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Layered Shrimp Dip

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Layered Shrimp Dip

This is a great party dip! You can add crab to this for even more seafood goodness.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword party dip, seafood, shrimp dip
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Author misangela

Equipment

  • Glass pie plate or other rimmed glass dish

Ingredients

  • 8 oz whipped cream cheese whipped makes for a lighter, more consistent dish
  • ½ Cup mayonnaise optional if you don't like mayo
  • ½ Cup sour cream a little more if you skip mayo
  • ½ Cup cocktail sauce
  • 2 Cup finely shredded cheddar or cheddar jack cheese
  • 1 pound salad shrimp, cooked and thoroughly drained cooked in liquid Old Bay (or Zatarains) with 1 tsp salt (do not use powdered boil mix)
  • Old Bay liquid boil OR Zatarain's
  • Old Bay powder to taste
  • 3 roma tomatoes seeded, diced small, salted
  • Frank's Hot Sauce or whatever you like
  • 4 scallions finely sliced on the bias
  • 2 Tbl fresh dill, minced (use half if dried herb) OR substitute cilantro or parsley if you prefer

Instructions

  • Gather all your ingredients and prep anything that needs to be cut up before you start cooking. Mise en place will make your cooking experience much more efficient.
  • Blend together cream cheese, mayo and sour cream until smooth. Spread on the bottom of pie plate. Sprinkle with Old Bay.
  • Spread cocktail sauce over the cream cheese layer.
  • Add shrimp on top of cocktail sauce. Sprinkle with Old Bay and dot with Frank's.
  • Add cheese over shrimp.
  • STOP HERE if you are holding this dip more than a couple of hours for service. You can hold for up to a day in the fridge. If you add the tomatoes too early, the dip will be soggy.
  • Add tomatoes, scallions and dill for service.
  • Serve with a cracker selection.
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Chipotle Shrimp Cups

Chipotle Shrimp Cups
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Angela's Chipotle Shrimp Cups

These are a party favourite! I found the recipe years ago in the newspaper and have refined it to suit my taste. The original recipe is from Cooking LIght, my recipe is more flavourful and less light!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword party appetizers, shrimp appetizers
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 40 pieces
Author misangela

Equipment

  • mini muffin tins
  • gallon sized plastic bag or piping bag

Ingredients

  • 1 50ct wonton wrappers round ones if you can get them

Filling for Cups

  • 1 ½ pound salad shrimp fresh or frozen is fine, thaw if frozen and drain thoroughly
  • 1/3 cup crab boil I use liquid boil, use what you like
  • 1 ½ cup finely shredded cheese I like mexican blend, use what you like
  • 1 cup whipped cream cheese room temp
  • ½ cup jarred roasted red peppers diced
  • 1 cup salsa any red salsa is fine
  • 2 Tbl chipotles in adobo finely diced, with adobo
  • Salt to taste
  • 8 scallions finely sliced for garnish
  • ½ cup cilantro chopped for garnish

Instructions

  • This is a two part recipe: cups and filling. You can bake off the cups in advance if you like. Do all your prep in advance of cooking. Mise en place will make your cooking go much smoother. Read the notes about holding these appetizers.

Making the Cups

  • First, thaw the wontons if frozen. Spray mini muffin tins with food release (Pam). Tuck the wontons into the muffin tin to make little cups. Bake them off at 350°F until lightly browned. Do not turn your back on these! They burn in a heartbeat. (If you prefer, you can substitute little phyllo tart shells for the wonton cups. They will need to be baked off before you fill them, just as the wonton cups.)

Making the Filling

  • In a 2 qt saucepan, put in shrimp and cover with water. Bring to a boil and add crab boil. Cook a couple of minutes until shrimp are opaque. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside and allow to drain.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, shredded cheese, peppers, salsa and chipotles. Mix gently. Add shrimp and fold in gently. Adjust the salsa amount to give you a thick paste (think thick icing). Fold in half the scallions and herbs, set aside the rest for garnish. Filling should be just a little saltier than you think it should be. Trust me. Refrigerate the filling at least half an hour before using.
  • The appetizer can be held until service unassembled. Just refrigerate the filling and garnishes and keep the cups at room temp.
  • When it's time for service, use the muffin tins to hold the wonton cups so they'll stay upright easier. If you use the phyllo cups, line them up on a baking sheet. Cut the corner off the plastic bag (about 3/4 of an inch up) so you can pipe the filling into the cups. Fill the cups about 3/4. Bake off at 375°F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and hot. Garnish with reserved scallions and parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

