Cherry Tomato Shrimp Scampi

I successfully ate shrimp for 7 meals last week. I’m not sure you can constitute that as successful, but regardless I did it. When I tested this shrimp scampi recipe earlier in the week I didn’t think about the fact that I’d be away for the weekend near water aka a surplus and desire to eat as much fish as possible. A spontaneous dinner date to a favorite seafood spot in town didn’t help either. After meal 7 I think I can confidently say I’ll be taking a siesta from shrimp for a bit, but you can bet when I’m ready again this recipe will be the one breaking my shrimp fast.

This recipe comes together so quickly. The white wine butter (I use ghee) sauce is kind of insane. Just hold the pasta, add crusty bread, you’ll be wanting to sop up every last bit. I also added tomatoes for a pop of color and flavor amongst the shrimp. Pair with an easy green salad, I just did butter lettuce, avocado slices, leftover parsley from the shrimp and a vinaigrette, and your meal is done.

Cherry Tomato Shrimp Scampi
yields 3 servings | recipe adapted from BevCooks

Ingredients:
1 lb. large frozen shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined
2 Tbsp. ghee (or butter)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ shallot, finely chopped
½ cup white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
10 oz cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 lemon, zest and juice
Salt and pepper
Crusty bread and a green salad, for serving

Directions:
Over medium heat, melt the ghee and olive oil in a large pan. Add the garlic, shallot, and tomatoes, and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the wine and crushed red pepper to the pan, and give it all a stir. Turn the heat to medium-low, put the lid on your pan, and let the tomatoes, garlic, and shallot simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to wilt.

Once the tomatoes are starting to soften, add the shrimp to the pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Squeeze half of the lemon into the pan and let the shrimp cook for about 1-2 minutes per side until pink. Stir in the lemon zest and parsley and give it a taste. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve in a low bowl with toasted crusty bread and a green salad!

Annie

This recipe was prepared in the Phantom Chef 11” Deep Fry Pan, a new favorite line of kitchenwares!

Del Corazon Ensalada

When you’re trying to be healthy at a tex-mex restaurant, so you order a salad only to have it change your life. I had this salad from Mesero for the first time last Friday. It comes across very basic on the menu, but I literally couldn’t get enough of it. The Del Corazon reads: bibb lettuce, hearts of palm, avocado, heirloom grape tomato, house-made vinaigrette. I’m having a moment with hearts of palm and artichokes after finding out they are sneaky full of fiber. So when I saw them in this salad I said add chicken and call it dinner.

It was one of those meals that as I was eating I knew I would have to recreate it. I know it sounds strange to have such a draw to a salad, but your girl loves her an entree salad so go with me. I woke up Saturday morning ehhhh slightly hungover after a few too many ranch waters and wanted nothing but said salad. I could have had it delivered but we were looking at $20+ after fees, so I walked my booty to my neighborhood Trader Joe’s and bought enough ingredients to serve four people at the same price delivery would have been.

I’ll wrap it up now and you can keep scrolling for the recipe. Oh and because this is everything, del corazon translates to from the heart, and I love this salad with all my heart.

Del Corazon Ensalada
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 - 7oz bag of butter lettuce
2 cups of spinach
1 avocado, cubed in large chunks
12oz. can hearts of palm, drained and sliced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

Dressing:
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (if you don’t have red pepper flakes a few dashes of hot sauce works great)
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. mustard (dijon or whole grain works best)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Start by prepping all of your toppings and salad dressing. The chicken cooks fast, so I like to do it last that way you can add the hot crispy chicken right to the top of the salad.

In a large salad bowl toss the butter lettuce and spinach together. Add the avocado, tomatoes, and hearts of palm on top. In a small bowl or mason jar, add all of the dressing ingredients, reserving 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Whisk or shake to combine, then set aside.

Heat the reserved tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the cubed chicken and let cook on one side, without moving, for about 2-3 minutes. You want to get that good crispy crust. Flip and cook for 2- 3 minutes on the other side. From there sprinkle a large pinch of salt over the chicken and stir around in the pan to make sure it is fully cooked through and crispy golden brown. Add the hot chicken to you salad. Pour on the dressing and toss to combine. Finish with some fresh ground pepper and cilantro leaves if you choose.

Annie

Bites of My Life

So is it kind of summer now? I know Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, but it feels like it’s already here to me. Despite the daze quarantine has put us in, since I’ve been back in Dallas as least, there feels to be a beat in the air that I only feel during the summer. You know; the accidental later nights since it stays light until 9pm, tanner skin, grilling out, laying by the pool, and the overall boost of happiness just because it’s summer? It may be due to the 90 degree temperatures we are having this week, but I’m here for it.

