Shrimp Scampi Pasta – A 15 Minute Meal

Another dish that is 15 minutes or less.

I had a bag of shrimps that’s been setting in my freezer for couple of weeks that I needed to get rid of.  And I wanted to use it for something easy and quick.  Not only easy but also flavorful.  So I decided on shrimp scampi.  Shrimps cooked in skillet with olive oil.  Or a combination of butter and olive oil.  For which only took less than 15 minutes to make.  Including the pasta.

For some, Shrimp Scampi is great during the summer time.  But who says you can’t eat it during winter…?  Food is food, right?  Especially if I’m hungry.

Anyway.

Here’s what you need to make this easy, simple and quick meal.

Shrimps. Generously seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Garlic. Peeled and minced.

Olive oil. I prefer to use extra light olive oil for sauteing and roasting.

White wine.  That is if you have any.

This was an after thought.  Because the ones I’m showing you here, I did not use wine.  And it tasted just as good.

Spinach.  Washed and ready to cook.

Again.  This is optional…

Pasta.  You only need one box…

And Parmesan Cheese.  Again Optional.  I didn’t use it for myself.  Not that I don’t want to.  Because I would have LOVED to… but I have to avoid dairy whenever possible.  Unless I want to physically punish myself… then I ate dairy.

Anyway.

Here’s how I put these ingredients into a delicious meal…

Get a large pot and fill it with water.  About 3/4 full.  And then add 3 teaspoons kosher salt.

Bring water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons olive oil.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook al dente.  About 7 minutes.

Strain water from pasta just seconds before adding it the shrimps.

*** While the pasta was boiling, I was also cooking the shrimps. ***

 

Heat a large skillet and add olive oil.

Saute garlic until light golden brown.

Add seasoned shrimps.

Cook shrimps until pink.  About 5 minutes.

*** If using white wine.  This is the time to remove the shrimp to a platter.  Then you pour 1/2 cup of white wine and allow it to boil.  You then add the shrimps back into the skillet.  Stir.***

Add the spinach, if using.

Stir until wilted.  about 1 – 2 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta.

Stir until pasta and shrimps are well combined.

Serve Shrimp  Scampi Pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

~~~

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

(Serves 4 people)

1½ pound of peeled shrimps

1 tsp. coarse sea salt

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 – 4 TBSPs. light olive oil (or a combination of butter and olive oil)

½ cup white wine (optional)

4 cups (packed) spinach (optional)

16 ounces pasta – cooked separately

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Season the shrimps with salt and black pepper.  Set aside.

Fill a large pot with water.  Add 3 tsps. Kosher salt and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, and 2 tsps. Olive oil.

Boil pasta for about 7 minutes – one minute before al dente.  Strain water from the pasta just right before adding it to the shrimp.

Heat a large skillet and add olive oil.  Add the garlic and sauté until light golden brown.  Add the seasoned shrimps and sauté until pink.  About 5 minutes.  Remove to a platter.

Pour white wine into the skillet and bring to a boil.  Add back the shrimps.  Stir.  And then add the spinach if using.  Stir until spinach is wilted.

Add the pasta and mix.  Taste for additional salt and or black pepper.

Top each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  And a slice of lemon on the side.

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets

#1 – Buy raw and peeled shrimps to save time.

#2 – Cook pasta simultaneously with the shrimps.  So that when the pasta is cooked, I was ready to mix it with the shrimp.

#3 – Strain the water from the pasta just seconds before mixing it with the shrimp.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess Harris

Salt N’ Peppa Shrimps

I first moved to Vegas, by myself and stayed with my sister, while Ramon finished the school year and Willie was waiting for military retirement.  On one of his visits, I told him about the restaurant my sister bragged about.  The name was Sam Woo BBQ Restaurant.  A Chinese restaurant that served authentic Chinese foods.  It was Friday night and there were about 15 – 20 people waiting to be seated.  The Hostess went through the line and assigned numbers to the people waiting.  Then she came to us.  We were the last couple in line.

“Your name!?” The young Asian lady asked rudely.

We told her our name.

“It’s going to be 30 minutes!  We have no seats right now!  You can wait if you like.” She yelled.  Her tone was offensively condescending, eying us up and down.  Examining as if we were good enough to be granted a table.

I noticed that she was rude to the people ahead of us, mostly Asian.  But I also noticed that she was particularly more rude to us.

My husband got so pissed off.

“Let’s get outta here!  I don’t need this kind of treatment.  If I’m going to spend my hard earned money at this place… I would like to be treated like I’m a decent human being.  I would like to be treated with respect!”

“I don’t care if they serve the best food in the world.  I will never, ever go back there! They don’t get my business. I’ll take my money somewhere else.”

We walked out.  It was around 9:30 and didn’t know where to go.  I drove back and parked at a nearby high school.  My husband was still pissed about the incident that happened tonight.  We haven’t eaten.  We were both hungry.  And I know there wasn’t any food to eat at my sister’s house.  Besides, it was late to cook dinner.

“How about we just grab some Chinese Food at Boulder Station (Hotel & Casino)?”  I suggested to him.

“Frankly, I don’t want to go anywhere!  I had lost all my appetite!” He was still fuming about the incident

“But it’s already 9:30pm and we haven’t eaten!” I reminded him.

“All I want wanted to do was treat my wife to a nice dinner.  A good Chinese food.  How hard is that?  Instead, I got treated like shit by a racist Chinese woman!”

“Fine.  Let’s get some food at Boulder Station.”  He reluctantly agreed.

And so we went.

We ordered our food and sat at a small, dimly lit table.  This was a last minute decision.  And a bad one at that.  The food was not good.  In fact, was one of the worst Chinese food we’ve eaten.

No luck.  Our night was supposed to be enjoyable.  Instead, we had nothing but bad luck.  Bad service.  Bad food.  Bad night!

I felt responsible.  It was my idea to go to Sam Woo.  I felt guilty and ashamed.  I felt awful.  And I was beginning to get pissed off too.

