Some good shrimp

I like grilling raw shrimp, but frozen precooked is okay too.

Thaw, clean and place in a bowl. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.

Drench the shrimp in good virgin oil. Sprinkle with generous amounts of garlic powder, Lawry’s seasoning salt and Old Bay spice mix. Let the spiced shrimp chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Get the coals nice and hot. Place the spiced shrimp in a metal grill basket and lay it on the grill. Put your cover over the basket and trap that tasty smoke while grilling the shrimp. Shake the basket often, cook until white and firm, about 4 minutes.

Serve with grits, or over rice. I like a good sweet potato on the side.

Yummmm

Paul’s Bien Tacos

I’ve been making homemade tacos for years, something quick and easy, yet with a complex taste and highly adapted from the ordinary. My kids love em, yet fast food deprived, they know little else. So here’s it for those who are interested.

1lb ground turkey (not the lean variety)
1 packet McCormick Chicken Taco Seasoning
seasonings, pepper and garlic salt
1 can black beans
3 limes
white sugar
1 pack of cherry tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro
1 teaspoon green chilis

Course ground cheese ( I buy the packets of Mexican cheese already shredded)

Taco shells (I like the white shells best)

Fry the ground turkey till done, add the seasoning packet, some ground pepper, a generous amount of garlic salt and about 4 tablespoons water. Continue to simmer until the moisture is cooked out and the spices infuse the meat. Now drain and rinse the beans before adding to the seasoned meat, warm the mixture, then turn off the heat.

To make the salsa, halve the cherry tomatoes, and add the juice of the three limes (including the pulp), season with sugar and the teaspoon of green chilis. Next chop the bunch of cilantro as fine as you can. Add half to the salsa and half to the meat.

Just before serving, drain some of the juice from the salsa and add to the meat and bean mixture.

Heat the taco shells in 250 oven for 10 minutes.

Serve the whole lot together; meat with beans, salsa, shells, cheese, and other additions as you like.

Chicken Cilantro on Chips

This is a big hit at my house with the kids, and I can get it to the table in 15 minutes flat.

4 gloves garlic finely chopped

olive oil

2 limes

one bunch cilantro chopped fine

cumin

cayenne

garlic salt

course ground pepper

chicken strips (or cut up breast into strips)

one can black beans

white sugar

blue corn chips, try to get unsalted organic kind (salted can make this dish too salty)

shredded cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in fry pan. Add garlic and saute until really brown. Then add chicken strips, season with garlic salt and pepper and fry till cooked. 

Juice the lime and add the juice and pulp to the mixture. Add sugar to test. Add the drained black beans. Add chopped cilantro, about half the bunch. Quickly warm the mixture and spice with cayenne and cumin to taste. Stay light on the cayenne but be generous with the cumin. Do not cook as you will lose the fresh taste of the cilantro. 

Lay a bed of blue chips on the plate. Place the mixture on the chips. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and around the sides. Micrwave for only a minute to melt cheese. Should look like nachos.  Serve immediately.

Paul’s Caprese with Linguini

This is a simple dish with fresh flavors and needs the best ingredients you can find/afford.

Boil water and cook your linguini as you prepare the dish.

Cover the bottom of a large skillet with some great olive oil, use extra virgin that is dark in color and has a nutty flavor.

Heat the oil as you finely chop six big cloves of garlic. Place them in the hot oil and simmer to very brown, then take off the heat and allow it to cool.

Add to the oil and garlic two tablespoons course ground mustard, 3 tablespoons dark Balsamic vinegar, sugar to taste, and grind a generous portion of black pepper into the mix, and then add a little salt. I also add some sweet chili sauce, about a teaspoon, to kick it up a bit.

Slice 4 ripe tomatoes into cubes, the freshest you can find.

Chop a whole bunch of fresh basil (about a 1/4 cup) and divide into two equal portions.

Add the tomatoes and a half portion of the fresh basil to the pan of oil and spices. Let this mixture sit while you cook the pasta. The tomatoes will soak in the flavor of the mixture and be happy.

Okay, if the pasta is almost done place the tomatoes on the heat and gently warm them to just a simmer. If you cook them you will ruin the dish and get mush sauce, so keep a close eye.

Drain the pasta. Place in a large serving bowl and drizzle olive oil all over to prevent the pasta sticking together. Grind fresh black pepper over the pasta, add the rest of the basil and combine well.

Chop some whole milk mozzarella into small cubes. Add to the pasta and toss. Now pour the tomato mixture over the pasta and serve. Yumm.