Recipe Swap: Shrimp recipes from food show make sister's birthday a bash

Today is my sister Pat's birthday. Because I value my life, I will not share her age with you, except to say that she is my oldest sister and is 12 years older than I. Putting aside the age difference, she is my dear friend and has been just like another mother to our children. Her favorite food is spaghetti and pasta, but I know another of her favorites is shrimp. Over the years we have eaten it many different ways, but I picked up these recipes at a food show I attended. they are from Ocean Garden Co. and more recipes can be found on their website at www.oceangarden.com. Give one or more of these recipes a try and enjoy it in Pat's honor.

Barbecue Mexican Shrimp

36 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/8 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons garlic, roasted, chopped

2 teaspoons ginger, chopped fine

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons green onions, chopped fine

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Salt and white pepper to taste

12 6-inch wooden skewers

Watermelon salsa ingredients are as follows:

3 cups watermelon, seeded, diced fine

1/2 cup red onion, diced fine

2 tablespoons jalapeno peppers, diced fine

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped fine

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon ginger, chopped fine

Soak the skewers in hot water for 20 minutes. Marinate the cleaned shrimp in the olive oil, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, green onions and hoisin sauce. Skewer three shrimp on each of the 12 skewers.

For the watermelon salsa, combine the diced watermelon, red onion, peppers and cilantro. Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grill the shrimp skewers two to three minutes on each side. Mound the salsa on the center of a serving plate and place the skewer directly on the salsa. Using a squirt bottle, drizzle the hoisin sauce over the shrimp skewer. Garnish with cilantro. Place a lemon wheel at the point of the skewer. Serves 12.

Shrimp Fritti with Italian Dipping Sauce

1/2 pound shrimp

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasonings

Water

Dipping sauce ingredients are as follows:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

6 medium Italian tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons capers

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons soft butter or margarine

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons basil or parsley, chopped

Cooking oil

Dry red pepper flakes, optional

Peel and devein shrimp, tail on. Set aside. Combine flour, cornstarch, breadcrumbs, pepper and Italian seasonings. Dip shrimp in water and then in seasoned flour mixture. Set aside.

For the dipping sauce, combine olive oil, anchovy paste and garlic in a skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, capers, lemon juice and wine. Bring to a boil and simmer until tomatoes are cooked and mixture thickens. Puree in blender or food processor. Stir in butter and season to taste. Add parsley, if desired.

Heat oil to 365 degrees in a deep fat fryer or deep skillet. Drop a few coated shrimp into hot oil and fry until done and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve with dipping sauce. Serves 4.

Bow-Tie Shrimp Pasta

1 pound shrimp

10 ounces farlale (bow-tie pasta)

1 cup cucumber, seeded and sliced

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

2 red peppers, julienne cut

2 tablespoons capers

Red wine vinaigrette

3 to 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon oregano, dried

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper, dried crushed

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook shrimp in a large pot of boiling water until opaque, only a couple of minutes. Remove from water with skimmer and rinse under cold running water. Set aside. Reserve cooking water for cooking the pasta. Cook pasta as directed on package. Rinse under cold running water. Drain thoroughly. Combine shrimp and pasta in a large bowl. Add cucumber, green onions, red pepper and capers.

For the red wine vinaigrette shake or beat vinegar, oregano, garlic, crushed red pepper, olive oil, salt and pepper together until well mixed. Pour dressing over shrimp and pasta. Toss to mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to blend flavors. Serve cold with a nice blend of fresh greens. Serves 6 to 8.

Shrimp Pizza with Tomato Basil Sauce

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 pounds prepared pizza dough

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

To cook the shrimp:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

To make the pizza sauce:

20 plum tomatoes, cut in half

1 medium onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Fresh thyme leaves, to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned

Rinse shrimp under cold running water, drain well and pat dry. Heat 1/4 cup butter and olive oil together, add shrimp and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and parsley. Cook for another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until shrimp are opaque. Remove shrimp. Cool slightly. To make the sauce, saute tomatoes until soft and press through a sieve. Return tomato pulp to skillet with onion, garlic, butter, salt, sugar and thyme. Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle tomato sauce with salt and pepper. Add basil and set aside.

To make the pizza, divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll, pull or stretch dough to make 7- or 8-inch circles. Brush individual pizza pans with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place dough in pans and brush with olive oil. Bake crusts at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Brush with oil and refrigerate until ready to make pizzas. Spread prepared crusts with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Top each crust with tomato and basil mixture. Sprinkle with selected cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Top with shrimp and additional cheese. Return to oven until cheese melts. Serve immediately with roasted garlic. Serves 6.

I hope you try some of these recipes. You can simplify the pizza by purchasing a good quality tomato basil sauce. So give one or two a try and let me know how you liked them. I am all out of room for this week, so have a good rest of this week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.