Cajun Creamy Shrimp Asparagus Spinach and Gigli Alfredo with Pan Seared Ahi Tuna

This dish was super easy to execute and may soon replace your regular go-to Alfredo dish.  

With the help of an amazing spice blend called Cajun Street by Urban Accents, my delicious and creamy seafood pasta went from ordinary to extraordinary with just a few shakes, Actually it was about a palmful, I love a good kick and spice forward dishes.  I added blanched spinach and asparagus to the recipe because they are vibrant, nutritious and tasty, not to mention on sale at the time lol.  I sprinkled the Ahi Tuna filets liberally with this spice and a scant amount of Himalayan Pink Salt and  cracked Tri Color Peppercorns to round it out, before pan searing to medium to medium well and letting it rest.  

I also used a pasta shape that was totally new to me, thanks to the Gourmet/Artisan Goods section of Beals, formerly known as Burkes.  Gigli pasta translates to "lilies", because of it's bell or corkscrew shape, with the ruffled edges. It is pronounced 'GEE-LEE'.  I found that this pasta cooked super quickly, in about 6 minutes, such that I had to keep a close eye on when to run cold water over it, to stop the cooking process.  Be sure to be mindful of  when you are cooking with Gigli and other pastas with delicate shapes.   

The shrimp are of the medium sized Argentine variety, toothsome and visually appealing to the dish as a whole.  I like to keep the tail on for ease of handling and aesthetic.  My girls prefer the tails removed so they can just dig in, so I end up removing their shrimp tails before serving them.  My mom refuses to eat shrimp at all.  She says they look like 'grub worms', hard pass haha.  Mom is hilarious, I told her 'Gee, Thanks for that visual Mom, now I get to think about that every other time I use shrimp in  a recipe'.  No matter which way I serve them, Mom is not having it, I actually stopped trying to get her to come around, and prepare separate dishes alongside the main dishes featuring shrimp.  Oddly enough, she will eat Oysters, or should I say the fried, crispy, breaded outer portions, as tiny as that is, with everything at or near the center removed to sit in a small mound that will have accumulated on her plate or hidden away in her dinner napkins.  My Mom... I wouldn't trade her for two worlds.....

The Cajun sauce is a real gem and brings all of the other ingredients together most harmoniously.  There's plenty of valuable veggies too.  The tuna is an added plus and was prepared alongside this dish and I just chunked a portion and added it to the top, adding more layers of flavor and seafood fantastic-ness, but of course that is a decision you can make specific to your likes and dislikes.  I think you will enjoy it both ways. 

 

Recipe:

1 lb. Gigli pasta, cooked in salted water, to al dente and shocked, about 6 minutes

1 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled, cleaned and rinsed, tails on

1 lb. Ahi tuna, uncooked and portioned

1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into diagonals by thirds

1 pkg. or 5 oz. fresh Spinach, stems trimmed if needed

2 c. half and half

1 c. 2% milk

1 c. chicken, veggie or seafood stock

1 1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. onion powder 

1 1/2 tsp. fish sauce, optional

4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

1/4 c. yellow onion, small dice

1/2 stick or 4 oz. unsalted butter

Olive Oil (EV) for drizzling

1/4 c. AP flour

2 tbsp. Cajun spice or to taste, plus more for seasoning Tuna 

SPST (Salt and Pepper to Suit Taste) (I use Himalayan Pink Salt, Fine Grain)

Directions:

You may blanch the asparagus and spinach in your pasta water for 2 minutes (asparagus) and 30 seconds(spinach) then shock in cold water to save on cleanup and be more efficient.  This occurs after the pasta is removed. In the meantime, toss the peeled shrimp in the fish sauce and set aside.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat,  melt butter and drizzle in about two turns of the pan of Olive. 

Once melted and small bubbles are forming, add fresh onion and garlic.  Simmer for about 6 minutes until onions are translucent and fragrant, then sprinkle in flour.  

Cook out the flour for about 2 minutes, stirring often, then add the stock. 

Stir vigorously to combine, then add half and half and milk.

Stir continuously and add shrimp, cooking in sauce until pink and curled, about 3 minutes, remove from sauce base to add later with pasta.

Add cheeses, onion powder and Cajun seasoning and blend until smooth.

Check seasonings and SPST.

Add Pasta, asparagus, spinach and shrimp and fold until well coated and balanced. 

Simmer for a couple of minutes to marry flavors.  

Top with seared Ahi Tuna portions or chunks as desired, optional

Finish with a drizzle of Olive Oil and additional Cajun seasoning, optional.

Serve Immediately. 

Makes 8 to 10 main dish servings.

 

The XXL Hot Cheetos Burger

After much cajoling by the kiddoes, I decided to duplicate yet another food item from the Mukbang videos, the Hot Cheetos Burger.  This one, though seemingly rather easy from the video, gave way to a bit more of a challenge, as opposed to doing the chicken and even the pork cutlets, I didn't post those guys, but they were phenomenal.  In keeping with the burgers we saw on the video, they were easily 1/2 lb. each, way too much for my taste, for a single patty at least, though I do love a good double burger!  The size however, does lend to a protein with medium rare to medium outcome, of which I failed miserably and had to microwave my "Ginormagantuan" (borrowed from Stan Smith, American Dad) burger.  The microwave, though shunned by some, was a savior for this recipe, this time. 

