Roasted Shrimp Scampi

Good Housekeeping's

Roasted Shrimp Scampi

Brennan found this recipe in my folder of untried recipes and was so excited that we made it tonight.

I am not sure that the title gives the best description.

I'd probably call it something like "Vermicelli with Roasted Shrimp and Asparagus".

Regardless of the name, it was good!

I preheated the oven to 450* and tossed the asparagus in olive oil and Kosher salt.

I then roasted it for 5 minutes.

Basil and Mint from my pots

Then I tossed the shrimp with garlic, lemon peel, red pepper, and mint and added it to the asparagus baking sheet after those first 5 minutes.

I then roasted both for another 5 minutes.

Yes, I neglected to pull the tail shells off.  Well, my family didn't have an issue doing it themselves :)

While it was all roasting, I made the pasta.

The original recipe calls for whole-grain spaghetti but I didn't have enough on hand.

So I used the brown rice vermicelli that Brennan chose at Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati last week.

It worked beautifully.

Before draining the vermicelli, I reserved 1/2 c of the pasta water, then tossed together the vermicelli, reserved water, shrimp, asparagus, juice of the lemon, the basil, 2 tsp of olive oil, the rest of the mint, and a little Kosher salt and red pepper flakes.

Everyone gave this dish a big thumbs up, which is always great!

I'll certainly make it again!

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

 

Enjoy!

Sesame Asparagus

Biggest Loser

Sesame Asparagus

I made this dish last night to go along with the Sassy Chicken. 

We apparently really like asparagus because I've already shared two other recipes using it. 

I liked this version because it was quick, different, and really tasty.

Start by trimming the ends off two bunches of asparagus and then tossing it with soy sauce and sesame oil. 

I always have this brand on hand.  You keep it in the fridge.

Then line up the asparagus on a baking sheet and cook at 400* for 15 minutes.

Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

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Enjoy!



Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

Truth be told, I like asparagus more than the rest of my family.

I like it raw, steamed, boiled, roasted, or chopped up in a salad.

Everyone else eats it because they know it's good for them, but if I can find ways to make it even tastier, that much better.

This is Brennan's favorite asparagus, and it's really easy.

Trim the ends off and line up on a baking dish.

Drizzle or spritz with olive oil, season with salt & pepper.

Bake at 400* for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan and serve.

You can shave your own Parmesan from a block, but I always have this on hand.

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Eat Your Veggies!

Asparagus Casserole

Asparagus Casserole

This is one of my favorite holiday dishes from David's side of the family.  I absolutely love it.

I'm going to share with you two ways to make it.

When we lived in Mexico I made a big Thanksgiving meal one year and we had several American families over.  In addition we asked our nanny, Nahila, and her three sisters to join us.  They were really excited to see what an American "Dia de Gracias" was all about.

Nahila's sister, Raquel, fell in love with Asparagus Casserole.  Asparagus isn't plentiful in Mexico, so I surprised her for her birthday with a double batch of Asparagus Casserole instead of a cake.  She was so excited!

Raquel (expecting at the time) is on the left with her sisters Elisa and Nahila

For a party Sunday evening, I made a large batch.  You can easily halve this recipe.

Start by draining two cans of asparagus and laying them in the 9x13 baking dish.

Have your helper slice boiled eggs and arrange them on top of the asparagus.

Crush two sleeves of Ritz crackers and season with salt and pepper.

At this point you can make a white sauce (my preference) or open 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (David's preference).  You'll then alternate layering 1/2 crackers, 1/2 cheddar cheese, and 1/2 white sauce/soup.  Then you cook for 40 minutes at 350.

The white sauce takes a little longer to make, but I love the flavors together.

David shakes his head and says it wouldn't be Asparagus Casserole without cream of mushroom soup.

Your choice!

To make a white sauce, melt 6 Tbsp butter in a saucepan.  Add 6 Tbsp flour and mix well.  Add 2 cups milk and whisk constantly over medium high heat until it becomes a thick sauce.  Season with salt & pepper and a little nutmeg.

As always, my photos don't do the delicious dish justice. 

Also because I had 20+ people over and I'm surprised I even remembered to snap a photo!

Try it sometime - it's really good.

Double click to print recipe as a 5x7 card.

Happy Holidays!