Spicy Beer-Boiled Shrimp

Okay so...on Saturday, my daughter tore her ACL and her kneecap separated from the knee.  UUGGGHH.  So of course, I did what any good mother would do...I chilled some drinks, called some people, and took her mind off it with a party!

I made this shrimp, with a broccoli salad, heirloom tomatoes and burrata, and cornbread muffins.  She ate til she was full and happy,  took a long hot shower, and slept until noon the next day.  See?  Good food makes everything better.  Wait...could also have been the Vicodin she had for dessert :)

ick!

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(WHAT YOU WILL NEED)

If you have side dishes, this will serve 8

water
5 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
2 packages spicy shrimp/crab boil (I used Zatarains)
(if you can't find spicy boil, use 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper for every pound of shrimp)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, quartered
2 jalapeno peppers, halved (with seeds)
1 green bell pepper, quartered
5 bottles beer (I used Red Stripe)
2 lemons, sliced
salt/cracked pepper
cocktail sauce

You will need enough liquid to cover the shrimp when it is added--
In a large pot, add water, 4 beers, 2 tablespoons salt, olive oil, lemon, shrimp boil, onion, green pepper, and jalapeno peppers.  Boil for 15 minutes.  The liquid will turn a deeper, darker color.  Taste it with a spoon to see if it needs anything--

Add shrimp and another beer.  Boil for 5 more minutes.

Turn off heat, remove from heat, and let sit for 10 minutes to soak up the spicy flavors of the liquid.

Drain, and place shrimp in bowl.  Sprinkle with cracked pepper. Serve with cocktail sauce and salads.

spiiiiiiiccyyyy...

Cooking Together: roasted garlic crostini, grilled filet mignon with spicy butter dipping sauce and a rustic caesar salad

There's a special intimacy that comes from cooking together.  Whether it's with your boyfriend, your wife, or your kids, bonds are made in the kitchen.  And what makes it even more special?...making a day of it.

Plan your meal, go to the store together, pick out your steaks, smell the fresh herbs, decide on a wine...take your time and have fun.  Then come home and dig into it--put on some music, start chopping and dicing, and ease into the thoroughly enjoyable evening you're about to share and the lasting memories you're about to create.

The menu:  start off with some oven roasted garlic spread on a crusty baguette.  Then move on to grilled filet mignon with a spicy butter dipping sauce and a rustic caesar salad with fresh parmesan and cracked pepper.

Oh...and try to pick a night where the sunset looks like this:

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(WHAT TO BUY)

Serves 2.  If you're cooking for a crowd, adjust to the number of guests you have

6-ounce filet mignons
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
fresh parmesan cheese
1 baguette
2 heads garlic
sea salt/cracked pepper/garlic powder
your favorite Caesar Salad dressing
olive oil
aluminum foil

sauce: 
2 sticks butter
juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
1 tablespoon, fresh thyme, pulled off the stalk
1 small handful chopped fresh Italian Parsley
1 or 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
a few sprinkles cayenne pepper

About an hour before you want to start eating:  place garlic heads on large piece of foil. Cut the tops off, drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper, place a few thyme sprigs on top, and wrap in foil, making a packet.  Roast in 350 degree oven for one hour.  Remove from oven but do not unwrap.

Slice baguette into rounds, drizzle with olive oil, place in 350 degree oven for 5-8 min.  Remove from oven.

Unwrap garlic...

squeeze a few cloves onto a piece of bread.  Salt and pepper as needed.

Enjoy this first course with your drinks before you move onto dinner.

Ready for dinner?  Okay...
First make your butter sauce and keep it warm on the stove:
in a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, add remainder of ingredients, sprinkle salt and pepper in, stir until heated through.  Cover and keep warm over low heat.

spoiler alert:  when you put it in a bowl, it will look like this:

Season steaks with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and let sit at room temperature for approx.30 min.  Grill, then remove to plate and keep covered while they rest for approx. 10 min.

Meanwhile, make salad:  toss torn lettuce leaves with salad dressing, shave fresh parmesan cheese on top with a vegetable peeler, add cracked pepper.

Serve steaks and salad, with individual ramekins of spicy dipping butter on the side.