Fried Cornmeal Shrimp with Butternut Squash Risotto

I enjoyed getting a little silly with this dish. I had blue cornmeal on hand, and I just couldn't resist the idea of crusting my little shrimps with it. I think the contrast between the shrimp and the risotto is lovely, too.

Happy First Day of Spring, btw. The weather here is more than a bit crazy. I feel like we're going to get blown away at any minute, the wind is so wicked. It was one of those mornings that had me not wanting to get out of our nice warm cozy bed. I even got back in a few times... got up, fed the cats, got back into bed. Got up, started the shower, got back into bed. I stayed in as long as I could... but we have bills to pay, so off to work I went. Sad. :)

This dish would be perfect for a windy, chilly day like today, because you'll need to hover over the stove stirring the risotto. I always feel like risotto is something of a present to myself on a cold day, because I'm almost always cold at home, so hovering over a nice warm stove makes me really happy.

I cheated a little and roasted my squash the night before. This is also a good time to get your shrimp soaking in their garlicy marinade. Both of those pieces accomplished, all you really need to worry about is stirring your rice and battering and frying your shrimp.

One last note about the shrimp and risotto, and then I'll shush up. These go really well together. The cornmeal-crust is such a nice crunchy contrast to the creamy risotto. The spark of the garlic in the shrimp popped against the smooth friendliness of the butternut squash. All around, this dish was just plain great.

Fried Cornmeal Shrimp with Butternut Squash Risotto
c/o Bon Appetit Magazine, October 2007
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/240105

1 1 3/4- to 2-pound butternut squash

24 uncooked large shrimp (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled, deveined
3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 large garlic cloves, peeled, smashed, plus 2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine

Vegetable oil (for frying)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce squash several times. Place on baking sheet; roast until tender, about 1 hour. Cool. Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Scoop flesh into processor. Puree until smooth. Measure 1 1/2 cups puree (reserve remaining puree for another use).

Place shrimp, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and 3 smashed garlic cloves in large reseal-able plastic bag; turn to coat. Chill 2 to 3 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Stir cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss. Arrange in single layer on large plate.

Preheat oven to 200°F. Bring broth to simmer in heavy small saucepan; reduce heat to low and keep hot. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and 2 teaspoons thyme; stir 1 minute. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add wine; stir until almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 cup hot broth and cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue adding hot broth 1 cup at a time and stirring frequently until rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add enough vegetable oil to heavy large skillet to reach depth of 1/4 inch. Heat oil over high heat. Working in 2 batches, fry shrimp until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper-towel-lined baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.

Re-warm reserved 1 1/2 cups squash puree in microwave. Add warm puree to risotto and stir until rice is tender but still firm, about 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and remaining 2 teaspoons thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide risotto among bowls. Top with shrimp and serve.

See the recipe...

Baked Goat Cheese and Roasted Winter Squash over Garlicky Fettuccine

I'll admit it. I have a problem. I tend to focus on an ingredient and then make it eleventy billion ways. At that point, Dave is tired of eating it, so I move on to something else. It may take a while for me to fixate on something new, but the fixation is inevitable. I don't see what's so wrong with it, myself. I look at it as fully exploring and experimenting with an ingredient. Or something. :)

This dish features two of my more recent loves (butternut squash and fresh pasta), plus one I can't let go (goat cheese). I think all three are easily explainable, don't you? It's Winter, and butternut squash is in season, so I am taking advantage of the opportunity to eat seasonably. Fresh pasta is so easy to make (provided you have the right equipment, otherwise not so much) and tastes so so nice. And the goat cheese? Well... it's goat cheese! What's not to like???

The cubing of all that squash was a bit time consuming, but very worth it. I really like recipes that let you pop them in the oven for a while. I use that time to clean up the kitchen or the apartment or generally horse around. Before I know it, dinner is ready! Rad!

I didn't expect to love the garlicky fettuccine as much as I did. But combined with the creamy roasted squash, the sweet bell pepper, and the tangy goat cheese... omg.... heaven! I was also partially convinced that the goat cheese would ooze all over the place in the oven, but it didn't. Don't be upset if the bread crumbs don't totally stick to the cheese, mine didn't either.

We had this on a Friday night and then had the leftover veg and cheese on new pasta for lunch on Saturday and they were just as good the second day. I highly recommend this. Highly. Go eat it. :)

Edit: I almost forgot AGAIN!!!! (skip blogging for a while and you lose your brains!) Pop on over to Ruth's blog, Once Upon a Feast for her weekly Presto Pasta Night Roundups! She collects some of the most amazing pasta dishes I've ever seen and shares them with us every Friday! Once you're there, check out her other tasty entries! When I have no idea what I'm going to make for dinner, I know that I can go to Ruth's site and find something healthy and delicious!


