This crispy shrimp pasta is such a treat. It’s rich, buttery, creamy, and a cinch to whip up. The golden crust on the shrimp is just glorious. I can’t say enough good things about this perfectly indulgent delight!

Boil noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, grab three-fourths of a pound of raw shrimp that’s been peeled, deveined, and tails removed. This is just the right amount for two servings.

Season generously with salt..

And freshly ground pepper. Give this a stir to evenly distribute the seasoning.

Sprinkle on one tablespoon of flour…

And stir to coat.

Add one more tablespoon of flour for good measure.

And stir to evenly coat the shrimp. Perfect.

Melt one tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

When melted and hot, add the shrimp in a single layer and cook one one side for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

Flip the shrimp and cook until golden brown on the other side, another 2-3 minutes.

When done, remove the shrimp to the plate. This golden, crispy crust, inspired by How Sweet Eats’ Crispy Shrimp Pasta with Arugula Pesto Cream Sauce is pure heaven!

Pour in the chicken broth and cook for about 5 minutes, whisking the bottom of the pan to deglaze.

Reduce heat to medium and pour in cream, whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium heat until bubbly and the cream starts to thicken the mixture, about 5-10 minutes.

You’ll want to add some seasoning at this point. Just some salt and pepper would be nice, but I usually add 1/2 teaspoon of my favorite cajun seasoning. It’s perfect for rich, creamy sauces like this.

Season your sauce as desired, then add the drained pasta and shrimp to the sauce and stir to combine. This combination has such a rich, wonderful flavor. It’s one of our favorites!

© kevinandamanda.com, 2011. | Link to this post | Comment on this post | Stumble This Recipe!

Oh, good heavens, how I love shrimp and grits. They’re a revelation. They’re packed with an unbelievably delicious combination of completely fantastic flavors. Spicy. Cheesy. Bacon. Wow. To put it simply, shrimp and grits are just plain awesome. It’s one of our favorites!

You’ll need grits.

And a chicken bouillon cube, to flavor the grits. Or these chicken bouillon granules, which I prefer, because I don’t have to unwrap a cube.

Some cajun seasoning for the shrimp. Don’t be shy with the seasoning here. The spiciness of the shrimp goes wonderfully with the coolness of the cheesy grits.

Bacon. We are loving this thick-sliced bacon from Wright. Pick some up if you see it at the store next time, let me know how you like it! Here’s the quick and easy way I cook my bacon (in the oven, about 15 minutes each side).

You’ll need some scallions.

And garlic. And some lemon juice, too.

And after you cook the bacon, be sure to reserve a few tablespoons of the bacon grease to fry the shrimp in. You’ll be glad you did.

© kevinandamanda.com, 2011. | Link to this post | Comment on this post | Stumble This Recipe!

Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo is one of our absolute favorites around here. Just one beautiful bowl full is so rich and hearty- it’ll fill you right up and warm you straight down to the bone. It’s just a little bit spicy and a whollllllllllle lotta delicious. It’s perfect on a cold winter night… like tonight! :)

To start we’ll need 1/2 cup diced onion, 1/4 cup diced celery, and 1/4 cup diced celery. I use a mandolin slicer with a dicing blade and a cut resistant glove- I just got mine few months ago and I don’t know how I’ve lived without them! They make slicing and dicing vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, potatoes…) a breeze- they’re done in a snap. It’s one of those items that practically lives in my dishwasher because I’m using it and washing it every night! :)

I go ahead and dice all my vegetables at once, measure out what I need, then freeze the rest in individual quart-sized freezer bags. That way I always have diced vegetables on hand for cooking- I almost always have diced celery, onion, red onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, carrots, and zucchini in the freezer.

Now that you’ve got your vegetables, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium-low heat in a large pot or dutch oven. When the butter starts to foam, add the onion, celery, red peppers and 1/2 tsp salt and “sweat” for 5-7 mins, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 5 more mins until the onions begin to turn translucent.

