Creative Cooks

New Orleans-Style Barbecue Shrimp
PREP TIME 5 mins COOK TIME 20 mins TOTAL TIME 25 mins SERVINGS 4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup (4-ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, divided
2 dried or fresh bay leaves (optional)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 1/2 pound jumbo (16/20) unpeeled, raw shrimp
Chopped fresh parsley, optional, for garnish
Warm crusty baguette, for serving

Method
Melt the butter:
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the foam subsides and the butter starts to smell nutty, about 4 minutes.
Make the sauce:
Add the bay leaves (if using), garlic, Creole seasoning, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Bring to a vigorous simmer.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces to about 2/3 cup and coats the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes.
Cook the shrimp:
Add the shrimp to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring often, until shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with bread to soak up the sauce.

Shrimp does not reheat well, so we do not recommend saving leftovers for more than 1 day.

Cajun Pepper Shrimp with Creamed Corn Orzo
Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 4-6

Ingredients

4 tablespoons salted butter
4 ears corn kernels, removed from the cob
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup dry orzo pasta
1/3 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
1/2 cup canned coconut cream or heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan or Asiago cheese
1-pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on or off (about 24 shrimp)
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 uncooked Andouille sausage links, meat removed from casings
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh basil roughly chopped

Instructions

1. To make the orzo. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the corn, 2 tablespoons thyme, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until the corn is golden. Stir in the orzo and cook until toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Add the wine to the skillet and de-glaze the pan. Add the 2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer 8-10 minutes until the orzo is al dente. Stir in the milk and parmesan, cook another few minutes until warmed through.

2. Meanwhile, make the shrimp. In a medium bowl, toss together the shrimp, Cajun seasoning, and a large pinch of pepper.

3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the sausage and brown all over, about 5 minutes. Add the peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until the peppers are soft and tender, remove the sausage and peppers from the skillet to a plate.

4. Return the skillet to high heat and add the olive oil. Add the shrimp and sear on both sides until pink, about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter, the garlic, and 1 tablespoon thyme, toss to coat and cook until the garlic is fragrant and caramelized, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil, lemon juice, and reserved sausage and peppers.

5. To serve, spoon the orzo onto plates, top with shrimp and peppers. Enjoy!

Quick Moroccan Shrimp Skillet
Total Time Prep/Total Time: 25 min. Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 pound uncooked shrimp (16-20 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 cup uncooked pearl (Israeli) couscous
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons Moroccan seasoning (ras el hanout)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups hot water
Minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute onion and pine nuts until onion is tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in all remaining ingredients except parsley; bring just to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until shrimp turn pink, 4-6 minutes.
Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. If desired, top with parsley.

Note: This recipe was tested with McCormick Gourmet Moroccan Seasoning (ras el hanout).

Kitchen Tips
Letting the mixture stand before serving helps the pasta absorb more liquid. It's still a saucy dish, so serve it in a shallow bowl.
Slivered almonds can be substituted for pine nuts.
The flavor of this dish is close to a curry, but with more cinnamon.
For easier eating, remove the shrimp tails before cooking.

Honey Walnut Shrimp
Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Servings 4

Ingredients

Candied Walnuts
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar light or dark
1 ½ cups walnut halves

Shrimp
1 pound large shrimp raw, deveined, peeled
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 eggs
⅔ cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter salted
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Honey Sauce
¾ cup miracle whip or mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons heavy cream
½ teaspoon soy sauce low sodium

Garnish
green onions
serve with white or brown rice

Instructions

( Read more... )

Shrimp Scampi
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds shrimp peeled and deveined
1 stick salted butter ½ cup
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup lemon juice
Fresh pepper
Optional: chopped parsley red pepper flakes, ½ pound prepared angel hair pasta

Instructions

In a large skillet, sauté garlic in butter and olive oil until fragrant and just starting to brown/deepen in color.
Add lemon juice and white wine, simmer for about a minute.
Add shrimp and sauté until they just turn pink, 2 - 4 minutes depending upon their size.
Stir in parsley and red pepper flakes, if you’re using them, dust with fresh ground pepper and serve over angel hair pasta or with a large piece of crusty bread.

Cowboy Butter Shrimp and Grits
Total: 55 min Active: 40 min Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Grits:
1 cup quick-cooking grits
Kosher salt

Shrimp:
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges
Kosher salt
Hot sauce, for seasoning
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

For the grits: Bring 4 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the grits and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer until the grits are thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
For the shrimp: Meanwhile, pulse the garlic in a mini food processor until chopped. Add the butter, parsley and lemon zest and season to taste with salt and hot sauce. Process until smooth, then scrape into a small bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons of the "cowboy butter" to a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave to melt it; set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add the shrimp to the skillet and sprinkle with salt. Cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes, then remove to a plate. Add 3 tablespoons cowboy butter to the skillet. When the butter is melted, add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir until the onion absorbs the flour, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, cream and Worcestershire until smooth. Adjust the heat to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until thickened and the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked shrimp and toss to heat through and coat in the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with hot sauce and salt to taste and squeeze in juice from 1 lemon wedge.
Stir the remaining 3 tablespoons cowboy butter into the hot grits until melted. Spoon the grits into shallow bowls. Top with the shrimp and sauce, then drizzle with the melted cowboy butter. Garnish with the cooked bacon and chopped parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges on the side.

