Roasted Garlic: Key To Flavor

These scallops with roasted garlic cream sauce are a garlic lover’s delight.

Have you ever roasted a head of garlic? If not, it’s terribly easy and has as many uses as you can think of. Roasting is convenient because you can toss it in the oven when you’re cooking something else. You can also impart subtle flavor by introducing your favorite herb(s) in the mix. For me, I generally top the garlic with a sprig of thyme when I roast it.

The recipe itself is easy and economical if you can believe that about scallops.

Scallops Can Be Economical

I know that’s hard to believe, but it’s true! Many stores offer more economical varieties–such as scallop pieces. Unless you’re trying to impress guests, the pieces are fine for a family meal. Also consider smaller and cheaper bay scallops.

If you don’t want to use pieces, the good news is even at full retail price, scallops are often used as a condiment and not the main part of the meal. Therefore, there’s less pieces per serving when served with rice or pasta as the major part of the meal.

Never Overcook

Scallops are creamy and tender if they are cooked to perfection. Overcooking will result in them being chewy and rubbery.

Do fight the urge to overcook. If you’re searing them, about two minutes per side is enough. The center should not be opaque but translucent. That’s when they’re perfect. You should have some translucency in cooked scallops. And remember that all proteins continue to cook after you remove them from a heat source.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Scallops With Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce

Great roasted garlic taste

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Roasting Garlic30 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course, Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: budget scallop recipes, scallops with roasted garlic sauce

Servings: 4

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 head garlic cut in half
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 pound sea scallops
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Spoon 3 tablespoons olive oil over the cut sides of the garlic head; wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
• Roast in the preheated oven until the garlic is soft, about 30 minutes; set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a saucepan; pour the chicken stock into the saucepan and use a fork to mash the garlic into the stock. Cook the stock over high heat until the liquid is reduced in volume by half, about 10 minutes. Stir the cream into the stock and remove from heat; set aside.
• Melt the butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper; sear in the hot butter and oil mixture until opaque, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat immediately.
• Stir the lemon juice into the cream sauce; spoon immediately onto 2 plates. Arrange the scallops on the plates. Garnish with the parsley to serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 528IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.5mg

The post Scallops with Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Delicious Copycat Bubba Gump Shrimp

Haven’t seen Forest Gump in years but I remembered my husband and I enjoyed the film. I vaguely remember he owned a shrimp boat.

My memory was jogged when I saw this recipe on CD Kitchen and decided I had to make this. Mainly I love shrimp and coconut. Together, they’re outstanding. The shrimp are pretty sweet so a nice cocktail sauce or horseradish sauce is the perfect accompaniment for these shrimp. With most fried seafood, I prefer tartar sauce, but not with this. Cocktail sauce is it.

Deep Frying

These shrimp are deep fried. If you have an oil deep frying machine, that’s good but you are going to have to ditch the oil after making these. The coconut is the thing that makes the oil useless after frying. So I recommend doing these with about 1-inch/2.5-cm of oil in a regular skillet. Again, the oil should be discarded after cooking but it’s less wasteful than the gallon-or-so oil that fills a deep fryer.

Now the next question: no, you cannot air fry these. Anything batter dipped is an air frying disaster. Don’t even try it.

Batter

Where I generally make a batter with plain flour, this one uses baking mix–like Jiffy or Bisquik. The recipe stated “pancake mix” but then said, “Like Bisquik.” To me, pancake mix is the so-called complete stuff where you just add water. I don’t call Bisquik that, but maybe some do. Anyway, it’s what is used and I was surprised at the excellent results.

