So Shrimpy With Cream, Cream…

Blah ~ Back to the daily grind and dinner adventures! We’ve managed to polish off most of our leftovers so now we’re moving into some new, non-Thanksgiving fare. My husband loves shrimp s0 I made a quick shrimp & pasta dish using what I had on hand. Nothing too fancy, but pretty darn simple and tasty!Here is my recipe for Creamy Lemon & Basil Shrimp Fettucini:

1/4 stick butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1 lemon
2-4 oz cooked fettucini pasta
1 cup cooked & peeled shrimp
4-6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1/2 cup grated gruyere
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large pan, melt butter with minced garlic and lemon juice.
Cook garlic until golden.
Add cooked shrimp and cooked pasta.
Toss and add fresh basil.
Gently fold in grated cheese.
Add cream & toss.
To serve, plate and garnish with more chiffonade basil and grated cheese.

So Shrimpy With Cream, Cream…

Blah ~ Back to the daily grind and dinner adventures! We’ve managed to polish off most of our leftovers so now we’re moving into some new, non-Thanksgiving fare. My husband loves shrimp s0 I made a quick shrimp & pasta dish using what I had on hand. Nothing too fancy, but pretty darn simple and tasty!Here is my recipe for Creamy Lemon & Basil Shrimp Fettucini:

1/4 stick butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1 lemon
2-4 oz cooked fettucini pasta
1 cup cooked & peeled shrimp
4-6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1/2 cup grated gruyere
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large pan, melt butter with minced garlic and lemon juice.
Cook garlic until golden.
Add cooked shrimp and cooked pasta.
Toss and add fresh basil.
Gently fold in grated cheese.
Add cream & toss.
To serve, plate and garnish with more chiffonade basil and grated cheese.

Zucchini Boats with Ricotta-Basil Mousse

Shilpa’s Zucchini Boats with Ricotta-Basil Mousse

6 zucchini
cooking spray
1 cup fresh basil leaves (finely chopped)
1 cup (8 ounces Ricotta Cheese)
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.Preheat oven 450 degrees

2. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp (leave 1/4 inch shell)

3. Arrange zucchini shells in single layer in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray

4. Combine basil and 7 other ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Divide mixture evenly among shells, pressing gently.

The Golden Birthday Dessert…

So last night, I realized at about 7pm that I needed to make a tiramisu for my friend’s bday today. Having been in my pjs all day, I dreaded getting dressed to go to the store. I decided to take a chance and whip up something with the ingredients on hand.

The end result? Not exactly a tiramisu, but a chocolate chai trifle! The birthday gal loved it! Michele turned a 50 years young today and she definitely deserved something extra special.Here are pics of her birthday dinner and the recipe for my Chocolate Chai Trifle I made in her honor:

Chocolate Chai Trifle:

1 box devils food cake mix
– Prepare as directed; cool.

8 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 half & half
– Whisk above ingredients in a heat proof bowl.
Place bowl over a saucepan of gently boiling water.
Continue whisking egg mixture over the boiling water until it lightens in color and reaches “ribbon” stage.
Remove bowl from heat and allow to cool.

2 cups heavy whipping cream
– Whip cream in stand mixer until stiff peaks form.

1 15oz container ricotta cheese
1 8oz brick cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
– Combine above ingredients in stand mixer with paddle attachment.
– Fold in cooled egg mixture.
– Fold in whipped cream.

1/2 cup prepared chai tea
– When cake has cooled, cube cake and place a layer in the bottom of your serving or trifle bowl.
– Sprinkle 1/2 of the chai tea over the cake.
– Top cake layer with cream/cheese/egg mixture.
– Repeat with cake layer, chai tea & cream/cheese/egg mixture.
– Allow trifle to chill in fridge overnight to meld flavors.
– Before serving, sprinkle chai tea or grated chocolate over the top.

Michele’s Birthday Dinner @ Broadway Cellars

A great, smooth Zinfandel to celebrate!
Dinner I ordered: Duck Lasagna
(forgive the blurry pic!)

The Golden Birthday Dessert…

So last night, I realized at about 7pm that I needed to make a tiramisu for my friend’s bday today. Having been in my pjs all day, I dreaded getting dressed to go to the store. I decided to take a chance and whip up something with the ingredients on hand.

The end result? Not exactly a tiramisu, but a chocolate chai trifle! The birthday gal loved it! Michele turned a 50 years young today and she definitely deserved something extra special.Here are pics of her birthday dinner and the recipe for my Chocolate Chai Trifle I made in her honor:

Chocolate Chai Trifle:

1 box devils food cake mix
– Prepare as directed; cool.

8 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 half & half
– Whisk above ingredients in a heat proof bowl.
Place bowl over a saucepan of gently boiling water.
Continue whisking egg mixture over the boiling water until it lightens in color and reaches “ribbon” stage.
Remove bowl from heat and allow to cool.

2 cups heavy whipping cream
– Whip cream in stand mixer until stiff peaks form.

1 15oz container ricotta cheese
1 8oz brick cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
– Combine above ingredients in stand mixer with paddle attachment.
– Fold in cooled egg mixture.
– Fold in whipped cream.

1/2 cup prepared chai tea
– When cake has cooled, cube cake and place a layer in the bottom of your serving or trifle bowl.
– Sprinkle 1/2 of the chai tea over the cake.
– Top cake layer with cream/cheese/egg mixture.
– Repeat with cake layer, chai tea & cream/cheese/egg mixture.
– Allow trifle to chill in fridge overnight to meld flavors.
– Before serving, sprinkle chai tea or grated chocolate over the top.

Michele’s Birthday Dinner @ Broadway Cellars

A great, smooth Zinfandel to celebrate!
Dinner I ordered: Duck Lasagna
(forgive the blurry pic!)

