Cheesy Shrimp Dip

This was inspired by the Cheesy Shrimp Dip that O'Charley's had when I went there quite some time ago. I found the recipe online and altered it just a bit, and it seemed pretty close! It can also be made by leaving the shrimp out, as I did on New Year's Eve, if anyone is not a fan of seafood. It makes a great appetizer or snack to munch on during parties/events!

Ingredients

1 Can small shrimp
6 Ounces shredded mild Cheddar cheese (1 bag)
6 Ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (1 bag)
8 Ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/4 Cup sun dried tomatoes (diced)
1/2 Cup Romano/Asiago/Parmesan cheese mix (can or container)
1/2 Teaspoon onion powder
1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder



Directions

Mix all ingredients together. Sometimes the easiest way to do this is by thoroughly washing your hands and just using them to knead the cheeses into the cream cheese, depending on how soft it is.


Spread mix into a casserole dish (If you have any shredded cheese leftover you can sprinkle some on top) and bake at 325 degrees until bubbly, or about 20 minutes. Watch closely towards the end as the cheese on the edges will burn before the middle gets completely bubbly.

I recommend serving with Tortitos or Fritos Scoop chips.

ENJOY!

Baja Shrimp Tacos

This just sounded like something that would go well when making guacamole, so I pretty much went out, bought some shrimp, and threw this together. I added the onions and lime as an afterthought when I had some leftover from the guacamole recipe, but it actually turned out REALLY well.

Ingredients
1 lb. Shrimp, Peeled and De-veined
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Small Onion, Diced
1 Teaspoon Garlic Chili Paste
1/2 Lime
Salt to taste

Other ingredients: Taco shells (Or whatever you want to use), other taco toppings of choice... I used guacamole, lettuce, and a little dab of ranch.

Directions

Cut the shrimp into small pieces. Meanwhile, heat olive oil and garlic chili paste on medium high heat. Once oil starts to bubble a little bit, throw in shrimp, squeeze the lime juice over the shrimp, and toss to coat.


Let shrimp cook for a few minutes (this is a good time to throw taco shells in the oven if that is what you are using!), then add the chopped onions and toss again. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and opaque.

Serve as desired... whether it be in taco shells, tortillas, etc!

ENJOY!

Shrimp Scampi

This recipe makes enough for 4 or 5 people. The following pictures are from making an individual serving. If cutting the recipe, I recommend using a little more garlic and olive oil than the cut amount... but I'm also a garlic fanatic! :-) I usually throw the scampi on top of whole wheat linguine, but any pasta could be used... or it could just be eaten with a side! (Great with broccoli!)

Another side note- this can also be made with the equivalent of chicken as well.

Ingredients
Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic (or more!)
1 1/2 Lbs of Large Shrimp, Peeled/Deveined
1/2 Cup Minced Parsley
1 Lemon, juiced (Lemon juice can be substituted)
Pasta of choice (Whole wheat linguine recommended)

Combine 1/2 Cup Olive Oil and 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic in a large skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, over very low heat until the garlic is golden, about 10 minutes. Do not rush. In the meantime, boil water with a dash of salt and olive oil for pasta and cook as directed.


Increase heat to medium-high and add Shrimp. Cook until the shrimp turn pink on bottom and turn them over. Add ½ Cup minced parsley and 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic.

Cook until shrimp are firm and pink, about 5 minutes total. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (Or more to preference) and minced parsley.

(I usually let the lemon cook down just a little bit.)

Put shrimp, olive oil and all, on top of pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!

Kung Pao Shrimp Variation!

I set off yesterday looking through Kung Pao Shrimp recipes to find a sort of variation for it. I'm still going to try out a few different things, like adding cornstarch, but this recipe turned out to be a pretty good Kung Pao inspired stir fry. Most of these ingredients can be varied according to your taste- and the amount I made was about 2 servings worth.

Ingredients:

Approx. 1 Tbs Chilli Paste (Garlic Chilli Paste in this case)

Approx 3/4 cup Chicken Broth (I used low sodium)

1 1/2 cups broccoli

1/2 cup diced onions

1/4 lb shrimp

1/3 cup water chestnuts, sliced

1/4 cup unsalted peanuts

1 Tbs Minced Garlic

Ginger, Chilli Powder, Cumin, Garlic Salt, Soy sauce (To taste)

Brown or White Rice- I made about 1 cup of brown rice (dry) in a rice cooker.

I first put the chilli paste, chicken broth, and garlic in a nonstick frying pan on Medium heat, and let the garlic cook a little bit. I then mixed in the broccoli to let that cook for a while before adding the other ingredients (Approx 3 minutes). I then put the shrimp on on one side of the pan, and sprinkled them with a little bit of ginger, chilli powder, and cumin. I added the water chestnuts and onions to the broccoli and gave it a little stir.

Once the shrimp turn pink on one side, flip them, and then once they appear pink on the other side, you can go ahead and stir all the ingredients together and let them cook a few more minutes. At this point, throw in as many peanuts as you want and give it a stir. You really just want to cook it until the broccoli is tender to your preferences- as once the shrimp become firm and pink they should be done.

Once the broccoli was cooked to my liking, I mixed in the cooked rice in the pan, and drizzled some soy sauce over the top before giving it another stir. And we're done! Like I said- this really can be varied in SO many ways based on your preferences. You could even add other vegetables or try it with chicken instead of shrimp. I'll keep you updated on future attempts at a more genuine Kung Pao recipe!