These appetizers WILL NOT HOLD. They get soggy. So assemble and cook immediately prior to service.  They will not be around long enough to get soggy once they are served, they are a big hit at parties. 
This recipe will make from 40 - 50 pieces, it just depends on how you fill. This is enough for about a dozen people. If you're having a big party, you'll need to double this recipe. Count on 4 per person. They are THAT popular! 
Photo credit: Holly Clegg via myrecipes.com 
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Spicy Clam and Sausage Soup

clam_sausage_soup
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Angela's Spicy Clam and Sausage Soup

This is an old recipe of mine that is a go-to for me. Sometimes I use andouille sausage for a really spicy dish! I've tweaked it over the years. I'm converting this in Nov 2019, the original recipe was posted in 2007, so I can promise you, this is a really great soup!
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian, Mexican, Spanish
Keyword andouille, chorizo, clam and sausage soup, italian clam and sausage soup, italian sausage, spicy clam and sausage soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6
Author misangela

Equipment

  • 6-8 Qt stock pot

Ingredients

  • 3 stalks celery ½ in slices
  • 2 carrots thinly sliced
  • 1 med white onion ¼ inch dice
  • 1 leek thinly sliced white only [OPTIONAL but recommended]
  • 5 cloves garlic minced; use more if you like
  • 1 pint cremini mushrooms small container, sliced
  • 1 pound Italian Sausage Sweet or Spicy, removed from casings (OR andouille)
  • olive oil
  • 2 Tbl butter, salted
  • 2 Tbl tomato paste Use the kind in the tube
  • 2 Tbl flour for roux to thicken
  • 3 cups seafood stock (shrimp shells make great stock!) OR water with 2 bouillon cubes in a pinch
  • 1 14oz can baby clams with juice or two small cans
  • 1 14oz can san marzano tomatoes diced or crushed (or crush the whole ones)
  • ½ cup sherry sub white wine
  • ½ tsp dry thyme
  • ½ tsp dry oregano
  • 1 tsp dry basil
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
  • 1 lemon zest and juice
  • S/P to taste
  • Grated Parmesano Reggiano garnish

Instructions

  • Prep all the ingredients before you start cooking. Mise en place will greatly improve your cooking experience.
  • In a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add in celery, carrots, onions, leeks and garlic. Sweat until soft and translucent. Add in all the dried herbs.
  • Turn up heat to medium high and add mushrooms. Stir to release the water from the mushrooms and keep other veg from overcooking. When mushrooms have wilted, add in the sausage, breaking into chunks as you go. Turn down heat if things start to brown too much. When sausage has rendered its fat, add in flour and stir for one minute. (This is making a roux.) Stir in tomato paste.
  • Add stock and stir thoroughly stir up all the fond (stuck bits) from the bottom of the pot. Add in tomatoes and sherry and bring up to simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes then add in the clams and juice. Bring back to simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Turn off heat and add the chopped parsley. Add fresh lemon juice and zest. Check seasoning.
  • Serve with grated parmesan on top and a chunk of crusty bread.

Notes

There are many ingredients to this soup, but it is really worth it. I sometimes substitute andouille or chorizo for the Italian sausage. If you use one of these other sausages, substitute cilantro for all the basil and oregano,  use fresh cilantro instead of parsley and use queso fresco or grated manchego for garnish to drive home the flavour profile.
You can't go wrong serving crusty bread with this soup! 
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Angela’s Creamy Veggie Soup Method

Creamy Tomato Soup
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Angela's Creamy Veggie Soup Method

The main recipe is for my Creamy Tomato soup. I got this recipe in 1985 from a cook at a restaurant at which I was serving. This recipe turned out to be a METHOD that I use for pretty much any vegetable soup! The variations are in the NOTES.
Course Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword creamy soup method, creamy vegetable soup, vegetable soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Author misangela

Equipment

  • 5-6 qt pot
  • stick blender or counter blender

Ingredients

  • 4 ribs Celery ½ in slices
  • 1 med white onion ½ in dice
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbl olive oil
  • 3 Tbl butter, salted in 1 Tbl slices
  • 2 cups chicken or veggie stock (more or less) or water with 2 bouillon cubes if in a pinch
  • 2 cups heavy cream (more or less) sub: half and half OR better: whole buttermilk SEE NOTES
  • S/P to taste
  • 2 cans san marzano tomatoes 28oz size, whole or crushed
  • 1 Tbl fresh basil, small chop sub: 2 tsp dry basil, add at beginning

Instructions

  • Prep all ingredients before you begin cooking. Mise en place will make your cooking experience much more enjoyable.
  • In the soup pot, add olive oil and butter over medium high heat. When butter is melted, add celery, onion and garlic. Turn down heat to medium and sweat the veg until translucent and soft. Do not brown. If using dried herbs, add now.
  • Add 1-2 Tbl of flour and cook for 2 minutes HERE if you want a very thick soup. OPTIONAL
  • HERE is where you'll make the variations to this recipe. The following is for the tomato version. (You'll have to cook any raw veggies in the stock until soft, of course.)
  • Add in tomatoes [OR which ever variation you are making]. If whole tomatoes, crush in your hand as you add them. Stir and heat through.
  • Add stock and heat through. Turn off heat and add cream. Adjust stock and cream to get the consistency you want. Adjust seasoning.
  • Use a stick blender (or counter blender) to break down the veg if you want a smoother soup. I use a stick blender with ALL the variations because I want a smooth and thick soup.
  • These thick & creamy soups all benefit from homemade croutons for some texture.

