Shrimp in Cilantro Cream Sauce

There is a special place in my heart (and stomach!) for Rosa Mexicano. As I’ve written in previous posts, my first date with my wife was at Rosa Mexicano, and we try to go on our anniversary whenever possible. I even have the Rosa Mexicano cookbook, an anniversary gift from my wife a few years ago. I was looking for some inspiration because I haven’t been cooking as much as I used to, so I turned to this cookbook and found this great recipe. I did change a few things, but the spirit of the recipe is mostly intact. The changes: I used shallots instead of red onion, added roasted corn, and used only one jalapeño pepper, instead of the two that the recipe called for (thought it would be too spicy for my wife but it ended up being too mild).

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: I served this dish with white rice and refried beans, but I didn’t take pictures of the sides.

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds peeled/de-vained shrimp (I used large, 21-25 shrimp)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup corn (about one large ear)
1 large shallot, sliced thin
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch cilantro, chopped fine (stems included, no roots)
1/2 tsp each salt, ground cumin, and dried mexican oregano, plus another 1/4 tsp salt for shrimp.
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Procedure:

Season shrimp with 1/4 tsp salt, set aside.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the corn on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet (to prevent sticking), sprinkle with a pinch of salt and roast for 10-12 minutes, tossing 2-3 times to ensure even roasting. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, then add the shallots, jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, salt, cumin, and oregano. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until the shallots are translucent. Turn heat up to medium high, add the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat, and simmer until cream is reduced by 2/3rds (about 7-8 minutes). Stir in the shrimp, cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring once or twice to ensure even cooking.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp to a bowl, then turn the heat back to medium high, add the corn, and reduce the cream sauce by half (the shrimp will release water, and this will need to be evaporated). Remove from the heat when the cream is just a little runnier than you would like and wait 3-4 minutes, then return the shrimp to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

Buen Provecho!

Shrimp in Red Sauce (Camarones Guisados)

The title isn’t a literal translation. I opted to not call it a shrimp stew because the shrimp don’t actually stew; rather, they cook quickly in the tomato sauce. It’s prepared as many other Puerto Rican stews would be, and with basically the same ingredients (though I opt to trade bell peppers for celery and add carrots for sweetness) and is probably best when served over white rice with some amarillos or maduros (fried ripe plantain).

This recipe calls for red wine to be added. You can skip it, but keep in mind that it won’t taste the same. Tomatoes have quite a few alcohol-soluble flavor compounds and you just won’t get the same depth of flavor if you do not use the wine.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: I use No Sodium Added tomatoes in my recipes. If you buy tomatoes that have sodium added, make sure to adjust the amount of salt in the recipe accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 lb raw medium shrimp (21-30 will do), peeled and deveined.
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 Serrano chile, diced
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp honey
10-12 pimento-stuffed olives
15-20 capers (about 1.5 tbsp)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 28oz can whole, peeled tomatoes (you can substitute diced or crushed)
1/4 cup red wine
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1.5 tbsp sofrito
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Procedure:

Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven and place it over medium high heat. Sauté the onions, celery, carrots, and chile for 3-4 minutes, or until the veggies have softened and the onions become translucent.

Meanwhile, if you have whole or diced tomatoes, add them to a food processor or blender (you can also use an immersion blender) and pulse them 5-6 times so that the tomatoes are mostly broken down but not completely mushed (skip this step if you’re using crushed tomatoes).

Once the veggies have softened, lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, oregano, sofrito, olives, capers, and half the salt, cook for 2-3 minutes stirring frequently. Add the red wine and make sure you scrape up any fond on the bottom of the pan. Let it cook until it has almost completely evaporated, then add the remaining salt, tomatoes, honey, lemon juice, and half the chopped cilantro. Allow it to simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated (20-25 minutes), then taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Stir in the shrimp, making sure that they are completely incorporated. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir, and serve over white rice. Garnish with the reserved cilantro.

Buen Provecho!

Summer Spaghetti with Shrimp

I recently discovered a farm stand about one mile south of my house.  I drive past this location every day, twice a day, on my way to and from work (though they’re only there in the afternoons) and finally decided to stop by and see what they had for sale.

It turns out that all the produce is grown by a lady that lives right up the driveway from where the stand sits.  She has a green house and so she sells everything she grows at very reasonable prices.  She also bakes her own bread and sells it at the stand.  Very nice and you can’t really get much more local than a mile down the street and your own back yard.

I found her grape and cherry tomatoes to be absolutely beautiful so I gathered a hand full (about 1 lb) of yellow cherry and red grape tomatoes and placed them on the scale.  Total cost: $1.50.  What a bargain!  So, I went home, tomatoes in hand, trying to think of a way to incorporate them into dinner that night (a full 2 1/2 hours before I usually serve dinner!).  I was immersed in feelings of summer and thought about all the herbs that Mrs. Belly Full has been growing on our deck.  This was my muse that led me to make a summer-inspired dish using very fresh ingredients (picked that very day!).  This dish is the product of my summer inspiration.

Ingredients:

1 lb spaghetti
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (31-40 is about right)
5 large fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded (about 1 tbsp)
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped fine
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
4 oz peppered chèvre (goat cheese), divided into eighths
1 cup starchy pasta water (removed right before draining the pasta)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1  tsp Old Bay
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Alternate Ingredients:

• You can substitute regular goat cheese and crushed black pepper (about 6 peppercorns) for the peppered goat cheese. If you can’t find either, you can use ricotta.
• You can also substitute salt and pepper for the Old Bay.  I know Old Bay isn’t very Italian, but this is summer spaghetti and not a traditional Italian dish.
• If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can substitute dried ones.  Just use half as much.

Preparation:

The first thing you should do is cut the tomatoes in half, lengthwise, and place them on a cookie sheet.  Toss them with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Place in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until they are nicely roasted, tossing once or twice during cooking.

Season the shrimp with the Old Bay.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Once the pasta is in the water for about 5 minutes, place 2 tbsp each of olive oil and butter in a large, straight-sided pan over medium heat.  Once the butter is melted and begins to foam, about 3-4 minutes, toss the shrimp into the pan.  Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the oregano right before you drain the pasta which, by this time, should be ready.  Reserve one cup of the pasta water and drain the rest.

Place the spaghetti in the pan with the shrimp.  Spread the goat cheese evenly over the pasta, then pour about 1/4 cup of the pasta liquid into the pot.  Stir to combine until the cheese is melted and incorporated.  You might need a bit more pasta water, which is why I suggest saving a full cup of it (though I doubt you’ll need more than 1/2 a cup).  Just add it in 1/4 cup increments until you’re satisfied.  If you add too much, don’t worry, as it will evaporate soon enough.

Once the pasta, shrimp, and goat cheese has been combined and the sauce is the consistency you like, remove from the heat and add the roasted tomatoes, stirring to combine.  If you add them before this step they might get over mixed and break up too much (you want them to remain as “whole” as possible).    Once you plate the pasta, top it with the toasted pine nuts and the basil before serving.

Serves 5-6 people.

Buen Provecho!