Tasty videos are so popular in everyone's Facebook feed, that we wanted to give some of these recipes a try to see if they really are what they appear to be. In a previous installment, we shared a slow cooker apple crumble that was good, but not great. Today we are sharing a dinner recipe that my daughter Molly shared with me for this Lemon Paprika Shrimp and Pasta. You can find the original Tasty video and recipe here: http://bit.ly/lemonpaprikashrimp
This dish was super simple to make and it was good. However it was a bit on the spicy side and if you like that, great! But if you like it a bit milder, add less of the smoked paprika and add in regular paprika that will not be so spicy. I also thought the sauce was a bit on the thin side so at the end, in an attempt to not over cook my shrimp into eraserville, I added a bit of a cornstarch slurry to tighten up the sauce a bit. The sauce was still a bit on the thin side, but I was not going for a gravy consistency and just let it remain the way it was and it was easily soaked up into the pasta.
One of the other things I did differently was to not add the pasta to the pan because I did not want to have everything mashed together in case there was leftover pasta. So we served them separately. We enjoyed this and the next time I would make a few changes that would boost the flavor. Other than spicy, this was a little bland for my taste and feel like it may need a bit more flavor. That is the beauty of giving new things a try. They actually give birth to even more new things!
In the end, we had a great dinner and it spawned a few new ideas for future recipe ideas. We love shrimp, so anything with it, is going to be a great dinner anyway.
I hope you will check out this recipe and give it a try for yourself and see what you think!
Many of you know I grew up in Arizona. Born in New Jersey, but moved to Az. when I
was 10 we moved from the pastoral beauty of the garden state to the foothills
of the grand canyon state. That is
where my family lived until 10 years ago.
Now we live in North Carolina, the gateway to the south. While I love where I live now, I love
Arizona and I miss her especially when it comes to good Mexican food! So today I am going to share with you my way
of making a great guacamole.
The name comes from an Aztec dialect via Nahuatl āhuacamolli
[aːwakaˈmolːi], which literally translates to "avocado sauce". Avocados were first cultivated in South
Central Mexico to Central America and as far south as Peru. They made their way into Mexican cuisine and
have been a staple ever since.
My version of guacamole is kind of like a combination of two
of my favorite things on every Mexican restaurant table. Guacamole and pico de gallo. The first you know, the latter, if you don't
is a delicious fresh salsa made with tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime
juice. You can sometimes purchase this
premade, but trust me, fresh made is best.
Take the two dips and mix them together for an amazing, fresh and creamy
dip that will have you reaching for the chips or the tortillas or anything else
you can think of to dip or smear this heavenly concoction.
The combination is quite simple really. Mashed avocados, tomato, white onion,
jalapenos or if you prefer, finely diced bell pepper, garlic, cilantro, lime
juice and salt. You can also throw in a
dash of black pepper, and even some hot sauce.
You control the heat level here so add more or less jalapeno or none at
all. Garlic also provides a bit of heat
so you can adjust that as well. Mash
the avocado, mix in everything else and you are all set. Voila!
Pico -de-guaco! Grab the chips
and enjoy!
A word of warning. I
have seen a lot of recipes where people include either mayonnaise or sour cream
as part of the guacamole. I am hear to
tell you that this is just wrong, wrong, wrong. Guacamole, does not need the addition of a creamy ingredient to
be creamy. Sour cream may be pushing it
for me, but mayo is just stepping over a culinary line that one should never go
over! Mayo has it's place in many
things, but guacamole is not one of them.
If you are one of those mayo including folks, this is not a way to call you out. I will not apologize for this one though! Keep the mayo for the tuna and keep it out
of the guac! This will conclude the
warning part of my blog! LOL!
This dip is really best made and eaten right away, however
you can store this in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight
container. The avocado may tend to
brown a little, but you can add a bit more lime juice, but not too much or it
will be much too runny to enjoy. Do
that right before you put it away.
Dipping is the most popular way to enjoy my pico-de-guaco,
but for a light lunch think about making a quick wrap with some of the spread
on a flour tortilla, topped with more tomatoes, onion and some shredded
lettuce. If you have some leftover
grilled chicken or steak, this would be a great addition as well. Roll that up, cut it in half and you have an
amazing lunch ready to go in no time.
Also great for packing to take to work or school for a quick meal on the
go!
I think you are going to love this version of guacamole, my
pico-de-guaco is an awesome way to enjoy a southwestern favorite like the kind
I grew up eating in Arizona! I hope you
will give this a try and I hope you love it!
Happy Eating!