~~~

Several months later, I convinced my husband that we ought to try Sam Woo again.  I suggested that maybe we should go there in the afternoon when it might not be as crowded.  I told him that my sister and her boyfriend took me there one night and the food was indeed real good.  And the service wasn’t that bad.  Maybe they just had a bad Hostess that night.

“Fine.  This is their last chance to redeem themselves.  I’m only going because you’re bugging the shit outta me.  Their food better be damn good!”

So we did.  This time the Hostess wasn’t rude like last time.  She wasn’t overly nice either.  And that was OK.  I wasn’t expecting a royalty treatment.  And we got seated right away.

We ordered several shrimp dishes:  shrimp with lobster sauce, beef in black beans sauce, salt and pepper shrimp, fried rice and iced tea.  All these dishes were good.  The sauces were perfectly spiced and seasoned.

But the “salt and pepper shrimp” was the dish that intrigued him.  He particularly liked the sauteed peppers which appeared to be Serrano peppers and green onions that was served with the shrimp.

So instead of us going back to Sam Woo, I decided to recreate the “salt and pepper shrimp” dish that my husband liked.   And this is what he has to say…

“Mmmm.  You cook this shrimp better than Sam Woo!  And better than any other place I’ve been to…  At least I don’t have to put up with bad service. ”

The key to cooking the shrimps is the oil temperature.  The oil must be around 350°F when you start frying the shrimp.  No higher.  Or the shrimps will burn.

To be sure I attach or place a thermometer in the frying pan.

You could also just use your judgment.  Gauge it.  The oil must be hot but not smoking.

If the shrimps are fried correctly, they should be crunchy.  And you should be able to eat everything.  I mean everything, including the shells which is fiber.  If the eyes and heads of the shrimp bother you, you can take them off after frying and just serve the body with the tails on.

For Westerners, this dish may seemed bizarre and weird.  One might wonder how could you possibly fry and eat shrimps with the shells on?  Most Filipinos don’t know this either.  I remember when I bought a big bag of whole shrimps at the Filipino Food Store here in town.

The owner ask: “What are you going to do with all that shrimp?  How are you going to cook them…?”

“Oh.  Simple.  I am going to lightly dredge them in seasoned flour and fry them whole.  With heads and tails on, unpeeled.”

“Really?  Aren’t those shells going to be tough?”

“Nope.  Not at all.  When the shrimps are perfectly fried.  Heads, shells and tails become crunchy.  And they taste great!”  I assured him.

“Hmmm.  I didn’t know that.  I’ve have never tried eating shrimps that way.  I just learn something new! Thanks!”

You do have to choose shrimps with soft shells.  And most farmed shrimps’ shells are thinner and softer compared to the ones harvested from the Gulf of Texas.

With this dish every part is eaten.  The head, the shell and tails.  When fried perfectly.  All parts become crunchy, and therefore, edible.  My favorite part is the tail much more than the head.  The same part that my son leaves on his plate.  He doesn’t like the heads and the tails.  He is a typical American kid.

When I was little, I remember my grandparents cooking a pot full of small shrimps.  All body parts intact.  The shrimps were about the size of my pinky and was perfectly cooked in a large deep pot with only a little bit of water and a good amount of sea salt.  They were salty.  But very good.  Because they were freshly caught from the sea.

Whole shrimp, shell on with heads and tails are hard to come by.  Our local grocery stores rarely carries them.  So I have been buying the “easy peel” ones that’s already been deveined.  Their headless.  But works just fine.

