Jumbo Shrimp, Basil, Lemon, Bacon, and Creamy Penne Pasta

Meghan said, enough Latin food. So I put it down for a night, and went back to my old love, Italian. Bought some really fresh (smelled really good) shrimp (7-9), fresh (5 leaves) basil, 1 lemon, 2 slices fletchers dry cured bacon (crazy good), 6 crimini mushrooms (capped), 2 large garlic cloves, crushed red pepper, 1/2 cup cream, 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup sherry wine, s/p, a pinch of ancho powder (I couldn't resist), 1 fresh roma tomato, and some fresh parsley...and it made some magic.

First slice the mushrooms, bacon, and than smash 2 large garlic cloves. Add the bacon to the pan, render the bacon down for a few minutes. In the bacon fat add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms are done. Pour that mixture onto the plate. Add to that 2tbsp of butter. Zest a whole lemon (large), and chop. Slice basil as well. Add the shrimp to the high heat and butter/bacon fat. Add the pinch of ancho, enough salt, pepper, lemon zest, and basil. Cook until on one side for 2 min. Flip the shrimp, then add the sherry wine. When that has reduced, add the bacon and mushrooms back to the pot. At this point LOWER the heat to the lowest option, but keep the pan on the burner. Add the cream and stir. Slice and deseed the tomato. Then dice it into small pieces and add to the pot. The cream will just barely bubble. Stir it all around. At this point add the fresh parsley.

Enjoy a little piece of shrimp heaven.

SXSW

I called this one south by southwest. Fried chicken with a 7 spice blend coating, orange pepper ancho sauce, potatoes au grautin, and collard greens. I will eventually type in a recipe, but it is just too much typing for me.

Broiled Mahi on Wild Rice with Zesty Hollandaise

Smoked Squab and Crab Sauce served over brown rice

It was crazy good, I will go over the recipe sometime...at least the next post has a recipe!

Three Chile Shrimp & Mahi on Sofrito Rice

A little somethin somethin I was working on. It was crazy good. The shrimp and mahi had a simple rub. 1 part ancho chili powder, 1 part chipotle powder, and 1 part chile negro powder. Added to that was a little garlic powder, salt, butter, lime juice, and parsley.

The sofrito rice, is just brown rice, sofrito (onion, green peppers (in this case jalapenos), tomatoes (fresh 2 romas), and garlic. With a new mexican spice mix.

It was topped with a ranchero salsa, and cilantro. Ranchero salsa is one large reconstituted ancho chile pepper, 1 roma tomato, a slice of onion, one garlic clove, one jalapeno (chopped), a bunch of cilantro, 1tsp of vinegar, 1tsp lime juice, salt, pepper.

The shrimp and mahi were cooked in a mixture of butter and olive oil. The oil is added to temper the butter (so it won't burn), so I can cook it on a higher heat.



Some good eats.