Creamy Shrimp Bisque

Happy Easter Everyone!!!!!!!! I was watching Paula Deen one afternoon and she was making a shrimp bisque, it looked amazing and so easy. I have never had bisque before so I knew this recipe would be a great one to use for my first shot at it. Despite the fact that Paula's recipe was so simple and I'm sure very delicious I made a great deal of changes to her original recipe to make it more our style.

2 - Celery Stalks Chopped
3 - Green Onions Chopped (white & green parts)
4 Tbs. - Butter
1 Tbs. - Minced Garlic
1/3 C. - Flour
2 C. - Half & Half
3 1/2 C. - Fish Stock
3 Tbs. - Parsley
12 Oz. - Cooked Small Shrimp
1 15oz. - Can Diced Potatoes
1 Tsp. - Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbs. - Onion Powder
1 Tsp. - Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. - Old Bay
Salt & Pepper to Taste

In a medium saucepan, add the celery, onion and butter stirring occasionally until tender for about 10 minutes. When tender add the garlic and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for about 5 minutes to take out the flour taste then add the potatoes, half and half. Let simmer over medium heat for another 5 minutes. Stir in the fish stock, parsley and all of the seasonings then let this cook for another 10 minutes and it gets thick and bubbly. Add the shrimp meat and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Side Note: My husband and I decided that even though this bisque was amazing the way it was it could also benefit from some smoky bacon. So next time, I will cook up some bacon pieces then set them aside and cook the onion and celery in the bacon drippings. Once the bisque is ladled into bowls, sprinkle the top with the crispy bacon.

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Shrimp Scampi

My husband and I really love pasta dishes and seafood, we have purchased this dish in the frozen food section before and like it but we really thought we could make it better at home. I am glad we finally gave this quick, easy seafood dish a try; it really can't get much simpler than this one.

3/4 Lb. - Bertolli Angel Hair Pasta
1 Tbs. - Kosher Salt
3 Tbs. - Butter
2 1/2 Tbs. - Bertolli EVOO
1 1/2 Tbs. - Minced Garlic
1 Lbs. - Large Shrimp (peeled & deveined)
1/4 Tsp. - Pepper
1/3 C. - Parsley
1/4 C. - Lemon Juice
1/8 Tsp. - Cayenne
1 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasoning
1 Tbs. - Johnny's Salmon Seasoning
2 Tbs. - Kraft Parmesan Cheese
Vegetable Oil

Drizzle vegetable oil into a large pot of boiling water, add the salt and pasta. Cook for 7-10 minutes or according to the package. In another sauté pan melt the butter and EVOO over medium high heat. Add the garlic, shrimp, pepper, cayenne, salmon seasoning, garlic seasoning and cook until the shrimp turns pink which should take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, parsley and pasta. Stir to combine then top with the Parmesan cheese.

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Tilapia Shrimp Po'Boys

Our last Super Bowl installment for this year is a fabulous one for sure; we both really loved this recipe. I'm sure this will also be a huge hit at your gathering, your friends and family will scream for more. I really hope you try one if not all of these fabulous ideas this Sunday for the game; they are all so quick, easy, affordable, and fantastic.

1 Tbs. - Butter
4 - Tilapia Fillets
12 Large - Shrimp (peeled, deveined)
1 1/2 Tbs. - Johnny's Salmon Seasoning
4 - King's Hawaiian Snacker Sub Rolls
1/4 C. - Mayo
1 Tsp. - Lemon Pepper
1/4 Tsp. - Dill
1/8 Tsp. - Lemon Juice

Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat, sprinkle Tilapia and shrimp with the salmon seasoning. Cook the fish for about 5-8 minutes or until flaky and brown. Remove the Tilapia from the pan and set aside, cook the shrimp in the same frying pan for about 2-4 minutes or until they turn pink. In a small bowl mix the mayo, lemon pepper, dill, and lemon juice until well combined. Spread both sides of the snacker rolls with some of the mayo mixture then top with a piece of fish, layer 3 shrimp down the center of the fish and top with the other roll. These little Po'Boys would be fabulous with the addition of maybe some coleslaw or Pico De Gallo, no matter what you top yours with they will be a big hit for sure.

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Sausage Shrimp Chowder

HAPPY 200th POST...

I really love to eat soup in the winter; I also think I have been pushing it with my husband with all of the soups and chowders we have been having lately. Don't get me wrong he likes soup but I think I have a bigger love for it than he does, that is until now. On Sunday we created chowder that he simply loved, it was such a quick and easy chowder to toss together too. I mean come on, just how can you go wrong with a soup that has sausage, shrimp, taters and corn.

3 Tbs. - Butter
1 Small - Onion Diced
2 Tbs. - Chopped Garlic
1 Lbs. - Bulk Sausage (I used Chicken Basil Garlic)
1 lbs. - Medium Raw Shrimp (peeled & deveined)
4 C. - Chicken Stock
3 C. - Half & Half
2 - Par-Boiled Potatoes (diced)
2 Tbs. - Garlic Powder
2 Tbs. - McCormick's Steak Seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, do not brown. Add the sausage and stir to break it up, cook for 7-10 minutes or until cooked through. Raise the heat to medium high and add the shrimp, broth and seasonings. Cook for about 5 minutes then add the half & half, stir in the potatoes and simmer for another 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with some crusty bread.

