.shrimp pizza.

We lOVE pizza and it is especially fun when you get to make it yourself by using some of your favorite ingredients. I usually buy ready made pizza dough from trader joe's or fresh and easy. They usually have white, wheat, and some type of garlic herb. I like this dough because it is super fresh and all you need to do is let it sit out for 20 mins or so then make your pizza. Experiment with this recipe by using whatever sauce, meat, and veggies that you like. Below are my favorites, and never forget your glass of wine :) Enjoy!




Ingredients
Pizza dough
Shredded cheese (I like an Italian blend)
Shrimp (I use the frozen like that just needs to be thawed)
Pizza sauce (I used Vodka pasta sauce..yum)
Spinach leaves
Garlic powder (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Italian seasoning (to taste)
1 diced tomato

Preparation
Follow pizza dough directions to prepare dough and preheat oven. Spread out dough on a flat surface and top with your favorite sauce. Top with shrimp, torn spinach leaves, tomatoes, and season with garlic, pepper, and italian seasoning. Then sprinkle on the cheese. Place pizza in oven (preferability on a pizza stone..they are amazing!) and cook according to pizza dough package. Typically 10-12 minutes. Cut up into slices and enjoy!

.shrimp pad thai.

I found this recipe in Cooking Light. I love pad thai and was super excited to be able to make this dish at home. While this recipe was delicious and healthy, it did not taste like the pad thai from my favorite restaurant. My expectations were a bit high I know, make this recipe, enjoy it (clearly it was good because we had no leftovers at all), but understand that it just might not taste 100% like your favorite restaurant quality. Enjoy!




Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked flat rice noodles (pad Thai noodles)
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup (2-inch) green onion pieces
8 ounces peeled and deveined large shrimp
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Preparation
1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
2. While water comes to a boil, combine sugar and next 4 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl.
3. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion pieces, shrimp, and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes or until shrimp is almost done. Add cooked noodles; toss to combine. Stir in sauce; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to combine. Arrange about 1 cup noodle mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1 tablespoon peanuts, and 2 teaspoons basil.

.spaghetti with artichoke hearts and tomatoes.

The picture for this recipe does not do it justice! This is a Pioneer Woman recipe, which pretty much guarantees it will be amazing. I added shrimp to it to make it a bit more hearty, and I just like shrimp. I'm sure it would taste great with chicken too, or no meat at all. Enjoy!



Ingredients (serves 6)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 Oz. Quartered Or Whole) Drained
1 can Diced Tomatoes With Juice (14.5 Oz.)
1 cup Heavy Cream
½ cups Chicken Broth (More As Needed)
½ teaspoons Nutmeg
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 pound Thin Spaghetti
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (or Other Herbs) Chopped

Preparation
Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.
Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.
Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

.shrimp chow mein.

This was one of those quickly tossed together meals that I invented one evening. It probably isn't the best out there, but it was super convenient and I enjoyed it. The best thing about chow mein is that you can easily make it individualized to yourself but adding or omitting vegetables. Have fun experimenting and enjoy!



Ingredients
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup green beans
1/2 cup corn
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 green bell pepper, sliced
4 cups chow mein noodles (I used 2 packages of top ramen without the seasoning packets)
chili sauce to taste

Preparation
In a large saucepan, combine corn, green beans, bell pepper, and shrimp. Cook over medium heat until shrimp are pink.
Mix in soy sauce, and other seasonings of your choice. Mix in cooked chow mein noodles.
Heat thoroughly. Enjoy!

.spiced shrimp with ginger rice and peas.

I found this recipe in a new Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. I regularly stock all the ingredients (besides the peas) so it was super easy to make. I am posting the recipe as it was in the magazine. The only difference I did was make my rice in a rice pot and season it after it was cooked. (im obsessed with my rice pot) The husband especially enjoyed it which is also a major plus. Enjoy!



Ingredients
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 cup long-grain rice
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
lime wedges, for serving

Preparation
1. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add scallion whites and ginger and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 minutes. Add rice and 1 1/2 cups water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and top with peas. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then add scallion greens and fluff rice with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss shrimp with cumin and coriander and season with salt and pepper.In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque throughout, about 4 minutes. Serve shrimp with rice and lime wedges. Serves 4

.gnocchi with shrimp, asparagus, and pesto.

I got this recipe from a friend who made this for her husband and posted a picture of it on facebook. It looked so amazing I had to give it a try. I had never tried gnocchi before and its pretty tasty and super easy to make. The original recipe is from Cooking Light, I changed it a bit and instead of making my own pesto I used already made pesto from my favorite...Trader Joe's. I am posting the original recipe with instructions to make the pesto. If you choose to just buy it, ignore the pesto instructions. Enjoy!



Ingredients
2 quarts plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
1 (16-ounce) package vacuum-packed gnocchi
4 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 pound)
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, coarsely chopped

PESTO
1 cup basil leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons preshredded Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
4 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add gnocchi to pot; cook 4 minutes or until done (gnocchi will rise to surface). Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Add asparagus and shrimp to pan; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Drain. Add shrimp mixture to gnocchi. Add ready made pesto or follow directions below to make the pesto.
Pesto:
Combine remaining 1 tablespoon water, basil, and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides. Drizzle oil through food chute with food processor on; process until well blended. Add salt and basil mixture to shrimp mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

.grilled corn and shrimp chowder.

