Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Tags

garlic, pasta, shrimp, spicy, tomato

I’ve been making this dish for a few years now, but I wasn’t using this recipe. The one I was using was from Giada (love her food!) and had more onion and less tomato. It was good, so I kept making it, but it just wasn’t entirely what I thought it should be. When I came across this recipe, it was more of what I had in mind. After a few tweaks I carried over from the other recipe, it was perfect!

Fra Diavolo means brother devil… I’m going to assume because it’s devilishly spicy? Hehe. It has kick to it, which you can reduce or increase to your liking. I love it over linguine, but you use your choice of pasta, or even use it as a dip. So if you feel like something a little spicy to warm yourself, make sure you give this delicious shrimp a try!Shrimp Fra Diavolo

1 pound dried pasta
1 pound large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, divided
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated (for garnish)

In a small bowl, season shrimp with salt, pepper, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the shrimp and saute for one minute, then flip shrimp and saute until the shrimp is cooked and no longer translucent; using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from skillet and set aside.

Add the onions to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and saute for one minute, or until fragrant. Add wine to deglaze pan, then add tomatoes, oregano, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let sauce simmer and reduce for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is your desired thickness. Return shrimp to the skillet along with the parsley and basil, and toss to coat in the sauce.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil, and cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, then toss with the sauce and shrimp. Garnish with additional parsley, basil and Parmesan cheese.

Source: Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

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Black Bean Burgers

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black beans, burger, chili powder, cilantro, cumin

Back when I was in San Diego, the hotel I worked at made really good vegetarian burgers. It was the first time I ever tried one, and I can’t say I ever tried any more. I kept meaning to try some frozen ones, but I didn’t think they would be any good. And why waste the money! So when I saw black bean burgers, I knew I had to try them!They are awesome! One time, I made 4 burgers, so they were thicker but also had that mushy bean texture in the middle, so I’ll probably stick with making 6 (which are about the thickness pictured). But these hold together really well, and the spices and cilantro add amazing flavor. They’re also a cinch to throw together and make a nice, quick meal!

I realized as I was eating one of these today, that when I eat vegetarian, I eat a lot of black beans! They’re tasty and full of protein, and perfect to make these burgers more substantial. If you like black beans, you’ll love these burgers!Black Bean Burger

2 (15.25-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1½ tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Combine oil, onion, garlic, cilantro, and ⅔ of the beans in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8 times or until beans make a thick paste. Scrape bean mixture into a bowl.

Stir in breadcrumbs, spices, eggs, and remaining whole beans. With moistened hands, divide bean mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 3-inch patty.

Spray a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat. Add patties to pan and cook 4 minutes or until bottom edges are browned. Carefully turn patties over; cook 4 minutes or until bottom edges are done and patties are cooked through. Serve with your choice of burger fixings.

Source: Adapted from Elephant Eats and Annie’s Eats

Pumpkin Biscuits

Tags

Biscuit, Pumpkin

I’ve been on a big baking spree lately, and a lot of it has involved pumpkin. I hope you guys don’t mind! I’m certainly having fun with it! 🙂 I have more pumpkin-y plans to come, too! But anyways, these biscuits… I knew I had to make them as soon as I saw them. They were such a wonderfully tasty looking idea! And they didn’t fail. Spiced, pumpkin-y goodness, and absolutely amazing when they’re fresh out of the oven. There’s something about fresh baked goods that is just so delicious!

They make a great bread side at dinner, or have them with breakfast. So if you still feel up to being in the kitchen after Thursday, please give these a try!Pumpkin Biscuits
Yield: 6-8 biscuits

2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
5 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
¾ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, milk, and honey; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, and spices. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture holds together. Knead lightly on a floured surface, adding extra flour if needed. Using your hands, pat the dough out to 1-inch thickness then use a 2-inch biscuit butter to cut the dough into circles. Re-roll the scraps as needed until all the dough is used. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Source: Adapted from Sugarcrafter

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tags

chocolate, Cook's Illustrated, cookie

Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I hope everyone has lots to be thankful for, and you all have a wonderful day and a fantastic feast!! 🙂Best. Chocolate chip. Cookie… Ever. Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies. They’re a basic, go-to cookie, good for any occasion and super versatile. I’m sure everyone has tried the Nestle Tollhouse cookies. Don’t get me wrong, those are good cookies. They’re just a little flat to me, and not quite chewy enough. These, on the other hand, are delish! Chewy, buttery, crispy around the edges but soft in the middle. Divine! I still need to try the New York Times chocolate chip cookies, which are apparently really amazing, too, but I’ll save those for another day.In case you happened to forget to make dessert for tonight, these cookies would be perfect! They whip up really quick, you should have the ingredients on hand, and all you need is a bowl and a spoon! It can even give you a little bit of an arm workout after your big meal! 😛

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Note: Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days or kept frozen for up to 1 month.

2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven 325 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugars by hand or with a mixer until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix slowly until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll a half-cup of dough into a ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves. Place each dough piece on the cookie sheet, with the jagged surface facing up, leaving ample room between each ball. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy. Do not overbake. Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Source: Annie’s Eats, from Baking Illustrated

Apple Pie

Tags

apple, cinnamon, pastry, pie

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I went to the store yesterday to pick up some stuff for Thanksgiving, and some stuff just because I needed it. I went to 2 different stores, and they were both out of normal whipping cream! I just wanted to be able to make whipped cream to top pies!!But if you’re fortunate to already have your whipping cream, whip some up to top this delicious apple pie! Or serve it with ice cream, or just eat it plain. This pie is the perfect treat for Thanksgiving, or any occasion. It’s sooo good! Part of what makes this pie so good is the variety of apples. The different apples provide different textures and flavors. Feel free to use any apples you like, of course.It was so fun to be able to make this using some of the apples I still have from the orchards. And I still have a lot more, so get ready for more apple recipes in the near future! It’s a good thing apples last so well in the frig, because at the rate I’m going, these apples might be around a while more! 🙂Apple Pie

Pastry for 2 pie crusts
2 cups thinly sliced, peeled Granny Smith or other tart apple (about 1 pound)
1 cup thinly sliced, peeled Pink Lady or other sweet apple (about ½ pound)
2 cups thinly sliced, peeled Rome or other firm baking apple (about 1 pound)
1 cup thinly sliced, peeled McIntosh or other tender apple (about ½ pound)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons milk

Roll half of dough into a 12-inch circle; place in pie dish and chill while filling is prepared. Roll other half of dough into an 11-inch circle; cover with plastic wrap and chill.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

To prepare filling: In a large bowl, combine apples and lemon juice. In a separate small bowl, combine ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, spices, and salt. Sprinkle over apple mixture, tossing well to combine.

To assemble the pie: Remove pie crusts from the refrigerator. Spoon apple mixture into crust and top with the 11-inch crust. Trim the dough to have a 1-inch border around the rim on the dish. Press edges of dough together; fold edges under, and flute. Cut 6 (1-inch) slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife. Brush top and edges of pie with milk and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet; Bake for 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake an additional 45 minutes or until golden; shield crust with aluminum foil if it gets too brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light