Shrimp Corn Chowder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s face it, summer left and the chilly nights and breezy cool days are here.  It’s the perfect weather for soup!  And I make every kind of soup you can think of and then some.  I love soup and my freezer is stocked with homemade soups. Mostly hearty, thick and creamy soups, my favorite.  This is one of my best soup recipes and I make it often.  I start off with a base of bacon drippings to make the soup base.  Whoa, did someone says bacon?

 

Shrimp Corn Chowder

 

4 strips of bacon

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

    1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup low sodium chicken broth (or more if needed)

1 cup milk

1 bay leaf

1 cup heavy cream

2 large potatoes cut into cubes

4 cups of frozen or canned corn, drained

½ pound medium shrimp, de veined, peeled, no tails

2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

    Salt and finely ground pepper to taste

 

Place bacon in a large pot over medium high heat. Cook until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove onto a paper towel lined plate. Leave fat in pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower heat to medium. Add butter to the same pot. Once melted, add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.  Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Then, add in your carrots and celery and saute for 5 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the flour and stir until you have a paste. Continue to cook and stir for at least 2 minutes to cook out the flour taste.

Add chicken broth, milk, potatoes, Old Bay seasoning and the bay leaf. Turn heat back up to medium high.  Allow soup to come to a slow boil.  Turn heat down to low.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir in corn and heavy cream and cook for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through and tender.  If you want a thinner consistency, add more chicken broth until you get the consistency you want.  On the other hand, if you want a thicker consistency, mix ¼ cup of corn starch with enough water to make a paste and stir into soup.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once you have the right consistency, stir in your shrimp and cook for 5 more minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped bacon and parsley.

 

 

 

 

 

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Cavatappi Shrimp Salad

This is one of my favorite pasta salads and I've been making it for years. It's smooth and creamy with tender shrimp and just a slight crunch of sweet onion and celery. I make it with elbows and sometimes with spiral pasta but my favorite is Cavatappi. I like the way the ridges hold the dressing and make it creamy and delicious. I like to eat it warm when I first make it and then refrigerate it for a few days of eating it chilled. So good!   It's one of those salads that just gets better each day as the flavors meld together. Don't forget to add the Old Bay seasoning for the perfect blend of spices!

Cavatappi Shrimp Salad 

1 box Cavatapi pasta
1 lb large precooked fresh or frozen shrimp, thawed and cut in pieces
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 Vidalia or sweet onion chopped
2 teaspoons fresh dill weed
2 teaspoons celery seed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup mayo (I only use Hellman's Real Mayo)
1 tablespoon of milk or half and half

If using frozen peeled and cleaned shrimp, thaw them over night in bag they came in so you can save some of the liquid. 

Cook pasta in large pot of salted, boiling water until tender. Drain pasta and add to large bowl. Do not rinse the pasta. 

While pasta is cooking, remove tails from shrimp and cut into preferred sized pieces. In a separate bowl whisk together mayo, cream (or half and half), a little teaspoon of the shrimp liquid, diced celery, chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste. Add the dill weed, Old Bay seasoning and parsley.

Add dressing to pasta and mix in well. Then fold in shrimp making sure you distribute throughout. You may not need all the dressing if you prefer your salads to be more dry. I like mine creamy. Taste dressing to see if you need more seasonings.

I serve this warm when I first make it and then cold for the next day or two. It just gets better.

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Honey Walnut Shrimp with Rice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite foods in the whole world is the Honey Walnut Shrimp from Panda Express.  Its one of those dishes you crave most of the time.  Big succulent shrimp with a light and crispy tempura coating and that sweet creamy sauce is to die for.  And then there’s those sweet bits of glazed walnuts that take it over the top.  I truly used to crave it all the time.  But then I moved out to the country and the closet Panda Express is 50 miles away.  Besides, it was expensive.  So, a year or so ago, as I was eating my last Panda Express meal, I decided I can make this.  And so, I did…. And I make it a lot…every time I get a craving! I will rank this as one of my top meals here at Welcome Home.  It’s that delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honey Walnut Shrimp with Rice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shrimp

 

1 lb. medium raw or frozen shrimp, peeled, de-veined, tails removed

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

7-up or carbonated club soda

2 tablespoons cornstarch

vegetable or canola oil, for frying

 

Sauce

 

1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise (I used Kewpie)

1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed

1/2 cup glazed walnuts

 

First, make your sauce.  Add all the ingredients except for the walnuts to a medium sized bowl and whisk until smooth.  Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shrimp

Next, prepare your shrimp. Pat them dry with paper towels.  If using frozen shrimp, let them completely thaw first.  Set aside.

Add salt, garlic powder and onion powder to a medium bowl. Add in the flower and corn starch and whisk until blended.  Next, pour a little carbonated soda or seltzer water in the bowl and mix to make a batter.  You want the batter the consistency of pancake batter…. Not too thin as it has to coat the shrimp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil to a large skillet with deep sides over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees and shimmering. (The oil should sizzle immediately if you sprinkle water into it.)

Dredge the shrimp in the batter and allow excess batter to drip back to the bowl.  Add to hot oil. Make sure you fry your shrimp in batches, not touching.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp to a paper towel line plate while you continue to fry the remaining shrimp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the shrimp have drained but are still hot, add them with walnuts to a large bowl, pour the sauce on top. Toss everything together until combined.  Serve over rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a recipe you want to serve as soon as you prepare it. The heat of the shrimp can cause the mayo to melt and turn clear. It’ll still taste great; it just won’t look as pretty! Serve immediately with a sprinkle of scallions for garnish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES:

I use medium or large frozen cooked shrimp. They come already peeled, de-veined, and the tails removed. Then I thaw them out in the refrigerator overnight.  Frozen shrimp is usually much cheaper than fresh so you can save some money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t skip on the cornstarch. Its what gives the shrimp that light crispy coating.

I used Japanese mayonnaise called Kewpie. But you can use any brand.  You can even use regular mayo if you can’t find Japanese. However, Kewpie adds a subtle rich and sweet flavor. It’s thicker, creamier, sweeter, and tangier than traditional mayo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glazed walnuts – For flavor and a nice crunch to the dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I add some scallions as a garnish because it makes the dish so pretty and gives it color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the sauce when the shrimp is hot. As soon as the shrimp is finished cooking and has been drained for a few seconds, add the sauce. The heat of the shrimp will help make the sauce a loose consistency and mix better than when it’s had time to cool off. 

 

  

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.