Grilled Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Scampi always seems like a good idea – until you look at recipes that call for mountains of butter or oil. I’m not afraid of butter – but my ass and thighs can be a little vindictive. I recently came across a scampi recipe that replaced all of the fat with chicken stock. Good idea! I thought, but the rest of the recipe had little to offer. So I incorporated the use of chicken stock with a better Scampi recipe, and came out with a pretty good (lower fat) Shrimp Scampi.

I marinated and grilled my shrimp. If you don’t feel like grilling (or the weather isn’t so good) you can saute the shrimp in the pan before you start your sauce. Drain the shrimp from the marinade, and quickly cook them in your pot. Set them aside when they are slightly under cooked, they will cook through while they rest on the plate (this goes for grilling the shrimp too).  The sauce goes together quickly, so don’t worry about your shrimp getting cold.

Grilled Shrimp Scampi

• 1 Lb. pasta (linguine)
• 1 T. butter
• 1. T. olive oil
• 4 -6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 C. white wine (Chardonnay)
• 1 C. chicken stock
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grilled shrimp
• Garlic bread crumbs

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside. In a large pot, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add in garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the wine, and allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Add in stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper; simmer for 5 minutes. Add reserved pasta and handful of parsley to sauce. Reduce heat to low, and cook pasta for about 5 minutes or until pasta is cooked through and soaked up most of the sauce.

To serve, plate pasta into a shallow bowl. Top with 6 or 7 shrimp and 1 to 2 Tablespoons of bread crumbs.

Grilled Garlic & Lemon Shrimp

• 1 Lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• wooden skewers

Combine lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add shrimp and marinate for 30 minutes. Put shrimp onto skewers (5 or 6 per stick). Grill over medium heat for 3 minutes per side, or until almost cooked through. Remove from heat and allow to rest while you prepare the sauce. Remove from skewers to serve.

Garlic Bread Crumbs

• 4 – 6 slices bread
• 1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 2 T. olive oil

In a food processor, pulse bread and garlic until finely ground. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in garlic bread crumbs and cook until golden, stirring frequently.

White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese

We eat alot of macaroni and cheese around here – Kraft from the box, made from scratch, out at a restaurant….when you have a 3 year old, mac and cheese is a regular. I make a few different versions of homemade macaroni and cheese, but this one is a household favorite (I think it’s the garlic breadcrumb topping….)

• 1/2 Lb. small pasta (macaroni, shells, rigatoni, etc)
• 1/4 C. sour cream
• 1/4 C. milk
• 3 T. butter
• 4 oz. extra sharp white cheddar, grated
• 4 oz. pepper jack, grated
• 2 oz. parmesan, grated
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. mustard powder
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 – 1 C. garlic bread crumbs

Cook pasta to package directions. Drain and pour back into the pan. Add in butter, stir until melted. Stir in sour cream until all pasta is coated. Add in cheese and seasonings. Stir until coated. Pour into greased baking dish. Top with bread crumbs and bake at 350 for 30 minutes (or until top is brown and dish is bubbly).

Garlic Bread Crumbs

In a food processor, pulse leftover garlic bread until fine. Alternatively – use day old, toasted bread, 1 clove garlic, salt and pepper, and 1 tsp. olive oil. Pulse until fine crumbs.