As for Sam Woo.  The food was great.  But the service is left to be desired.  Most days the wait is too long and the Hostess need an attitude adjustment.  She seems rude to all the customers, which are mostly Asian.  But I guess a lot of Asian, especially Chinese people, didn’t mind the rudeness and bad treatment.  Because this restaurant is never empty.  In fact, the line is always over flowing at the door.

However, for Americans, this leaves a “bad taste” in their mouths.  My husband feels exactly this way.  He doesn’t think it’s right for any restaurant to treat it’s good paying customers badly.  No matter how great their food.

So… to avoid all these hassles.  I’m better off cooking these shrimps at home…

Washed and drained.  Easy Peel Shrimps.  Seasoned with coarse sea salt or kosher salt and plenty of ground black pepper.

All purpose flour plus kosher salt and plenty of  ground black pepper.

Mixed them up real good.

dredge 8 – 10 or more shrimps at a time, depending on how large your frying pan…

Be sure to coat the shrimps nicely with the seasoned flour.

Place the dredged shrimps in a plate or over waxed paper and allow the shrimp to rest for about five minutes.  This resting period will allow the seasoned flour to stick on the shells.

Heat a large skillet or frying pan and add 1 cup or more oil.  The shrimps must be submerge in hot oil.

Fry shrimps until crispy on one side.  About 3 minutes on each side.  As you can see, I should have heated more oil to have the shrimps more submerged.

Flip the shrimps to the other side.

Fry them until crispy like these…

Remove the shrimps from the pan…

Drain them over paper towels…

They are now ready to serve.  You can serve them with rice and Sweet Chili Sauce as dipping sauce.

This is the best Sweet  Chili Sauce we’ve tried… available in Asian market and most supermarkets…

Or… If you are like my husband.  The Sauteed Jalapenos is a good accompaniment…

About 15 jalapenos and 1 bunch of green onions.  Chopped.  Here I didn’t have enough jalapenos so I threw in a handful of red peppers.  Which of course make the sauce more spicy.

Saute them in the pan with 2 tablespoons for the same oil used for frying the shrimps.  Add added the salt and black pepper.

Saute them  until they nice and tender…

Ready to serve! You need plenty of rice on the side…

Salt & Pepper Shrimp with Sauteed Jalapeno Peppers

2 pounds whole large shrimps (shell on with heads and tails if available)

2 tsps. kosher salt or 1 TBSP. coarse sea salt

1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. cayenne (optional)

~~~

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

~~~

2 cups canola oil for frying

Cut the antenae off the shrimps.  Wash and drain shrimp in a colander.  Place in a large bowl.

Season Shrimps with salt, black pepper and cayenne.  Let it set four about 10 minutes.

In a large ziploc bag, combine flour, salt and black pepper.

Heat a large frying pan and add the oil.  Heat oil to 350°F.  Oil must be at least an inch deep.  Shrimps must be fully submerge.

Place 8 – 10 shrimps in the flour and shake the ziploc bag to coat the shrimps.  Shake off excess flour from the shrimp and fry them in the hot oil.

Fry Shrimp for 3 minutes on each side.  Remove and drain on paper towels.

Repeat procedures with the remaining shrimp.

Serve with rice and your choice of sauces below:

Sauteed Jalapeno Peppers

15 medium size jalapeno peppers

1 bunch green onions – chopped

1 tsp. coarse sea salt or kosher salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

2 TBSPs. of oil used to fry the shrimps

Wash the jalapenos and pat dry with kitchen towel.  Cut the stems off slice them in halves.  Chop thinly and set aside.

Wash the green onions.  Cut the roots and discard.  Remove yellowed or wilted pieces.  Cut the welted top.  Chop green onions.

Using the same frying pan, pour off all but 2 tablespoons oil.  Saute Jalapenos and green onions for a few minutes, until Jalapenos slightly soft.  Add salt and black pepper.  Stir again for a few minutes.

Transfer the sauteed jalapenos to a small bowl.  Serve on the side.

Or you can serve the shrimps with bottled Sweet Chili Sauce.  This sauce is perfectly fine.  It’s mild and sweet which offsets the saltiness of the shrimp.

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:

#1 – The secret is really using a whole shrimp.  Shells on with heads and tails.  Find them as fresh as you can find.  Use only shrimps with white soft shells.  Brown shrimps tend to have tougher shells.

#2 – Frying time.  The shells must almost look wrinkly.  Try eating one shrimp out of the first batch to be sure.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess Harris

Sauteed Rice Noodles (Pancit Bihon)

Pancit Bihon or sauteed rice noodles is one of Filipinos most popular dishes, in addition to lumpia.  Noodle dishes such as this has been introduced to us by Chinese immigrants.  One of the most common and popular dishes served  in parties and family celebrations.

