Mini Key Lime Pies and a Great Summer Lunch Menu

A couple of months ago I was asked to cater a luncheon for the Department Head of one of the schools at UGA. When I started planning my menu, I decided what dessert I wanted to make first and then planned the rest of the menu around that. I saw these adorable Mini Key Lime Pies and I knew they would be the perfect summer treat and a great way to end any summer lunch.
The main dish was this delicious salad which I have made many times before and since this event. It is one of the best tasting salads and I love the cute presentation of each individual serving in mason jars.


I can't ever go wrong with the simple roasted shrimp that my family loves, so I added that to the menu as well.
The last thing I made was this wonderful Red Lentil dip that is served with pita chips. I remember when I first made it a couple years ago and it is seriously one of the best dips ever invented.
The luncheon was an overwhelming success and I got wonderful, positive feedback. It was so much fun to organize, put together and present this meal. I love making delicious food and sharing it with other people.

Here is the recipe for Greek Salad with Orzo and Black-eyed Peas from epicurious (I made it exactly as the recipes states this time) and here is my adaptation when I made it last time

Here is the basic recipe for the Roasted Shrimp, this time I added a little Greek Seasoning to the shrimp and roasted them at 450 degrees for 7 minutes

Here is the recipe for Garlicky Red Lentil Dal with my changes, originally from Cooking Light

Here is the recipe for Mini Key Lime Pies as seen on Plum Pie
* I doubled the recipe for the crust and made 8 mini pies
*I made a sweetened whipped cream topping, but not with rum- just vanilla and powdered sugar

Garlic Shrimp and Chickpeas

This is a super easy, delicious dinner that I made when my parents were here visiting us. I almost always roast shrimp in the oven when we have it for dinner and I have roasted chickpeas in the oven before too, so the method wasn't new to me at all. However, I had never thought to combine these two ingredients- shrimp and chickpeas.

I am happy to say that this combination really works! If you have ever roasted chickpeas, then you know that they get nice and crunchy. That texture was wonderful with the shrimp.
We had a beautiful green salad on the side, with lots of spring greens and romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes and a few people at the table ended up putting the shrimp/chickpea mixture on top of their salad. I had to try it out and it made for a delicious salad.


Here is the recipe for Garlic Shrimp and Chickpeas from the Food Network Magazine
* I only used 3 Tablespoons of olive oil- 1 for the chickpeas, 1 for the shrimp marinade and 1 at the end
* I added the juice of 1 lemon to the shrimp marinade, it seemed silly not to

Orzo & Shrimp Salad

I went to random.org to find a winner for my fig giveaway and the winner is #6- Rachel, who said "I would love a bunch of fresh figs, I love anything with fig but I've actually never had fresh ones - I love the way they look inside! =)".

I hope she enjoys her fresh figs!

Now onto today's recipe, which is something I threw together a couple of weeks ago.
We eat roasted shrimp at least once a week and this was one of the version's that I made recently. I thought it would taste great with some orzo and roasted vegetables. I also added some fresh corn kernels since summer is winding down a little bit, I thought I would get some fresh corn in while I can.
This was a really delicious dinner. Sorry the instructions are a little crazy, but I just tried to record what I did, since I just made this one up. I make up dinners all the time, but usually don't post them. This one was just too good to pass up.

Orzo & Shrimp Salad by Mary Ann
First, get your water boiling for your orzo (I used half a box). Prepare that according to the package directions. Then roast your vegetables- I used asparagus and red bell pepper this time. Set them aside while you prep the other parts of the salad.
Turn down the oven temperature and roast your shrimp. While the shrimp is roasting, cut your corn off the cob.
By this time the orzo should be ready, drain the orzo and put it in a large bowl. Add the roasted vegetables and corn kernels.
Then add about 1 Tbls olive oil, the lime juice, 1 Tbls red wine vinegar and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil, vinegar or lime juice, to taste.
Serve in bowls and top with roasted shrimp.

Roasted Veggies
1 pd of asparagus
1 red bell pepper
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Chop vegetables into 1-inch pieces and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 12-15 minutes or until veggies are crisp- tender.

Roasted Shrimp
juice of 1 lime
olive oil
salt
pepper
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 pd peeled and deveined shrimp

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the thawed shrimp on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, the lime juice, and season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top and toss everything together with your fingers. Roast for 8-10 minutes, until shrimp is pink and firm.

