Friday, January 08, 2010

'AND FINALLY WINTER ...' ~ BAKED SHRIMP SCAMPI / LEMONY CAESAR SALAD with PUMPERNICKEL CROUTONS



"And finally Winter, with its bitin', whinin' wind,

and all the land will be mantled with snow."


~ Roy Bean





WINDOWS ~ INSIDE/OUT
(1 st Snow of the New Year)
Bloomfield Village

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BAKED SHRIMP SCAMPI

~ Easy supper with a fresh lemony bite
(adapted from Barefoot Contessa -Back to Basics)

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2 lbs. (12-15 per pound) deveined shrimp with tail
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. dry white wine or vermouth
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter (room temperature)
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
juice and zest of 1 large lemon
2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
additional chopped parsley
Lemon wedges

  • Preheat oven to 425º.
  • Butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tail on. Place shrimp in a mixing bowl and gently toss with the olive oil, wine, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while making the butter and garlic mixture.
  • In a small bowl, mash softened butter with garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. salt, and coarse pepper to taste. Combine well.
  • Starting at outer edge of 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange shrimp in a single layer, cut side down, with tails curling up and towards center of the dish. Pour remaining marinade over shrimp. Spread butter mixture evenly over shrimp. Sprinkle panko evenly over top and finish with additional chopped parsley.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes until bubbly. Finish browning under broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges. (6 servings)

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LEMONY CEASAR SALAD with PUMPERNICKEL CROUTONS

1 large head romaine lettuce
Large chunk of Parmigiana Reggiano
Pumpernickel Croutons

Caesar Vinaigrette:

12 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tin drained anchovy fillets
freshly ground pepper to taste


  • Pumpernickel Croutons: Preheat oven to 400º. Toss 2 cups (1/2-inch cubes) pumpernickel bread with 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle heavily with cracked pepper. Spread on baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until crisp. (Can make ahead)
  • Caesar Vinaigrette: Combine all ingredients (but olive oil) in blender. Gradually add olive oil and process until creamy.
  • Add bite-size pieces of crisp Romaine to large salad bowl. Toss gently with Caesar Vinaigrette to taste. Add Pumpernickel Croutons and toss again. Serve topped with grated Parmigiana Reggiano.


WINTER GARDEN (mini-me)
(Bloomfield Village)

23 comments:

Gail said...

have fun in the Northwoods! Loved this post and the gorgeous snowy scenes! gail

joey said...

Thanks Gail. Actually, this Northwoods look is our home here, downstate ... last post was the UP NORTH cottage. Do hope you are on the mend ... the fact you are 'out & about' posting is a good sigh. *Hugs*

kate smudges said...

Joey, the Scampi and Soupe sound absolutely scrumptious. Your family and friends are fortunate to enjoy your creative offerings. Beautiful winter sunset photos. They warm my heart! Enjoy the weekend!

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Joey... I just watched Julie & Julia for the third time! ha. I was just wondering... are you cooking through a cookbook?? ;-) Keep warm my friend!!

joey said...

Thanks, dear Kate. It has been a gift connecting with you and your warm/humorous kindred spirit/soul! Having been an 'orphan' for so many years, I am blessed to have family and friends near ... my joy in life is what I see clearly (life in the garden, life behind the lens, life in the kitchen, life hugging family & friends). Enjoy the gift of life!

Hi Shady ... ha yourself! Mr. Ho-Hum never goes see movies at the theatre (bad back, cooties on the headrest, blah, blah, blah) but he hauled me to see this movie filled with memories from our steamy days in the kitchen! This was my 'bible' (and his as he 'browned' bones for a rich stock) for many years ... and as Mr. Ho-Hum says, "Look, your cookbook is more stained than hers!" *Hugs* dear friend and thanks for the fun thoughts! (My kids think a You Tube journey of Ma/Pa arguing/agreeing about how to handle 'whatever' in the kitchen/garden/life would be a hit!)

Marysol said...

Oh my. I'll take views 1 through 9, for $500 Alex!

Beautiful windows, showcasing beautiful winter views.
Good God Joey, you're making me appreciate MI. winters.

Enjoy your snowy weekend buddy! Many hugs.

Carol said...