The liquid used is beer, just like you use for fish and chips (a famous food of my people) batter. The recipe didn’t state flat beer as most batters do. I used beer right out of the bottle and it worked just fine. The beer acts like yeast so let it stand about 15 minutes to rest.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Copycat Bubba Gump Shrimp

Over-the-top delicious

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time2 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: batter dipped coconut shrimp, coconut shrimp, forest gump shrimp

Servings: 4

Calories: 284kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp 26-30 per pound
• 3/4 cup baking mix i.e. Bisquik
• 3/4 cup beer
• vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup flaked coconut

Instructions

• Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Devein, if needed. Rinse well and drain thoroughly.
• Pour oil to depth of 1-inch/2.5-cm into a Dutch oven or deep fryer; heat to 350F/180C.
• Combine baking mix and beer in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Mixture should resemble pancake batter.
• Dredge shrimp in flour; shake off excess. Dip shrimp into batter; dredge in coconut. Fry, a few at a time, 45 seconds on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Copycat Bubba Gump Shrimp appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Economical Scallops

I know the heading sound laughable, but these sautéed scallops are pretty economical. Considering that they are about $20 a pound I know it does sound ridiculous. Yes, they do cost more than ground beef but when you consider that the serving size is smaller and a pound can and will serve six people, it’s not really outrageous.

The key is making the scallops like a side dish or a condiment if you will. Serve them over a nice jasmine rice or some mashed potatoes and your meal is complete. This recipe is also so basic that you can add many things that go well with scallops. Veggies come to mind. Some zucchini (aka courgettes) and tomatoes would be perfect.

Bay Or Sea Scallops

Actually, either variety will do here.

Bay scallops are more pricy than the larger sea scallops. Therefore, I prefer to get the sea scallops. What I do is cut them up into pieces about the size of a bay scallop.

Another money-saving tip is that some stores sell scallop pieces. They are perfect for this recipe. I’ve seen them priced as low as $9.99 a pound and that makes this dish even more economical. They taste the same and are the perfect size so why not? Look for them in the frozen fish case at your store.

Removing Excess Flour

Here’s another little trick I picked up binge watching old Julia Child shows–and it’s a great way to remove excess seasoned flour from any meat or fish that’s in small pieces.

That fine-mesh strainer you have is excellent for this. You just dump the pieces of whatever is dusted with the flour into it, then shake it a bit and voila–no fuss or muss. Of course you have to wash that strainer, but this is such a good way to do this task that even I don’t mind that.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Sautéed Scallops

Quick and delicious

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: economical scallop recipes, scallops for lent

Servings: 6

Calories: 129kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb sea scallops cut into pieces, or uncut bay scallops
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tbs oil
• 2 tbs fresh parsley chopped

Seasoned flour:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
• Mix seasoned flour ingredients in a plastic bag. Add scallops to the bag to dust with flour. Dump the scallops into a mesh strainer to remove excess flour.
• Add the scallops to the skillet and sauté until they just turn opaque. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 176IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Sautéed Scallops appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Salmon Patties–Retro Classic

Anything salmon is all the rage now. From grilled to marinated to baked.

Since salmon itself is experiencing a resurgence in popularity, so have good old-fashioned salmon patties. I remember them being popular for a Friday-night dinner way back during the 50s and 60s. The reason being that salmon–and most fish–were pretty cheap back then so they were an economical meal. And canned pink salmon, which is the most widely used variety–was even more budget friendly. Fresh salmon works too. Merely poach it and flake it.

Like meatloaf and pot roast, the recipes are almost infinite. Ask 10 people their recipe and you’ll get 10 different ones. This one is my favorite.

Dress Them Up

These patties can be dressed up in so many ways. They can be catered to individual taste by just changing up some seasonings.

I did this with the addition of some fresh herbs. One thing that pairs so well with salmon is dill. I decided to grow some this year because I was making a lot of half sour pickles. Therefore, I had quite a bit growing and anyone who ever grows dill knows how prolific it is.

Chives were also included because I had a bumper crop of those. Of course you can substitute plain old onion for those, but I chose chives because I had a lot of them but also was looking for something that was easier to manage right after my dental surgery. I didn’t have to “chew” the chives.

