Langostino Macaroni and Cheese

Wow. This is absolutely amazing. Decadent (definitely not healthy!), rich, and oh-so-satisfying. It would be perfect for a romantic evening, but it was just as perfect for a relaxing Sunday night in our house!
1 box macaroni, cooked and drained
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 small garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup FF milk
1 cup FF half-and-half
1-1/4 cups reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 10 oz. package langostino, defrosted according to package directions
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning (I didn't have any of this, but it would really be fantastic in this!)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Sale and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat until oil starts to ripple. Add onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add butter to pan and stir to combine with onions and garlic. When butter is melted, whisk in flour to make a roux. When combined, add milk and half-and-half and whisk until combined. Allow mixture to thicken.

When milk mixture has thickened, add spices and cheeses and stir until the cheese is melted. Add langostino meat and stir to combine. Mix with pasta and pour into casserole. Bake uncovered until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, about 15-20 minutes.

Shrimp Scampi Risotto

I love risotto. Love, love, love it. Ever since my first foray into making it at home, it has been a constant in our dinner rotation. This is one of our new favorites.

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 small onion
3 cloves minced garlic, divided
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth, warmed
1/3-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 bag frozen broccoli

Cook broccoli according to package directions and set aside.

Melt butter and 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted and oil is hot, add onion and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cloves of garlic and saute until garlic is just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in rice and saute until grains turn opaque.

Reduce heat to medium. Pour wine over rice and stir until liquid is reduced.

Begin adding chicken broth one ladle at a time, stirring regularly between each. Once liquid is almost reduced, stir in next ladle. Risotto should be creamy and slightly al dente.

In a separate, smaller skillet, heat remaining olive oil. When oil is hot, add remaining garlic and heat until fragrant. Stir in shrimp and saute until shrimp is pink. Add shrimp, broccoli, and cheese to risotto and stir until cheese is melted.

Szechuan Shrimp

I love Chinese food. And not the good-for-you, light white sauce on the side Chinese food. I love the brown sauce-drenched deep fried Chinese food like General Tso's chicken. Yum. But, of course, those aren't very friendly to the old Points calculator, now are they? So I found this recipe on Stephanie Cooks, a blog by a girl after my own heart who follows Weight Watchers but uses real food to do it.

I added lots of veggies (a package of Steamfresh that just cook right in the microwave - love these!) and brown rice to this recipe, and just doubled the sauce from Stephanie's original so I had enough to cover all of the extras.

1 pound cooked large shrimp
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 green onions, diced
4 cloves minced or crushed garlic (I used my ever-present garlic press)
1 bag Steamfresh Asian vegetables (no sauce)

Combine water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper flakes and ginger in a small bowl. Prepare vegetables in microwave according to package directions.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic and stir fry for ab about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and vegetables and toss to coat with oil. Stir in sauce. Heat until sauce is thick and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings.

WW Info
4 Points for 1/4 of recipe (not including rice)

Adapted from Stephanie Cooks, originally from Blog Chef.

Shrimp Enchiladas

When I was in college (WVU!!), there was this dive-y little Mexican place that had the most amazing chicken and cheese enchiladas. They had this fantastic, creamy, cheesy sauce that I have never again found anywhere. And ever since, most enchilada recipes I've tried have either been very heavy on the sour cream, or called for a red sauce. So I was thrilled to find this recipe.

My original source said to mix all of the cheese sauce into the shrimp mixture, but I chose instead to add only a little of the sauce and use the rest to top the enchiladas.

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup red pepper, diced

1/2 cup green pepper, diced

1/2 cup onion

¼ tsp. oregano

¼ tsp. salt

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 cup fat free half-and-half

2 tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups shredded Colby Jack or Cheddar Jack cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 lb. salad shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup diced tomatoes with green chiles (or 1 small diced tomato)

6 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt 2 tbsp. of butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add flour, stirring to make a roux. Add oregano, salt, garlic powder, cayenne powder, black pepper, and half-and-half; blend well. Lower heat to medium and cook until slightly thickened. Add shredded cheese and stir until melted. Add sour cream and stir to blend. Set aside.

In a separate skillet, heat olive oil. Add peppers and onion and saute until crisp-tender. Add shrimp and saute until cooked through, then stir in tomatoes. Stir in 1/3 cup of the cheese sauce.

Spoon some of the shrimp mixture onto a tortilla. Roll up tightly and place in the baking dish, seam side down. Pour remaining cheese sauce on top. Bake for 10 minutes.

Makes 6 enchiladas.

Note: These are also fantastic with chicken!

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats, adapted from My Kitchen Cafe.

Shrimp Fajitas

With Lent coming, I'm going to be looking for more ways to cook seafood. This is one of our favorites - they're super good and incredibly light.

(Sorry, no picture yet! Ask me after Ash Wednesday!)

1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 small onion (we're not big onion people, so I sometimes flavor the EVOO with onion flakes instead)
1 glove garlic
Dash salt and pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 Tbsp. lime juice

Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add garlic, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes. Saute onion and peppers until they start to soften, around 4-5 minutes. Add shrimp and saute until fully cooked. Reduce heat to medium and add lime juice. Cook until juice reduces and forms a light sauce. Wrap in fajita shells and serve with your favorite toppings.

Seafood Stuffed Shells

16 pasta shells
1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
1-1/2 cup part-skim Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup chopped shrimp (or whole salad shrimp)
1 cup Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp onion flakes
salt, pepper, and other spices to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Boil pasta shells until al dente in texture. Drain and set aside.

Combine Parmesan cheese, hefty 1/2 cup shrimp, ricotta cheese, and spices in a large bowl. Spoon evenly into pasta shells (about 1-2 heaping Tbsp in each). Place in baking dish.

Combine Alfredo sauce, white wine, tomatoes, and remaining shrimp in medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until combined. Pour sauce over shells in baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Top with mozzarella cheese, and bake additional 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted.