Pickled Shrimp

I've been on a Southern foods kick lately.  My Mom used to make pickled crabs when I was younger and this recipe reminds me of that.  These are much easier to eat, than the crabs.  This is a combination of a Paula Deen recipe and a recipe I found in Southern Living.  

Ingredients:

Shrimp:

• 10 C. water
• 1 orange (cut in fourths)
• 1 lemon (cut in half)
• 1 onion (cut in half)
• 1 head of garlic (cut in half)
• 2 T. concentrated liquid Shrimp and Crab boil
• 2 lbs. of Fresh Shrimp
• 2 T. salt

Pickling liquid:

• 2.5 oz. can of black olives, sliced (½ C.)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• zest of one lemon
• juice of one lemon, 2 T.  
• ¼ C. olive oil
• ½ C. apple cider vinegar
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 t. salt
• 2 T. capers with their juice
• ½ t. red pepper flakes
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper

• Bread rounds, for serving
• Mayonnaise, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large pot, put water, lemon, orange, onion, garlic, and crab boil (NO SALT).
2. Bring to a boil, and then add shrimp.
3. Bring to a boil again and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat.
5. Add salt and let the shrimp bathe in the salt water for 5 minutes.
6. Strain, when cool enough to handle, peel the shrimp.  Reserve.
7. Combine all of the pickling liquid ingredients together in a medium size bowl with a cover.
8. Add the shrimp and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
9. You will need 3 bowls for serving: large, medium and small.  Place the bread rounds in the large bowl, the pickled shrimp in the medium bowl and mayonnaise in the small bowl.  

Tips and Tricks:

• Zest the lemon first, and then squeeze the lemon for the juice.
• My Dad swore that the reason his shrimp would always peel easily is because he put the salt in AFTER the boiling.  It works.
• This makes the perfect canapé.  People can place what they like on the bread rounds.  I put a little pickling juice on the bread and then a little mayo, finally I place a shrimp, some onion slices, a garlic slice, a few capers and black olives.   

Opa! Dip (7 layer Greek Dip)

I tried making this dip more than once.  The first time I made it the first layer was made with Greek yogurt and roasted red peppers.  The whole dip looked like a pink porridge, NOT appetizing.  I found two other recipes, combined them and came up with this.  I NAILED it.  This dip will be devoured by all Greek food lovers.  Great for those upcoming tailgate parties!

Ingredients:

• 1) 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1) ½ T. Greek seasoning
• 1) 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1) 1 T. fresh lemon juice, or juice of ½ of a lemon
• 1) ½ t. lemon zest
• 2) 1 ½ C. hummus (I use a 10 oz. container)
• 3) 1 medium cucumber seeded and diced (1 C.)
• 4) (4 oz.) feta cheese, crumbled (1/2 C.)
• 5) ¼ of a medium red onion, finely chopped (1/3 C.)
• 6) (4 oz.) Kalamata olives, chopped (1/2 C.)
• 7) (2 oz.) sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (1/4 C.)

Directions:

1. Combine the 1) ingredients with a large bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy. 
2. Spread in the bottom of a pie plate or a small shallow baking dish.  The cream cheese mixture should cover the bottom of the dish.
3. Layer each of the other ingredients, in order, to create the 7 layers.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours before serving.
5. Serve with pita chips, fresh vegetables, or flat bread.

Tips and Tricks:

• I like to serve this dip with the BIG Wheat Thins.  You need a chip that has a flat edge to scrap the dip up and out of the dish.
• I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese for this recipe.
• If you don’t have Greek seasoning, you can use dill weed instead.
• The cup measurements after each ingredient are approximate.  Don’t stress about it being exact.

Pan Fried Trout with Lemon Butter Sauce

This is SO good.  It really is one of our favorite dishes. My brother is a fisherman and when he shares his bounty with us, this is what I make!  Thanks, Al!