Pancit, just like any other Filipino dishes, is not spicy.  But in our home, I usually make them hot and spicy to please my husband.  He won’t it eat any other way.  He thinks Filipino foods are bland and therefore not very fond of them.   I really can’t argue with him on that.  He is right.  Most Westerners considered Filipino dishes bland, as compared to the dishes in the neighboring countries.  Which is one of the reasons I seldom cook Filipino foods.  Thus reflecting a limited number of Filipino recipes posted in this blog.  He prefers  Thai and Chinese foods.  Thai foods because of all the hot chilies and peppers in it.  And Chinese foods because I can make them spicy and still taste outrageously good.

I don’t cook pancit often.  But I crave them once in a while.  And this week is one of those weeks where I have to have some pancit.

Here’s what you need to cook pancit:

Rice noodles.  Two packages, 8 ounces each.

Noodles need to be washed under cold running water. Water drained and noodles set aside.  This process will soften the noodles.

16 ounces of pork, sliced.  I kept some of the fat for more flavors.  Seasoned with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper.

16 ounces shrimp.  Peeled and deveined.  Seasoned with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper.

vegetables…

sliced and chopped…

and garlic… smashed, peeled and chopped.

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat.

Add two tablespoons cooking oil.  Sorry.  I cheated here.  I used pork fat I had rendered few days ago, for more flavor.

Add red onions and green onions.  Stir fry one minute.  Add celery and cabbage.  Stir fry until cabbage turns bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove to a large platter.

Green beans stir fried in one tablespoon oil. Stir fried until green beans are wilted. And remove to the same platter with other stir fried vegetables.

Stir fried the shrimp until pink.  Remove to the same platter with the stir fried vegetables. (Sorry, I forgot to take a pic with this process…)

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and stir fry the garlic and hot peppers.  That is if you are using hot peppers. Be careful.  Hot peppers are going to be strong on the sinuses.

Add the pork to the wok.

Stir fry pork until golden on the edges.  And then add the sliced tomatoes. Stir for about 2 minutes.  Tomatoes should be slightly cooked with the pork and to the point of disintegrating.

Add 3 1/2 cups chicken stock or water to the wok.

Add fish sauce and soy sauce to the wok.  Bring pork and chicken stock mixture to a boil.

Add stir fried vegetables to the wok.  Stir and keep boiling.

Add the stir fried shrimp.

Add the washed, softened noodles. Stir until combined well.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Keep stirring the until the noodles absorb most of the liquid. And the noodles are tender but not too soft. Turn off heat.

Done and ready to serve!

Sautéed Rice Noodles (Pancit Bihon)

Serves 6 – 8 people

2 – 8 ounces package Rice Noodles or Pancit Bihon

16 ounces boneless pork – sliced

16 ounces shrimp – peeled and deveined

1/3 medium green cabbage

8 ounces fresh green beans

2 celery ribs – chopped

1 medium onion – sliced

4 stalks green onions – chopped

6 cloves garlic – smashed, peeled and chopped

6 – 8 fresh hot chilies (optional)

2 roma tomatoes – sliced

6 TBSPs. cooking oil divided

4 TBSPs. soy sauce

4 TBSPs. fish sauce

3 ½ cups chicken stock or water

1 tsp. kosher salt – divided

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper divided

½ tsp. ground hot pepper (optional)

Wash rice noodles under cold running water.  Drain water and set aside noodles.

Season sliced pork with ½ tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper.  Set aside.

Season shrimp with ½ tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper.  Set aside.

Heat a large wok and add 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.  Saute onion and green onions for one minute.  Add celery and cabbage.  Stir fry for another two minutes.  Remove to a large platter.

Add another tablespoon cooking oil.  Stir fried green beans until welted, about 5 minutes.  Remove to the same platter with the rest of the stir fried vegetables.

Add the another tablespoon of cooking oil and stir fried the shrimp until

pink.  Remove to another platter and set aside.

Finally, add the remaining two tablespoons cooking oil.  Add garlic and whole hot peppers, if using.  Stir fry until garlic is golden.  Add pork and stir fry about 4 minutes.  Add sliced tomatoes to the pork.  Stir a few minutes.

Turn the heat to medium high.  Add the soy sauce and fish sauce to the pork.  Quickly stir to coat the pork.  Add chicken stock and bring pork to boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low.  Cover wok and simmer pork for 3 minutes.

Add the platter of stir fried vegetables and shrimp to the simmering pork and stock.  Add the remaining ½ tsp. ground black pepper and ground hot pepper if using.

Turn the heat back to medium and bring the whole mixture to boiling.  Add the rinsed rice noodles.  Stir noodles, pork and the vegetable mixture, until well combined.  Keep stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed and noodles are tender but not overcooked.

