Shrimp Cocktail - Boiled Shrimp and Homemade Cocktail Sauce

Home Made Shrimp Boil

Fill large pot with 6 quarts water.

Add:  1 onion, quartered

2 stalks celery

2 cloves garlic

2 large bay leaves

1/4 cup salt

1 lemon, quartered

Cheesecloth packet containing:

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon coriander seed

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cover pot and boil for 15 minutes to flavor the water.

Add up to 4 lb fresh or thawed frozen shrimp.  Stir to expose shrimp evenly to the hot water.

Leave shrimp in the water for 3 minutes or until all are pink.  Taste for doneness (do not overcook, a common mistake).  You want the shrimp to be firm.

Drain immediately and either serve hot or chill several hours.

Serve with cocktail sauce.

Cocktail Sauce from Scratch

3/4 cup tomato ketchup

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh horseradish root

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (or to taste)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill several hours.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve with boiled shrimp.

 

Spinach Artichoke Goat Cheese Spread

Hot Spinach Artichoke and Goat Cheese Dip

2  10 oz. pkgs of frozen chopped spinach (or equivalent fresh, lightly steamed and chopped)

1   6 oz log of creamy goat cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 diced onion

2 cloves garlic, diced finely

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

½ cup grated goat or sheep cheese

Thaw or cook the spinach, drain away all excess fluid.

In a 2 or 3 quart saucepan, sauté the onion in the olive oil until it just begins to caramelize.  Add the garlic and sauté until it is soft.

Add the soft goat cheese and stir gently over low heat until it begins to soften, then add the spinach and artichoke hearts, stirring until the vegetables are well coated with the creamy goat cheese.  Spread this mixture into a shallow baking pan and sprinkle the top with the grated cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.  Serve hot.  This dish may be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator until ready to cook.  Also freezes well and can be reheated after cooking. 

Serve with chips or crusty bread.

Shanghai Chicken Wings

Shanghai Chicken Wings

Adapted from “More from the Gluten Free Gourmet”

By Bette Hagman

2 ½ lbs chicken wings

1 cup honey
1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root

¼ cup dry white wine (or rice wine)

¼ cup apple juice

¼ cup Tamari sauce (gluten free soy sauce)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pat chicken wings dry.

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, mix together the honey, ginger, wine, apple juice and soy sauce.

Place the chicken wings in a 9” x 13” pan or casserole.  Drizzle with the marinade.  Let set for at least 1 hour (may be marinated in the refrigerator overnight), and bake for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes until golden brown and tender.

Serve immediately, or cool, refrigerate and reheat the next day.

Serves  8 to10 as an appetizer.

* I confess, I do not eat these myself because the Tamari sauce does contain soy - which is a problem food for me.

Margarita - It's a Gluten Free Cocktail!

 While visiting with my sister's family in Puerto Penasco, Mexico - we were served delicious margaritas - while we enjoyed the view from their Margarita Deck!  My brother-in-law splashed these ingredients (below) into our glasses over ice.  He didn't measure anything and it was perfect!

I know they got their ingredients in Mexico, but they can probably be found in the U.S.!

Grainless Poppyseed Crackers

Coconut, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds are the main ingredients in these amazing home made crackers.  Poppy seeds provide contrast and flavor.

Grainless Poppyseed Crackers

1 cup chip coconut flakes

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup cold milled flax seed

¼ teaspoon guar or xanthan gum

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 Tablespoons poppy seeds

Place 1 cup pumpkin seeds in food processor and process until fine and powdery.  Remove ground seeds from food processor and set aside.

Place 1 cup coconut chip flakes in food processor for 1 minute or until almost paste like (coconut oil is released and causes powdery flakes to stick together).

Add ground pumpkin seeds, ground flax seeds, guar gum, and salt.  Blend.  Add egg and blend until all ingredients form a firm ball.

Place ball between two sheets of parchment paper and roll as thin as possible (1/16” or less). Remove top sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle poppy seeds evenly over the surface of the cracker mixture.  Replace the parchment paper and roll again, pressing the poppy seeds down into the cracker mixture.  Remove the top sheet of parchment paper again and use a pizza cutter to slice dough into cracker sized pieces (about 1 ¼” squares).  Lift entire sheet of parchment with crackers still on it onto a cookie sheet.

Dust the tops with coarsely ground salt.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown and firm.