Frying Works Best

OK, I know air fryers (affiliate link) are all the rage now–and I absolutely love mine–but I really don’t think it’s the best way to cook salmon patties. I feel the same way about a conventional oven too. Reason is (for me) is that baking or air frying would make them dry. Also since they are rather soft and fragile, flipping them in the air fryer may be a disaster. How you actually cook them is up to you. I prefer frying them in a little oil because it seals them and crisps them.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Gourmet Salmon Patties

Fresh herbs make a difference!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: budget meals with canned salmon, retro salmon recipes, salmon patties

Servings: 4

Calories: 347kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 14 oz can pink salmon or same amount of freshly cooked salmon
• 2 tbs chives finely chopped
• 1 tbs fresh dill chopped
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tbs oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Flake the salmon and remove any bones (if using the canned variety).
• Mix the salmon and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.
• Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and form patties.
• Heat oil in a large skillet (preferably non-stick) over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for about 4 minutes each side or until nicely browned.
• Serve with garlic mayonnaise and/or additional lemon wedges

Nutrition

Serving: 1pattie | Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 536mg | Potassium: 535mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Gourmet Salmon Patties appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Hawaiian Fried Rice Is Versatile

So versatile since you can make it with many meats–not just shrimp!

This fried rice recipe works very well with chicken or pork. Beef is good too because pineapple does go well with it. If you’ve ever eaten in a Mandarin restaurant, you probably saw pineapple beef on the menu.

Because I have quite a bit of shrimp in my freezer, I used up some of them in this dish. And since I always make too much of anything, a couple of friends who are on limited budgets appreciate the leftovers.

Speaking Of Leftovers…

Have any rice left over from a takeout earlier in the week? That’s perfect for this fried rice recipe since it’ll be cold already and a bit drier for sitting in the fridge. Plus rice from a restaurant always seems to taste better than the rice you make at home so it’s a great way to use it up.

Same goes for any leftover store-bought rotisserie chicken. Again, perfect for this. The only way I’d say no to that is if you got a chicken that was had a seasoning that just won’t go with these flavors. For me, that’d be one with barbeque sauce. But hey, if it appeals to you, then go right ahead.

Similarly, any leftover roast pork or beef is nice too, as I said before.

Substitutions

Lots of us have that can of pineapple in the pantry. However, it may not be tidbits. Rings or chunks can be cut up into small bits so there’s no reason to run out and buy the tidbits. I’d shy away from the crushed variety though–too mushy and almost impossible to drain.

No red bell pepper? Use green if you have it. The red just makes a nice pop of color but they basically taste the same.

No green onions? Just use more regular onion.

This meal is quite economical when you consider the substitutions and the leftovers.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Hawaiian Fried Rice

Fried rice Polynesian style

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Polynesian

Keyword: fried rice, fried rice that's not chinese, polynesian rice

Servings: 4

Calories: 204kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbs oil divided
• 1 lb medium shrimp peeled and deveined
• 2 tsp fresh ginger minced
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 1 medium red bell pepper diced
• 1 medium carrot finely diced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 large can pineapple tidbits 20 oz/567 g, drained
• 2 cups cooked rice room temperature
• 6 green onions chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Mix soy sauce, curry powder and sugar in a small bowl.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat.
• Add shrimp and stir fry until they turn pink--about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan.
• In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook just until fragrant--about 10 seconds.
• Add the pepper, carrot and onion and stir fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the pineapple and shrimp.
• Add the rice and soy sauce mixture. Heat through tossing to combine and breaking up any lumps of rice. Stir in the onions.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 283mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3664IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Hawaiian Fried Rice appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Take A Break From BBQ

Since I look forward to summer because I love to cook outdoors, I am sure many of you feel the same way as I do. However, there comes a point where you just get tired of everything grilled or endless salads.

These easy breaded scallops are just the thing you have been looking for if the above describes being in a summer rut.