Notes

This is a METHOD more than a recipe. The ingredients up to "tomatoes" in the above recipe can be used for pretty much any vegetable. Same method. I do tend to add roux to this most of the time, but you can skip it if you are Ok with a less thick soup. 
If you use any dairy other than heavy (or whipping) cream, you will need to make a roux to thicken the soup. You'll need to make a little roux if you like them THICK. To make a roux, simply add 1-2 Tbl of flour at the end of the 2nd step (sweating the veg). Stir in flour and cook for about 2 minutes, then proceed with the recipe. 
OR I've found that by using less stock (say, half), you can cook the veg and it's thicker when you puree it. 
I've also begun using whole buttermilk in my soups. It is DELIGHTFUL! Use half to 3/4 buttermilk if you like the tangier taste. Using low fat buttermilk will thin out your soup, so either use less stock or do the roux. 
Cream of Celery: add 6-8 more stalks of celery and sweat down. I like to add celery seeds to this recipe. 
Mushroom: add one large container sliced creminis (or button) mushrooms and sweat. I like to add 2 Tbl sherry to veg when sweating and white pepper is great in this version. 
Butternut Squash: cut squash in half and blanch in boiling water or put in microwave dish with a little water and cover in plastic; cook until flesh is getting soft.  Scoop out flesh and dice. Add diced squash to base veg to sweat. Stock amount will vary with this vegetable, since it is a wetter one. I suggest using a roux with squash. I add about 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg to this soup. 
Cheesy Cauliflower: Cut up a cauliflower into florets and blanch. Use a roux for this one, make it right before you add the cooked cauliflower to the sweated veg. Add a little stock and the cream, then add 1-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar. Adjust the balance of stock and cream to your liking and adjust seasoning. I like to add 1 tsp of curry to this soup. It is creamy, cheesy and that little kick of curry is just right. 
Creamy Curried Cauliflower: get a bag of cauliflower "pearls" from the grocery (or broccoli or a mix!).  After the base veg is soft, add in the veggie pearls and stir for a couple of minutes. Then add stock to just the top of the veg. Cook until the cauliflower is done. It will take a bit of salt. Add 1-2 tsp of curry powder (to taste) and cook another minute or two. Puree and add the dairy. 
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Red Pepper Pesto

Roasted Red Pepper
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Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

This is a lovely pesto for pasta alone or a light chicken or seafood dish.
Course Sauce
Cuisine Italian
Keyword red pepper pesto, roasted red pepper pesto, roasted red pepper sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Author misangela

Ingredients

  • 2 Red Bell Peppers
  • 4 cloves Garlic **Use only 2 if not roasting garlic**
  • ½ cup toasted pine nuts
  • ½ cup Parmesano Reggiano grated
  • olive oil
  • fresh basil finely chopped
  • S/P to taste

Instructions

  • Assemble all your ingredients before you start cooking. Mise en place will greatly improve the quality of your cooking.
  • There are two ways to roast peppers: over flame or under the broiler. For roasting on a flame, leave them whole and rotate until skin is charred. For broiler, cut peppers in half, seed them and roast under the broiler until the skin is charred. Once skin is charred, put in a plastic bag or in a bowl covered with plastic to allow them to steam. The skins will come off easily after steaming for a few minutes.
  • I like to roast the garlic for this recipe, but that can only be done in the oven. If you put the whole garlic cloves in with the peppers, make sure to remove them when they are brown and soft otherwise they will burn. If you are not using the oven, cut the amount down to TWO cloves raw garlic, finely chopped.
  • The pine nuts need to be toasted. Put them in a dry skillet over medium high heat and toss until they start to be fragrant and brown. Do not turn your back or they will burn. You can also do ALL your pine nuts at once, then freeze them for easy usage - which is what I do.
  • Peel and cut up the peppers and add to food processor or blender. Add garlic, pine nuts and parmesan. Add about a Tbl of olive oil and start processing. Stream in olive oil slowly until you get the consistency you want. Add basil and pulse to combine. Season with S/P.

Notes

You can use this pesto method for any number of ingredients. Substitute cilantro for basil and it's more Mediterranean. Substitute pecans for pine nuts and it's more sweet. And of course, there's basil pesto, which is all basil with nuts, garlic and parm. I've also use a cilantro pesto on fish, which is excellent.