Add these to your must-try list

When thumbing through a variety of recipes over the past week I marked several on my must-try list. At first I started looking for interesting side dish recipes, but then I found a garlic bread recipe and a couple of salad recipes and then a few entree recipes, so I decided to just put them all together on a must-try list. The problem is finding enough time to try them all before I find this many more again.

If you have family or friends visiting over the Independence Day weekend, maybe you can work one or more of these recipes into your weekend menus. Our son and daughter in law will be with us, so that is exactly what I plan to do. Enjoy!

Simple Baked Shrimp

• 1-1/2 cups Panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon fat-free milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons Old Bay seafood seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 30 uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Olive oil-flavored cooking spray

Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine egg whites and milk. In a third shallow bowl, combine flour, seafood seasoning, salt and pepper. Dip shrimp in the flour mixture, egg mixture, then breadcrumbs.

Place shrimp on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; spritz shrimp with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and coating is golden brown, turning once.

Sesame Noodle Salad

A quick and easy Sesame Noodle Salad Recipe using hearty whole wheat spaghetti and crunchy savoy cabbage. Enjoy lukewarm or cold, either way, this Asian side dish is packed full of delicious flavor.

• 3/4 pound whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 red pepper, julienned
• 1/2 head savoy cabbage, shredded
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1/4 cup cashews, toasted and chopped
• 1/2 package ramen noodles, crushed and toasted in dry skillet or hot oven

For the dressing:

• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, finely minced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or plain white vinegar would work too
• 1/4 cup canola oil or any other light oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Combine all ingredients for dressing first. Crush and toast ramen noodles.

Cook spaghetti until al dente -- you want it to be chewy, not soft and mushy. Drain pasta and toss with half of the prepared dressing while it is still warm. Set aside.

In a large bowl toss all vegetables together. Add in cooked spaghetti and mix. Pour in remaining dressing and toss to coat. At this point, it all should be luke warmish. It's really good like this, or you can refrigerate it until its cold.

Once you're ready to eat, top the salad with crushed toasted ramen and cashews.

Shrimp Avocado Garlic Bread

Need appetizer, lunch, or some serious snack inspiration? Shrimp Avocado Garlic Bread would have to be the next best thing to garlic bread.

• 1 loaf ciabatta (or sourdough) bread, cut into slices
• 1/3 cup garlic butter

Garlic Shrimp:

• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• Juice of half a lemon (about 1-2 tablespoons)
• 1 pound shrimp, no tail, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Avocado Salad:

• Cooked shrimp (see above)
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1 cup grape (or cherry) tomatoes, halved
• Juice of half a lemon (about 1-2 tablespoons)
• Salt to season

Preheat oven to grill/broil settings on medium - high heat. Place bread on a baking tray lightly greased with cooking oil spray or oil. Spread a thin layer of garlic butter on each slice (you should have about 12 to 15 slices). Grill/broil until golden. Remove and set aside. (While garlic bread is baking, prepare the rest of your ingredients while keeping an eye on your bread.)

For The Garlic Shrimp: combine garlic, paprika, lemon juice and shrimp in a bowl and mix well to combine the ingredients. Add salt to season (to your tastes). Drizzle about a teaspoon of oil into a large frying pan or skillet. When pan is hot, and the shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until no longer opaque in color, and cooked through (being careful not to overcook them). Take off the heat and add the parsley. Set aside to cool slightly.

Salad: combine the avocado, tomato, lemon juice and salt in a bowl, mixing well to combine. Add the shrimp, and fold through gently. Spoon shrimp and avocado mixture onto toasted garlic bread. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Melon and Prosciutto Salad with Goat Cheese

A refreshing melon and prosciutto salad can be a main dish or a side. It's topped with a basil vinaigrette or a balsamic drizzle.

For the Salad:

• 1 small cantaloupe cut into bite sized pieces
• 5 to 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 5 ounces arugula or other nice greens
• 3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic reduction, optional topping

Basil Vinaigrette Dressing:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper, to taste

One hour or less before serving arrange or toss salad ingredients together.