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Greek Shrimp & Feta Buttons

This Greek delight was found in a cook book my mother in law gave me, The Complete Step By Step Cook Book. This book has more than 800 full color recipes and as the title says with step by step instructions. I found this cute little appetizer that sounded so darn good and the picture in the book was so cute that I just had to give it a try. Of course as we do with so many of the recipes we make, we altered it from its original state. My husband took some to his Greek friend again today and just like the Baklava he simply loved this and wished that he had more.

½ - Medium Onion (diced)
1 Tbs. - Garlic (chopped)
1 Tbs. - EVOO
3 Tbs. - Butter (melted)
4 oz. - Peeled Diced Shrimp (cooked)
6 oz. - Aethnos Garlic Herb Feta Crumbles
1 Tsp. - Chives
6 Sheets - Phyllo Dough
Salt & Pepper

In a medium sized frying pan heat the EVOO over medium high heat, once the oil is hot sauté the onion and garlic for about 5-8 minutes. While the onion is getting tender add in the Diced Shrimp, chives, and salt & pepper. Remove from heat and mix in the feta cheese, remove 6 sheets of phyllo from the roll and put the rest in the fridge for another time. Cut the phyllo in half, then cut each half into half, cut each strip into 3 sections and this will yield you 12 sections. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, lay out 3 sheets of dough in a stack, brush with melted butter then lay the other 3 sheets on top at an angle and brush with more butter. Place about 1 Tsp. Of filling in the center of the dough then bring in the opposite corners to form the buttons bunching the dough together at the top. Carefully brush the entire button with melted butter and continue with the rest of the phyllo and filling. Once all buttons are made, cook in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden and crispy. Remove immediately and serve hot and watch them disappear.

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Boiled Shrimp Dinner

In my efforts to try and make it feel like Spring I found an awesome recipe in my Mr. Food Weeknight Quickies cookbook. When I started to read this recipe all that came to mind was having tons of friends over and serving this meal up spread out on old news paper like I see on TV. I love how simple the ingredients are and that the entire flavor comes from the spice bag you cook it in. One look at the final dish I swear I could feel the warm sun shining on my face and a slight Spring breeze blowing through my hair.

3 Q. - Water
4 (3oz.) - Zatarain's Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil
2 Tbs. - Chopped Garlic
1 Tsp. - Salt
1 ½ Lbs. - Red Taters
1 (16oz.) - Frozen Pearl Onions or Boiling Onions
8 - Frozen Half Ears Corn on the Cob
2 - Lemons (cut in half)
1 1/ 2 Lbs. - Peeled with Tail on Shrimp

Combine the first 4 items in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Add taters, onions, corn and lemons; return to a boil and cook for 15 minutes or until taters are tender. Add the shrimp; cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Drain the mixture; remove and discard the spice bags and lemons. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.

Serves 4

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Wild Rice and Shrimp

Everyone by now is well aware of my LOVE for the Food Network and the queen of the south Paula Deen. I was watching one of her shows a few weeks ago and she did the most wonderful looking shrimp and rice dish, it was so simple and right up my semi – homemade alley. Other than the rice and a bell pepper I had everything on hand to make this yummy dish, ok… I made a few changes to the original recipe but it was so easy and oh so good, my husband and I loved it.

1 – 8 oz. - Box of Wild Rice
½ Lb. - Medium Shrimp (peeled & deveined)
2 Tbs. - Butter
½ - Orange Bell Pepper (seeded & diced)
½ - Medium Onion (diced)
1 – 10 ¾ oz. - Cream of Chicken Soup
2 C. - Colby Monterey Jack Cheese (grated)
Salt & Pepper

Cook the rice according to the directions minus ¼ c. water, then set aside to cool. Bring 2 cups of water with ½ Tbs. salt to a boil in a sauce pan and cook the shrimp for 1 minute, drain and set aside to cool. Heat the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion and pepper just until soft, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl combine the rice, soup, 1 ½ C. cheese, shrimp and veggies. Season with salt and pepper to taste, mix well then transfer to a greased baking dish and cover with remaining cheese. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

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Shrimp - N - Grits

My husband and I went to dinner with some friends before Christmas; we went to a new restaurant in downtown Portland called, The Screen Door. They serve southern style food in a very charming atmosphere, let me just say the food was outstanding. We shared an appetizer of Low Country Shrimp over Grits, I love grits and I love shrimp but I never knew how extremely good they are together. This dish was simply amazing; the flavors complimented each other so well. It was love at first bite and we immediately knew that we had to try this dish at home.

1/2 Lbs. - Shrimp (peeled & deveined)
2 Tbs. - Butter
2 Tbs. - EVOO
1 1/2 Tsp. - Smoked Paprika
1 1/2 Tsp. - Johnny’s Garlic Season
1/2 Tsp. - Spice Island Smokey Mesquite Season
1 Tsp. - Lemon Pepper
Black Pepper
2 Servings Instant Grits

Melt the butter into EVOO in a sauté pan over medium high heat, when the butter is ready add the shrimp and spices. Cook the shrimp just until it turns pink, while the shrimp is cooking keep stirring them into the sauce to get an even coating. When the shrimp is ready spoon them over the grits and enjoy with a side salad or some fruit.

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