Spiced Ginger Shrimp

I saw this recipe on the New York Times but made a modification because I did not have some of the spices it called for.  The result is delicious without the spices, which were 1 1/2 tsp. of garam masala or five-spice curry powder or Baharat.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced, greens and whites separated
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 pound extra-large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup of halved sweet cherry tomatoes
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter
• fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn or coarsely chopped

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, combine ginewr, garlic, scallion whites, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Add shrimp and toss well. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. Add the tomatoes and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook until the tomatoes start to wrinkle, about 2 minutes.

Add shrimp mixture and saute for another 2 - 4 minutes, turning the shrimp until they are pink all over.                                

Gently stir in the butter and cook for another minute, until the shrimp are cooked through. Remove from heat and add a squeeze with fresh lemon juice. Garnish with mint and scallion greens and serve immediately.

This goes well with rice.  I'll try soba noodles the next time I make it.

Potato Crisps

After making these, potato chips will never be the same. Having a mandolin makes this an easy recipe. One thing: make sure NOT to have too much oil or they will turn out soggy.

Ingredients 

2 medium potatoes

1.5 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper Directions 1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2 Slice the potatoes into thin rounds using a sharp knife or a mandolin. Aim to have them about 1/8 inch thick, although a little variation is fine as long as they aren't too thick.  3 Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can also add other spices here as well. 4 Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a wire rack. Place the potatoes in a single layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy.

Classic Margarita

It seemed like winter was coming a little sooner than I wanted. After all, it was only October 23 and too early for snow and 16 degree temperatures that were forecasted for Sunday, October 25. My sister and her husband live in Colorado Springs, where it was predicted to be close to 70 degrees on Saturday. The drive is about an hour and a half to two hours from Boulder, depending on road construction and traffic. We decided to stay the night on Friday and go for a bike ride on Saturday after it warmed up. Mary selected a dirt trail and all four of us rode 20 miles on a beautiful sunny afternoon, wrapping up around 4 pm. With limited happy hour options, the best place was home where we decided to make margaritas. I went for the Patron classic recipe and must say, it is the best margarita I ever! Here's how to make it:

Recipe for 1 drink

1.5 oz. Patron Silver

1   oz.  Patron Citronge Orange

3/4 oz.  Fresh lime juice

1/4 oz.  Simple syrup

1. Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice to chill.
2. Strain onto fresh ice in a rocks glass and garnish with a lime wedge.
3. Optionally, salt half the rim of the glass with kosher salt.

Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza

Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza

During the Corona Virus pandemic, I was thinking about a pizza I had somewhere with prosciutto and  arugula.  I found this recipe on the Food Network web site.  The first time I made, I didn't pay close enough attention to the recipe and didn't add lemon juice, shallots and olive oil to the arugula. We still really liked it.  Last night I made it exactly according to the recipe and it was even better. We sat at the kitchen counter with a glass of wine and it almost felt like we were in a bar some place else.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Ingredients:

1 pound prepared pizza dough, at room temperature*

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, grated

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

4 cups baby arugula

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

Shaved parmesan cheese, for topping

* I use a pre-made pizza crust that I buy at Sprouts. It is Activfit Super Grains Ultra Thin Pizza Crust. You cook it directly onto the oven rack.  There is also a good one from Trader Joe's in the frozen pizza section, Morteli Organic pizza crust 

Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl with the garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Brush with the pizza crust with the olive oil mixture and top with the ricotta and mozzarella. Return the pizza to the oven; bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 6 more minutes.

Toss the arugula and shallot in a large bowl with the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Top the pizza with the arugula salad, prosciutto and shaved parmesan. Cut into slices.

Anchovy Hors d’ Oeuvres

My sweetheart is a big fan of anchovies and found a recipe for this appetizer.  Very delicious and surprisingly, the anchovy taste is subtle--just right.

• 1 Large French Baguette OR crackers
• 
  
• 1 Anchovy Tin (45g/1.6oz net weight 30g/1oz drained weight)
• 
  
• 2.5oz Marinated Roasted peppers or your own roasted red pepper thinly sliced
• 
  
• ¼ large cucumber (you’ll need 12 slices)
• 
  
• 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

First slice the baguette. You should get at least 12 pieces out of it. Throw them in a toaster and toast until golden brown. OR 12 crackers

Meanwhile rinse and cut the cucumber into 12 thin slices. Place roasted peppers onto a paper kitchen towel to get rid of the excess liquid. You can do the same with anchovies.

When the baguette slices are toasted, start assembling the bites. Baguette slice + Thin layer of Mayonnaise + 1 cucumber slice + Roasted peppers + ½ -1 Tiny anchovy.

Recipe from Gourmandize.com