Lemony Spaghetti, with Shrimp, Spinach and Grape Tomatoes

 

The combination of butter and lemon is a classic one, and for a good reason. The lemon cuts down the richness of the butter, while adding its pleasant acidity and fresh fragrance to the it. This mix is taken further in many recipes, especially those of fish and seafood, with the addition of garlic. In the following recipe, I’ve used this tasty combination to flavor a dish of spaghetti and shrimp.

Spicy Pan Fried Shrimps with Vegetables

The following tasty quick dish was created with busy days in mind: it can be prepared in less than half an hour, yet it is healthy and nutritionally balanced.

Inari Pockets with Rice and Shrimp

The following appetizer has all the components of the more known sushi rolls, but it is much easier to prepare. The secret lies in the use of Inari tofu skin pockets as the shell, rather than the more elaborate and time consuming use of Nori seaweed sheet, which require a sushi rolling mat and expertise.

Shrimps with Garlic, Lemon, and Parsley Butter Sauce

One of my favorite ways of cooking shrimps is one of the simplest there are: a bold and tasty combination of very few ingredients – butter, lemon, garlic and parsley – which always works and takes no time to prepare.

Shrimp, Flowering Chives and Rice Flour Fritters

When I saw a bunch of flowering chives at the store, it immediately drew my attention. Smelling the flowers, I was expecting, probably due to their lavender color, that they would have a sweet floral smell. However, to my surprise, they had fresh onion scent, similar to that of the chives. I later learned that the flowers are edible and can be used in the same way chives is used.

Shrimp and Pineapple Sweet and Sour Soup

I had variations of sweet and sour shrimps and pineapple soup in several Vietnamese restaurants, some were good, others less so. Yet, even with the lesser ones, I always liked the combination of flavors of the shrimps, pineapple, okra and hardly cooked tomatoes, and I decided to make this soup at home.

Artichoke Hearts with Shrimp Saffron Salad

Artichoke season is here, and as I’m a big fan of this unique vegetable (actually, an edible flower bud from the thistle family), I always try to find new ways to serve it. This time I’ve decided to use the artichoke hearts as a bed for serving a tasty shrimps salad.

Fresh White Corn Polenta with Pan Fried Shrimps and Roasted Vegetables

Fresh corn season is here and, once again, I’m using it in all kinds of dishes. One of my favorite and easiest recipes using fresh corn is to cook it “polenta” style. Unlike the time consuming traditional polenta, which is made with dried cornmeal, this quick cooking version is lighter and so perfect for summer.

A Few More Dishes with Tarragon Cashew Pesto

A few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for tarragon-cashew pesto (click HERE for the recipe), which is one of my favorites. I then mentioned that I use the pesto in numerous dishes. In the recipes here, you can find a few of these free-style dishes. Hopefully they will inspire you to use this, or any other type of pesto, in different, tasty ways. Try them and enjoy.

Corn and Shrimp Cakes

With wonderful abundance of fresh corn from the farm stand, I can’t help but buy and cook it often. On top of enjoying the corn on its own, I also end up incorporating it in assorted dishes.

Shrimps with Pineapple and Green beans

Very often we describe frozen products as less nutritious and healthy, compared to fresh ones. However, in many cases it is far from true. Good quality frozen vegetables and fruits are often cut and frozen very close to picking, therefore keeping their nutritional values better than vegetables or fruits that were shipped from afar and ended up on the shelves long after they were picked. This is also the case with some meats, fish or seafood, that are frozen soon after catching.