Shrimp Scampi

This is one of the staple dishes in our house. It's incredibly easy and very good. I do recommend adding a bit more white wine so its a bit more wet.

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients-

8 oz linguini ( I used whole wheat penne)

2 T olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, minced

2 t red pepper flakes (I omitted)

1 pound shrimp, peeled

2/3 cup white wine ( I used 3/4)

3 T fresh parsley, minced or 2 T dried

salt and pepper

Directions-

1. Prepare pasta according to directions on package.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes and saute until soft.

3. Add shrimp and cook until firm, about five minutes. Remove shrimp. ( I left them andf lived to tell the tale) Add wine to the skillet and bring to simmer. Add Parsley. Let simmer gently for a 2 minutes. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Penne a la Betsy

One of my favorite cooking blogs is The Pioneer Woman Cooks. She has some great recipes, incredible photography, and witty writing-style. Check her out!

Back to the situation at hand, You are gonna need to use your imagination a bit with this dish because it calls for penne. A noodle's a noodle, right? Now imagine the ziti you see above is penne.

This dish is amazing! You can subsitute the shrimp for chicken, sausage, or even vegetarian if you are one of those people. I would have licked the dish clean if it wasn't completely inappropriate. Fortunately for me, I deemed it inappropriate after the deed was done.

Penne a la Betsy

Source: Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients-

¾ lb. penne pasta
3 tbsp. butter, divided
3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 lb. large shrimp
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine (or chicken broth)
1 (8 oz.) can plain tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
basil leaves, to taste (use a bunch!)


Directions-

1. Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, while water heats and pasta cooks, make the sauce. Melt 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes, until opaque. Remove to a plate to let cool.

3. Heat 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil in the skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally. While the onion and garlic are cooking, chop the shrimp into small, bite-sized pieces. Add the wine (or chicken broth) to the pan and allow to reduce for a few minutes.

Chiffonade the basil leaves and set aside.

4. Stir in tomato sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Add shrimp back to the skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley and basil and mix well.
Drain pasta and return to pot. Add the sauce to the pot and stir well to combine. Serve.

Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia

This, by far, is the greatest recipe I've ever come across. I will preface by saying I hate fish. Tilapia is a very mild fish but the topping really camoflages any fishy flavors. I've made this dish for friends and family and everyone loves it! My friend's husband ordered a similar dish in a restaurant and said mine was better! The best part is that it takes less than 10 minutes to prep and cook.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients-

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions-

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes.

4. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Note: I remove the center vein in the tilapia by cutting the filet down the center. I've found it decreases any fishy flavors.