Shrimp Scampi, an Easy Make-Ahead Meal to Freeze and Heat

This dish goes together quickly; the greatest effort is in cleaning the shrimp. While it is heating, quickly boil the angelhair pasta, drain, and combine with the shrimp and the delicious broth to make a mouthwatering dinner for the special people in your life.

There are times when it is just not acceptable to take shortcuts: freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of the squeeze bottle, freshly minced garlic rather than the jarred, leafy green parsley instead of dried, and wild-caught shrimp in the shell. Don't compromise ingredients in this dish. As a matter of fact, don't ever use the squeeze bottle lemon juice or jarred minced garlic for anything!

I have reduced the amount of fat traditionally used in this dish and added more flavor by using shrimp stock, made from the shrimp shells. I know you will enjoy this change.

Shrimp Scampi with Angelhair Pasta

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds large wild-caught shrimp, with shells on, frozen unless you have access to just off-the-boat shrimp
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/4 cup white wine
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Salt & Pepper TT (to taste)

8 ounces angelhair pasta, cooked, drained

Peel shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Place shells in a small saucepan and just cover with water, about 2 cups. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Allow to steep while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, then strain and reserve shrimp stock.

Remove the sand vein (a.k.a. shrimp poop) from shrimp by making a shallow incision down the length of the back to expose the vein. Scrape it out with the tip of your paring knife.

Combine olive oil, garlic, and hot pepper flakes in a cold saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and add butter. Stir occasionally until butter is melted, then add shrimp and cook, turning frequently, just until shrimp is opaque and pink-rimmed. Remove the shrimp from pan, but leave the garlic-butter-oil mixture in the pan.

Increase heat, and add lemon juice, zest, and white wine to skillet. When hot and bubbling, add 1/2 or more of the the shrimp stock. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Combine the shrimp and pasta in the skillet with the stock. Toss in chopped parsley, grate pepper over, and turn, using tongs, until pasta is coated with stock and shrimp are distributed. Remove from heat and serve.

Nutrition per serving: 483 Calories; 15g Fat (28.2% calories from fat); 36g Protein

To freeze for later use: Prepare shrimp as instructed. Cool quickly by placing in a stainless steel bowl and then setting that in a larger bowl of ice water. Spoon shrimp and its stock into a container, seal, label, and freeze. When ready to prepare and while pasta is cooking, defrost and heat the shrimp mixture in the microwave at 50% power just until hot. (Don't overdoDrain the pasta, return it to the pot and add the shrimp mixture. Toss with tongs until shrimp and pasta are combined. Serve.

Note: To thaw frozen shrimp from the market, place in a bowl in the sink. Fill the bowl with cold water and place it under trickling cold tap water. The shrimp will thaw in just a few minutes this way and will remain cold and safe from bacteria growth. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Never thaw shrimp in the microwave or by leaving it lying out on the counter. Never purchase previously frozen, thawed shrimp from the market showcase. Request frozen shrimp and have the attendant wrap it tightly with ice so it will remain frozen till you get it home.

Recipe for Whole Wheat Bread

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

After a couple days of 85 degree weather, winter has returned with a Southern vengeance! Forty degrees and raining makes for a miserable day outside, but this kind of weather also always puts me in the mood for baking. Nothing smells better than bread baking in the oven. Well, except maybe chicken roasting....and that's also happening in my oven this afternoon!

Here's my recipe for whole wheat bread. It's a combination of unbleached white flour and whole wheat and is light and firm, sweet and salty....everything homemade bread should be! If you're new to bread baking, give this a try, and practice practice practice till you get it perfect. You will love eating your practice loaves!

Whole Wheat Bread

5 c. unbleached flour + extra for kneading (about 1 cup depending on humidity)

2 c. whole wheat flour

1 T. + 1 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 c. skim milk

1/2 c. half & half cream

2/3 c. warm water

1/2 stick unsalted butter, sliced into 6 pieces

6 T. honey

2 envelopes active dry yeast

Combine butter, milk, half & half, and honey in 4 c. glass measuring cup and heat in microwave just until butter starts to melt. Stir till butter is melted, stir in water and set aside. Milk should not be too hot...just warm to the touch. Let it cool a bit if you need to.

Turn the oven on to 200 degrees for 10 minutes and then turn it off.

In bowl of large mixer (I use Kitchenaid Artisan) combine 1/2 unbleached flour, all of whole wheat flour, salt, and yeast. With paddle attachment on mixer and motor running, slowly pour in the warm milk mixture and beat until smooth. Replace paddle attachment with dough hook and gradually add the remainder of the flour, increasing speed as dough gets thick. Add enough reserved flour until dough gathers around the dough hook. The dough will be soft and slightly tacky.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured countertop and knead briefly until you can easily shape it into a ball. Wash your mixing bowl and dry it; grease it lightly with oil and put the ball of bread dough into it. Turn it to lightly coat the top of the dough, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and set it in the oven to rise till doubled in size, about one hour.

Turn the dough out onto your lightly floured counter and let rest while you lightly butter two 9" x 5" loaf pans.

Divide the dough in half and with your fingers press each half into rectangles about 8 inches wide. Starting at one short end, roll dough up tightly and place into pan, seam side down. Repeat with other half of dough. Lightly brush with oil and cover once again with plastic wrap and set in oven till doubled in size, about 20 - 30 minutes. (If you have a single oven, put the loaves into your empty microwave to rise while your oven preheats.)

In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 degrees for at least 20 minutes. Place risen loaves on bottom rack (remove plastic wrap first) and bake for 40-50 minutes. If they start getting too dark for your taste after 30 minutes, lay a foil tent on top to protect them.

Remove from oven and then from pans and check to see that they sound hollow when you tap them on the bottom with your fingernail. A hollow sound means that they are finished, or you can check with an instant read thermometer to see if they have reached 190-195 degrees. You'll get good at this and will be able to tell by the sound. Rub all over with butter, cool on a rack, slice and enjoy!

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Foodsaver Frenzy

I called one of my foodie friends this afternoon on my way home from Wal-Mart, where I'd just purchased a new Foodsaver appliance and I didn't realize how excited I was until I stopped to take a breath and she said, "Geeee....It sure is easy to make us happy!" It sure is...give me a kitchen gadget or appliance or a new pan or cookbook and it's like a shot of adrenaline!

Back in the late 70s I bought a Daisy Seal-a-Meal to use to freeze leftovers and fruits and veggies and I've been hooked every since. I wore that one out and then they were out of favor and you couldn't find bags anywhere. Then came the Foodsaver Vacuum Sealer....I guess in the mid 90s and, once again, my pulse was rat-a-tatting as I drove home from Wal-Mart with it.

Problems arose, though, because it was impossible to control the vacuum, so that limited its use to dry non-smushable foods. Then there came a model with manual controls, but it was big and cumbersome, and I waited for something smaller that I can carry with me on cookdays.

Finally, I have just what I was looking for, with features like moisture sensor, an anti-"smush" setting, and it is compact and less than $100!

I'd write more, but I'm going to go play with my new gadget. Have a great weekend!

Bon Appetit!
Chef Debbie