Category Archives: Main Course

Easy to make meals using regular ingredients. Stress free dishes!

Main Course, Recipe, Seafood/Fish

Sesame Garlic Shrimp with Fettuccine and Broccoli Florets

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Who says you don’t have time to whip up a good, healthy, tasty meal on a weeknight? Making use of shrimp and a few ingredients makes this a winner!

2 lbs 21-30 count shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 lb fettuccine (fresh or dried)
2 tbsp sea salt
1 lb frozen broccoli florets

In a large pot, bring 4-6 quarts of water to a boil. Salt the water after it has come to a boil (salting before boiling might lead to pitting of your cookware), then add the broccoli. Return pot to boil, and cook for 1 minute, then add the fettuccine. Continue cooking until fettuccine is al dente. Immediately remove to strainer.

In the meantime, heat your oil in a wok until it has a slight shimmer. Add garlic and cook for 60 to 90 seconds until fragrant. Add peeled, deveined shrimp and toss to coat with oil and garlic. Continue tossing (or stirring) until shrimp are opaque and pink in colour. Add soy sauce and sesame oil and toss to coat. Cook 1 minute more.

Add cooked broccoli and fettuccine to the wok, and using tongs, toss to combine. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top and dinner is ready.

Serves 6-8.

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Main Course, Recipe, Soup

Red Wine Beef Stew

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Red Wine Beef Stew

2 lbs of beef roast (such as London Broil) cut into 1″ cubes
1 lb carrots, cut into coins
1 lb fingerlings (new potatoes), or potatoes cut into a 1″ to 1.5″ cube
2 medium (or 1 large) onion, finely diced
2 large garlic cloves (or more), minced
1 750ml bottle of good red wine*
1 tsp each of rubbed sage, oregano, and thyme
2 bay leaves
1 quart of fresh water**
cornstarch

In a large pan, brown the cubes of beef (they’re not to be cooked through). If you have too many for the pan, do them in stages as you’ll want them to brown, not steam. After all have been browned, return to the pan, and add onions, garlic, sage, oregano, thyme, water, bay leaves and wine. Bring to a simmer, covered, and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours, making the beef tender. After 1 hour, add your potatoes. 30 minutes later, add  your carrot coins.

Combine cornstarch with cold water and stir to combine. How much you’ll need to use depends on (1) the volume of liquid you have in your stew and (2) the thickness you wish for it to be. Remove the bay leaves, then add the cornstarch/water mixture to the pot and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes to cook the starch thoroughly.

Ladle into bowls, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve alongside fresh Rustic Herb Bread.

* It can be jug wine, but be sure it’s the kind you would drink. As it cooks down, the flavour intensifies, and if it’s bad tasting wine, that too will intensify.

** Yes, “Fresh” Water. Water that has been placed through a filter and let sit on the counter is not “fresh.” Bottled water is not fresh. If you do not wish to use tap water, run it back through your filtration system again. Water loses oxygen as it sits, and there is a difference in the way it cooks.

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Main Course, Recipe, Seafood/Fish

Shrimp with Sofrito and Manchego

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Shrimp with Sofrito, Peppers and Manchego

1/4 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
20-24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 red onion, cut into wedges, about 1/4 inch wide
2 sweet red peppers, seeded and cut into strips 1/2 inch wide
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and chopped
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 cup Manchego cheese, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves

Heat the oil and butter in frying pan until butter foams, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp and sauté them over a fairly high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes, until colored. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add onion and peppers to the pan, cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes until softened.

Stir in the tomatoes, cayenne, and paprika and cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir together, adding Manchego and sauté for 30 seconds. Season to taste, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

Yields 4 servings

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Main Course, Recipe

Slow Cooker Corned Beef

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Slow Cooker Corned Beef

2-3 lb whole corned beef
2 lb white potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 lb carrots, peeled, cubed
1 lb turnips, peeled, cubed
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 1/2 c water

This recipe is very simple:

Trim the fat from your corned beef (if desired). In a large slow cooker, add your vegetables, then your corned beef. Add water, then sprinkle with cracked black pepper. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Remove corned beef and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve with cornbread and veggies. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Main Course, Recipe, Seafood/Fish

Coquilles St. Jacques

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Scallops au gratin

Coquilles St. Jacques (Scallops au gratin)

1.5 lb bay scallops
2 cups dry white vermouth (or dry white wine)
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped shallots or scallions
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp quality butter
3 tbsp all purpose flour
12 ounces fat-free half & half
grated Swiss cheese

In a skillet with large sides, place vermouth, bay leaves, shallots or scallions, salt and pepper over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Add scallops and sauté until they are just springy to the touch (this will only take 4-5 minutes). Remove from heat and drain through a sieve, reserving the liquid. Remove bay leaves and discard.

In a saucepan, melt butter and combine with flour, stirring until well combined. Cook over medium heat for two minutes to cook out the flour taste, but not to colour. Remove from heat, and add reserved scallop/wine liquid. Whisk vigorously to combine, being careful that there are no lumps. Add half & half (the recipe called for heavy cream, but this is in the interest of being a bit more calorie conscious), and return to medium heat. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes until your velouté sauce thickens.  Once thickened, remove from heat and enrobe your scallops in your sauce, heating them through. Preheat your oven to 400F.

In buttered scallop shells, or ramekins, or oven proof dishes, place 1/2 cup scallop/sauce mixture and top with 2 tbsp grated Swiss cheese. Place in oven 10 minutes or so until cheese is melted and bubbly and browned.

Serves 6.

This recipe is modified from Julia Child’s recipe located in her book The Way To Cook, and part of her 6-part video series (now out of print).

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Main Course, Recipe, Seafood/Fish

Easy Shrimp Dinner

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Shrimp, Asparagus & Farfalle

Shrimp, Asparagus & Farfalle

Asparagus preparation:
1 lb of Asparagus, trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil

Heat oven to 425F and toss asparagus with olive oil. Place on cookie sheet in a single layer and roast for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and cut into 1″ pieces. Reserve.  Prepare shrimp:

Shrimp preparation:
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced (according to taste)
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 pounds (21/30) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (or more to taste)

Heat olive oil in wok or large heavy skillet. When the oil begins to wisp smoke, add the garlic and allow it to infuse the oil with flavour, but do not brown. This should take about 60-90 seconds. Garlic will soften slightly. Add shrimp and toss until they are cooked (they will turn pink to let you know they’re done). Remove from heat, sprinkle salt and cracked black pepper over all. In the meantime take 1 pound of mini Farfalle pasta and cook according to directions.

Assembly: Drain pasta, add cooked shrimp and roasted asparagus. Toss to combine. Serve alongside a green salad. Serves 4 generously, 6 adequately, 8 as a multi-course meal.

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