-Sampled Wild By Nature’s CBD sample pack last week. A 6 week starter kit to get your toes wet. They launch this Friday and I can’t wait to get my hands on more.
-Refreshed an old TAB archive post and was quickly reminded how delicious this recipe is.
-5pm topo and grapefruit mocktail is my favorite way to separate the work day to evening.
-Lunch ick-up from a Dallas favorite, Bird Bakery, to meet two friends, one of whom just moved back to Dallas from OKC!
-Team tiny canned fish yes or no? I’m a yes and so was my Trader Joe’s checker. Noticing I had anchovies in my cart, he insisted I had to try the smoked sardines and tossed a tin in my bag for free. TJs you are too good, the sardines on the other hand were fine…
-Mussels - actually incredibly easy to make. I urge you to try if you like mussels.
-A good ole fashioned Friday girls night that consisted of tex-mex, tequila, this guac, my new favorite dress and staying up past midnight talking.
-Teamed up with Wild By Nature (that I mentioned above) to make my Matcha Mint Smoothie inspired by their mint flavor of CBD. I went live from their account Sunday and it was one of the more fun lives I’ve done.
-When you have no patio space at your apartment and take to tanning on truly any public patch of grass you find.

Annie

Grapefruit + Rosemary Tequila Spritz

Trigger warning!! I hate margaritas. It’s not something I’m proud of, but I just cannot. I have tried and tried, but there is something about margaritas I don’t like, and I truly can’t put my finger on it. However, now that I’m a Texas girl I have fully bought into the Ranch Water (or as my dad calls them, Texas Trash Water) craze. Which in hand introduced me to Casamigos tequila, and now it is all I drink.

I started making these Grapefruit + Rosemary Tequila Spritzes while quarantining with my parents. They are super simple and refreshing and honestly we couldn’t get enough of them. They aren’t a margarita, but the perfect drink to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with!

Grapefruit + Rosemary Tequila Spritz
yields 1 cocktail

Ingredients:
1 ounce Casamigos tequila
1 ounce lemon or lime juice (I buy this brand so I don’t have to squeeze it myself)
2 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (again, I let Whole Foods squeeze it for me)
Grapefruit-flavored sparkling water (La Croix, Pellegrino, Topo Chico, Waterloo etc.)
small sprig of fresh rosemary
ice

Directions:
Fill your glass with ice. Place your sprig of rosemary in the palm of one hand, and slap it with your other hand. Almost like you are clapping with the rosemary between your hands. This helps release more of the essence from the fresh herb without having to muddle it. Place the rosemary in the glass. Pour the tequila, lemon juice, and grapefruit juice into your glass. Fill to the top with sparkling water. Garnish with a lemon wheel and sprig of rosemary. Cheers!

Annie

Okie Southern Salad

Disclosure: I'm totally ripping off a salad I had recently. The idea of roasted okra in a salad had me anxious to recreate. This salad takes the flavors and ingredients of Oklahoma in the summer. I guess Oklahoma is technically the "midwest" but Okie Midwest Salad doesn't have the same ring to it. My current binge of Bravo's Southern Charm must have me feelin' southn'.

Corn, okra, pecans, black eye peas, all the goods make it in here! And it all comes together with a grainy mustard vinaigrette. I prep all the ingredeints and eat on it for a week, but it also makes for a great entree salad for about 4 people. 

Okie Southern Salad
yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
2-3 romaine hearts, depending on size (i buy the 3 pack from Trader Joe's)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled
1, 15 oz can of black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion
1 lb. fresh okra
1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn (2 cobs)
3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
chive, small chop
olive oil
salt and pepper

Mustard Vinaigrette:
1 tbsp. grainy mustard
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. honey, agave or maple syrup
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Wash and pat dry your okra. Trim the ends off and slice about 3/4 of an inch thick. Place on a roasting sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, tossing half way through. 

While the okra is roasting, time to make the dressing. In a mason jar combine all ingredients. Twist on the lid and shake to combine. A small bowl and whisk will work fine I just prefer the jar method!

Slice the ends off your romaine hearts. Chop into big shreds and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Drain and rinse your black eyed peas and set aside. Slice your small red onion in half and finely dice 1/2 of it, set aside. Slice your grilled chicken breasts into thin slices, set aside.

Your okra should be finishing up. Once out of the oven, transfer the okra to a plate and set aside. Using the same roasting sheet add your fresh off the cob or frozen corn. Turn the oven up to broil and broil for 3-5 minutes watching it the whole time. This is my longtime method of getting that grilled corn taste without having to deal with the hassle of a grill. You don't even have to thaw the frozen corn. 

Time to assemble. Over the chopped romaine, add in black eyed peas (you can heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute or leave them room temp), roasted corn, diced red onion, roasted okra, chopped pecans and chicken. Drizzle over as much or as little dressing as you like. Toss to combine. Garnish with chopped chive and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 

*This salad is really just a process of prepping ingredients and then tossing all together. When I make this for one person (moi), I prep each ingredient then store separately in the fridge. To make, just reheat the chicken, okra and corn. Then toss with remaining ingredients, portioned out for one serving. 

Annie