice and put in the food processor.

 Pulse food processor until the vegetables are chopped - not too finely. 

 Cook the vegetables in a skillet on medium with the olive oil for 5 minutes until tender.

*Now would be a great time to put the pasta in the boiling water to cook. 















 Add wine and tomato paste.  Stir and cook on medium for 5 minutes until the vegetables have absorbed the wine.

Add the cherry tomatoes and continue to cook.

Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes - just until shrimp are cooked.

Add cream.  *Pasta should be just about done!

Stir the cream in and combine until a sauce is formed.  To thin the sauce, add some of the pasta water, if necessary.   Remove the sauce from heat.  Strain pasta and put it directly into the sauce (without rinsing).

Toss and serve with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Shrimp Tacos | Avocado Black Bean Salad | Red Pepper Margaritas | Friday!

Red Pepper Margarita - I know it sounds crazy, but the red pepper adds a sweet and spicy touch

It is Friday... for us, that means I'm in the mood for Margaritas and Mexican food.  While Mike and I both frequently crave what we refer to as "old school" tacos (ground beef, iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese & spanish gardens taco sauce) for a weeknight dinner... but on a Friday night it is fun to upgrade to some of our new Mexican favorites : shrimp tacos, avocado and black bean salad (vs. guacamole) and red pepper margaritas.

This is a great Friday night party menu - fun, and easy - everyone makes their own tacos and pours their own drinks.  Just make an extra large pitcher of margaritas and you'll be set!

Red Pepper Margaritas Recipe >>


Shrimp Taco Recipe >>

Shrimp Tacos with avocado, pepper jack cheese, green onions, tomatoes and white corn tortillas

Avocado Salad Recipe >>

Avocado Salad : Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, black beans, avocados, green onions, in a Lime Vinaigrette

Avocado Salad Recipe >>
Shrimp Taco Recipe >>
Red Pepper Margarita Recipe >>

Shrimp Cashew Curry with Rice Noodles | Simple Thai Recipes | Recipes

Shrimp Cashew Curry with Rice Noodles

Shrimp Cashew Curry

As I've mentioned before, I'm no expert on Thai food.  I have figured out a couple of recipes that seem to fit my takeout cravings... spring rolls with peanut sauce, thai steak noodle salad, and now orange shrimp cashew curry.   

Typically, I haven't been a huge fan of curry.  I warmed up to it this Fall with The Barefoot's Butternut Squash & Apple Soup - I loved the extra complexity that the touch of curry spice added.

1 pound of shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup of orange marmalade
1 lime, juiced
2 cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons of oil (peanut, olive, veg, etc.)
1/2 tablespoon of curry powder
5 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup of cashews
1 package of rice noodles
fresh basil

In a medium bowl, mix together orange marmalade, lime juice, garlic, 2 tablespoons of oil, and curry powder.  Add the shrimp and let it marinade for 30 minutes (if you have time).

In a saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.  Cook the shrimp in batches by individually removing the shrimp from the marinate (I use tongs) and place them in the pan - cooking them for about 1 minute on each side, then removing them from the pan and placing them in a bowl.

Add the marinate to the pan, cooking on medium-high until it reduces into a thick sauce.

In the meantime, prepare the rice noodles.  Follow the directions on the packages - most instruct to boil them in water for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add in the green onions, cashews, and shrimp.  Serve over the rice noodles and garnish with some chopped basil.

Shrimp Spring Rolls Recipe | Peanut Dipping Sauce Recipe | Simple Thai Recipes

As I mentioned in the Peanut Sauce Recipe, I am not an expert in Thai food.  But, I've become a fan lately - especially Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce.

At first, I was intimidated by the rice paper and rice noodles used to make the spring rolls, but after easily finding them at my neighborhood grocery store and reading the instructions... boil in water for 2 minutes/soak in hot water for 20 seconds, respectively... I decided I could manage.  

The spring rolls themselves can be filled with anything.  I prepared a traditional shrimp spring roll with carrots, red pepper, rice noodles and basil (I swapped the cilantro for basil - not a cilantro fan) wrapped in rice paper.

Shrimp Spring Roll Recipe
8 rolls



1/2 package of rice noodles
8 rice paper wrappers
1 red pepper
24 medium cooked shrimp (1 pound of 24 count shrimp)
1 cup of carrots, julienned
8 fresh basil leaves
Peanut Sauce Recipe>>

Begin by boiling water in a sauce pan. When the water boils, pour half of the water into a shallow bowl that is large enough to soak the rice paper wrapper.  Cook the noodles in the sauce pan with boiling water for 2-3 minutes.  Remove them from water and place them in a bowl.

Soak the rice paper in the shallow bowl filled with hot water for 20 seconds.  Remove it from the water and place it between two layers of a clean kitchen towel to make it sticky.  Peal the paper away from the towel, being careful not to tear it.  

Place the paper on your work surface.  Start by lining 3 of the shrimp up in the center.  Add carrots, peppers and basil.

Top with some of the cooked noodles.

 Fold in the sides, and roll it together snugly.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

This no-cook sauce takes just seconds in a food processor. 

Get the Peanut Dipping Sauce Recipe >>