Shrimp Scampi

I know I know you're probably saying Shanda everyone has a shrimp scampi recipe so I'll just stick to my usual. But I'll tell you one thing, if you pass on this buttery lip smacking recipe you'll kick yourself.

Most of you know that I have a soft spot in my heart for unusual and fun cookbooks so when I found a Sopranos cookbook I couldn't resist buying it. Who knows Italian dishes better than the Sopranos? I know they're a fictional cable TV family but their meals always looked so good that I would get hungry just watching the show. When I got this cookbook, I flipped through and found a ton of recipes I wanted to try. This is the first one I cooked and I found it so easy that it had to become one of my fast weeknight go-to meals. This is certainly a crowd pleaser in my house and it's sure to be one in yours. And by crowd pleaser I really mean my husband. If you love buttery savory dishes you'll love this one just as much as we do. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3-4 large garlic cloves, minced
16 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Pasta

Directions:

Put water on to boil for the pasta. I prefer to use angel hair pasta but feel free to use whatever you like.

In a large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil on medium heat. When the foam starts to settle, stir in the garlic. Stir the garlic frequently until it's a light golden color. Be careful not to let the garlic brown or burn.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the yummy shrimp and salt to taste. Cook the shrimp 2-3 minutes or until they are just pink. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and cook for an additional minute.

Add the cooked pasta to the shrimp and toss to cook pasta with the garlic-butter sauce.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve to a very hungry husband.

(bil-hanā' wa ash-shifā') بالهناء والشفاء / بالهنا والشفا

Adapted from: The Sopranos Family Cookbook

Light Chicken Parmesan

Jason and I have been trying to eat healthier foods but I've found that a lot of foods that are healthy are no fun to eat. I decided to go to the bookstore on a mission to find a cookbook with decent healthy recipes. I found The Best Light Recipes cookbook which is a Cooks Illustrated cookbook. I already have The New Best Recipes cookbook and absolutely love it and use it all the time so why not get one with light recipes.

This Chicken Parm recipe is the first recipe I tried from this book and it was so delicious. Even my extremely picky husband loved it. When I put dinner on the table I didn't tell him that it was a light recipe because I just knew he wasn't going to like it if he knew it wsa healthy. After he tasted it, he gave it two thumbs up so I felt safe to tell him it was a low fat dish. Since making it the first time he has requested it several other times. It's a winner in my house and I hope it is in yours too.

Ingredients:

Chicken Parmesan:

1 1/2 Cups panko

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 Cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 Cup flour

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Salt and ground pepper

3 large eggs whites

1 Tbsp water

vegetable oil spray

3 large chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and sliced into cutlets

1 recipe Simple Tomato Sauce (or 2 Cups of plain jar tomato sauce)

3 ounces mozzarella, low-fat

1 Tbsp basil, minced

Simple Tomato Sauce:

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp olive oil

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp basil, minced

Salt and pepper

Direction:

Simple Tomato Sauce:

Pulse the tomatoes and the juice in a food processor until smooth and set aside. Cook the garlic, tomato paste, oil and pepper flakes in a mediumish saucepan over medium heat until the paste begins to brown. Stir in the pureed tomatoes and cook until the sauce has thickened and measures approximately 2 cups. This should take about 20-25 minutes. Take the sauce off the heat and stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Parmesan:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and make sure oven rack is in the middle position. Combine the bread crumbs and oil in a skillet and toast over medium heat until nice and golden. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow dish and allow to cool. Once cool stir in parmesan cheese.

In another shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. In yet another dish, whisk the egg whites and water together.

Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top and spray with vegetable spray. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the cutlets in the flour, then dip in the egg whites and lastly coat with the toasted bread crumbs. Press the bread crumbs on to make sure they stick. Lay each cutlet on the wire rack and spray the tops with vegetable spray.

Bake about 15 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and firm to the touch.

Remove the chicken from the oven and spoon 2 tablespoons of sauce onto the center of each cutlet. Top with 2 tablespoons of mozzarella. Put the chicken back in the oven to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve to a hungry family. Enjoy!

Smakelijk eten! Eet Smakelijk!

Adapted from: The Best Light Recipe

Rack Of Lamb With Garlic and Herbs

I've only had lamb a hand full of times and each of those has been in a curry sauce so when I ran across this recipe I figured I'd give it the 'ol college try. I channeled my inner Julia and got to work. I found this recipe so easy to make and absolutely delicious. Even my very picky husband loved it. It will definitely become a go to recipe for dinner parties. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
For Lamb:
2 (8-rib) frenched racks of lamb, trimmed of most of it's fat
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. vegetable oil

Herb Coating:
3-4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 Cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 Tbsp. finely chopped thyme
2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

Direction:

To Brown Lamb:
Heat a heavy skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes. During those 2 minutes, pat the lamb dry and rub with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the hot skillet. Now add the lamb and brown on all sides. I had to do this in 2 batches which took 10-12 minutes per rack.

Coat and Roast the Lamb:
Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together the garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, and oil. Rub the meat with the herb mixture. You'll have to press it a bit for it to stick. Place the lamb in a roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Roast for 15 minutes, then cover lamb loosely with foil and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally into the center of the meat reads 120 degrees. Mine was cover with the foil for about 12 minutes.

Let the lamb stand, covered, for about 10 minutes before cutting.

Thokoleza ukudla!

Adapted from: Epicurious

S'mores Cupcakes

All I have to say is holy crap these were gooood! I originally saw a recipe for this in Martha Stewart's book but then I found and even better version on one of my favorite blogs. I put the recipe in my folder and forgot about it for weeks and while I was planning my weekly menu, I came across this delicious cupcake. I hope you enjoy them as much as my husband and coworkers did.

Ingredients:
Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/2 Cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 Cup Sugar
51/3Tbsp butter, melted
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Cupcake:
2 Cups plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1 3/4 Cups flour
3/4 Cups plus 1Tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 Cup milk
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Cup boiling water

Frosting:
8 egg whites, at room temp.
2 Cups sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cupcake pans with the prettiest liners you have. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs (I use the ready made graham cracker crumbs), sugar and melted butter. Mix it all together and drop a spoonful into the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down with all your might. I used the bottom of my jar of Meat Magic seasoning. After all you have to make the best of what you've got. You may want to dip the bottom in sugar to prevent the graham crackers from sticking to the bottom of the jar. Now bake each pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven but maintain the temperature.

Now it's time to make the cake batter. Sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low just to combine. In another mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and whisk together. Now add this to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium for about 2 minutes. Add the boiling water and stir to combine. The batter will be very thin but don't worry the cupcakes will be perfect. Trust me!

Divide the batter evenly into each cupcake liner. I used about 2 tablespoons per liner. Bake each pan 18-20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Don't forget to rotate the pans half through the baking. Let them cool about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

We can't forget the frosting. To make the frosting combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tarter in a double boiler. Heat and whisk constantly until a instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees. Now whisk, off the heat and in a stand mixer, on low and increasing to medium-high until stiff, glossy, yummy peaks form. Mix in the vanilla until it's well combined. Frost cool cupcakes any way you like.

Bon Appetit!

Adapted from: Annie's Eats