Scallops cook very quickly so they won’t heat up the kitchen. It’s actually less than a five-minute cook time.

Prepping The Scallops

Scallops do need a bit of preparation before using them. If you know you have IQF dry scallops, the prep is easy. However, unless you paid a bomb for them–and I mean over $20 a pound, what you likely have is what most stores sell–regular old sea (wet) scallops.

If you don’t make an attempt to dry them as much as you can, you’ll end up with a bunch of milky water in the skillet and the scallops will taste steamed. You can prevent that by soaking them in a quart of cold water with 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of salt mixed in for 30 minutes. Then dry them really well on several layers of paper towels. This is especially important if you want to make naked scallops that are just seared.

If you are lucky enough to have “dry” scallops, all you have to do is place them on some paper towels to absorb the water.

Have you guessed that water is the enemy of great scallop dishes?

Believe It Or Not…

Scallops, like shrimp are economical. Shrimp goes on sale a lot more than scallops, but scallops do go on sale often. When that happens, it’s time to treat yourself.

It’s also not a budget buster because you rarely serve huge portions; three or four scallops will suffice mainly because they’re either served with pasta or are not the main part of the dish.

With these breaded ones, I serve a classic macaroni and cheese along side. The mac & cheese is actually the “main” and the scallops are the “side.”

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Easy Breaded Scallops

Treat yourself to some crunchy scallops

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy breaded scallops, economical scallop recipes, preparing scallops

Servings: 4

Calories: 268kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/4 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 lb sea scallops
• 2 tbs flour
• 2 tbs butter
• 1 tbs vegetable oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a shallow bowl, lightly beat egg. In another bowl, toss potato flakes and bread crumbs with salt and pepper. In a third bowl, toss scallops with flour to coat lightly. Dip in egg, then in potato mixture, patting to adhere.
• In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add scallops; cook until golden brown and scallops are firm and opaque, 2-3 minutes per side

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 762mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg

“>

The post Easy Breaded Scallops appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Great One-Skillet Meal

Shrimp and zucchini with orzo is one of those quick one-pan meals that comes together easily.  Since it tastes so good, it’s sure to be on your dinner rotation permanently.

In fact, you’re not limited to shrimp here because any leftover meat will go great with the pasta and veggie combination. Chicken would be a natural choice, at least for me. So remember this recipe the next time you have any leftover rotisserie chicken.

Orzo

I remember the first time I discovered orzo. So many possibilities for its use went through my head. Orzo is truly a versatile pasta shape.

Of course it’s really not meant to be used in the usual pasta fashion and that’s the nicest part of it.

Orzo can take the place of rice in so many things. However, unlike most rices, orzo has a silky texture which makes it a great “extender” for any dish that has a sauce.

And just like rice, when there’s a sauce involved, you want to serve it immediately. Reason is since it’s like rice, it absorbs liquid rapidly. Wait too long and the dish is dry.

Add What You Like

I kept it simple here and used zucchini by itself. However, you can add lots more veggies to this dish to extend it. Adding more vegetables also will add interesting textures, not to mention adding more fiber which many of us are lacking.

If you have a child who’s not big on their “greens” it just may encourage them to eat more of what’s good for them. This will work especially if you vary colors so it looks pretty. My mother used to do this so my sister would eat more of them. My only vegetable phobia was eating the stalks of broccoli. Go figure it’s my favorite part now.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Shrimp & Zucchini with Orzo

Quick and easy dinner.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: budget meals with shrimp, one pan shrimp dinners, orzo and shrimp skillet dinner

Servings: 4

Calories: 370kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 large zucchini cut in half lengthwise and into 1/4-inch slices (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
• 1 lb uncooked large shrimp peeled deveined
• 2 tbs butter
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
• 1 tbs finely chopped parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Add zucchini and salt; cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Remove with slotted spoon; reserve.
• Heat same skillet over medium heat; add garlic and pasta.
• Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant and pasta is lightly toasted.
• Add broth; cover and simmer 10 to 11 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed.
• Stir in shrimp, butter and zucchini; cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp are pink and pasta is tender.
• Stir in cheese, lemon, and thyme; garnish with parsley.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 309mg | Sodium: 1307mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 262mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Shrimp & Zucchini With Orzo appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Honey Shrimp And Broccoli

Here’s another dish that will let you skip that take-out place.