Serve hot.  This dish is served by itself or with other Asian dishes.  Serves as a snack, a full meal.

Serve noodles with a small slice of lemon, squeezing the juice over the noodles.

NOTE: This recipe serves a party of 6 – 8 people.  Please cut the recipe in half if only serving a few people.  Left overs can be refrigerated and warmed in the microwave.

Also.  As for the vegetables, you may not include what you do not like and replace them with what you like.

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:

#1 – By stir frying the vegetables, individually, as shown, keeps them from getting overcooked.   Thus, keeping them crunchy.

#2 – By also stir frying the shrimps also keeps them from getting overcooked and rubbery.

#3 – Chicken stock enhances the flavor of the noodles.

#4 – An equal amount of fish sauce and lemon juice drizzle over the noodles upon serving, is suggested if additional seasoning is needed for the noodles.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess Harris

Welding A Life Decision… And Food on the Side

Welding.

I had no clear understanding, of what welding was, or what it entailed until my son, Ramon, took welding in high school. More importantly I had no idea how dangerous it is…

He must take proper precautions, and wear protective equipment, such as heavy leather gloves, leather aprons, and long sleeve jacket to avoid exposure to extreme heat and flames; protective goggles and welding helmets to shield his eyes from ultraviolet light; a mask to protect him from dangerous gases and particulates and toxic fumes; ear plugs to protect his hearing and steel toe boots to protect his feet and toes!

Welders are always exposed to fire hazards and explosion because of the compressed gasses and flames used in many welding processes.  And now I understand why some welders, especially the highly skilled ones, could command a six figure income… a well deserved salary, if you ask me.

When he decided to take welding as one of his electives in his senior year, my husband and I were completely surprised.

“Welding…?  Arrrrrrr… you – sure…?” looking at Ramon quizzically.

My husband and I looked at each other puzzled, bewildered, and confused. We were thinking to ourselves… “How could he…? Why would he…? But he is neat and clean.  He goes to school in style.  He’s got expensive taste in clothes” – RoundTree & Yorke – top of the line black leather blazer, Murano pants, Oxford shirts, Vera Wang sunglasses and shoes, whose name brand I can’t remember.  This was Ramon’s attire during his junior and senior year in high school.  Good thing he’s our only child, otherwise, we’ll be eating ramen noodles every day. Ramon went to school looking more like a genius supermodel than up and coming welder!  No wait. He looked more like one of the stars in John Woo’s movies, or maybe both!  OK… you may not agree with me here, but hey! I’m his mother.

“Most of all, this boy is highly intellectual, and simply hates physical work.  So why in the hell is he choosing welding?” were the thoughts we kept to ourselves.  His dad was thinking “becoming a college professor because of his analytical mind and laid back attitude would be perfect.  Maybe become an author and write several books.”  But then before Ramon was introduced to welding, he also had a budding thought to become a surgeon.

Deep inside, my husband was relieved that Ramon foregoes the idea of becoming a surgeon.  “Welding, well at least we can afford that.  But going to medical school to become a surgeon? I don’t know how we’re going to afford that,” thoughts he shared with me one day.  I however, my ears perked up like rabbit’s ears, upon hearing his desire to become a surgeon.  I was transported into a dream like state, soaking up the idea like a sponge soaking up water.  I reverted back to being a typical Asian woman – hanged up in prestige and status.  I can see it now… “So, Tess, what does your son do for a living?” One of my friends would ask.  And I’d reply with dignity and pride, and a hint of snobbishness… “My son is a surgeon!”  I would have earned the right to be a snob like those Asian women whose children became doctors, lawyers, engineers, and other so called elite and white collar professionals.  But on a second thought… I don’t think I would have been able to pull it off.  I know where I come from.  I came from a dirt poor family who used to live in unfinished nipa hut.  Sooner or later I would have been reminded of this fact.  But I would not have cared.  I would have reached the pinnacle of my life – making up for all my failings…