 The burger demo calls for the par-cooked burger to be dipped in an egg wash, then doused liberally in the Hot Cheetos coating, then deep fried.  Due to the stupid crazy size of my burger, I was left with a burger, medium, with a raw center.  I used ground chuck mixed with super lean beef to achieve a more meaty and stable patty, I think I'll use the good old 75/25 blend, which is great for maintaining a super moist product, as long as you drain it properly, always pour off that extra animal fat, you don't need it, even if you add some olive oil back into the dish to retain moisture, it's still a 'better for you' fat, with no cholesterol.

Once I worked out the doneness kinks, the rest was smooth sailing.  For dramatic effect, I added Colby Jack Cheese, American cheese, which is just the right thing to do, some fries, WuJu Sauce and Blue Cheese, for a Hot Cheetos Loaded, Black and Blue Behemoth. For the record, WUJU is a beast!!  You will want it on everything!  The burger was rather tasty, but I will definitely make it with 2 patties instead of one next time and use corn starch before the first dip, to keep the red hot coating in place, its all about the crust.  The family received the burger well, and everyone was beyond stuffed.  They did however agree that the chicken and pork are more favorable candidates for our imminent next round of Hot Cheetos Mania coatings.  

 

Fourth of July: Decadent Frozen Desserts

A great way to celebrate Independence Day is with thanks, fellowship,  good food, grilling, booze  fireworks and fantastic desserts. With summer in full swing, any attempt to stay cool is welcome.  Nothing like frozen pie on a stick to round out a magnificent evening.  What's better, this pie is a Roasted Pumpkin Cream Pie, recipe by yours truly.  If you can't get into pumpkin, freeze your favorite pie and cut into serving slices. I used corn on the cob sticks to hold my pie in place, placing the stick in the pie after about 1 hour into freezing process.  Dip the slice of pie into dipping chocolate and place in freezer again, until nice and set.  To add festive and wonderful flair, place in individual sleeve and add colorful and relevant ribbon to tie it all off.  You can give them out for dessert or as a parting gift from the fantastic blowout of a cookout you had.  Your friends will remember it for years to come. 

Ending Discrimination: The Ugly Food Movement

We as consumers, naturally want the 'best' and 'most' for our buck, or at least what we perceive as such.  Now that is all fine and dandy as certain things go, for instance; we wouldn't pick up a loaf of sandwich bread that is already smooshed or a carton of eggs with cracked ones or even a box from the shelf, that has either a razor type slash or is slightly marred in any way.  

This of course is understandable, but sometimes this attitude makes certain very special produce a target to be forgotten.  We all love the perfectly round and bright tomato when picking our fruits.  We want to eat the rainbow and the colors to match. We want the stuff of legend and much falsity like the burgers and food scenes we see on television and in ads. We want the straight, perfect carrots like the ones Bugs Bunny always had.  The banana must be free of bruising and the pepper should sit upright when placed on the table.  You get the drift.   The 'ugly' produce is left in back or never even makes the cut when the buyer checks the crates or boxes.  Poor little veggies... "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet."

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

A simple truth, resonating from words, centuries past.  Let's give these loving morsels a chance, your carrot cakes,veggie medleys, casseroles and risottos will taste the same, if not better. Especially if you're going to cut it up anyway.   Better because we are doing a service to the energy it takes to grow produce.  Better because of the land usage and care the farmer, commercial or residential, has put into the finished product.  Better because the poverty levels in the United States are still rising. Children are hungry during the summer without school breakfasts and lunches to supplement.  

We are at the helm of  being some of the most wasteful consumers in the world.  We snub the ugly produce, while some long only for basic sustenance of a meal, that they didn't have to wait days for...

We must set aside the superficiality of our exacting standards, as far as food image is concerned. 

On a lighter note, the people in the know, myself included, are fine with the imperfect produce and are  able to cop these babies at a discount, saving upwards of 30  to 50% off, which for any economically savvy individual means lower food costs for the family. I think their design makes them special and unique, individuals among minions. Betterthaneverians. Not to mention the fun you can have guessing all the things it resembles. Thanks! And while you're at it, get on board and enjoy the bumpy, gnarled, Siamese twin looking ride! Be kind to the "Ugly" and "Imperfect" Produce and it will certainly be kind, delicious and money saving to you and for you! 

Stop Hating, Start Eating.  

French Onion Bread Bowl w/ Fresh Dill and Cheddar

A fast and simple way I like to dress up the normal menu is by using a loaf of herbed bread as a bowl.  In just a few simple steps, your friends and family will be impressed and you can be the 'Belle' or 'Ben' of the ball(game that is!) or your next gathering.  This recipe shows a french onion dip, but you may fill it with whatever your heart desires. Add some fresh herbs and a sprinkle of cheese/cheeses or even toasted bread crumbs from the center of the loaf, for added flavor and texture. Cater the size bread needed, to the amount of filling you will have or use smaller bread vessels to spread around the table. Day old or more bread would be easier to cut and manipulate.  Easy, Elevated and Delish. 
Instructions:
A loaf of French Bread of choice
A small paring knife
Your favorite dip, store bought or homemade
Fresh Herbs
Cheese, optional

Using the paring knife, cut out center of bread to about 1 inch from the edge, lengthwise, about 1/2 inch the other way.
Hollow out bread roughly 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches into the loaf.
Fill with dip of choice.
Garnish as desired.
Serve with crudites, assorted chips,(bagel, pita) etc.