Recipe: Grilled Shrimp With Lemon Truffle Oil Vinaigrette

Whether you're in the Pacific Northwest, or the Southeastern U.S., shrimp is always on the menu! This extremely simple recipe is absolutely delicious no matter where you are - and it's a snap to prepare. Serve over salad greens with grilled vegetables and hot buttered garlic bread on the side and a glass of white wine, and dinner will be ready in 30 minutes or less!

Grilled Shrimp With Lemon Truffle Oil Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Neeta Lind)

16 large shrimp (raw, cleaned)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup white truffle oil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. minced sweet onion
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Prepare shrimp: Butterfly the shrimp with a sharp knife, cutting along the top curve (where you took the vein out), cutting just short of going all the way through. 
• Then lay the shrimp flat in a shallow dish, insides facing up, and drizzle the olive oil over evenly. Set aside.
• Prepare vinaigrette: In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, truffle oil, parsley, and onion. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Grill: Oil a grilling pan and set the grill heat to medium high. When grill is heated, carefully set the shrimp on grilling pan and cook for about 3 minutes total time, flipping once. Remove shrimp immediately to a platter.
• While shrimp is still warm, drizzle the vinaigrette over the shrimp.
• You can serve the shrimp on top of a salad or by themselves as a meal with other sides, or as an appetizer.

A Pacific Northwest Shellfish Primer

When traveling the Pacific Northwest region, it's very likely you will indulge in a few varieties of shellfish. It wouldn't be a trip to the area without at least one crab, oyster, shrimp, or clam meal. Along with salmon, shellfish is probably one of the best reasons to visit this region.

Even though you may enjoy shellfish in other areas of the country, or world, there are always going to be differences worth noting. Let's take a quick tour of the shellfish of the Pacific Northwest to learn a little about these delicious, and natural, resources.

Dungeness Crab

Enjoying Dungeness Crabs. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ask anyone who frequents this region and they will have one piece of advice for you; "First, get yourself some Dungeness crab. Anything else can wait." If you don't sit down to a meal of Dungeness crab, you have not officially been to the Pacific Northwest. This large, sweet, meaty crab is perfect for a leisurely gathering around a big table. Dungeness crab goes through a series of "molts" on its way to adulthood. You'll find plentiful Dungeness crab offshore in coastal waters and surrounding estuaries. In these protected waters, the temperatures are often more mild. This warmer water, teamed with abundant food supplies, can grow some very fine, large Dungeness crab. The Dungeness crab plays several roles in the life-cycle of the waterways up and down the Pacific coast, both as prey and predator. For commercial and recreational use both, the Dungeness crab forms a vibrant part of the area's economic fabric; and a delicious one!

Pacific Oyster

This large, exotic oyster was introduced to the west coast of America from Japan. Because it needs warmer waters to spawn and live, this species depends on stable, protected estuaries to survive. Adult oysters prefer firm, rocky bottoms. They will attach themselves to debris or even other oyster shells. The shells of the Pacific oyster are very rough with large ridges, and can grow to be about 10 inches long. You can still find wild oyster beds in Washington State, but most Pacific oysters you eat in restaurants or 'oyster bars' will be from oyster farms.

Littleneck clams. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pacific Littleneck Clam

Because the Littleneck clam is also called "steamer and butter clam," you might suspect this is one clam that is good eating; and you'd be right. This clam is very popular, both as a commercial product and for recreation, probably because it is so tasty and easy to harvest. Coastal towns from California to Alaska have relied on this clam at times for economical survival. Pacific Littleneck clams are sold in the shell, and can be found canned or frozen, as well. Juvenile clams can move around using its foot, and prefer deeper waters. Adults, however, travel to shallower waters, where they remain sedentary, almost waiting for us to gather them up to enjoy.