Since making your favorite take-out dishes also saves you plenty of money, here’s another one for your arsenal. Another great thing is you know exactly what’s going into your meal. That’s a great benefit–or at least it is to me. In fact, I’ve duplicated many of my favorites, such as Dan Dan Noodles so I don’t break my budget by getting it from a restaurant. That’s not to say that I don’t order out when I simply don’t feel like cooking (and who doesn’t at times?). This way is just more cost-effective.

A Complete Meal

Like most stir-fry dishes, this is a complete meal since it has your protein and veggies. Combine it with some nice jasmine rice and it’s really filling too. Serving with rice also extends the portions; that’s something to remember if you’re on a tight budget and want to eat shrimp. However, I’ve noticed some great deals on shrimp in the past year so it’s not as extravagant as it once was.

You can also beef this meal up by adding in different veggies in addition to the broccoli. I used sliced water chestnuts here for some crunch and they work very well. Summer squash is good addition too. Anything you like would be delicious, just as long as the vegetables are fresh.

Add Some Spice

For those who like a bit of heat in their food, this can be jazzed up too.

Some Thai chiles or any other hot red pepper can be added. They also add a pop of color. If you’re not into heat, then red bell peppers are good.

You can even add some red pepper flakes to the sauce. A pinch is about right for me, but let your own taste be your guide.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Honey Shrimp With Broccoli & Water Chestnuts

Quick and easy so why get take-out?

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: copycat chinese take out, honey shrimp, stir fry with broccoli, stir fry with shrimp

Servings: 4

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts drained
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 2 tbs honey

Sauce:

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 2 tbs cornstarch

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Pat shrimp dry with paper towels.
• Add the cornstarch to a small bowl then add the remaining sauce ingredients; stir well
• Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or wok over high heat. Add the shrimp and garlic. Drizzle the shrimp with the honey.
• Stir fry until shrimp are pink and lightly crusted and brown. Add the sliced water chestnuts.
• Add the broccoli and stir fry until it is bright green.
• Stir the sauce again so it's well blended and add to the shrimp and broccoli. Stir and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute to cook the cornstarch.
• Serve immediately over rice.
• 1/2 tsp of powdered ginger may be substituted.
• If you want a little heat in this dish, sprinkle with a little red pepper flakes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 288mg | Sodium: 1121mg | Potassium: 385mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Honey Shrimp and Broccoli appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Versatile Shrimp

Much like ground beef, shrimp is one of the most versatile proteins around. You can do so much with shrimp and since they’re often on sale, that’s a real bonus.

Shrimp toss is basically a pasta primavera with some shrimp added. It’s a wonderful dish and I still can’t decide whether it’s the shrimp or the pasta that’s my favorite part of this. This is one of those childhood meals I’ve always loved. And since it’s a recipe my mother favored, I’m pretty sure that is quite healthy. My mother was into healthy eating long before it became a vogue.

Tomatoes

My mother always used fresh. However, in winter, fresh tomatoes don’t have such a great flavor. The only divergence  from my mother’s recipe is that I use canned diced tomatoes–and fire roasted for a fuller flavor. I learned from Julia Child that canned tomatoes are all “summer” tomatoes and therefore are more flavorful. So I pretty much stick to the fire-roasted canned unless someone gives me tomatoes from the garden.

If you make this in the summer and you grow tomatoes, definitely use your home grown.

Pasta

This recipe is best with a straight long pasta. Regular and thin spaghetti work very well here and so does linguine and fettuccine. Because it’s a light dish, angel hair is good as well.