Toss with dressing or serve dressing on the side at the time of serving.

Alternatively, salad can be dressed with 2-3 tablespoons balsamic reduction.

For the Dressing, mix all ingredients together and shake in a jar or whisk until emulsified.

Creole Shrimp Foil Packets

Easy Spicy Cajun Creole Shrimp Foil Packets for the oven or grill cook up tender, tasty shrimp in just minutes.

• 2 pounds large raw shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
• 2 lemons
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 teaspoons all purpose Creole or Cajun seasoning
• 4 bay leaves
• Parsley for garnish

Tear 4 sheets of aluminum foil, 16 inches long each.

Cut one lemon into quarters. Slice the other lemon, then halve the slices.

To Create One Foil Packet, place 18 - 20 shrimp, nesting in one another but not overlapping, in the center of a foil sheet. Divide 1 tablespoon of butter into smaller pats and evenly space over the shrimp. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Creole seasoning over shrimp.

Squeeze juice of a quarter lemon over shrimp, careful to remove any seeds. Place a half lemon slice and 1 bay leaf atop shrimp.

Fold foil to create a packet by bringing sides up and folding down 2 folds and then rolling ends in.

Repeat to create 4 packets in all.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven or heated grill for 7-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve shrimp in packets or on a crisp cool summer salad.

Creamy Mozzarella Shrimp Pasta

Delicious shrimp pasta with mozzarella cheese alfredo sauce is made from scratch with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes, paprika, and cream. You'll have a perfectly cooked shrimp: soft and tender and never dry or rubbery.

Pasta:

• 8 ounces penne pasta (for gluten free version, use gluten free brown rice pasta)

Shrimp:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (drained from sun-dried tomatoes jar or just use regular olive oil)
• 1 pound shrimp (without shells, and deveined)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Creamy Sauce:

• 4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (drain oil, but reserve and set aside)
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded (do not use fresh Mozzarella, use pre-shredded Mozzarella)
• 1 tablespoon dried basil (if using fresh basil you can add more)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed, add more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup reserved cooked pasta water (or more)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

How to cook pasta: Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water. Drain the pasta.

How to cook shrimp: Note: if using sun-dried tomatoes in oil (in a jar), make sure to drain sun-dried tomatoes from oil, before using them. Reserve 2 tablespoons of this drained oil for sauteing the shrimp as described below:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes jar; see the note above, or use regular olive oil) in a large skillet on medium-high heat.

Add shrimp with minced garlic. Cook the shrimp on one side for about 1 minute, until shrimp turns pink or golden brown on that side. While it cooks, sprinkle salt over the shrimp to cover every single shrimp. Make sure not to crowd the shrimp in the skillet, otherwise, moisture will form and shrimp won't sear right. After 1 minute, flip the shrimp over to the other side and cook for about 30 seconds or 1 minute more.

The shrimp should be golden color or pink on both sides and not overcooked. Remove the shrimp to a plate, being careful to leave all the oil in the skillet.

How to make creamy Mozzarella sauce: To the same skillet, add sun-dried tomatoes (drained from oil and sliced into smaller chunks, if needed) and more minced garlic.

Saute sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (remaining from shrimp) on medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant. The skillet should be hot.

Add half and half to the hot skillet with sun-dried tomatoes and bring to boil. Add shredded cheese to the skillet, and quickly stir in while boiling. Immediately reduce to simmer.

Continue cooking the sauce on low simmer heat, constantly stirring, until all the cheese melts and the creamy sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of half-and-half or reserved cooked pasta water. Add basil, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika. Stir. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt gradually, stirring on low heat and tasting (you might need slightly less than 1/4 teaspoon).

How to assemble shrimp pasta: Add cooked pasta to the sauce, and reheat gently on medium heat. Add the cooked shrimp, stir it in. Taste, and season with more salt, if needed. If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of half-and-half or reserved cooked pasta water.

Let everything simmer on low heat for a couple of minutes for flavors to combine.

Note: Make sure to salt the dish just enough to bring out of the flavors of basil and sun-dried tomatoes.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.