Ingredients:

Trout:

• 10 trout filets
• ½ C. flour
• ½ T. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 1 t. kosher salt
• ½ C. vegetable oil

Lemon Butter Sauce:

• 1)         ½ C. white wine
• 2)         ¼ C. lemon juice or the juice of 1 ½ lemons
• 3)         4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4)         2 shallots, finely chopped
• 5)         ½ T. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 6)         1 t. kosher salt
• 7)         ½ t. black pepper
• 8)         1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 9)         1 T. Crystal hot sauce
• 10)       ¼ C. heavy cream
• 11)       1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature

Directions: 

1. Get the ingredients ready for the lemon butter sauce in batches (that’s why I numbered the ingredients)
2. In bowl one: combine 1 – 4, in bowl two: 5 – 9, in bowl three: 10 and in bowl four: 11            
3. Heat a medium skillet over high heat, when the skillet is “Screaming HOT” add bowl one
4. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly
5. Next add bowl two and cook for 3 minutes or until the mixture is like syrup, continue to whisk
6. Add the cream (bowl three) and cook for 1 minute
7. Remove the skillet from the heat and then whisk in the butter (bowl four)
8. Let the sauce rest while you cook the fish
9. In a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat
10. Combine the flour, Creole seasoning, and salt in a shallow bowl
11. Dredge the trout fillets through the flour mixture
12. Pan fry the fish about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown
13. Remove and allow to drain on a cooling rack

Tips and Tricks:

• It is important to have the ingredients for the sauce ready in batches, because it cooks at such a high heat.
• I serve this with pasta because the sauce can be used on both the pasta and the fish.

Shrimp Scampi Pasta with Capers

This is quick and easy dinner.  Fresh gulf shrimp are the star of the show.  The lemon juice gives this a bright fresh flavor.  It's perfect with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Ingredients:

• ½ lb. of angel hair pasta
• 2 lbs. of medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 C. (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 T. capers
• 2 T. olive oil 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ C. freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1 t. lemon zest
• ¼ t. red pepper flakes
• 1 t. kosher salt
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ½ C. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Boil pasta as directed on package and strain
2. In a heavy bottomed skillet, heat a ½ T. of butter over medium heat, allow to cook until the foam is gone
3. Add the capers and crush ½ of them with a spoon, cook for 2 minutes or until they start to burst and smell nutty
4. Add the olive oil and allow to heat, and then add the garlic and cook for one minute
5. Add the lemon juice and cook until it reduces a bit 1 – 2 minutes
6. Add the shrimp with the salt, red pepper flakes, and Creole seasoning
7. Cook for 3 minutes
8. Remove from the heat, then add the remaining butter and stir, until all the butter is melted
9. Add the pasta and toss
10. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese then serve

Tips and Tricks:

• Adding the butter to the lemon juice without the heat helps the butter to emulsify.
• This recipe makes 4 servings.  It is really easy to double.

Lemon Icebox Pie

Lemon Icebox Pie is one of my favorite things about Easter.  I used to make the pie and top it with cool whip.  Cool whip is good, but meringue is better.  My mother-in-law taught me how to make meringue and now there is no turning back.

Ingredients:

Lemon Mixture:

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• ½ C. of lemon juice
• ½ T. lemon zest
• 9 inch graham cracker crust

Meringue:

• 4 egg whites
• ¼ t. salt
• 6 T. sugar
• ½  t. corn starch

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Separate room temperature eggs and put the whites in a stainless steel or glass bowl
3. Place the whites on the side for later
4. Beat the egg yolks with the condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon zest
5. Pour mixture into the graham cracker crust
6. Bake for 30 minutes
7. While the lemon mixture is baking, make the meringue
8. Combine the salt, sugar and corn starch in a separate bowl
9. Using a mixer, beat the egg whites
10. Add the mixture gradually to the egg whites and beat until peaks are formed
11. Remove the lemon mixture from the oven
12. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
13. Spread the meringue over the lemon mixture and return to the oven for about 10 minutes or until the peaks turn brown
14. Refrigerate the pie overnight and then serve

Tips and Tricks:

• Beating egg whites are tricky.  You need a really clean bowl.  Stainless steel is great, but glass works well also.  NO PLASTIC.  Don’t try to make a meringue on a rainy day.  If there is too much humidity, it doesn’t work.
• You might need to wrap the edge of the pie pan with foil so the graham cracker crust doesn’t burn.