Honey Lime Shrimp

I really like shrimp, but this was the first time I prepared shrimp for dinner.  Luckily, it turned out awesome.  Here's the recipe:

Honey Lime Shrimp
serves 2

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T honey
juice of one small lime, or half a large lime (2-3 T)
zest of one small lime, or half a large lime
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1.) In a large ziploc bag, combine all the marinade ingredients. When everything is well-combined, add the shrimp, squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag, and close it up. Place it in the fridge.

2.) Let the shrimp marinate for 30-60 minutes, flipping the bag around once or twice during that time, so that all the shrimp stay evenly covered in the marinade.

3.) When you’re ready to cook, take the shrimp out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; there is no need to add any oil or butter to the pan, as the marinade has enough oil in it to keep the shrimp from sticking to the pan. (If you would prefer to use the grill for these, you can thread them onto skewers and toss them on the grill at this point.)

4.) Add your shrimp to the pan in a single layer, making sure they are not too crowded; you can always cook them in more than one batch. Let them cook on one side for about a minute, until they curl up and start to turn pink. Flip them over, and cook for another 30 seconds or so, until the shrimp are opaque. Remove from the pan, and serve immediately!

I am a big fan of these shrimp – the sweet honey got a little caramelized and crunchy in the hot pan, and the red pepper flakes and lime add just enough kick to cut through the sweetness. Best of all, they took about 10 minutes to make, start to finish… perfect for a quick weeknight meal! I served mine with a spicy corn dish on the side (super delicious recipe forthcoming), as well as some chopped heirloom tomatoes sprinkled with salt and pepper. You could serve them over brown rice with your vegetable of choice on the side, or pack them into some warmed flour tortillas with a little shredded romaine and some sour cream for shrimp tacos! They’d also make a delicious salad topper, or a lovely accompaniment to a beautiful grilled steak.

Yep, it was delicious.  The red pepper flakes are the perfect add-on to give it a kick.  (But leave them off if you don't like spice!)  I served it over rice and we had it as the main course, but it could also be a side dish, appetizer, etc.  This will definitely be my go-to shrimp recipe.

Oh, and I actually used shrimp that were already cooked and it still turned out great.  I don't think it makes a huge difference - just make sure that they're thawed or mostly thawed.

Rolo Cookies

I always debate whether or not to post recipes that I didn't really like, but then always end up doing so because I want to remember what I didn't like about it.  Sometimes I even find ways to change it so that I do like it.  Besides, just because I didn't like it doesn't mean that someone else won't.  Anyway, this recipe looked beyond amazing.  I love cookies, chocolate, and Rolo's, so it seemed natural that I'd be a huge fan of these:


1 pkg. Rolo's
1 box Devils Food Cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil

Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs. Take a small ball of dough and form a ball around the rolo. (Only use enough dough to cover the rolo so it can spread through the cookie.)

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.


I actually usually like cake mix cookies, but for some reason, these cookies just didn't do it for me.  I ended up thinking, "Dang, I just wasted a bunch of Rolos."  Sad.  Perhaps I'm just not a fan of Devil's Food cake mix cookies?  That was actually the part of the cookie I didn't like.  I actually think that if I had put the Rolos in regular chocolate chip cookie dough, (without the chocolate chips) I would have been a much bigger fan.  I won't be making these again using this specific recipe, but I do want to continue my hunt for some awesome Rolo cookies.

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

I know, I post buffalo chicken recipes a lot.  I can't help it - we love them!  So here's another one:

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos found on Real Women of Philadelphia

• 4 cup(s) of chicken, cooked and shredded
• 12 soft taco, flour tortillas
• 2 cup(s) of mozzarella cheese, grated
• 4 ounce(s) of Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1/3 cup(s) of Frank’s hot sauce
• 1/3 cup(s) of milk
• 2 tbsp. of butter
• 1 tsp. of Mrs. Dash
• 1 tsp. of garlic powder
• 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil

*Note to make a lower calorie/fat version of this.  Use the Fat Free or 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese.

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small sauce pot over medium low heat, melt butter.
3. Add Mrs. Dash, garlic powder. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and completely combined with butter and spices.
5. Wisk in hot sauce and milk and simmer for 5 – 8 minutes. Add salt to taste.
6. Combine chicken and sauce.
7. Lay out a tortilla; fill with about ¼ – 1/3 cup chicken and 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese.
8. Tightly roll up taquito and place on a greased baking sheet; repeat until chicken is gone.
9. Brush taquitos with vegetable oil on all sides.
10. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes; rotate them every 5 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Serve with Kraft Blue Cheese Dressing and celery sticks.

I have never made my own taquitos before, and I'm now a huge fan of doing so.  In my opinion, homemade is way better.  I'm actually not a huge fan of taquitos from the store or even a restaurant, but they're pretty delicious when you make them yourself.  Anyway, these were awesome.  I made a ton and we pretty much gobbled them all up that night.  Mmm.  I followed the recipe pretty closely, though I can't remember if I served them with sour cream or Ranch dressing.  (Instead of blue cheese dressing).  It was over a month ago.  :-)  Both sound good though.  I will definitely be making them again.