To finish off the salad you need-
2 cobs of fresh corn, kernels cut off
1-3 Tbls olive oil
juice of 1/2 or 1 lime
salt
pepper
1 -3 Tbls red wine vinegar
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley

Roasted Shrimp with Lemon, Garlic, & Parsley

This is another dish that we had for our Father's Day dinner that I made because I knew my kids and husband would love it. I used the same basic recipe for roasting the shrimp that I used a few months ago. I just added some different flavors this time around.

My friend that was visiting with us doesn't like shrimp, but she was intrigued by the fact that I roasted the shrimp, so she decided to try one. She loved it! She said it was the best shrimp and that roasting it completely changes the texture and makes it firm and delicious.

We also made this when we went to DC for our visit and it was loved by my sister and her family as well.

Roasted Shrimp with Lemon, Garlic and Parsley- technique from Ina Garten

1-2 pds shrimp with tails, peeled and deveined (thawed if frozen)
1-2 Tbls olive oil
juice of 1/2-1 lemon (or more)
1-2 garlic clove, minced
salt
pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the shrimp on a sheet pan. Drizzle them with olive oil and lemon juice. Add the minced garlic, chopped parsley, and season with salt & pepper. Toss together with your fingers and arrange the shrimp in a single layer.

Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, just until pink and firm and cooked through.

Serve immediately, with lemon wedges.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Cabbage with Roasted Shrimp

On one of our recent trips to the Farmer's Market, we were able to get some beautiful swiss chard, kale, red leaf lettuce, and bok choy. All from the same farmer. He was so grateful for our business or maybe just thought my girls were so cute, that he threw in another bunch of bok choy, free of charge.

I decided a simple stir fry was in order and found the perfect recipe.
I had also been wanting to try Ina's method of roasting shrimp in the oven and it turned out to be a perfect meal. I added some brown rice to round out the meal.

My kids loved this shrimp.
The stir fry was mild enough for them too, so this was a really kid friendly dinner.

Recipe for Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Cabbage

Recipe for Roasted Shrimp

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp

What a busy morning! Do you ever just feel like you are running around and before you know it, it is lunchtime?

Anyway- on to today's food- Shrimp.

I have mentioned before how much my kids and husband love shrimp and fish. We finally got around to trying crawfish (that is a for another day) and when we were at the seafood counter, my kids were pointing out the things they want to try next- scallops, clams, mussels and the tiny salad shrimp.
I am glad that they are so adventurous.
I had some shrimp left in the freezer and we were going to have a busy night, so I marinated the shrimp for a little bit and cooked it up right before we got in the car to go somewhere.
I gave everyone a plastic container filled with these shrimp and some steamed asparagus. Everyone also got a fork and we were off.

This recipe originally calls for the shrimp to be soaked in a salt/sugar mixture and then rinsed, skewered and grilled.
I skipped the salt soak and marinated my shrimp in the lemon-mixture for about an hour. Then I just cooked my shrimp in a little bit of olive oil, in a saute pan. They were ready in a matter of minutes. Nothing complicated or strange here.
Easy flavors and easy preparation.
My family loved it.



Recipe for Lemon-Garlic Shrimp

One Year Ago-Slider Caesar Salad and Veggie Manicotti

Asparagus and Shrimp Stir-Fry on Noodle Pillows

Maybe my kids are a little strange, but they absolutely love shrimp. Any way you prepare it. Hot, cold, battered and fried, naked, spiced, sauced-whatever you want, they love it. (Sorry, I realize I was getting a little Bubba-esque there about the shrimp).

They also are really fond of asparagus. If my 4-yr old sees it when we go to the grocery store, she begs for it. She complains about celery, but not asparagus.
I thought that was kinda strange because I just as an adult learned to love asparagus a few years ago, but I am not complaining.

I saw this cute stir-fry recipe and knew my whole family would love it. No bribing would be involved and that basically sold me on trying it.

You boil your pasta noodles and toss them with a little sesame oil and then form them into little nests and bake them in the oven until the outer edges and brown and crispy. Yum! The original recipe called for Asian wheat noodles, but I just used whole wheat vermicelli instead since I had some in my pantry.

The stir-fry is really basic- ginger, soy sauce, and garlic. I used canola oil to stir-fry my asparagus and shrimp.

My husband loves shrimp too, so this dinner was quickly gobbled down, with everyone asking for more shrimp. I love it when that happens.

p.s. You can still enter my giveaway, if you haven't already- just leave a comment HERE

Recipe for Asparagus and Shrimp Stir-Fry on Noodle Pillows



One Year Ago-Grown Up Mac and Cheese with Turkey Bacon and Broccoli

Cooking Light Night- Chinese New Year- Stir Fried Shrimp, Stir-Fried Bok Choy, Chinese Dumplings, Long Life Noodles, and Double Mango Pudding

Happy Chinese New Year!