Baked Goat Cheese and Roasted Winter Squash over Garlicky Fettuccine
c/o Cooking Light Magazine, December 2006
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1559238

6 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled kabocha or butternut squash (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (4-ounce) packages goat cheese
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 pound uncooked fettuccine
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Rosemary sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place squash and bell pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil; toss well. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and black pepper. Bake at 425° for 40 minutes, stirring once.

Place goat cheese in freezer 10 minutes. Cut cheese crosswise into 8 equal rounds. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Dredge each round in breadcrumbs; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 6 minutes.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Return pasta to pan; add reserved pasta cooking water, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, red pepper, and garlic, tossing to coat. Place 1 1/4 cups pasta in each of 8 shallow bowls; top each serving with about 1/2 cup squash mixture and 1 goat cheese round. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

cals 423, fat 14.1g, sat fat 7.4g, protein 17.8g, cholesterol 30mg, calcium 290mg, sodium 439mg, fiber 2.7g, iron 2.1mg, carbs 54.7g

See the recipe...

Grilled Wild Boar Chops. You heard me - WILD BOAR!!!!

I picked up two big, thick wild boar chops from my butcher on a whim a few weeks ago. No plan for them, but I knew I could have a plan... some day... and I really liked the idea of being able to whip up a wild boar chop dinner on the fly. 'Cause like... who does that? :)

Well, we had the perfect occasion tonight. You see, today is our Second First Wedding Anniversary. If you recall, we had our First First Anniversary in Las Vegas in August... and today, a year ago, we had our second wedding in our church with our closest friends and family in attendance.

Now, we'd never had wild boar before. We like pork well enough, so I thought this wouldn't be too much of a stretch. I had no idea I would like these wild boar chops SO MUCH, though. The flavor of the meat is nice and delicate and not wild-animal-ish at all. The lemon/rosemary/garlic marinade didn't overwhelm it at all.

I served the chops with some buttered and rosemary red potatoes and green beans, both fresh from the morning's farmers market. We followed dinner with a lovely chocolate cake, but it gets its own post!!

I tried to work in a third wedding somewhere, but Dave wouldn't have it. I guess two is enough. ;)

Grilled Wild Boar Chops
c/o http://www.recipezaar.com/126240

4 servings
6 hours 5 hours prep

4 wild boar chops
3 meyer lemons, juiced
1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt and pepper the chops. Place chops in roomy, non-metal container so each chop lays flat.

Whisk all ingredients (sans chops) for marinade. Pour marinade over chops. Cover and refrigerate at least (4) hours, turning every hour or so.

Prepare grill/fire for direct heat on high. Sear chops on both sides for 2 minutes. Turn heat down or place chops on cooler part of grill for remaining cooking. Close lid and cook about 5 minutes on each side for medium rare.

Let chops rest at room temp for 10 minutes before serving.

See the recipe...

My First Post!

I'll explain egg-fish eventually, I promise!!

For the time being, I'm going to mess with the settings/look/feel a bit.

Now, the recipe originally called for spaghetti, but we didn't have any, so I used gobbetti (my favorite is by Bionaturae) and it worked out well. I also roasted two chicken breasts in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes, chopped them up, and tossed them in. No photo because I didn't know I was going to be a blogger! :)

I really enjoyed what we had for dinner last night, even if D. was frightened of it when I described it to him. Adapted from The Passionate Cook's recipe, dinner was as follows:

Gobbetti with Avocado & Cashew Pesto
(serves 4)

5 oz cashew nuts
5 oz g parmesan
4 cloves garlic
3 oz basil
¼ tsp dried crushed chili flakes
3 avocados
4 oz olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
14 oz pasta

optional: 2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks

Toast the cashews in a dry, non-stick pan until browning and fragrant. Add to a food processor with the garlic cloves and grind until very fine. Grinding the garlic with the hot cashews will almost "cook" it - rendering the garlic less sharp and smoother in taste.

Chop the basil in the food processor - of you're having trouble with the blades pushing the leaves up too much without chopping them, add some of the nuts to weigh them down. You can also start adding some oil. When all the basil and nuts are combined, reserve in a bowl. Mash the avocados in the food processor (or with a fork) very finely, then combine with the nuts & basil. Add olive oil to achieve a smooth paste. Season with lemon juice and chili flakes, add half the parmesan, and salt & pepper to taste.

If preparing this in advance, leave one stone of the avocados in the pesto, smooth the top of the pesto and tightly cover with cling film.

Cook 14 oz pasta to packages instructions. Drain, then stir in the pesto and serve immediately, topping with remaining parmesan.

See the recipe...