Dinner Cruise Fare, Part I...Pasta Pesto And Shrimp

Ever since we got our boat, we have been going out every night for a dinner cruise.  The kitchen has been closed for almost a week and now all I can think about is portable meals.  With a bounty of home grown tomatoes and zucchini and plenty of herbs, planning these meals is a no brainer, except I am running out of ideas while the zucchinis are coming in fast and furious.  Last night I took a breather and decided to make pesto instead and at the last minute decided to add shrimp and some of the cherry tomatoes from our yard.

A baguette and some Camembert and cherries downed happily with a chilled dry rose from Provence finished the meal.

Make sure you pack a Westie for great fun and entertainment!... and stay tuned for Parts II & III, you don't want to miss the fun!


Pasta Pesto And Shrimp
Printable Recipe

1/2 lbs of linguini
1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
2 cloves garlic
2 TB olive oil
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

Pesto Sauce (follows)

Directions

Cook linguini as per package directions.  In the meantime sautee the shrimp in olive oil and garlic.  Add the shrimp to the linguini, mix in 1/2 cup of pesto sauce and add tomatoes.  That's it, less than 15 minutes!


Pesto

1 cup firmly packed basil leaves

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Put everything in blender and pulse until combined.

Sensational Shrimp Mold

I saw this recipe yesterday on the Food Channel and knew I had to try it.  It is simply yummy, although I thought it needed some tweaking here and there.  I increased the green onion from 1 chopped to 2 and also added some Old Bay Seasoning. I think you will be most pleased with the results.

You can also serve unmolded as shown above.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings



Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound small or medium shrimp

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 green onion, finely chopped, white and green parts

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Dash hot sauce

1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

Dash black pepper

Directions

Bring 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan and add the shrimp. When the water returns to the boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and allow the shrimp to sit for 5 minutes. Drain, peel and devein.

Place the shrimp in a food processor and pulse about 8 to 10times, until they are finely chopped but not mushy. Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, green onion, mustard, hot sauce, Old Bay and pepper in a bowl until well combined; stir in the shrimp.

Line a 2-cup mold or glass bowl with plastic wrap, leaving lots of overhang. Place the shrimp mixture into the mold, packing tightly with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap overhang and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, unwrap the overhang and invert the mold onto a plate. Remove the plastic wrap. Allow to come to room temperature before serving with water crackers or another favorite snack cracker.

Recipe: Paula Deen

Scalloped Oysters

This old time favorite makes a delightful appetizer, particularly at this time of the year!

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter or margarine

4 1/2 cups crushed saltine crackers

2 (12-ounce) containers fresh oysters, undrained

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 1/4 cups half-and-half

2 tsps sherry

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Paprika


Preparation

Melt butter in a skillet; add cracker crumbs, and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned.

Drain oysters, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Place half of crumbs in a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish; add oysters. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, parsley, and remaining cracker crumbs.

Combine reserved oyster liquid and half-and-half, sherry and worcestershire sauce; pour over cracker crumbs. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes.