Herbed Shrimp with Asparagus

I know I've been a little M.I.A. lately and there's good reason for it.  Promise.  I can't let the cat out of the bag yet but something BIG is going on in our life right now and there are BIG changes ahead for us in the very near future!  If you're friends with me on the nest, then you probably already know what I'm referring to.  For those of you who aren't and don't, it looks like you'll just have to wait a teensy bit longer.  Haha...sorry guys!

Anyhoo....this BIG thing has been taking up a lot of time for me lately and I honestly haven't had much time to spend in the kitchen and I really haven't even felt like cooking.  Shocking, I know!  It's been so hot here and unbearable at times and the thought of heating the kitchen up with the stove or oven or even worse: going outside to work over a hot grill is just the furthest thing from my list of priorities and wants.  Yes, we have A/C but even on the hottest days, it sometimes doesn't feel like it's on.  But you get a reality check as soon as you walk inside from being outside and then you know...it's on!

With it being Father's Day this past weekend and us actually being home, I thought it would be nice to make a nice dinner after church on Sunday.  I wasn't sure I'd feel up to it as some you may know, I lost my Dad unexpectedly in February so it's definitely been taking it's toll on me over the past couple of weeks in anticipation of this now dreaded holiday.  I still have my Step Dad, Bruce, who is a wonderful father in my life and has been since I was 2, but nothing and no one will ever replace my Dad.  One thing that's for sure, though, is our shared love for cooking (and eating) and I know he would've wanted me to carry on with my day like any other and cook a fabulous dinner.  So in honor of him, I did!  And let me tell how fabulous this was.  I cannot wait for lunch today because that means leftovers and I don't remember being this excited for leftovers in a long time...I'm practically squealing like a little pig!

So this recipe comes from, yet again, my favorite cookbook: Grand Temptations.  I've been eyeing it for a while now and everytime I have shrimp to use up, I think I'm going to make it and then I find something else wonderful to cook (ahem...these Creamy Shrimp & Grits and Creamy Shrimp & Pasta are definitely culprits)!  I almost did it again this weekend, but I stopped myself and said, "Self, you've been wanting to make this recipe for a long time, so stop with the nonsense and get on with it!"  And I am SO glad I did!  Despite the butter and creaminess of the shrimp, it's actually a very light and flavorful dish and the asparagus...I don't think I've cooked asparagus that perfect in, well, never!  I steamed it and then schocked it in ice water to retain a nice and tender crunch and that beautiful green color.  The combination of the light asparagus with the creamy shrimp was ahhh-mazing!  So, so good! 

Herbed Shrimp with Asparagus

Ingredients
1- Lg. bunch Asparagus
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1lb. Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup Flour
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
Salt
Pepper
2 Tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp. Butter, melted

Directions
Place the asparagus in a pot of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove and place in a bowl of ice water - This process is called "shocking" and it actually helps to stop the cooking process and leaves vegetables nice and tender and gives them a nice, vibrant color.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.  Add in the onion and garlic; saute' until tender (about 2 minutes). 

In a medium bowl, dust the shrimp with flour until evenly coated.  Add the shrimp into the skillet and saute' until it turns pink (about 3 minutes).  Add in the stock, parsley, basil and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.  Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add in the tomatoes and 1/4 cup butter.  Cook just until the tomatoes begin to soften and the butter melts, stirring frequently.

Arrange the asparagus on plates and brush with the warm, melted butter.  Spoon the shrimp mixture over the asparagus and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: Adapted from Grand Temptations

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Classic Beef Kabobs

I absolutely love kabobs of all kinds, but my favorite is a classic kabob with beef and an assortment of veggies!  The mixture of red onion, mushrooms and colored peppers provide a bright and flavorful complement to the meat!  And let's face it peeps, they're fun to eat!

The only thing I dislike about making kabobs is the time that goes into preparing them.  There's a lot of cutting, chopping, skewering, and marinating going on!  It's all very time consuming for just one dish and something you usually have to prepare ahead of time, which is why we probably only eat them maybe once a month!

The nice part is that while I take the brunt of the work in getting them made, Chris steps up and cooks them in the HOT, HOT heat we have here over the HOT grill!  Isn't he so wonderful?!  Seriously, he truly is....I'm the luckiest woman alive (not just because he grills, although that is a bonus)!

We've really been taking the opportunity to grill on the weekends, since we don't do it much during the week.  We also take advantage of the time on the weekends to prepare and eat a nice meal.  While we try to eat nice meals during the week, I like to give myself a little more of a challenge on the weekend since I have more time to do it!  With these kabobs, I prepared a grilled romaine salad with candied pecans, feta and a homemade tomato basil vinaigrette.  In addition, we had a nice blend of roasted potatoes and onions seasoned lightly with a little salt, pepper and fresh rosemary.  The whole meal was absolutely delish and actually very light, but filling....enough to make us take naps afterwards!!!

Classic Beef Kabobs

Ingredients
1.5 lbs. Top Sirloin, cut into 1" chunks
1 Med. Red Onion, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
1 Lg. Green Pepper, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
1 Lg. Red Pepper, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
1 Lg. Yellow Pepper, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
1 Lg. Orange Pepper, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
1 lb. Button Mushrooms, sliced in half
1 1/2 cups Italian Dressing

Directions
In a med. bowl, pour 1 cup of Italian dressing over the sirloin and let marinate, covered in the fridge, for at least 1 hour.

To assemble the kabobs, carefully thread the sirloin onto the skewers, alternating with the vegetables.  Once all of the kabobs have been assembled, lightly brush the remaining dressing over them and place on a pre-heated grill.

Cook over med-high heat, about 8-10 minutes, turning once during the cooking process. 

