Are you staying in for Valentine’s Day and are looking for something special to cook for your sweetheart? Here are some ideas for making a memorable Valentine’s Day dinner at home.
Tonight I had a craving for something out of reach – Bang Bang Shrimp. So I decided to make something like it, at home. Since I didn’t have enough shrimp to make a decent meal for 3, I used chicken breast instead. The result was fabulous! Introducing my Bang Bang Shrimp or Chicken Pasta recipe!
This sauce is so tasty, I’d love to have it on everything! Well, almost everything. It’s sweet, spicy, garlicky and citrusy (is that a word?), all rolled into one. It nicely coats the pasta and the shrimp or chicken, and brings this one dish wonder to a level of it’s own.
This is a quick meal to prepare, great for a weeknight dinner. Fast, easy clean up and delicious – a busy, working mom’s dream. This recipe is a keeper so be sure to pin it!
Here’s how you make my delicious Bang Bang Shrimp or Chicken Pasta Recipe:
First, prep your shrimp or chicken. Julienne 2 carrots and slice 2 green onions. Bring a pot of water to boil for cooking your pasta.
Mix together the Bang Bang Sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
Saute the chicken or shrimp, as instructed below. Add carrot and onion to frying pan and lower heat to low.
Boil pasta until al dente’. Drain. Add to cooked chicken or shrimp, top with Bang Bang sauce, stir and Enjoy!
Here is the recipe for Bang Bang Shrimp or Chicken Pasta:
INGREDIENTS
3/4 – 1 lb of fettuccine, linguine, thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 1/2 lbs of diced chicken breast or shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp – coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp Paprika
2 green onions, sliced
2 carrots, julienned
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Bang Bang Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise or light mayonnaise to lower calories
1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp of lime juice
1/8 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta and drain well.
Place the uncooked chicken or shrimp in a medium sized bowl and add the paprika, 3 cloves of garlic and pepper.
Heat the coconut oil on medium high heat and add the coated uncooked chicken or shrimp. Stir constantly while cooking until shrimp is pink for approx. 7- 10 minutes, or chicken is no longer pink inside.
Remove from heat and set aside if pasta is not ready.
In a large serving bowl, combine the pasta, shrimp and sauce mixture and toss.
3/4 – 1 lb of fettuccine, linguine, thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 1/2 lbs of diced chicken breast or shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp – coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp Paprika
2 green onions, sliced
2 carrots, julienned
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Bang Bang Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise or light mayonnaise to lower calories
1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp of lime juice
1/8 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta and drain well.
Place the uncooked chicken or shrimp in a medium sized bowl and add the paprika, 3 cloves of garlic and pepper.
Heat the coconut oil on medium high heat and add the coated uncooked chicken or shrimp. Stir constantly while cooking until shrimp is pink for approx. 7- 10 minutes, or chicken is no longer pink inside.
Remove from heat and set aside if pasta is not ready.
In a large serving bowl, combine the pasta, shrimp and sauce mixture and toss.
This was originally going to be a seafood lasagna but I had worked all day and was ready to be off my feet, so I just quickly threw this together as a casserole. It was amazing! Loved it so much that Seafood Baked Ziti is going to be a frequent flier in my dinner recipe rotation.
Seafood Baked Ziti
8 oz. ziti, cooked al dente’
15 oz. jar Alfredo Sauce
8 oz. pkg imitation crab (surimi), chopped – or real crab meat
1/2 pound peeled, deveined cooked shrimp, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup fat free half & half
1/4 Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons Kraft Italian cheese blend
2 slices Swiss cheese, diced
2 Tbs siced red bell pepper & sliced scallions with additional for garnish
In a large bowl, stir together all the ingredients except for the garnish. Pour into a 2 quart casserole and bake in preheated 350º F oven for 15 – 20 minutes. (Just until heated through and cheeses melt)
20 large (16/20) shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 ounce canola oil
1 tablespoon plus 5 teaspoons green onions, chopped
2 ounces dry white wine
1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic
4 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
8 ounces (2 sticks) salted butter
Directions:
Place a large cast iron skillet on a burner and heat over high heat. Add oil and cook shrimp until they are just done. It’s best to prepare shrimp in batches if you do not have large skillet. Remove shrimp and set aside on a large platter.
Add green onions to the oil in the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Add white wine and let simmer until it is reduced by half.
When the wine is reduced by half, add chopped garlic, Worcestershire, Tabasco. cayenne pepper and paprika. Shake the pan well and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low.
Cut butter into small chunks with the knife and slowly add into pan, shaking fast to melt butter.
Continue to add butter and shake until all butter is melted. Add shrimp back to pan and toss well to coat shrimp with butter and seasonings and to heat the shrimp.
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, cooked and chopped 3/4 cup chopped celery 3/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, or to taste 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise Olive oil, for frying 4 to 6 soft rolls
Shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and tartar sauce In a large bowl, stir shrimp, celery, onion, bell pepper, seasoning, eggs, bread crumbs and mayonnaise together. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Drain off any liquid. Form into 6 to 8 patties. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil in a skillet until hot. Fry patties, about 3 minutes each side, until browned, turning only once. Serve each patty on a roll with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and tartar sauce.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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