But Ramon has always been his own man.  He was his own man since he was a baby. He hated sleeping in cribs.  Just when I think he was sound asleep and safe for me to lay him in the crib, he’d wake up just as soon as I take my first step away from it.  He’d scream as loud as he could, to which I’d quickly pick him up out of the crib and lay him next to me.  And just like that, he is back sound asleep as if he’s never awakened moments ago.  Another one of his resolute moments is when he learned how to read.  He pretty much forced us to teach him how to read, shoving books in our faces to read to him, over, and over, and over again.  He was barely one, and couldn’t talk yet, other than “mamma… dadda…”  Armed with a book, he’d force his way up into the sofa where I or Willie would be seating, relaxing watching TV.  Ramon would say: “Omm, Omm…” his little finger tapping on the picture book.  That means he wants me to read the book to him. He’d open the first page, and would again tap his littler finger on the picture.  “el-uh-fuhnt… el-uh-fuhnt…” I’d say. “Omm… omm!” again, his finger tapping to the same image.  “el-uh-fuhnt… el-uh-fuhnt…” I’d say again.  I’d have to repeat these two or three times.  Only when he is satisfied and felt he understood what the picture was, is when he’d tap the next picture on the page, and until we finish the whole book.  There were occasions when we hid the books so he couldn’t find them.  Sometimes we got tired of reading the same book over, and over, and over again.  But the boy was persistent.  By the time he was 3 years old and 4 months, he was able to read pages of People’s Magazine, impressed and entertained our friends during our 14 hour flight to Okinawa, Japan.  He was in kindergarten barely three months when we got a call from his teacher.  “We’d like both of you to come in to talk about your son, Ramon” said Ms. Williams.  “Oh, oh… what our baby did now…” was our reply.  “Oh no, no… no… no… it’s nothing bad.  I have good news.”  Ramon wrote a short story with sketches to boot, about our travel from Jacksonville, Arkansas to Okinawa, Japan.  Ms. Williams was very impressed that a five year old boy could do this.  She thought Ramon was highly intelligent for his age and should be jumped to first grade!

To this day, Willie firmly believes that Ramon taught himself how to read.  He always knew what he wanted and settled with nothing less.

We allowed him to flourish and nurtured his individuality, and his many talents.  And we think because of this, he is such a strong person, both mentally and emotionally.  Very mature and responsible for his age.

Again, the questions remains… Why welding?

He has so much talent.

He could write.  We saved most of his essays and stories he had written in high school.  He could have been a bestselling fiction writer for all I know.

He could draw.  I was in awe of his sketches.  I even framed six of his charcoal and pencil drawings, four of which are hanging on our walls, and I am still waiting to find the best place to hang two beautiful portraits of a girl.

I know I am his mother.  And adoring his only child’s many talents is nothing out of ordinary.  But I envy him.  I really do.  I wish I have as much talent as he does.  And I wish I have the same parents as he does.  Willie feels the same way.  We both come from a dysfunctional family.  Only mine was worst.  Ramon’s knack for creating something with his hands came from my genes, I think.  (My dad was illiterate but great with his hands.)  And his quick wit and ability to express himself in writing came from his Dad.

I mean he could have taken anything.  And welding was so out of left field in our opinion!  But he fell madly in love with welding.  Ever since he took welding during his senior year… that’s all he wanted to do.  He found his other classes boring.  He just wanted to weld… all day, every day!  Something extra ordinary happens to him when he welds.  “I don’t know if this makes any sense, mom.  But when I’m welding, I can shut out everything else around me.  All I have is peace and serenity.  And I get this laser beam like focus when I’m welding.  I lost track of time.  Sometimes when I come to, three hours has passed…” I remember him saying one morning as I was driving him to school.

I admire any man or woman who knows exactly what they want to do in life.  And it seems that my son knows exactly what he wants to do with his life…

He found that he could very well express his talents in welding.  He’s got great “hand-eye” coordination, manual dexterity, and attention to detail – a rare combination, and exceptional attributes of a great welder.  Matter of fact, he’s already demonstrated and still demonstrating this in welding.  He has achieved “top one” in one of the phases, and currently is on top in “high frequency – TIG welding” – that is welding on aluminum and stainless, his chosen field of specialty.

We don’t know where welding would take him.  But if we know our son, welding would take him places we have never imagined.  He is only 18… And sometimes I wonder where he would be 20 years from now.   My heart flutters in excitement when I think about it…

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I am in Tulsa with him.  I have been here for several weeks now.  He loves the break from cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. And he has me for company.  He is more relaxed and less stressed out, and therefore has more energy to only focus on his welding studies.  Other than helping him with the much dreaded house chores, I am also here to help him with his resume, work references, and job search.  His school is going to play a big part in referring him to companies who need welders, but at the same time, I am here to make sure that happens.  So in just a few weeks, we’ll probably be moving to another city or state, depending on where he accepts employment.

Since I have been here with him, he welcomes anything other than cereal and granola for breakfast.  He is excited to eat something different.  And one of the foods I have been cooking him for breakfast is a combination of hash and scramble eggs, with shrimp, garlic and onions.  This recipe was his idea.  I’ve also cooked this with Italian sausage instead of shrimp.

He’s been eating this for breakfast for more than two weeks now. I don’t expect anyone to do the same.  But my son is just like that.  When he likes something, he’ll keep eating it for days, and sometimes weeks, and then stop.  No more of the same thing.  He’s ready for something new.