Bay Shrimp

Although Bay shrimp have enjoyed the spotlight on dinner tables for hundreds of years, now this shrimp is cultivated more commonly to use as bait. However, on the recreational front, Bay shrimp is often harvested for eating. They have a thin shell and a solid body, offering plenty of meat and an easy peel. The Bay shrimp is very dominant all along the Pacific coastline, and forms an important part of the food chain, feeding many species of sporting fish. The Bay shrimp flourishes, in part, because of its adaptability. You'll find this shrimp in muddy bays, or sandy bottomed estuaries, or even in deeper off-shore waters.

Part of traveling to other regions is learning about the foods indigenous to the area. If you ate nothing else but these four shellfish species, you would have a proper introduction to the flavors that make the Pacific Northwest special.

Recipe: Shrimp And Snow Pea Stir-Fry

 A lovely summer recipe full of fresh, light flavors. Quick and easy to prepare, and delicious with fresh spring peas from your garden!

Shrimp And Snow Pea Stir-Fry
(Serves 2.)

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: jeffreyw)

2 tablespoons corn oil, divided
1 onion, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
2 cups snow peas
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown rice, cooked

Directions:

• In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil until hot, then add the onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Stir while cooking for several seconds. 
• Now add the shrimp and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Add the remainder of the oil and cook for another minute.
• Next, add the snow peas, bell pepper, water chestnuts and sesame seeds. 
• Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, then add the salt, making sure to sprinkle it evenly over the vegetables. 
• Cook for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp is no longer pink. 
• Serve over cooked brown rice.

Recipe: Cajun Shrimp Italiano

This delicious Cajun recipe highlights some of Louisiana's Italian roots, with the use of local seafood, Italian seasonings, wine, and Cajun spices. Makes a delicious, quick and simple, yet impressive appetizer to serve guests!

Cajun Shrimp Italiano
(Serves 4 as an appetizer.)

Ingredients:

1 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed or chopped
1 tsp Cajun seasoning blend
3 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, grated
2 lbs large size fresh Louisiana shrimp, cleaned and butterflied
1 cup dry white wine
crusty bread for dipping

Directions:

1. In a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and all the seasonings and cook for just 30 seconds, stirring, until garlic gets fragrant, then immediately add shrimp and fry fast until shrimp is just nice and pink; this will take about 6 or 7 minutes tops.
2. Turn heat down to medium-low and slowly stir in the wine.
3. Simmer gently (turn heat down more if you need to) until the liquid is reduced by about 1/3 to 1/2.
4. Dump the shrimp and all the juice into a large bowl, and serve down-home style with a pile of crusty bread for sopping up the juice.

Recipe: Lemony Herbed Shrimp Kabobs

This is a super easy and tasty recipe great for summer grilling! Fresh lemon zest, herbs, and honey combine to give the shrimp a punch of flavor and character. Add your choice of vegetables to the skewers, such as zucchini, summer squash, sliced bell peppers, etc., for a full meal. Check it out for your next barbecue or pop it on the grill for a quick, light, weeknight dinner.

Lemony Herbed Shrimp Kabobs
(Serves 2-3 as a main dish.)

Shrimp kebobs on a charcoal grill. (Photo credit: ddkkpp)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup green onions, chopped fine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and de-veined

Directions:

• Whisk together all ingredients (except shrimp) in a glass or plastic bowl, then add shrimp and gently toss to combine.  
• Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Prepare your grill or broiler.
• Remove shrimp from marinade, discard marinade, and put shrimp on metal or water-soaked bamboo skewers.
• Grill for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once during cooking time, until shrimp are cooked through and pink. (This can be a main dish for 2 to 3 people or appetizers for more.)

Video - Easy Szechuan Shrimp Stir Fry

One of the great things about Chinese cooking is that it's fast! Most stir-fry dishes only take a few minutes, as it is important to cook the vegetables only until tender-crisp, maintaining more of the flavor and the nutrients. Here is an easy from-scratch Szechuan recipe for a quick dinner in 20 minutes or less - using fresh, easy-to-find ingredients you can pick up at just about any grocery store. I've listed the ingredients below the video, as he's not very clear on the amounts for some of them in the video itself. It looks so delicious I'm drooling just watching the video - will be trying this one soon!

