Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp  can be cooked with the tails on or off.

Gaetano likes them on.  I like them off.  Guess who wins!!! lol

I don't like to eat the Shrimp first and then the pasta, nor do I want to fight with the Shrimp to get the tails off.  I know some say it wholes in the flavor more, But, I don't taste the difference.  I like to cut up my Shrimp and than Twirl my Linquini with the Shrimp.  Yum Yum! 

 I'm not that mean, I cook some with the tails on for Gaetano.

6-8 Shrimp per person
4 Tbs Butter.  divided into 4 pcs.
Olive Oil as needed
1/4 cup White Wine - Chardonay
Garlic Gloves 4 pcs Chopped
1/2 Tbs chopped fresh Parsley
1 Tbs grated cheese (optional)
Linguini - Cooked. 

Put water for pasta on when you are frying Shrimp. 
Before you are on #6, pasta should be almost ready.
Timing is important. Cook pasta aldente. 
 If pasta gets done too soon strain it and spray cool water on it,
 so it won't be sticky.

1.  Place Flour in bowl with a dash of Salt, Pepper and Garlic.

2.  Clean and devine Shrimp. Flour Shrimp.  Pound good and

     shake off the flour and place in dish. 



3.  Cover bottom of frying pan with Olive Oil.

4.  Fry Shrimp add a dash of Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder.

5.  Cook both sides until shrimp is pink/coral in color.

This pic the shrimp is not floured.  It is from another one of my recipes. As you notice from picture below the flour adds blumpness and I feel wholes in more flavor. 

(That's why you don't need the tails on, Ha!)



6.  Once all Shrimp is cooked, add 4 Tbs butter and

      Chopped Garlic.

7.  Once Garlic is lightly brown Add White Wine and Parsley.  

     Swirl Pan in small circle so that all the liquids can mix

     together.

8.  Add more butter if needed.  Cook for about 2 minutes, 

     Swirling frying pan in a small circle. 

     (no not fling it over head!)

9.  Add grated cheese (optional)

10.  Place pasta in large deep platter and pour Shrimp Scampi

     on top.    

Will put more pics next time I cook this.

Scallops wrapped in bacon

                                                                                                                 Bariatric Friendly

When I was driving home from work, I was thinking

of having Scallops for dinner.

To my delight, Gaetano (my husband) surprised me with the perfect, delicious meal!

I knew I loved that man for a good reason!!!  30 years and gladly 100 more to come.

 Ok.  Ok. Enough with the mushiness let's get to the cooking!

Sea Scallops

Bacon for each Scallop

Toothpick for each Scallop

White Wine 4 Tbs

Olive Oil

Butter 3 Tbs

Fresh Parsley 1 Tbs (Optional)

1.   Wrap each Scallop in bacon.  You can also   
      cook some without bacon at the same time.

2.   Stick toothpick in Scallop to hold bacon on. 
      If you like crispy bacon than place bacon over top and bottom 
      of Scallop (as shown on this picture on flat side).

     Or around the sides only. (first picture has on sides only)

3.   Heat up Olive Oil in frying Pan.

4.   Add Scallops

5.   Sear on Med.

6.   Add a pinch of black pepper and
       Garlic powder

7.   Turn the Scallops a few times. approx 6 mins
       to cook.

8.   Once Bacon is crispy,  Place Scallops
       in a dish.

9.   Wash and dry the frying Pan and lower the
       temperature to Medium low.

10.   Place frying pan on stove add 1 Tbs oil  

        and 3 Tbs butter. (This way the butter doesn't burn.)

11.  When butter is almost melted

        Add 4 Tbs White Wine. Mix together.

12.  Place the Scallops back in the frying pan.

14.  Add 1/2 Tbs of chopped fresh parsley.

13.  Simmer for 3 minutes.  You can add more

       butter if juice is drying out.

ok this picture is making me want more Scallops!!!

If you don't like crispy Bacon than wrap around sides only.  Sure looks nice and taste so good!!!

If you like bacon crispy, then place it around the top and over to the bottom so, when you are frying them the bacon will get crispy.

Penne Alla Stefana w/ Shrimp



Feeds 8 people

50 pcs Shrimp  Peeled and Cleaned 6-8 per person.

2 cans of TuttoRusso Peeled Plum shaped Tomatoes.               
  Cut off ends and Slice into chunks.  Keep the tomato juice
   separately.

