If you’re craving a simple pasta dish for the summer that goes from skillet to table in about 20 minutes, this ultra-flavorful Tuscan Shrimp Pasta is going to satisfy you while saving time in the kitchen. The sauce is a creamy combination of butter, shallots, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, cream and of course plenty of good grated parmesan. A splash of lemon and lemon zest brightens the dish beautifully. For the shrimp, you’ll want them on the larger size so they stay nice and plump. You can serve them whole or cut into two or three bite-sizes pieces. Either way, the shrimp will be swimming in a sea of Tuscan goodness in that skillet and ready before you pour your second glass of wine. This is a perfect dish anytime, but especially in the summer when the last thing we want to do it match our kitchen to the sweltering outdoors!
vegetable oil
Crab Toast with Lemon Aioli
I absolutely love appetizers! Do you? If so, Crab Toast with Lemon Aioli will be a big hit on your evening buffet. In fact, they are sort of addicting! The homemade Aioli is divine and is such a wonderful paring with the crab toast. This particular recipe calls for fennel fronds. I know that most people either bypass fennel all together or when used in cooking it is usually braised. But fresh fennel, sliced in thin strips with a little sea salt is a wonderful appetizer as well! You can choose to omit, but it really does add a fresh bright note to the toasts. Canned crab meat is perfect for this recipe and doesn’t take away anything from the flavor of this tasty dish! It’s been a great year of sharing stories and dishes with you.
Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-Fry
It’s a proven key for success in the kitchen. Mise en Place (pronounced ME zon plus) is the French term for “putting in place” or “to gather”. You’ve heard the axiom, “If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” Mise on Place can certainly curtail numerous failures in the kitchen just by preparing your kitchen, you equipment and most importantly, your ingredients before you even ignite the cook top. It’s the golden rule for any chef, and should be for any home cook. Once you know you have your ingredients prepared, you will enjoy the cooking process so much more, and that’s a promise. Mise en place really comes into play with a stir fry dish. Once you have everything washed, peeled and sliced, cooking takes no more than a couple of minutes, which is why I think stir frying should be the official cooking method of summer in Arizona! Stir frying or sautéing brings out such lovely flavors and this Shrimp & Broccoli Stir Fry is no exception. It has all of the Asian flavors we love, like ginger, sesame oil and oyster sauce plus succulent shrimp and crisp broccoli. Remember, Mise on Place is a great place to start!
Ina’s Chocolate Cupcakes
Ina Garten, how I adore you! I love your commitment to making sure your recipes are accurate. I love that you test each dish about 25 times. I love ideas for entertaining, everyday meals, appetizers and for creating dishes for people we love as much as you love Jeffrey! It’s why we’ve created Cooking Ina’s Favorites as a regular feature up at Sweet Basil Culinary Center where I teach.
But Ina, your Chocolate Cake can change the world, and it’s why it’s one of your most popular recipes. Am I overstating how delicious and moist the cake is? Or that the frosting leaves a rich, not too sweet satiny finish on your tongue? Here’s what I will tell you. Just. Make.Them.
Sheet Pan Lasagne and Cannoli Cupcakes
Finally! A recipe for Lasagne lovers who don’t love the assembling! Here, you’ll get all of the goodness of lasagna in a simple sheet pan method! And, if Sicilian Cannoli are a favorite dessert but a bit intimidating, try these scrumptious Cannoli Cupcakes!
Uncle Ben’s Spinach, Bacon and Rice Salad
He’s 80 years old this year and the iconic face of America’s best-selling brand of rice from 1950 through the 1990’s. Ever since I was a little girl, Uncle Ben was a regular at our dinner table. It was the brand of rice my Mom trusted. Therefore, it’s a brand I still trust today. Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice was actually revolutionary when it was introduced in the 1930’s. It was the first rice to be parboiled which offered several benefits. Parboiling retained more or the nutrients in the rice, it cut down on cook time and it was resistant to weevils, a common problem when storing rice. So I was thrilled to have stumbled upon the Uncle Ben’s 50th Anniversary Cookbook in a thrift store this week, and what a bargain! It was half off fifty cents! The cookbook celebrates Uncle Ben’s recipes from 1943 until 1993 and features dishes like Sweet Pepper Risotto and Pacific Paella. But the recipe that caught my eye was the Spinach, Bacon and Mozzarella Salad with Warm Rice Vinaigrette Dressing. I love the idea of soaking the cooked rice in a sweet and sour combination of vinegar, oil and brown sugar eliminating the need for additional dressing for the salad. It can be made with either the Uncle Ben’s Original or Uncle Ben’s Instant Rice. (I prefer the original.) The rice mixture is delicious served warm over the spinach or cooled down. I added a pint of grape tomatoes to the recipe since they go so well with the mozzarella. This is a great salad for the start of a new year, and if you’ve never had rice in a green salad, it’s the one to try! By the way, here’s a bit of trivia about Uncle Ben. From 1971 to 1983, his face was removed from all packages. But in 2007, Uncle Ben’s image was back on the box and he was promoted to the Chairman of the Board by a new advertising campaign. Way to go, Uncle Ben!