When I got the January 2009 issue of Cooking Light, the Chinese New Year menu caught my eye. It looked like the perfect menu to serve up at a party. I have never celebrated Chinese New Year, but thought that this menu was a good excuse to invite people over and have a party. We actually celebrated the Monday before since everyone was out of school and a few people were off of work. We had 12 adults and 5 kids that ate with us and the amount of food was perfect. This menu appealed to me because we love to eat stir fry and potstickers are also a family favorite. Also, all of these dishes came together really fast, so we didn't have to spend all day in the kitchen. I made the Mango pudding the night before and got the potsticker filling ready early in the day.

Overall, we loved this menu. The stir fries were delicious and the sauces were flavorful. We topped the pudding with whipped cream when we served it and it was a big hit.

I asked my husband if he liked these potsticker more than the ones that I make very frequently (Check them out HERE) and he wasn't sure because these ones were really good. If you need something quick to celebrate Chinese New Year tonight, try one of these- any or all of them are real crowd pleasers!

Just click on these links for the recipes:

Chinese Pot Stickers
Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Lettuce with Mushrooms

Long Life Noodles
Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlic and Chile Sauce

Double Mango Pudding from Cooking Light January 2009

Orange mangoes symbolize gold and riches. Prepare and chill pudding the night before. Whip the cream just before serving, and allow guests to dollop some on their own desserts.

3 mangoes, peeled and divided

2 1/4 cups water, divided

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup whipping cream

1. Coarsely chop 2 mangoes. Dice the remaining mango.
2. Combine coarsely chopped mangoes and 1/4 cup water in a blender; process until smooth. Press puree through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids.
3. Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add sugar to pan, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Sprinkle unflavored gelatin over water in the saucepan; let stand 1 minute. Add the mango puree, stirring with a whisk. Pour the mixture evenly into each of 8 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups. Cover and chill overnight or until set. Top evenly with diced mango.
4. Place cream in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Serve with pudding.

Up Next- Tuesday's with Dorie- Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

Edamame Soup with Feta Croutons and Shrimp or Chicken Summer Rolls with Honey-Lime Dipping Sauce

This was a great tasting dinner. The soup was so simple, but very flavorful and the spring rolls were so much fun to make and eat. I made some of the spring rolls with chicken and some with shrimp (that was precooked). If you are looking for a fun, summery dinner, this is it! Hurry, time is running out!


Edamame Soup with Feta Croutons from BH&G Magazine

3/4 cup chopped sweet onion

4 tsp canola oil

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 14-oz cans chicken or vegetable broth

1 12-oz pkg. frozen shelled edamame

1 1/2 tsp snipped fresh thyme

1 egg white

1 Tbsp water

1/2 cup panko crumbs

4 oz. reduced fat feta cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1. In a saucepan, cook onion in 2 tsps of hot oil over medium heat or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and garlic; cook and stir 1 minute more. Add broth and edamame. Bring to boiling;reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until edamame and carrots are tender. stir in thyme.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat egg white and water with a fork until frothy. Place panko crumbs in another small bowl. Dip feta cubes, one at a time, into egg white to coat. Allow excess egg white to drop off; coat feta cubes with panko crumbs. In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tsps oil over medium-high heat. Add feta cubes. Cook 2-3 minutes or until browned but not softened,

turning carefully to brown all sides of cubes. Drain on paper towels.

3. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with feta croutons, and if desired, additional thyme.

Chicken Summer Rolls with Honey-Lime Dipping Sauce from Health Magazine

For the dipping sauce:

2 Tbls honey

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

For the summer rolls:

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 pd. boneless, skinless chicken breast

8 8-inch round sheets rice paper

8 romaine leaves, sliced into large strips

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated

1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lime juice, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add chicken, lower heat to simmer, and

poach about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Place chicken on a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred with you hands.

To assemble rolls:

1- Briefly dip on sheet of rice paper at a time into a pie plate or shallow bowl filled with warm water until soft and pliable. Lay each rice paper on a clean kitchen towel to absorb water.

2- Place romaine strips, about 1/3 cup shredded chicken, a few red pepper slices, and 2 Tbls each carrots and bean sprouts in the center of the rice paper. Sprinkle on scallions, mint and cilantro.

3- Fold the two side edges of the rice paper toward the center to hold in the ingredients and tightly roll up the paper. Repeat until you have made 8 rolls.