Spicey Shrimp Alfredo

One of my all-time favorite comfort dishes is pasta. Sometimes a heavy red sauce or meat sauce is just too much, especially on a hot summer's day. This recipe is perfect - just a little bite of heat but light and filling.  This is a recipe for two people.


                                   Spicy Shrimp Alfredo

1# 24ct shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz. fettuccine pasta, dried  (If you use fresh fettuccine, add after sauce to saute pan)
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/cup butter
1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy cream (You can substitute more half and half for lighter sauce)
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
s/p to taste


                                           Alfredo Sauce
In a sauce pan, heat half and half, heavy cream and butter until light boil, reduce to low and whip in egg and add Parmesan cheese. Cook until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.


To cook pasta, bring 2 quarts water to a boil (1 quart per 4 oz dried pasta is best). Add 4 pinches salt and 1 tsp olive oil to season and to keep pasta from sticking. Cook approx. 12 minutes or until al dente, just done. Do not overcook!

To cook shrimp, add 2 tsps. olive oil to saute pan on medium heat-high, add onion, pepper, garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add shrimp, red pepper flakes, pinch of salt and black pepper, and cook 2 minutes, tossing a few times until shrimp just turns pink. Add cooked pasta, toss to mix, then add Alfredo sauce. (Do not drench pasta. Add enough sauce to coat pasta with a little left over) Cook on medium heat for another minute to heat sauce.

Serve with a good garlic butter Italian bread and a glass of Pinot Grigio or your choice of beverage.

Plum Glazed Salmon with Saffron Rice

Seafood is delicious, low calorie and good for you. This easy recipe delivers a mixture of Occidental-Oriental flavors to please the taste bud.


                                  Plum Glazed Salmon

4 pieces center-cut salmon fillets
4 tbl spoons olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
4 tbl spoons plum preserves
1 tsp dried thyme
Kosher salt
Pepper


Heat broiler. Oil broiler pan. Mix plum preserves, lime juice and thyme. Salt and pepper fish to taste, then brush fish with plum preserve mixture. Place fish skin side down on broiler. Cook 5-6 minutes until brown.


                                         Saffron Rice

1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp minced onion
1 pinch saffron threads  (More if golden color desired)
Salt to taste

Add butter to pan on medium heat. Saute onions. Add rice and coat with butter mixture. Add stock. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Turn of heat and set aside.



                                   Shitake Mushrooms

1# Shitake mushrooms, cleaned
1/4 cup butter
1 tbl spoon Oyster Sauce
Kosher Salt
White pepper

In a saute pan, melt butter on medium heat, add mushroom and saute until almost tender. Add Oyster sauce, salt and white pepper to taste. Toss and serve with Salmon and rice.


Let me know how this works for you. Of course, any good mushroom will work - crimini, button, Enoki, straw or a mixture.