Meanwhile, you’ll need 4 cups chicken stock. I prefer to just make it using chicken bouillon granules. They’re like the cubes, only you don’t have to unwrap them. I use 1 heaping tsp per cup of water, and I pour the boiling water in using another kitchen item I can’t live without- this electric tea kettle my mom gave me for Christmas! :)

Once the vegetables are soft, add the chicken stock. Add 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover.

At this point you’ll want to go ahead and start the rice- for 4 people, I do a ratio of 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, and 1 tsp salt. Add all to a sauce pan, bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer over low heat for 14-15 mins.

Now for the sausage- we’ll need 1/2 lb, sliced. My absolute favorite brand of smoked sausage is Eckrich- and since most smoked sausage only comes in 1 lb packages, I usually just go ahead and slice it all, and put the other half in the fridge for Red Beans & Rice or jambalaya later in the week. Or just go ahead and use it all in the gumbo. I won’t tell. :D

Add the smoked sausage to a skillet and then turn the heat to medium- cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 7-10 mins. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to the gumbo. Pour off any excess fat left in the skillet.

In the same skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter. When foamy, add 2 tbsp flour and whisk until incorporated and the roux is light brown and fragrant, about 2-3 mins. Add to gumbo and stir.

Now to give the gumbo it’s distinct brown color and also to thicken it a little more, I use 1 tbsp filé power (pronounced fee-lay). Add to gumbo and stir (I use the whisk from the roux) until well incorporated.

And finally, add 3/4 lb of peeled and deveined shrimp to the gumbo. Turn off the heat, cover and allow to sit for 10 mins before serving. There will be plenty of residual heat in the pot to cook the shrimp to perfection.

Or if shrimp isn’t your thing, feel free to substitute with cooked, chopped chicken. This makes an excellent chicken & sausage gumbo! :) If making that way, I would boil 8 oz of boneless, skinless chicken breasts with 4 cups of water and 4 tsp chicken bouillon granules for 10-15 mins. Shred the chicken and reserve the 4 cups chicken broth to use in the gumbo. Then, when browning the sausage, add the chicken  for the last couple of mins, then add to gumbo with the sausage.

Either way, you can’t go wrong- it’s delicious. I can’t get enough of this gumbo! :)

© kevinandamanda.com, 2010. | Link to this post | Comment on this post | Stumble This Recipe!

Wish your salmon tasted like a nice, thick, juicy, *flavorful* steak?? You must try this amazing recipe! :)

Dale’s Steak Seasoning… You’ll need this. Dale’s is a southern favorite, created in Birmingham, Alabama, just two hours from where I grew up. If you can’t find Dale’s, there’s also a brand called Moore’s you might be able to find. The main ingredient in Dale’s & Moore’s is soy sauce, so if you’re having a hard time finding them, you can also try just soy sauce.

McCormick’s Grill Mate’s Steak Seasoning. This is pretty easy to find. I’ve also seen it in the store-brand.

Marinate the salmon in the Dale’s, skin side up, in a small dish that’s almost too small for the fillets so the marinade can really get up there and flavor the fish. :)

Pour the marinade so that it comes about halfway up the side of the salmon.

After 30 mins, remove the fillets and season with McCormick’s Grill Mate’s Steak Seasoning

Begin heating a large skillet over high heat. Once the skillet gets hot, add 1 tbsp each of butter and olive oil to the skillet and let it heat up. Reduce heat to medium high, then add fillets, skin side down.

Cook until skin is well browned and the bottom half of the fillets turn opaque, about 5 mins. Turn fillets over and cook for another 3-5 mins. At this point (right after flipping over) the skin should be very easy to remove.

See, it’s almost falling off on it’s own:

Go ahead and remove the skin while the other side is cooking, then season with more Montreal Steak Seasoning.

Turn the salmon again and sear briefly (1-2 mins), or until desired doneness is reached. When the fish is done, it should still show traces of bright orange when you peek inside the fillet with the tip of a paring knife. If center is completely opaque and the orange color is dull, the fish is overcooked.

Serve with a side of rice. This salmon is  juicy and flavorful. You’ll love it! :)

© kevinandamanda.com, 2008. | Link to this post | Comment on this post | Stumble This Recipe!