In my house growing up, however, there were far less ways to cook shrimp. Only three ways to be exact. The reason is my mother’s dislike for seafood. She only eats shrimp if they are fried, so that is one way. The second way is “a la Diabla” which literally translates to “the devil’s way”. The shrimp are sauteed with onions and chipotle sauce. “Mojo al Ajo” is the third shrimp recipe which is prepared in a garlic butter sauce.

The following recipe is my twist on the garlic butter sauce and devil’s shrimp recipes:

What you’ll need:

• About 12-15 Shrimp, cleaned deveined
• 2 tbsp of olive or corn oil
• 2 tsp of lemon juice
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 3 tbsp of cilantro, diced
• 1 tsp of basil, paprika, parsley (dried or fresh),  and dried oregano
• 3-5 chile de arbol (REMOVE STEM, DO NOT BREAK)
• 3 Garlic Cloves, crushed

First heat up a skillet, lightly coat in oil. Once Skillet is hot, place shrimp. Salt and pepper lightly. You want to make sure the shrimp are seared. Add the chile de arbol then remove from heat. Toss the contents of skillet, while adding garlic and half of butter. Place skillet on low heat while slowly stirring in remaining butter, spices, and lemon juice. Taste butter sauce for flavor. Add salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat once butter sauce is reduced (about one to two minutes).

I decided to plate my shrimp on top of lettuce and tomato pouring the butter sauce like a dressing. You can also add shrimp to white rice making a pretty good rice bowl.

WARNING: Chile de Arbol can be a very spicy chile. The heat comes from the seeds inside. I recommend not breaking the chiles while cooking. Toasting the chiles in the oil will cause them to create a very spicy smoke if left in too long. Try using one or two chiles if you are not sure what I am talking about.

Andrew ended up making a Mexican inspired pizza that was both unique and tasty. From all the ingredients he used, the Mexican mole sauce was the biggest surprise. Mole sauce is a little sweet, tangy, and very earthy like a spicy peanut butter. I know that doesn’t sound too appealing, but buy a small jar to add to some roasted chicken then let me know what you think.

The process used to make the pizza is the same as in the previous post on making pizza.

The ingredients Andrew used for his pizza were:

• Grilled Eggplant
• Grilled Green Bell Pepper
• Mexican Blend Cheese (Shredded)
• Dona Maria Mexican Mole Sauce

Couscous is a great alternative to a rice or mashed potato side dish. I usually buy the big container at Ralph’s, but the couscous pictured below is from a box with seasoning packets. Either way it only takes about 5 minutes to make. Add fresh mushrooms, asparagus, and grape tomatoes sauteed in olive oil to the couscous or as a second side dish in order to complete the meal.

• Lime
• Cilantro
• Eggplant
• Mushrooms
• Green Onion
• Salt & Pepper
• Grape Tomatoes
• Chipotle (canned)
• Cornish Game Hen

Preheat oven to 375°

The sides are easy to make. Just place the tomatoes, mushrooms (diced), eggplant (slices), and green onion in a bowl.  Sprinkle salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toss until everything is evenly coated. Move veggies to a large cookie sheet. Set aside.

Create a marinade from lime juice, chipotle peppers (about a tablespoon), and cilantro (chopped).  Butterfly the hen, split down the middle, and coat with marinade. Place the hen, meat side down, in a pan or cookie sheet and cover with aluminum foil.  Once oven is ready move the pan with marinated hen to the bottom rack.  Add the pan with veggies into the top rack at about the 10 minute mark.

After 25 minutes of cooking, uncover the Cornish game hen. Baste the hen with the juices, then leave uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye out because the meat can easily become dry if left in for too long.  Remove veggies and Cornish game hen from oven and plate.

Add a small scoop of sour cream (or ranch) to the plate if the chipotle peppers are too spicy.

What you’ll need:

• Ground beef(you can change it to ground turkey)
• Romaine Lettuce
• Regular Bread (white, sourdough, or whatever you like)
• Mushrooms
• Onion
• Tomato
• 2 Slices of American Cheese

Lightly coat a pan or griddle with olive oil. Saute sliced mushrooms and onions, set aside when done. Measure out about one regular patty’s worth of ground beef (about a handful). Divide the patty into three smaller patties, roll into balls. Throw the ground beef balls on the skillet, press down with a spatula until you get the desired thickness of your patty. Cooking time will be short, less than 5 minutes. After you flip the patties once, place half of a cheese slice on the patty. Remove patties from pan to sit while you toast the bread. Each bread should be cut into thirds. Slice tomatoes and lettuce into pieces that will fit the mini burgers, then layer ingredients and condiments according to your preference. That’s it. Enjoy.

I don’t love pizza. At least not the greasy, fast food pizza you can get for 5 dollars. I like pizza with unique toppings and sauces. You can go to a restaurant where they make gourmet pizza’s, but some wont let you customize the toppings. One of my favorite restaurant pizza’s is the Spinach Artichoke Pizza from BJ’s Restaurant.  This is my take on that recipe. Nothing beats a pizza made at home.

Ingredients

• 7″ Store Bought Crust (I think Mamma Mary’s)
• Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce (Bertolli)
• Canned Artichokes
• Fresh Spinach
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Chesse: Mozzarella and Cheddar

Add the sauce to the dough.

Add cheeses and artichoke.

Add spinach, cherry tomatoes, and cheeses on top. Brush crust with olive oil. Follow the crust directions (I like it a little crispy).

Remove from oven once cheese is melted and crust is to liking. Enjoy.

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