Sassy Summer Shrimp and White Bean Salad With Tomatoes and Basil

Why is this sassy? If you like a little heat in your food now and again then you'll want to add the crushed red pepper I've included. You do know that spicy food boosts metabolism right?

The other sass factor is the fact that these 7 or so simple ingredients combine to create an elegant dinner appetizer or a casual, al fresco lunch entrée.

This dish combines the best of summer ingredients, tomatoes, basil, and shrimp. The white beans add a creamy texture and complimentary texture to the soft tomatoes and meat like shrimp. Textures are one way the body registers satiety. Another is eating enough fat and protein and this gourmet recipe provides that.

Open up a nicely chilled rose of sangiovese or crisp pinto blanc to go with your sassy salad then eat slowly and mindfully enjoying every bite, sip and summerness.

Serves 4

Ingredients

16 Large shrimp

2 cups of canned small white beans or Cannelini Beans

¼ cup + extra for salad drizzle, extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced or minced

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 cups of fresh, ripe tomato, any color, mixed is more fun

½ cup of finely sliced fresh basil

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Peel and devein the shrimp, remove the tails.
2. Drain the beans and reserve abt ½ cup of the liquid.
3. Place the beans and liquid into a sauté pan and bring to a simmer.
4. Heat another larger sauté pan, add in ¼ cup of olive oil.
5. When the oil is hot but not smoking, put the shrimp in and let them cook on one side for a minute.
6. Add in the garlic, jump the shrimp in the pan, season with salt and pepper.
7. When the shrimp is half way cooked-about 2 - 3 minutes-add the tomatoes, crushed pepper, and lemon juice, jump again.
8. The shrimp and tomatoes will be cooked in about another minute or two.
9. When they are done, add in the basil and remove from the heat.
10. Toss the white beans in to the rest of the ingredients.
11. You can plate this on lettuce leaves or simply serve on a small plate, 4 shrimp per person for a healthy sized first course.

* We tend to leave tails on for whatever reason-looks? They take away from the eating experience when the shrimp is part of a salad so just take them off when you peel away the rest. Your guests will thank you.

Exploring The Culinary World With BBQ Chicken Recipes and Egg Salad Recipes

In the world of food, you will know that the culinarian is a person who is not only responsible for cooking but also their concerns include the understanding of food, trends, dietary issues and nutritional values of the food that they will be serving. They are the ones responsible in making the food not only taste good, but also look good so that people will be enticed to eat what they have prepared.

Through time, the art of cooking has evolved in order to cope with the trends in the field. These evolutions are necessary also to elevate the class of the culinary arts. Now, this is already being taught in different educational institutions as a formal curriculum or program. This program does not only teach the practical side of learning cooking techniques, but also inculcates to the people the real value of nutrition and healthy food. With the culinarians around, we are assured that the foods we eat are delicious and healthy as well.

As my passion for the field grows and progresses, I have found out by reading lots of articles and books that two of the most popular and well-loved recipes of all time are the BBQ chicken salad recipes and egg salad recipe. These can be served jointly or separately, with the former as the main course while the latter is the side dish.

I have read as well that the chicken barbecue has plenty of variations across the globe. As a matter of fact, almost every continent has its own version of how to prepare and cook this one. Maybe this is because chicken is a very abundant meat with low restrictions in terms of religious beliefs and the like, in contrast with pork and beef that are prohibited in some groups.

The continental variations of these BBQ chicken salad recipes differ in terms of the sauce being used. In North American nations, the chicken is seasoned with a very special dry rub before coating it with a sauce based in tomato. In Europe, the sauce in marinating the chicken has a specific mixture of vinegar and oil. Moreover, this is served with a very special and tremendously delicious cream sauce. In Asia, the chicken meat is commonly cut into cubes so that they can be threaded onto a skewer before grilling. However, before that, the chicken is marinated for few hours or overnight with a soy-based kind of sauce that is spiced with special Asian condiments. The condiments can vary in different countries in Asia.

If you search the internet, you will easily learn at least ten very easy to cook egg salads. If you are indeed an egg salad lover, you surely won't be able to resist the collection of recipes that I have found on the internet. I have found several classics: chunky, as well as crawfish egg salad recipes and many more that you can always try one of these days. Aside from that, you can try quick recipes and guides that will teach how to prepare this food in just a few minutes.

Discover How Easily You Can Make Vietnamese Shrimp Toasts - Banh Mi Tom Quet Nuong

Fun and delightful to eat, this dish makes an excellent appertizer, or hors d'oeuvre that can be served to any party. You can toast it in the oven and deep fry. I prefer to toast it in the oven because it's less greasy. Enjoy!

Recipe for Making Vietnamese Shrimp Toasts - Banh Mi Tom Quet Nuong
Serves 4-5

Ingredients:
1/2 lb medium shrimps, peeled and deveined
6 slices of bread
Salt for refreshing shrimp, plus 1/4 tsp
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, minced
1 egg, egg white and yolk separated
1/2 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 tsp water

Refresh the shrimp by putting them in a colander and tossing them with a liberal amount of salt. Rinse immediately under cold water and press gently to drain well. In a bowl, combine the shrimp, 1/4 tsp salt, cornstarch, sugar, pepper, garlic, egg white, oil and mix well. Transfer to a food processor and process until a coarse paste formed. Return the paste to the bowl and mix in the green onions.

Coat a nonstick baking sheet with the butter and place it on a metal rack. To make each toast, use a bread or dinner knife to spread a 1/4 inch thick layer of the shrimp paste on the top of the bread slice. The paste should be as thick as the toast and cover all the corners. As the bread slices are topped, place them on the prepared baking sheet. Discard any leftover toasts or save for another use.

In a small bowl, stir together the egg yolk and water to make an egg wash. Brush the tops of the toasts with the egg wash. Keep brushing until all are done.

Preheat the oven to 350F. When the oven reaches the set temperature, place the track with toasts in the middle of the oven and bake the toasts for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the shrimp paste has turned pink orange and toast bottoms are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve hot Banh Mi Tom Quet Nuong. Enjoy!