Hi Joey! What lovely windows and views! Just Beautiful! Your salad is making me long for my own home grown romaine lettuce! Yummy! Wonderful post ... as always. ;) Have a great weekend. Carol

joey said...

Come take my hand, dear Marysol ... we'd have such fun playing in the snow, warming by the fire, and creating in the kitchen :) Enjoy the weekend too, dear friend, and please connect since I lost golden e-mails transferring :(

Indeed blessed to wake and shoot view in jammies, Carol! Never made it out to shoot from outside in but ... how much can a wanting soul do when a mug of steaming French Roast Starbucks calls from inside! Happy weekend, Carol :)

Anonymous said...

Those wintry shots are wonderful, from a nice and warm vantage point through beautiful windows. The clock at Bloomfield is fantastic, even prettier with the snow background. Yummy meal, as always! :-)
Frances

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Love all your window shots and scampi, too! Can you believe how much snow the rest of the US and Europe is getting?! We only got about 5 inches Thursday... which really isn't much for Michigan.

joey said...

Thank you, Frances, and the snow looks even lovelier this sunny morning ... love the long shadows! I adore my garden clock, a Mother's Day gift several years ago from my thoughtful children. Stay warm this chilly weekend!

Indeed blessed, Monica! That's how much snow we got here also but driving Thurs night was horrid! So far, except for frigid weather, winter has been kind!

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Joey;
What lovely views out your pretty windows! Makes me want to curl up by a nice cozy fire. The recipes sound dee-lish! I'm anxious to give them a try. Stay warm.

Unknown said...

Mmmm. Shrimp is one of my favourite seafoods (i prefer it to lobster) but hubster isn't a fan so I'll have to try this for lunch sometime. He loves caesar salads though, so that's always a good thing. Tonite it's homemade pizza and a cabbage/apple salad for us, so I'd better get slicing and dicing...

D said...

Joey, I love your window collage! and the shrimp recipe, and... ;) Hope you're having a wonderful weekend.

TYRA Hallsénius Lindhe said...

Hi Joey, what wonderful wintery collages you are sharing with us, I love your windows with all the bars (is that the correct word) I'm a big fan of any Ceasar salads but I have never tasted one with pumpernickel bread, sound delicious as always.
xx Tyra

Rose said...

What lovely views outside your windows, Joey! And I echo Frances' comment--I love the clock in your garden! I'm enjoying the wintry scenes here from the comfort of my living room window, too--it's much too cold to venture outside unless absolutely necessary. A good time for trying out some of your delicious recipes!

joey said...

Thanks Kate! Fortunate to live in a beautiful old neighborhood, I enjoy each season though my windows. Bon appétit!

I bet you make a mean lobster, Jodi! You are making my mouth water with your dinner plans ... apple/cabbage salad sounds wonderful. Do you make your own pizza crust? I'm lazy and use Boboli or Pillsbury.

Thank you, Di, it was fun to create and though only 4-5 inches (not much for MI), the biggest snowfall of winter.

I love my old windows, Tyra! The bars are often called mullion bars and the ones on my sunporch (closest thing I have to a greenhouse and where I love to photograph in natural light) are relatively new but a good match. Pumpernickel bread makes delicious croutons and in this meal, a good flavor/color contrast.

joey said...

Thank you, Rose, I love my clock! I had hoped to get out and take more photos from outside but ... time eluded me. Because of the chill, I too am spending too much time indoors and hit the treadmill instead of walking on the icy road/sidewalks. Happy weekend :)

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Joey, beautiful photos. I like that little snowman. Maybe I can find something similar for my garden. That is something I could use all winter long, not just over the holidays.
Marnie

joey said...

Hi Marnie and thank you. The cute snowman was won in a Christmas gift/swap exchange several years ago. Do hope you are staying warm on these cold wintry days!

Bren Haas said...

Ina's recipes are my favorite!
I love your 'greenhouse' window view! Thanks for inspiring as always Joey.

joey said...

Thanks Bren ~ you too are very inspirational! I love Ina but can't help tweaking a bit ... that's what the love of cookin' is all about!

Anna/Flowergardengirl™ said...

Bloomfield Village is like a magical place to me. The window collage is just how I imagine it.