 4 pcs of Garlic sliced

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Salt, pepper, garlic, sugar

Red pepper 1/4 cup chopped finely

16 oz of fresh mozzarella. cut up in small cubes

1 1/2 cups of cubed provoloni

1/4 cup grated Cheese

2 lbs penne cooked aldente

Sautee Shrimp in Olive Oil with a dash of Salt, Pepper and Garlic.  Cook both sides until pink. Move to another bowl until all have been cooked.  Add more Olive Oil as needed.

 

Slice tomatoes into chunks.   

 In the same frying Pan with the Oil used to fry the shrimp. (This way you get the flavor of shrimp that is in the oil.) Add more Olive  Oil if needed.

Sautee chopped garlic and chopped      Red pepper.

Once garlic is lightly golden brown

add whole chopped tomatoes, 1/4 tsp of Salt and garlic powder. a pinch of blk pepper and 1 tsp of sugar.

 

 

                                      

Add the tomato juice that was left in the cans.

Cook under Medium high heat until Tomatoes are cooked.

Approx 10 minutes. This is how the sauce looks when it is done.

Add Shrimp and cook for another 3 minutes. Use the same Oil and frying pan you sauteed the shrimp with. This way you get the flavor of shrimp that is in the oil.

Fresh Mozzarella Cut up into chunks.



      

Provoloni cut up into chunks

Put hot cooked Penne pasta in a large

serving Bowl.  Pour the shrimp and tomatoes

on top of the pasta and mix together. 

Add in the chunk of fresh mozzarella

 provoloni Add grated cheese and mix together.

Jay and Giuseppe Serving the meal.
NOT!! 
They served
themselves first to make sure they got their
allowed quantity of shrimp!





Broccoli Rabe with Sausage or Shrimp

                                                                                 

For Bariatric Friendly - Do not Add Pasta.  

    

Serves 4

  Broccoli Rabe 2 Bunches

Sausage cooked and chopped 4 links
Tomatoes chopped or sundried tomatoes

Garlic Sliced-  3 cloves

Red bell peppers chopped 1/2

Mushrooms Chopped 4 pcs

Chicken Broth college inn  1 or 2 cans
White Wine 1 tbs

Penne Pasta cooked  1 lb

Grated Cheese

The time consuming part of this dish is cleaning the Broccoli Rabe.

I cook about 4+ bunches of Broccoli Rabe at a time. Need a commerical  14 qt size pot to do this.   Lay them straight in a roasting pan to cool off, cut them into pieces and then freeze portions in a ziploc bag. So, when I want to use a recipe with Broccoli Rabe I can prepare it in a few minutes.

Or of course, you can cook 1 bunch at a time.

 Fill large pot with water little bit of salt and boil water. While you are waiting for the water to boil.   

Broccoli Rabe: Cut off ends of stalk and peel off outer layer. As you can see in picture once you cut off end and peel back it comes off easily. 

Place in large bowl and rinse in cold water.

STEPS BELOW IMPORTANT so that you don't over cook the Broccoli Rabe.     Put all the Broccoli Rabe into the boiling water.

COVER.

When water boils over again.  Take off  Cover. Cook for 3 minutes.

Then strain out into a collander into another pot. to save water to cook pasta in.  Pasta will have better flavor cooked with the broccoli Rabe water.   or you can put another pot of water with  alittle salt for your pasta.                                                                           

  Cook Pasta aldente and strain into collander and rinse with cold water so they won't stick together.   Leave Pasta on side for later use.

  Cooking the Broccoli Rabe this way won't make it soooo bitter .   If you like it very bitter than steam them.

Sautee sausage and chop. leave on side.

                                                                         


Fry chopped garlic in a little bit of olive oil to lightly golden brown. (can use oil left from frying sausage for nice flavor and just add more oil if needed as you cook.)

Add in chopped red bell peppers and chopped tomatoes or sundried tomatoes. Stir and Cook for 3 minutes.

Add in sliced mushroom.  Stir and Cook for 1 minute.

Add cooked and chopped sausage. Stir and cook another minute.

 Add Broccoli Rabe 3- 4 inch lengths  and  White Wine

Then add Chicken Broth.  Once that comes to a boil --

Add in cooked pasta, grated cheese and stir for 1 minute.

Done!!  Enjoy!!!

Instead of Sausage you can use:

cooked sliced Chicken Cutlet, or

cooked shrimp (cook the shrimp with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Add to mixture right before pasta)
Instead of Tomatoes add sundried tomato (sliced)