This stuff is hearty, with plenty of protein and complex carbohydrates.  Maybe that’s why he likes it.  This supplies most of the calories and nutrients he needs in order to keep up with the physical and mental exertion when welding.

I like it too, because it’s simple and fast to make.  I can usually have this cooked and served in 25 minutes, and that’s pretty fast for me considering how slow I am in the kitchen.

Shrimp Hash Scramble

(This serves one, maybe two at most. So if you are cooking for a family of two, please adjust the recipe accordingly.)

Ingredients:

1 medium size potato – peeled, cubed, and precooked

1/3 medium onion – diced

3 large garlic cloves – peeled and sliced

10 medium size shrimp – peeled and deveined, cut in halves – crosswise

2 large eggs, well beaten

2 – 3 TBSPs. extra light olive oil

½ tsp. kosher salt – divided

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne (optional)

Fill up a small sauce pan, half full, with tap water.  Add one teaspoon kosher salt and bring it to a boil over medium high heat.

Peel, wash and dice the potato into ¾ inches cubes. Add potatoes to boiling water.  Boil and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove and strain.

(While potatoes are boiling, I peel and chop the garlic and onions.  Slice each shrimp into three pieces.)

Heat a large nonstick skillet and add 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil.

Add potatoes into the hot skillet and fry until golden crispy on both sides.  This would take about 3 minutes on each side.

Push the potatoes to the side and sauté garlic and onions, until onions are translucent and garlic light golden brown.  Again, push these to the side next to the potatoes.

Add the shrimp, stirring occasionally, until cooked about 2 minutes on each side.  Stir to combine with potatoes and sautéed onions and garlic. Sprinkle ½ tsp. of the kosher salt over the potatoes and a pinch of cayenne if using.

Scramble the eggs and season with the remaining ¼ tsp. salt, black pepper and cayenne.  Pour eggs over potatoes and shrimp mixture.  Cook one side and then flip the other side.

Serve.

with the shrimp

with Italian sausage

Variation: If using Italian sausage instead of shrimp.  Use one link sausage and removed its casing.  Crumble the sausage and cook in a separate skillet.   Pour excess oil and keep the sausage warm in the skillet, until ready to be added in place of shrimp.

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Another dish that Ramon requested I cook for him was spaghetti with meat sauce.  So for several days last week, he ate nothing but spaghetti with this sauce, and with toasted Italian bread.  Again, this is an easy recipe, yet very good.

I made this sauce spicy as in most foods I cook.  So if you’re not into spicy foods, just buy the non-spicy sauce.  To save time, I buy pasta sauces made by Classico which I love.  It’s a bit pricier than other brands, but I think it’s worth it.

Oh, remember to get these too:

2 boxes of spaghetti noodles or other pastas you like (I like the Ronzoni Healthy Harvest 7 grain pasta)

Italian Bread or French Bread

Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Spicy Spaghetti Meat Sauce

(This serves least 4 – 6 people.  So you might want to cut the recipe in half if there are not that many people eating.)

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons extra light olive oil – divided

2 pounds ground beef (I use 85% lean)

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic – smashed, peeled and chopped

1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1 – 8 ounce jar mushrooms (pieces and stems) – drained

1½ tsps. coarse celtic sea salt (use less if using other type of salt)

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

¼ tsp. ground Thai hot peppers (optional)

2 – 24 ounce Jars Classico Spicy Tomato & Basil sauce OR any pasta sauce you like

½ cup green olives – chopped (optional – to be added just minutes before serving the sauce.)

In a deep stew pan or large nonstick deep skillet (with cover), brown ground beef in two tablespoons olive oil.  Remove and strain.  Wipe the skillet and place back on the stove over medium heat.

Add the remaining three tablespoons olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions.  Add the strained ground beef.  Stir and add the green bell pepper.

Stir until the green bell pepper turns bright green.  Add mushrooms, oregano, bay leaf (laurel), sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and ground hot pepper.

Stir and allow the whole mixture to blend for about five minutes.

Add Classico Spicy Tomato & Basil sauce. Stir to fully combine the meat and the sauce.  Cover and let the sauce comes to a boil over medium heat.  Turn the heat down and simmer sauce for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so sauce won’t stick at the bottom of the pan.  Add the chopped olives, if you’re using it.  Stir and serve over spaghetti noodles or other pasta you like.  Topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Cook spaghetti noodles as directed on the package.  (I add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the boiling water, to keep the noodles from clumping together.)

Toasted Italian or French bread

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Slice the bread into one inch thick slices.  Line bread slices in a heavy duty

baking sheet.  Toast for 8 – 10 minutes.

Serve on the side with the spaghetti noodles and sauce.