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: With a Cherry on Top original

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Summer Orzo Salad

So, I've been a little out of it lately as far as cooking and updating things around here and I apologize.  To be honest, I really haven't done too much cooking lately.  But, it was definitely well overdue and I decided to get out of my rut, concoct a weekly menu for this week and do a little grocery shopping to make it all happen! 

As you know, we recently made these Boneless Wings and they went over tremendously well with the online community!  I've had lots of emails and comments and views regarding this recipe and it has seemed to be quite the pleaser all over.  Why wouldn't it be?  Boneless wings are great and these are super simple and delicious, giving Buffalo Wild Wings a run for their money!  It's definitely one of Chris' favorite foods and now is definitely one of his favorite meals to make.  I like making them too because it's a team effort when these bad boys go down in our house and we work really well together in the kitchen when we're not getting in each other's way!

So Boneless Wings were on the menu, again, for this past weekend.  When we make them, I usually like to accompany them with lighter side dishes since the wings are typically a little more heavy and spicy in flavor (depending on the sauce you use...we like ours spicy).  Last time I made this Black Eyed Pea & Ham Salad to go with them and while it was really tasty, I wanted to do something different.  I wanted to do a summer pasta salad of some sort.  I came across this recipe a while ago, in Everyday with Rachael Ray.  It really inspired this dish, but I adapted it quite a bit that the changes really make it stand on it's own as an entree too.

While the original recipe calls for rotini, I substituted in orzo for a light and fun twist.  In addition, I added in fresh squash and panko bread crumbs for additional flavor and textures.  This is such a light and summer dish and is great served warm or cold.  It's versatility and combination of flavors really make it hearty but not heavy.  A little grilled chicken or shrimp mixed in could go a long way!  I don't recall his exact words, but Chris really enjoyed it (so much that I caught him sneaking a helping or two out of the container in the fridge)!  This is definitely a dish we'll be eating more often and it's also great for picnics, BBQ's and summer parties alike!

Summer Orzo Salad

Ingredients
1 lb. Orzo
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
3/4 cup Panko Crumbs
3 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
2 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded
1 Med. Zucchini, sliced thinly
1 Med. Yellow Squash, sliced thinly
1 1/2 cups Corn (fresh or frozen)
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Add orzo to salted, boiling water and cook until al dente (about 10 minutes).  Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat olive oil over med-high heat.  Add in the garlic, zucchini and squash; sautee until tender (about 5 minutes).  In a small pan, toast panko crumbs over medium heat and let cool.

Drain orzo and return to pan.  Toss together the zucchini and squash mixture with the orzo.  Add in the corn; mix well.  Add in 1 1/2 cups of Swiss Cheese to the mixture and mix until cheese melts in.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To the panko crumbs, add the remaining cheese and basil; toss to combine.  Place orzo into a serving bowl and top with panko mixture.  Serve warm or cool.

Yields: 4-6 Servings
Source: Inspired by Everyday with Rachael Ray

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Mexican Fried Corn

In honor of Cinco de Mayo yesterday, as you may or may not recall, I made these delightful Creamy Chicken Enchiladas.  In addition to the enchiladas, I had both corn and black beans at my fingertips and decided to turn them into Fiesta Black Beans (which I'll post about tomorrow) and Mexican Fried Corn, another favorite of Chris'.

The last time I made this corn, was back when I made these Stuffed Poblano Peppers and I can't believe I haven't made it again since!  I knew I had corn to use and I wanted to do black beans.  I had contemplated making my "fall-back" side dish, Spanish Rice, but I felt like it would be too heavy with the enchiladas so I wanted something lighter and I wanted to someway incorporate a vegetable into the meal so both of these sides worked perfectly! 

My inspiration for this actually came quite a while back when I stumbled upon a recipe on delish for Fried Corn last year. While it's really not fried, it surely looked very appetizing and while my mind is constantly working on trying to adapt or re-invent recipes, the light went off - Mexican Fried Corn! I took her version of the dish and altered it to complement the flavors of the Mexican food we ate.

This corn is super easy to make and it's a nice alternative to the regular side dishes we normally eat.  The blend of sweetness from the corn, creaminess from the butter and milk and the savory flavor coming in from the cumin was a wonderful accompaniment to this meal and balanced it out just perfectly!

Mexican Fried Corn

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 small Onion, diced
3 cups Corn
3/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 Tsp. Cumin
Salt
Pepper

Directions
In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbsp. butter over med-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Stir in corn, remaining butter and milk; cook until heated through and corn becomes creamy. Add cilantro, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: Adapted from delish

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Spring Asparagus

With our recent Easter meal, I found my menu to be somewhat Spring-inspired.  Lighter dishes packed with bold flavors was what I was going for.  The colors of green and yellow always speak "Spring" to me and both were carried through, in some way, in each dish we had.

Asparagus is definitely on our list of favorites for vegetables and during the colder months, we roasted them quite a bit.  Now that it's warm hot out, grilling is definitely one way to go, but we also enjoy them sauteed in a little olive oil and garlic.  FYI- green beans are also great this way and if you're a fan of mushrooms, they're the perfect complement to the dish!

With the asparagus, I wanted to lighten it up a bit and bring all the flavors of the menu together.  I always have fresh lemons and limes in the house - they have so many uses and I love the flavors!  We use them in a variety of ways including spritzing our water, garnishing cocktails, adding fresh flavors to dishes and sprucing up baked goods.  So, I decided to zest a little fresh lemon peel on top!  The citrus flavor really brightened up the dish and paired well with the garlic to really balance out the meal!

Spring Asparagus

Ingredients
1 bunch Asparagus
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper
1 med. Lemon, zested

Directions
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in asparagus and saute until they begin to soften (about 10 minutes). Stir in the garlic and finish sauteing (about 3 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle lemon zest on top.

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: With a Cherry on Top

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