Try to avoid thick chewy styles such as bucatini or any tubular pasta. These are personal preferences, of course, but a thicker pasta would overwhelm the rest of the dish.

A little tip I picked up with pasta dishes such as this is always reserve a bit of the water you cooked the pasta in to toss in if necessary. A tablespoon or two seems to make these types of dishes a little oomph.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Shrimp Pasta Toss

Simple but delicious pasta dinner

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lenten dinners, low fat pasta dinners, shrimp with pasta and tomatoes

Servings: 4

Calories: 488kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked spaghetti
• 1/4 cup butter
• 12 oz medium-large shrimp cleaned & deveined
• 1 small green pepper chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely minced or pressed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes drained fire roasted preferred
• 1 tbs fresh basil chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cook spaghetti per package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Melt butter in a large skillet until it sizzles. Add onion, shrimp, green pepper, garlic, salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until shrimp turns pink. Stir in tomatoes and basil.
• Place the cooked spaghetti into a large bowl and top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and toss to combine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 256mg | Sodium: 1692mg | Potassium: 512mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 725IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 323mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Shrimp Toss appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Retro Tuna Casserole

There’s quite a number of mid-century meals that have never gone out of style. Meat loaf with mashed potatoes in one of them. The other is this old-fashioned tuna casserole.

This is one of those dinners you either love or hate. I can’t understand the negatives about it since if it’s made right, it’s pretty delicious.

This was never on the meal rotation when I was growing up so I don’t have a childhood history with it. The reason being is my father just didn’t like tuna and my mother wasn’t into making separate meals so she cooked what we’d all eat. I actually developed a love for this because a neighbor would make it. I loved it so much that she’d make it for me specifically. This is her basic recipe and it’s delicious!

Simple Ingredients

This tuna casserole, like most of the numerous recipes for it, are made with simple ingredients that most people already have on hand in the pantry.

It contains the obligatory cream of mushroom soup and of course, tuna. I think that many of us have these ingredients lurking around. And who doesn’t have pasta in the cupboard. If you don’t have a bag of wide or medium egg noodles, then elbow macaroni or any tubular pasta can be substituted.

When it comes to the cheese, a mild cheddar is very nice, but again, use what you have. Often my neighbor would substitute grated Parmesan if she didn’t have the cheddar on hand. So instead of two ups of shredded cheese, you’d reduce the amount to 1/2 cup if you’re using Parmesan. Try it with Parmesan. It’s different and makes it a bit more fancy and updated.

As for the tuna, this is a good place to use chunk light tuna. Solid white albacore works well too, but I feel the light tuna gives it a bit more flavor.

About The Topping

I used Ritz crackers for the topping because I’m crazy for buttered Ritz crumbs, but my neighbor always used the dregs of a bag of potato chips. It tastes very good with the potato chips and it’s a great use for those teeny pieces that end up getting thrown out.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Old-Fashioned Tuna Casserole

Tuna casserole that's a blast from the past

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: foods from the 1950s, mid-century recipes, tuna casserole

Servings: 4

Calories: 961kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 12 oz egg noodles 1 package
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 10 oz tuna, drained 2 5-ounce cans
• 21.5 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup 2 standard cans
• 4.5 oz sliced mushrooms small can
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 30 butter crackers like Ritz crushed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or 3-quart casserole with cooking spray.
• Mix crushed crackers with melted butter in a small bowl; set aside.
• Cook noodles per package directions until al dente; drain and place in a large bowl.
• Mix in the onion, shredded cheese, peas, tuna, soup and mushrooms. Mix well and turn into prepared pan. Top with crumbs
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown and casserole is bubbling around the sides.
• Serves 6-8

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 961kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 1928mg | Potassium: 816mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1291IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 506mg | Iron: 6mg

The post Old-Fashioned Tuna Casserole appeared first on The Midnight Baker.