Crawfish Tortellini ***

So my original plan for the crawfish had been to sub them in another recipe (One-Pot Cajun Pasta).  Well, long story short, I apparently tore a ligament in my foot on vacation, and I'm in a boot this week.  I decided I needed something quick and easy instead.  Since most of the ingredients were the same, I just hit the store on the way home from work and grabbed some tortellini so that I could throw this one together.  It.was.perfect.  As usual.

The original recipe tells you to cook this in an oven at 350 for 45 minutes.  That seems silly to me, so I've always done it stovetop.  It comes out as pure perfection.  The kids and the hubby oohed and ahhed over it excessively, just as they always do.  Now I'm seriously thinking it about having it again this week. :-)

CRAWFISH TORTELLINI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 lb frozen crawfish tails, thawed
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 cups (1 1/2 pints) whipping cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons parsley
1 large package tortellini noodles

Cook tortellini in pot as directed.
While noodles are cooking, sauté the crawfish tails in 2 tablespoons butter for about 5 minutes.  Add remaining butter, onion, and garlic, and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, bring sauce to a boil, and pour into pot with drained tortellini.  Bring to a boil again.  Turn down and let it simmer for another 5 minutes or so - just enough to thicken the sauce.

Previous posts:
8/10/11 ~ We've had this recipe before, and the kids loved it.  They think that crawdads are just about the coolest animals we can eat, but I rarely make any recipes with them.  This was a hit as usual.  As last time, I made it on the stovetop (still waiting for the new oven to be delivered - boo!), but it was as delicious as always.  We were on vacation all last week, and with all of the running around we had to do yesterday to get ready for the upcoming work week, we haven't eaten a homecooked meal in what feels like ages.  This was perfect.  I hated that it heated up the house, of course, but it was quick to prepare.  That was the main thing.  I wimped out and just served it with corn, but it was divine nonetheless.  I ran out of parsley, so I just used oregano in its place.  It worked perfectly.

Shrimp and Wild Rice Casserole ***

I've been craving wild rice lately, for some reason, so I went on Pinterest in search of something new.  True to form for Paula's recipes, this one is laden with butter.  Honestly, I would probably cut the butter in the rice down by at least half and then saute the onions and green peppers in olive oil.  I used two lbs of shrimp, because I had an extra bag that I wanted to use up.  I started mine from frozen, so I just boiled them for a little while longer.  I really don't think that a pound would have been enough.  We love shrimp, so I didn't want it to be too rice-y.  This is definitely a good dish, but it's so very rich.  I'd like to experiment with it a little more and see how it is without the cream soup.  I'll definitely be cutting back the butter next time, though.

Photo courtesy of Food TV

SHRIMP AND WILD RICE CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Paula Deen)

1 (8-ounce) package wild rice
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (10 3/4-ounce can) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
Salt and pepper

Cook the rice according to package directions minus 1/4 cup water. Drain and cool.
Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tablespoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook the shrimp for 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside.
Heat the butter in saucepan and saute the pepper and onion until soft, about 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the rice, soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, shrimp and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well. Spray a 9-inch square aluminum cake pan or an 11 by 7-inch glass casserole dish with vegetable spray. Place the mixture in the pan and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.
*Amy's notes: I used 2 lbs of frozen medium shrimp.

Jumbo Shrimp Parmesan **

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

24 jumbo shrimp (10 to 12 per lb)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 medium lemon, cut in wedges

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact.
Mix together olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl.
Add shrimp and toss lightly to coat.
Refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour.
In shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Place each shrimp in bread crumb mixture and turn them to lightly coat both sides.
Arrange shrimp so that they aren't touching each other in a ungreased 9 x 13 pan.
Drizzle with melted butter.
Place pan on the center rack of oven and bake for 5-10 minutes or until done.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Salmon & Asparagus in Foil ***

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

4 sheets aluminum foil, wrap (12-inch by 18-inch)
4 (5 ounce) salmon fillets
1 lb asparagus
1 fresh lemon
Fresh ground black pepper
Seasoning salt
Lemon wedge (to garnish)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Snap the ends off asparagus spears (they will break where tender) and divide into 4 equal portions. Spray the center of each foil sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Place one salmon fillet in the center of each sheet, top with a serving of the asparagus and drizzle with lemon juice. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and salt or seasoning blend as desired.
Bring up the sides of foil and fold top over twice. Seal ends, leaving room for air to circulate inside the packet. Place packets on a cookie sheet and cook in oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until salmon is opaque.
Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Please use caution when opening the foil packs, as the steam is very hot.
* Amy’s notes: I had to sub orange juice, and it was still wonderful.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan **

BROILED TILAPIA PARMESAN

Konnie (G&E'sMom)

2 lb tilapia filets
½ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup butter, softened
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp celery salt

Preheat your oven's broiler, and grease a broiling pan, or line with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, and lemon juice and season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder, and celery salt, mix well and set aside.
Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over, and broil for a couple more minutes.
Remove the fillets from the oven, and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side and broil for 2 more minutes, or until the topping is browned, and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.