Naturally, I always gravitate towards red foods as well as red flowers for Valentine’s day.
I first made this red dish years ago returning home from a business trip in Toronto. During the trip I had dinner with my colleagues Richard and Sandra, and we shared tips on eating well, sometimes with neither much time nor ingredients on hand. Sandra explained that no matter what, she could always make a dish with frozen shrimp and some tomatoes laying around, so she always ate well even after returning late on a business trip.
I returned to an empty house as my wife and kids were off visiting her parents. Luckily, I found fresh tomatoes in the refrigerator and some frozen shrimp in the freezer, so I had at it. I found out the next day from Sandra that while we were all having a fabulous meal in Toronto, her husband Bart was home eating hash from a can! Luckily, he loves hash and now it is one of their daughter Danika’s favorite meals! This has become one of my favorite meals.
Shrimp and sundried tomatoes served at a table with red carnations makes a great Valentine’s day meal.
Saucy Shrimp Sandra
1½ lb. large shrimp, peeled
1 leek, diced, rinsed and drained
1 red pepper, diced
1 tsp. cumin seeds (or ½ tsp. cumin powder)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp sundried tomato pesto, or sundried tomatoes, minced
½ cup dry white wine
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp. capers, drained
Preheat broiler. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large oven-going skillet until really hot and shimmering (or smiling as Alton Brown says). Toss in the shrimp and leave in a single layer for a minute or so, until one side browns a bit. Flip to the other side and sear for another minute. Remove shrimp to a clean bowl. Add a bit more olive oil to the pan and sauté the leek and peppers for 3-5 minutes, until the leek softens. Add the cumin, garlic and sundried tomatoes and cook another minute or two until quite fragrant. Return the shrimp to the pan, add the wine, tomatoes and capers, stir and bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Place skillet under broiler (about 2-inches) for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp begin to brown nicely. Serves four.
Here’s another shrimp dish good enough for Valentine’s day, but with a more burgundy than a red hue. Serves four.
Valentine Prawns Over Angel Hair Pasta
1 lb. angel hair pasta
1 lb. large (12-15) large shrimp, peeled
12 oz. dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated, drained and thinly sliced
½ head radicchio, finely shredded (about 2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter
¼ inch thick slice fresh ginger, minced
Sauce
2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
1/4 cup pale-dry sherry
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
¼ tsp. sugar
Make the sauce - mix the soy sauce, sherry and dissolve the sugar in the mixture. Add the sesame oil. Separately, microwave the butter, garlic and ginger together in a small bowl for about 45 seconds, giving the butter a chance to melt and bubble vigorously.
Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot and add the pasta. Cook for 3-4 minutes (angel hair pasta cooks quickly!). Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms at high heat in a bit of olive oil for a minute or two. Add the radicchio and stir fry until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Increase the heat in the pan and add the shrimp. Sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes and then add sauce and the butter mixture. Return the mushrooms and radicchio to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Drain pasta, and toss with shrimp mixture. Serves four.
Even cats like flowers for Valentine's Day!
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