Dec. 8, 2012: Garlic Shrimp in Pesto Bowtie Pasta, Steamed Broccoli, Fresh Baked French Bread, Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake

 

TODAY'S MENU

Garlic Shrimp Pesto Bowtie Pasta, Steamed Broccoli, Fresh Baked French Bread,
Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake

 

Main Entrée

GARLIC SHRIMP PESTO BOWTIE PASTA

Eating Italian food last night put me in the mood for pasta, since I didn't order pasta there. So I decided to do a pesto pasta because we all love basil pesto. I decided to do shrimp because it goes well with pasta. But I don't like shrimp and neither does one of my daughters so I will take dish ours out before I add the shrimp and I have a steak left over from the other night, so I'll slice that up and add it to mine and hers.

Shrimp cooking in olive oil and garlic

First I put a big pot of water on for the pasta and turned the heat to high.

Then I had a bag of deveined frozen shrimp. So I heated up a large frying pan over medium heat, poured a little olive oil in the pan and a heaping Tablespoon of minced garlic. Then I dumped the still frozen shrimp in and let it cook.

 

When the water was boiling, I added some salt to it and then dumped the bowtie pasta in, turned the heat down to medium-high (to prevent boiling over) and set the timer for 9 minutes.

I sliced up the leftover steak for the daughter and I that don't like shrimp, and got a small frying pan out to heat that up.

Sometimes I make my own pesto, but I keep a jar of it around for convenience because it happens to be a really good pesto. (It's Costco's brand.)  

       

Costco brand pesto is good substitute for when
you don't feel like making your own

Once the pasta was cooked, I stirred in a generous amount of pesto (enough to cover the pasta) and sprinkled some grated Parmesan on top. Then I dished out some for me and my daughter who doesn't like shrimp before I tossed the shrimp in. I added the steak to mine and hers. Then I put some feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes on the table for those who wanted to put it on top of theirs.

 

Side Dishes

STEAMED BROCCOLI

My rice cooker has a steam basket, so I just threw the chopped the florets off the stalks and put them in the basket over the water and turned it on. Very easy.

 

FRESH BAKED FRENCH BREAD

Baking bread is one of my absolute favorite things to do. It also make the whole house smell fantastic. And the taste of fresh baked bread is unmatchable. French bread is one of my favorite kinds of breads, it tastes so good with a garlic butter and Parmesan or with bruschetta. Or even just with butter alone. This recipe is my favorite and is practically no-fail.

 

First add 2 cups flour, 2 Tablespoons salt, 2 Tablespoons dried yeast and 2 cups of warm water to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Then add 3-4 cups more flour one cup at a time. Stop adding flour as soon as the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl and starts to stay in one big ball on the mixing paddle.

 

Then get a large bowl and generously spray it with cooking spray. Then put the dough in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a thick dish towel. Let rise for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until it is double in size.

After it is done rising, punch the dough down and let it rest for 10 minutes. While it is resting, spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle cornmeal over it. Shake the pan this way and that until the whole baking sheet is covered in a thin layer of cooking spray with corn meal stuck to it. 

 

Then separate the dough into two parts. Roll each side into a long loaf, close to the length of the cooking sheet. Flatten each a little. Then place them side by side on the cooking sheet away from the sides (not touching each other). Then use a long serrated knife to cut slits down the length of the loaves. Cut the slits at an angle, only about a 1/4 inch or less into the dough and about an inch or so apart. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and let them rise for 30 minutes to an hour.

Loaves with slits cut - ready to cover to let rise

After it doubled in size

 Bake in the oven at 375°F. If you like a crusty outside, place a pan of boiling water on the lower rack. It will create a steam effect in the oven that will thicken/crispen the outside of the loaves as they bake. Bake about 20 minutes or until the outside is golden brown.

Bread after it's baked

Mixing a little minced garlic into softened butter to spread on these is really good. Another way my family likes to eat this is that I slice the bread and lay the slices out on a baking sheet. I spread butter on each slice. Then I sprinkle garlic salt on all of them and then sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Then I put the sheet in the oven on Broil and until the butter and cheese are melted.

 

Dessert

LEMON BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE CAKE

Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake

BLUEBERRY LEMON CAKE

1 pkg lemon cake mix

1 pkg (4 oz) vanilla pudding instant mix

4 eggs

¾ c sour cream

¼ c oil

2 c blueberries

 

Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients (except blueberries) on low for 30 seconds, then on medium high for 2 minutes. Fold in blueberries. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans. Divide batter among the 3 pans.

Batter divided between pans

 

Bake 25-28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost and assemble on top of each other with cream cheese frosting .

 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTIG

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese

1/4 c. butter

1 (1 lb.) bag of powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2-3 Tbsp. milk

 

Beat the cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, then vanilla. Add only enough milk to get to the right consistency.