Martini Shrimp

Elegant and easy.  Martini Shrimp is a retro-inspired shrimp dish with a cocktail-hour twist. Vodka and dry vermouth are simmered into a silky cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and a touch of cayenne for just the right amount of warmth.

 

 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 pounds shrimp, peeled

Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning 

1 Tablespoon shallots

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup dry Vermouth

1/4 cup vodka or gin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup drained sun-dried tomato, coarsely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 

1/2 teaspoon salt

White pepper to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Add the shrimp and dust lightly with Slap ya Mama seasoning (not a lot as you add cayenne later). 

Saute the shrimp until pink. Remove to a platter and set aside. 

Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and saute for a few minutes. 

Add the vermouth and vodka/gin, cayenne and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until the mixture is syrupy and reduced. 

Add the cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and white pepper. Cook until thickened. 

Return the shrimp to the skillet. Cook until heated through.

Serve over pasta.  

 

 

Million Dollar Pound Cake

 Blue Ribbon Winner, North Carolina State Fair

 

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

2 cups butter (4 sticks) softened (I use salted butter)

6 eggs, room temperature

4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon almond extract (I use 1 1/2 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon vanilla (I use 1 1/2 teaspoons)

Directions:

Combine the sugar and the butter, and cream together until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Alternately add flour and milk to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. 

Stir in flavorings. 

Pour batter into a well-greased and floured 10-inch tube pan (smooth the top).

Bake at 300 degrees for one hour and forty minutes or until cake test done. 

Cold Strawberry Soup

Strawberry season in the South practically has its own festival season — from Plant City, Florida to Ponchatoula, Louisiana, and all the way to Poteet, Texas. This cold Strawberry Soup is elegant, refreshing, and just a little unexpected — serve it up in your grandmother's teacups with the saucer for a girls lunch or celebration.

 

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled, rinsed and sliced

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups white wine

1/2 cup sugar (less or more depending on sweetness of the strawberries)

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 Tablespoons of corn starch and make a slurry with 1 1/2 teaspoons of water

3 teaspoons lemon rind, chopped

1/4 cup sour cream

Directions: 

This recipe makes 6 small servings. 

Place the strawberries in an enamel or stainless steel pot. Add the water and wine, and let everything simmer together over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the berries are soft. 

Stir in the sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch slurry. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring, until it thickens up nicely. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 25–30 minutes.

Once the soup has cooledpour it into your blender and purée until smooth. Add the lemon zest and sour cream, then give it just a few more seconds in the blender. Taste it here and add a little more sugar if your berries needed it.

Pour into a container and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled — a few hours or overnight is ideal.

Just before serving, pass the soup through a fine mesh sieve for that perfectly smooth finish. Ladle into teacups with saucers or small bowls for a lovely first course, and garnish each one with a little heart-shaped strawberry slice right in the center.

Picture from Food Network.