Noreen's Kitchen
Pico De Guaco
2 ripe
avocados, mashed
1 cup
diced roma tomato
1/2
cup diced white onion
2
cloves garlic, minced
2
tablespoons fresh jalapeno, minced
2
tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
2 to 4
tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt
to taste
Ingredients
Combine avocado,
tomato, onion, jalapeno, garlic and cilantro together in a bowl. Blend well.
Add lime juice a
tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency and flavor. You want this to be thick but not
runny.
Add salt to taste
and even some cracked black pepper and or hot sauce if you are so inclined.
Serve with
tortilla chips, flour or corn tortillas or as an addition to a guacamole salad
like you get on the side at a Mexican restaurant!
You can get a printable copy of the recipe on my website:
Sometimes thinking of something new and different to put on
the table can be rough. Add to that our
hectic schedules and lives, with work, lessons, practice and this time of year,
the end of school activities, we can sometimes find ourselves opting to just
run to the drive through or call it in by taking out to put dinner on the
table. Today I want to share with you a
delicious, quick and easy meal that can be made in less than half an hour that
will have you closing your eyes and melting into the yumminess that is creamy
lemon pepper chicken!
This really could not be easier. I butterflied a few chicken breasts, meaning I cut them in half
the flat way to make two thin cutlets.
This helps to stretch my protein as well as making the chicken thinner
so it will cook more quickly. Then I
melted some olive oil and butter in my cast iron skillet, sprinkled the chicken
on one side liberally with my homemade lemon pepper and herb seasoning and then
set the cutlets seasoned side down in the skillet over medium heat. Don't forget to season the other side when
you get them cooking. This just makes
things a little easier.
Now, get your pasta or rice going and let those cutlets cook
for a good four minutes before you flip them to cook the other side for the
same amount of time. Then go steam some
veggies or make a quick green salad to serve along with.
When the chicken is done and the juices run clear when cut,
take the cutlets out of the skillet and set them aside. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and
some mushrooms if you like. I did not
have any on hand this night but they would have been wonderful! Toss to coat and then add the lemon juice and chicken stock and scrape
some of the brown bits or fond off the bottom of the pan. Add some heavy cream and stir well. Return the chicken to the skillet and nestle
them all in there so they are coated and cozy.
Turn the heat down to medium and allow them to simmer 5 to 10 minutes to
reduce the sauce a bit.
When the sauce is a bit thicker and coats the back of your
spoon, turn off the heat and allow the chicken to rest in the sauce for five
minutes before serving. I always do
this, no matter what I am cooking. I
just feel like getting the initial fire off of a dish makes it much more
enjoyable to the palate. When things
are too hot, or conversely, too cold, they cannot be fully enjoyed by your
taste buds. Letting things rest gives
you a much more enjoyable experience.
Time to serve! Plate
this up with angel hair or orzo pasta or long grain, wild or blended rice and a
veggie or salad for a completely wonderful dinner that you can get on the
table, even when you are super busy.
This is satisfying and delicious and I know your family is going to love
this dish.
Add this to your list to try or even your regular weekly menu
rotation. It's always great to add
something new or put a new spin on something that you already enjoy. I hope you give this creamy lemon pepper
chicken a try and I hope you love it!
Happy Eating!
Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken
2
pounds chicken cutlets
2
tablespoons olive oil
2
tablespoons butter
2
tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
1
teaspoon salt
1
medium onion, sliced
3
cloves garlic, minced
Juice
of 1 lemon
2 cups
chicken stock
1 cup
heavy cream
Step by Step
Instructions
Sprinkle chicken
breasts with salt and lemon pepper seasoning on one side.
Heat butter and
olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat.
Place chicken
cutlets, seasoned side down into the skillet.
Season the upturned side with salt and lemon pepper. Cook chicken on first side for 4 minutes,
then flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes or until the juices of the
chicken run clear. Remove from pan and
set aside.
Add onion and
garlic to the skillet, sauté' for just a minute and then add chicken stock and
lemon juice. Stir well to combine. Add
heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
Return chicken to
the skillet and turn to coat. Reduce
heat to medium and bring to a simmer.
Allow to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced and
thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
Turn heat off and
allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serving
suggestions would include angel hair pasta, wild or white rice or a blended
rice, steamed veggies or a green salad.
We enjoyed this with baked spaghetti squash instead of a starch and
green salad.
Leftovers should
be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within 5
days. This dish is not recommended for
freezer banking due to the heavy cream. Get a printable version of this recipe: http://bit.ly/1TdjPlO