I LOVED his soup! It came from my "Nordstrom Entertaining at Home Cookbook." I did change some of the recipe to make it simpler and serve less people. Instead of shucking 3 ears of corn, I just used some frozen corn from my favorite Trader Joe's, im sure a canned corn would also work fine. Good luck and enjoy!



Ingredients
3 ears of corn, shucked
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely choppe
2 cups of red potatoes, peeled and cute into 3/4-inch dice
3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 bottles (8 oz.) clam juice
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
Bring a saucepan to medium heat, melt the butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add onion, celery, potatoes, and bell pepper and cook. stirring occasionally, until softened, 10-12 minutes. Add the clam juice and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the corn and cream, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 10 minutes to meld the flavors. Add the shrimp, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Tabasco sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

.garlic-basil shrimp.

I love love shrimp. This recipe was such a quick meal and tasted so good! I always keep frozen shrimp in the house from Trader Joe's. They have amazing frozen shrimp for only $5.99 its a great deal and one package is enough for at least 2 separate meals! Try it out!



Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound large shrimp
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
2 cups cooked orzo pasta

Preparation
Cook Orzo according to directions on box.
Then heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, then add the shrimp and cook, turning over once, until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil remaining in the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and basil and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Return the shrimp to the pan and cook just until heated through. Serve with the orzo.

.shrimp roll.

This is an AMAZING and easy recipe from my "So Easy" recipe book. I love this book and everything I have made from it has been simple and great. This book also has great pictures which I love! Good luck! These are best with cracked pepper potato chips, I will post that recipe next :)



Ingredients
1/3 cup plain Greek nonfat yogurt
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 chopped scallion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound cooked shelled shrimp
Salt & Pepper to taste
4 whole-wheat hot dog buns
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation
Stir together the yogurt, mayo, celery, scallions, and lemon juice. Fold in the shrimp and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to use. Just before serving, open the hot dog buns and brush the inside with olive oil. Heat a pan over medium high heat and grill the bread, cut side down, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Fill each with shrimp mixture and enjoy!

.sauteed shrimp with asparagus.

I found this recipe in Glamour magazine. I suppose these magazines can actually provide something helpful besides "how to dress for your body type." The picture in the magazine was just so pretty (my picture didn't even come close to as beautiful as the one in the magazine, go figure) that I attempted to recreate, especially because I not only love asparagus, but also shrimp. This recipe was simple, but did not have as much flavor as I would have liked so if you are big on spice I would feel free to add your favorites! Enjoy!




Ingredients

1 cup Asparagus
10 oz.Shrimp
1 clove of garlic
white wine
fresh herbs
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a skillet. Scatter 1 clove of thinly sliced garlic and cook 1 minute. Add shrimp and chopped asparagus, salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Add a splash of white wine, cook down a few minutes and scatter with fresh herbs.

.greek orzo.

So...In my attempt to be a better cook and learn new recipes I have started watching the Rachael Ray show. The first time I watched the show she made this meal and it looked amazing! I was so excited and payed close attention so I could recreate the goodness. She made it look so simple! However, attempting this recipe took me forever! I never really chopped vegetables before so just doing that alone almost took me 40 mins! The entire meal took me a hour and a half but it was so worth it! Tasted so good, but I warn you the recipe feeds many. We were eating leftovers all week! Also, Orzo looks like rice but is found in the pasta section..I had no clue. haha. Good luck and enjoy!








Ingredients
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 lemons
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 sprigs fresh oregano, finely chopped
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 pounds jumbo shrimp
Salt and coarse black pepper
1/2 pound orzo pasta
1 red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 pound Greek feta, crumbled
3 to 4 Greek hot peppers, chopped or a couple of tablespoons of banana pepper rings, chopped


Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for orzo pasta.

Crush 2 cloves of garlic and place in shallow dish with about 1/4 cup EVOO along with 1 thinly sliced lemon, red pepper flakes, oregano, chicken or shrimp. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When meat or shrimp has marinated for 10 minutes, and pan is screaming hot, add chicken or shrimp and lemons. Cook chicken 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally or cook shrimp 6-8 minutes or until pink and firm, tossing with tongs frequently. Squeeze the juice of remaining lemon over pan and serve.

When you add chicken to pan, drop orzo in boiling water and start vegetables, see below. If you’re cooking shrimp, start orzo then start vegetables, then throw shrimp in hot pan.

Meanwhile, heat a second skillet with 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add red onions and bell peppers and season with salt and pepper, cook 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves chopped garlic and toss a minute, then add olive and tomatoes to the pan and cook a couple of minutes more. Drain orzo and toss in serving dish with vegetables along with parsley and feta and hot peppers. Adjust black pepper to your taste and drizzle with a little extra EVOO.

Meanwhile, heat a second skillet with 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add red onions and bell peppers and season with salt and pepper, cook 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves chopped garlic and toss a minute, then add olive and tomatoes to the pan and cook a couple of minutes more. Drain orzo and toss in serving dish with vegetables along with parsley and feta and hot peppers. Adjust black pepper to your taste and drizzle with a little extra EVOO.

Serve chicken or shrimp alongside orzo.