Enjoy!  (Note: If there is an ad at the start of the video, you can skip it after just a few seconds.)

Szechuan Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients: 1 pound shrimp (470 grams) 1 red bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 1 carrot 9 green onions (scallions) 1 Tablespoon ginger 1 Tablespoon garlic 1 teaspoon chili flakes 1 Tablespoon szechwan pepper corns 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 cup water 1/4 c...


Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp (470 grams)
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 carrot
9 green onions (scallions)
1 Tablespoon ginger
1 Tablespoon garlic
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 Tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns-crushed or ground
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 Tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour)

Video - Shrimp with Broccoli

Here is a great step-by-step video showing how to make a delicious broccoli & shrimp stir-fry. To keep it healthier, I would definitely saute the shrimp in just a TB or so of oil, instead of frying them. You can also steam the broccoli briefly, which is healthier and protects the nutrients better than microwaving it.

But it's a pretty simple recipe that shouldn't take long to prepare, and it looks very tasty!  Check it out, and see what you think.

Shrimp with Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe
This delicious dish is simple to make and makes a great lunch! Here is the link to the written instructions for this recipe: www.bellaonline.com

Other Good Chinese Recipes:

Recipe-Shrimp Spaghetti with Red Peppers & Tomatoes

As I promised earlier this week, here is my new quick & easy (& scrumptious!) recipe for you to try.  I came up with this last week when I was really hungry, in a hurry, and didn't have much on hand except for frozen shrimp and a few remaining items from my CSA share. (All ingredients except for the shrimp, spaghetti, and cheese were from my CSA share.) I whipped this up in a small batch, and wished I had made more!

The recipe below should serve 2-4, depending on how hungry you are. It shouldn't take more than 20 minutes, which is good, because you'll be hard-pressed to wait much longer to eat it, once you smell it cooking!

Shrimp Spaghetti with Red Peppers & Tomatoes
Ingredients:
2 sweet red bell peppers
1 lb raw peeled shrimp
1 ripe tomato
2 cloves garlic
4 TB butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
5-6 leaves fresh basil (optional)
Parmesan cheese (for topping)
8-oz dry spaghetti (or other pasta of your choice - angel hair would probably be very good as well)

Utensils: (for recommendations, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html)
1 large pot of boiling water
Large heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably stainless steel)
Cutting board and sharp knife
Wooden spoon
Measuring spoons
1 large colander
Kitchen shears (optional)

Instructions:
1. Thaw shrimp in a bowl of cold water (if frozen), and remove shells
2. Core red peppers and remove seeds and veins. Slice into thin strips, then cut crosswise once.
3. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat until it foams. Add peppers and reduce heat to medium-low. Saute, stirring occasionally, until softening - about 8-10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, mince garlic and dice tomato.5. Add spaghetti to boiling water, and cook 'til done, stirring occasionally. Drain in colander.
6. Increase heat and add garlic, crushed red pepper, and salt to peppers in skillet.  Saute, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
7. Add shrimp & tomatoes and continue saute, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes more, 'til shrimp are pink, and tomatoes are softened.
8. Using kitchen shears, snip fresh basil leaves into skillet and add ground pepper to taste. Stir and turn off heat.
9. Serve over hot spaghetti, sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.
10. Say YUM!

(Sorry -- I meant to take a picture of it over the spaghetti, but I forgot and ate it all first!)   Let me know how you liked it, and if you made your own modifications, feel free to share!

 

Related Spaghetti Recipe Articles:

• Recipe: Spaghetti and Meatballs with Garlic Crumbs ( Gluten-free recipe) (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Review: Ready, Steady, Spaghetti (bookingmama.blogspot.com)
• Learn new ways to use peppers with recent cookbooks (knoxnews.com)
• Family hands down chef's shrimp pasta recipe (pbpulse.com)