shrimps

The other night was Mama Muffin's birthday, and so it was time for a yummy b-day dinner. We went for something simple yet special, shrimps! We served it with green beans and garlic along with these potatoes, a tasty favorite. And the recipe below is for a pretty basic shrimp scampi dish. I cobbled together a few that I found online, but I think this can be considered a muffin original, right?

1 lb shrimp
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
4 large cloves garlic
1/4 c vermouth
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 c parsley

Heat the butter and oil over med-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic. Saute until shrimp is almost completely pink. Add the vermouth and cook until almost evaporated. Add the lemon juice and cook down. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley and serve.

Deviled Eggs with Crabmeat

I've recently been having a renewed love affair with the hardboiled egg. It began with my trip to India. I'm guessing you know this, but muffin and spicy don't get along. Needless to say I didn't have extensive food choices, and anyone who knows me knows: this girl's gotta eat! And so I re-embraced the hardboiled egg, in all of it's protein-y goodness. A simple hardboiled egg, cut in half and salted is one of life's great pleasures, but what if you want more?

This brings me to the deviled egg...you know, the hardboiled egg on steroids. And then, to ratchet it up another notch, throw in some crabmeat. Yep, you heard me, crabmeat. I mean, who doesn't love a good ol' deviled egg? So here's a gourmet version.


6 eggs, hard boiled
3 1/3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 1/3 tbsp celery, very finely chopped
1 1/3 tbsp white onion, very finely chopped
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
worcestershire sauce, a few drops
salt & pepper to taste
6 oz canned crabmeat

Cut peeled eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolks
Mash yolks and the rest of the ingredients, adjust to taste
Refill whites with yolk mixture and serve
[Garnish Note: you can dust with paprika if you like, though I've found this to be purely decorative. Another garnish you can try is small sprigs of parsley on top of each egg]

Hardboiled Eggs: the best and easiest way to make them is to cover them with about 1 inch of cold water, bring to a boil, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 13 minutes. Then place them in a cold water bath to stop their cooking.

Shrimp & Vegetable Stir-Fry

Here's one I made before keeten's birthday, and it seemed to be a hit. Nothing like filling up on some stir-fried goodness before going out and getting shit-faced, birthday style.

Also, this could just as easily be made with a different meat or completely veggie. If you choose to use a different meat, it will need to be added earlier than the shrimp.

Shrimp & Vegetable Stir-Fry

2 shallots, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced into sticks
1/2 red pepper and 1/2 green pepper, sliced into sticks
6 scallions, sliced into lengths
4 cloves garlic, chopped
small bunch chives
1 lb shrimp, shelled
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp rice wine
vegetable oil

Heat the oil in a wok over med-high heat
When hot, add the shallots, zucchini and garlic. Cook until they start to soften (4 min?)
Add the peppers and scallions and cook for an additional few minutes
Add the shrimp, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine
When the shrimp turn pink, add the chives and cook for one minute more.

Serve over steamed rice.