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Updated July 2008: New post |
FOOD FOR THOUGHT HOME Why cook? Isn't it easier to eat out? How much am I really going to save by cooking? I'm the anti-chef! How do I get started? Rotten strawberries, sour milk and a DVD player Sell the sizzle *and* the steak How to add flavor to a dish 5 S's of wine tasting Wine basics: Can't tell Cabernet from Cranberry? Recipes are like contemporary furniture Quick n' easy Shrimp appetizer for any party How to kill monotony in the kitchen Summer relief: Mango lassi & Mango milk shake What is comfort food? Secret to a really flavorful dish: Mop it up! Crepes: versatile, yummy, impressive and painfully easy Simple dessert with 3 ingredients Low-fat option for your Super Bowl party Fresh fruit salad - sweet, crunchy, creamy and delicious Breakfast is served! |
Quick n' easy Shrimp appetizer for any party So you get invited to a dinner soiree and the host says "I’ll cook, but bring whatever you like". If your first instinct is to pick up a wine bottle, read on. At a typical dinner party, I’ve noticed that more than half of the guests bring a wine bottle, and the rest opt for store bought crackers, dip or cheese. Here's your chance to stand apart from the crowd by bringing a creative appetizer instead – it will not fill up the guests before the actual meal and does not take much time to put together. Here’s a recipe for a simple appetizer – walnut-crusted tangy shrimp with honey and goat-cheese. Begin by de-shelling and de-veining a pound of uncooked large shrimp. I like to leave the tails on, but you may choose to remove them. In a clean bowl, create a marinade with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, the juice of ½ lime, two cloves of finely chopped garlic, a tablespoon of soy sauce, a tablespoon of honey, crushed red pepper flakes and a sprinkling of chopped herbs (parsley and cilantro work great). Next, "butterfly" the shrimp – i.e., score the backside of the shrimp from the head to about half-way up the tail – cut deep enough to spread each half to the side. Coat the pound of shrimp with the marinade created previously and let rest for about 15 minutes. Next, rest the shrimp on a cookie baking sheet so they sit up on the butterflied part and the tail curls over. Put a dot of goat cheese on top of the butterflied part of the shrimp (under the tail) and bake at 400F for about 10-15 minutes. While the shrimp is baking, chop some walnuts. Remove the shrimp from the oven when done and gently roll each piece through the chopped walnuts and arrange on a plate. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. |
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