Shrimp and Crawfish Etouffee - Paul Prudhomme

Ingredients

3 cups seafood stock, divided. (If you don't have seafood stock, substitute a good quality chicken or turkey stock but don't use plain water.)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
10 to 11 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery with leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound peeled raw shrimp
1 pound crawfish tail meat, cooked, peeled and deveined
1 cup green onions, finely chopped
hot cooked rice

Instructions

Mix salt, peppers, basil and thyme together. Set aside.
kosher salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, dried basil and dried thyme
Heat 7 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pot until smoking (3 to 4 minutes). Gradually whisk in flour. Whisk until roux is about the color of peanut butter (3 to 4 minutes). You must whisk constantly and don't take your eye off the roux even for one minute. It starts browning quickly. If you burn the roux, dump it out and start over.
Remove from heat and add prepared onions, celery and bell pepper and one tablespoon of the dry seasoning mix. Keep stirring constantly until the roux has cooled, approximately 5 minutes.
Bring stock to boil in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in roux. After it's well incorporated, reduce heat, continue stirring and cook for an additional two minutes. Set pot aside.
Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan (at least 4 quart) over medium high heat. Add shrimp and green onions. Cook for 2 minutes, constantly stirring.
Add cooked crawfish meat.
cooked crawfish tail meat goes into the pot
Gently stir it in.
Add the gravy and three tablespoons of butter to the pan with the seafood and onions. Shake the pan until the butter melts. Add remaining dry spice mixture, stir and remove from heat.
For each serving, make a ring of rice in a serving bowl, add etouffee in the center. Serve immediately.

Shrimp and Okra Gumbo
Serves: 6-8 Prep: 20 Min Cook: 45 Min

Ingredients
2 lb shrimp
2 lb okra (sliced)
2 medium onion chopped
¼ c chopped bell pepper
¼ c chopped celery
4 Tbsp oil
1 can(s) small tomato sauce
2 c water, warm
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1 Mix okra, onions, bell pepper and celery in oil and smother for 30 minutes.
2 Add tomato sauce and water.
3 Add shrimp and season to taste.
4 Cook about 15 minutes. Can also add water, as needed, if consistency is too thick.
5 Serve with cooked rice.

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Pad Thai (Stir-Fried Noodles) (Thailand)

12 oz (325 g) thin rice noodles
3 Tbs (45 ml) peanut or vegetable oil
3 - 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup (250 ml) peeled shrimp, roughly chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbs (45 ml) fish sauce
1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar
1 - 2 cups (250 - 500 ml) mung bean sprouts
2 scallions (spring onions), green and white parts,
cut into 1-inch (2 cm) pieces
¼ - ½ cup (60 - 125 ml) roasted salted peanuts,
finely chopped
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
2 - 3 limes, cut into wedges

Soak the noodles in enough water to cover generously for 1
hour. Drain thoroughly and toss with half the oil. Heat the
remaining oil in a wok or large, non-stick skillet over high
heat until the oil is almost smoking. Add the garlic and cook
for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook 30 seconds. Add
the eggs and let sit for 10 to 15 seconds, until they begin to
set. Stir to break up any large lumps. Add the fish sauce,
sugar, and the drained noodles and stir to combine. Add the
bean sprouts and scallions, reserving some of each for garnish,
and stir to combine. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with
the reserved bean sprouts and scallion, chopped peanuts,
red pepper flakes, cilantro, and lime wedges. Serves 4 to 6.

Big Easy Style Saucy Creole Shrimp and Beer Batter Bread
Prep time: 10 MINUTES cook time: 25 MINUTES total time: 35 MINUTES yields: SERVES 4

Ingredients

8 ounces fresh chorizo, sliced (may also use ground if needed)
1/3 cup flour, use gluten free if needed
1/3 cup canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded + chopped
1 (14 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons creole seasoning, depending on your taste
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 (12 ounce) beer
1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled + deveined
1 tablespoon Worcestershire, omit if gluten free
1 tablespoon Louisiana style hot sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
Steamed white or brown rice, for serving
Beer bread, for serving

Instructions

In a medium size soup pot, brown the chorizo over medium high heat. Remove from the pot and drain on a paper towel lined plate. To the same pot, add the oil and flour, whisking until combined. Cook for 10 minutes or until the roux is lightly golden. Add the onion, garlic, celery, green pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, 1 tablespoon creole seasoning and the smoked paprika, cook another minute. Slowly pour in the beer, add back the chorizo and bring the mixture to a low boil, simmer for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium high heat. Once hot add the butter. Toss the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning and place in the hot skillet. Sear on both side for about 4 minutes per side or until pink and cooked through. Remove from the heat. Now add the shrimp, Worcestershire and hot sauce to the creole mixture. Simmer another 5 minutes. Serve the shrimp over a bowl of hot rice with a side of beer bread for dipping.


5 Ingredient Beer Bread

Prep time: 5 MINUTES cook time: 50 MINUTES total time: 1 HOUR yields: 1 Loaf
Ingredients

3 cups flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
12 ounces of your favorite beer
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray. Add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Pour in the beer and stir with a mixing spoon until just combined. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top of the bread is lightly browned and the middle is set. Allow to sit 15 minutes before serving.