Bring on the Holiday Cheer!

After a wonderful 5-day vacation off from work, we had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday! From the fun times with city family & friends on Thanksgiving day, to spending time with suburban family and friends the following day (which was also my husband’s birthday!), we spent yesterday helping my mom prepare for her upcoming trip overseas. Today, we’re back home (finally!) and we decided to bring out the holiday cheer.

It has always been a tradition growing up for us to put up our Christmas tree sometime during the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year was no exception! Here are pics of our almost fully decorated tree. I think it needs some ribbon or garland of some type… so perhaps I’ll dress it up even more in the coming days.

Ornaments shot:
All lit up with a holiday glow:

Bring on the Holiday Cheer!

After a wonderful 5-day vacation off from work, we had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday! From the fun times with city family & friends on Thanksgiving day, to spending time with suburban family and friends the following day (which was also my husband’s birthday!), we spent yesterday helping my mom prepare for her upcoming trip overseas. Today, we’re back home (finally!) and we decided to bring out the holiday cheer.

It has always been a tradition growing up for us to put up our Christmas tree sometime during the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year was no exception! Here are pics of our almost fully decorated tree. I think it needs some ribbon or garland of some type… so perhaps I’ll dress it up even more in the coming days.

Ornaments shot:
All lit up with a holiday glow:

So many delicious blessings!

So finally the big day has arrived and it’s Thanksgiving! I was up the night before preparing and baking a few things in advance from 9pm – minight. Today, I got busy in the kitchen starting at 8am and finished everything but the turkey by 2:30pm when our guests started to arrive. Since our turkey only needed to be warmed for a couple hours, it went into the oven at 2pm and out by 4pm. It was perfect timing – as our turkey rested from the oven, I popped in a few dishes to warm up and made the gravy. By 4:30pm, we had our dinner just as planned!

The best part was being able to mingle with friends and family throughout the night and not being stuck in the kitchen. It seriously was the most enjoyable Thanksgiving to be able to catch up with everyone!

My Cranberry Floral Centerpiece

Here are pics of our Thankgiving food fest. We started serving up appetizers at 2:30pm, with dinner served at 4:30pm…

Appetizer Station:Crab Rangoon CupsStuffed MushroomsCaprese Salad SkewersCilantro MeatballsTeriyaki WingsBuffalo WingsShrimp Cocktail PlatterSpinach Alfredo & Gruyere Artichoke Dip
with Garlic CrostiniFruit, Cheese & Sausage Platter
with assorted crackersCranberry Citrus Punch
Thanksgiving 2007 Dinner
Rosemary & Herb Turkey

Cheesy Broccoli & Cauliflower Rice Casserole

Roasted Garlic Mashed PotatoesSausage & Apple DressingGreen Bean CasseroleSweet Corn CasseroleSweet Potato CasseroleHawaiian Dinner RollsHarvest Salad with Raspberry VinaigretteChorizo, Ham & Chicken PaellaChinese BBQ Pork RibsShrimp Pad ThaiVietnamese Shrimp RollsFilipino Chicken AdoboJapanese Miso Soup

Dessert Table:Mini Pecan Pie TartsPumpkin Praline Cheesecake (gift)Homemade Apple PieCranberry Apple CrispPumpkin Cheesecake TrufflesAfter dinner karaoke!

So many delicious blessings!

So finally the big day has arrived and it’s Thanksgiving! I was up the night before preparing and baking a few things in advance from 9pm – minight. Today, I got busy in the kitchen starting at 8am and finished everything but the turkey by 2:30pm when our guests started to arrive. Since our turkey only needed to be warmed for a couple hours, it went into the oven at 2pm and out by 4pm. It was perfect timing – as our turkey rested from the oven, I popped in a few dishes to warm up and made the gravy. By 4:30pm, we had our dinner just as planned!

The best part was being able to mingle with friends and family throughout the night and not being stuck in the kitchen. It seriously was the most enjoyable Thanksgiving to be able to catch up with everyone!

My Cranberry Floral Centerpiece

Here are pics of our Thankgiving food fest. We started serving up appetizers at 2:30pm, with dinner served at 4:30pm…

Appetizer Station:Crab Rangoon CupsStuffed MushroomsCaprese Salad SkewersCilantro MeatballsTeriyaki WingsBuffalo WingsShrimp Cocktail PlatterSpinach Alfredo & Gruyere Artichoke Dip
with Garlic CrostiniFruit, Cheese & Sausage Platter
with assorted crackersCranberry Citrus Punch
Thanksgiving 2007 Dinner
Rosemary & Herb Turkey

Cheesy Broccoli & Cauliflower Rice Casserole

Roasted Garlic Mashed PotatoesSausage & Apple DressingGreen Bean CasseroleSweet Corn CasseroleSweet Potato CasseroleHawaiian Dinner RollsHarvest Salad with Raspberry VinaigretteChorizo, Ham & Chicken PaellaChinese BBQ Pork RibsShrimp Pad ThaiVietnamese Shrimp RollsFilipino Chicken AdoboJapanese Miso Soup

Dessert Table:Mini Pecan Pie TartsPumpkin Praline Cheesecake (gift)Homemade Apple PieCranberry Apple CrispPumpkin Cheesecake TrufflesAfter dinner karaoke!

Homemade Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

Here are the recipes for the appetizers I’m serving up 2 hours prior to the Thanksgiving buffet dinner. I figured I’d post the recipes now before the kitchen chaos begins…

Shrimp Cocktail Platter
w/Homemade Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

2 tablespoons horseradish cream
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
dash of black pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill.
Serve with cooked & chilled jumbo shrimp and a few slices of lemon.
**It’s best to make ahead to allow the flavors to meld.