NOTE:  Ramon likes his bread garlicky.  So I peel a large clove of garlic and cut about 1/3 off from the bottom.  Once the bread slices are toasted, and while still hot, I rub garlic on the cut sides of the bread.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

Pan Fried Colossal Shrimp

This is the easiest and quickest shrimp dish I ever made, and tasty too.

I like to stock up on shrimp (unpeeled) when they’re on sale.  My favorite ones are Colossal Jumbo Shrimp harvested in the seas of Texas.  Our local supermarket here, HEB, usually a sale of this shrimp every two weeks.

I prefer to buy unshelled shrimps because they are minimally processed and therefore the have a better taste compared to the ones that’s already been peeled and deveined.  Yeah it adds a little extra work on my part, but I don’t mind.  I’m willing to spend the extra 10 minutes peeling and deveining the shrimp for the sake of taste. Of course, if you are short of time, and you want to make this dish and have it ready in less than 30 minutes, by all means, buy the peeled and deveined ones…

NOTE:  In all my recipes I use two types of salt: kosher salt and coarse celtic sea salt  for soups.  Kosher salt tastes better than regular salt – it is not bitter, compared to regular salt.  If you don’t have access to kosher salt, use regular salt slightly less than the recipe calls for…

The shrimps only takes 3 – 4 minutes to fry.  And if you want to turn this dish in 15 minutes or less, buy shrimps that have already been shelled and deveined.

Ingredients:

2 pounds Colossal or Jumbo Shrimps – peeled and deveined

1 ½ tsps. kosher or regular salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

½ – 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

½ cup light olive oil (or any vegetable oil)

Breading – see below

Season the shrimps with the kosher salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne.

Heat a skillet and add the oil.  Dredge 8 shrimps at a time, depending on how big is your skillet, and fry in hot oil for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden crispy.  Remove and place fried shrimps in plate lined with paper towels.

Serve with rice or any potato dish you like.  I usually serve this with rice or potato salad with sautéed green beans and or roasted vegetables on the side.

Breading:

2 cups all purpose regular flour

2 tsps. kosher salt

1 ½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. cayenne

In a ziploc bag or any deep dish, combine flour, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

Shrimp with Black Bean Garlic Sauce

This is another Chinese dish I cooked the other night.  I must say… this is very good with rice.  The “black bean garlic sauce” is what gives this dish a great flavor.  It has that salty and slightly nutty taste from the black bean sauce.  With the green and red bell peppers… onions and ginger… this dish is rich in flavor and taste.  Of course… as with any Chinese dishes… you’ve got to enjoy this with rice.  This is fairly easy and quick to make.

Here’s what you need to prepare this mouth-watering “Shrimp with Black Bean Garlic Sauce.”

Ingredients:

1 ½ pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimps

3 TBSPs. medium dry sherry, or rice wine, white or red wine

½ tsp. kosher salt

3 TBSPs. cornstarch

In a large mixing bowl… mix the sherry or wine, kosher salt and cornstarch.  Stir until salt and cornstarch dissolved.  Add the shrimps.  Let the shrimps marinate while you make the sauce and chop the vegetables.

Sauce:

1 ½ TBSPs. soy sauce

1 ½ cup chicken stock or water

1 ½ tsps. sugar

2 TBSPs. medium dry sherry or rice wine, white or red wine

1 ½ TBSPs. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In another medium size bowl… mix all the sauce ingredients.  Stir until the brown sugar and cornstarch dissolved.  Set aside.

Vegetables and other ingredients:

4 garlic cloves – smashed, peeled and chopped

¼ cup sliced ginger

½ large onion – sliced

1 green bell pepper – seeded, membranes removed and diced

1 red bell pepper – seeded, membranes removed and diced

3 TBSPs. ‘black beans garlic sauce’ or fermented black beans – available in Asian Market

2 TBSPs. sesame oil

Using a large wok or deep skillet, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil.  Add the marinated shrimps and stir fry until halfway cooked, about 3 minutes.  Removed shrimps unto a plate.

Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons sesame oil.  Sauté the garlic, ginger and onions… until onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the “black beans garlic sauce, “the green and red bell peppers.  Stir to combine all the vegetables… about one minute.  Add the shrimps and stir until vegetables and shrimps are well incorporated… about one minute.  Make a well in the middle of the wok, by pushing the shrimp and vegetables to the side.

Stir and pour sauce in the middle of the wok.  Quickly boil the sauce by turning the heat to medium high.  Stir to combine the sauce, the vegetables and the shrimps.  Keep stirring until the vegetables and shrimps are well coated with the sauce.  By this time the shrimp should be pink, the bell peppers are bright green and red.  The whole mixture should be saucy.  Remove wok from the heat.

Serve Shrimp with Black Beans and Garlic Sauce hot over rice.  Serves 3 – 4 people.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess