Shrimp, Scallop and Pancetta Skewers

We've been trying to figure out how many pounds upon pounds of butter we've been using in the Canadian Living Test Kitchen in the last few weeks. With developing recipes for the 2012 holidays, the bags of sugar, flour and packs of eggs and butter seem to dissapear just as fast as they make their way into our kitchen. The consensus seems to be that we stopped counting after 18 pounds of butter!

The wintery treats of the day make me crave anything summery come dinner (if I'm still hungry for a proper meal that is!). Lighter fares are usually welcome, like these fresh seafood skewers. We enjoyed them alongside grilled radicchio - a lovely addition to any summer barbecue - and a caprese salad with plump heirloom tomatoes and a caper dressing.With a few colourful blooms on our balcony and a gentle breeze, I can't think of a more perfect hot spring night.

And if you're looking for the perfect book to dive into this summer, take a look at the list in the comment section of my latest giveaway, Apron Anxiety. Chocolate Shavings readers share some of their favourite food-related reads. I've added a few to my to-read list already! And if you haven't entered the giveaway, you have a few more days to do so here.

Orichiette with Spinach, Shrimp and Garlic Chips

Have I mentioned my undying love for garlic? If not, you should know that garlic is on the top of my list of favorite ingredients and that I have yet to to try a dish that I think is too garlic-y. Sure, raw garlic is a bit of a different ball game, but when it's cooked I love it in almost any savory dish.

In the current Valentine's day spirit I'm not sure that garlic is the most favored flavor but in my case, if you want to be my Valentine, the more garlic the better. Lucky for me, I share most of my time with someone who loves garlic just as much as I do. Just this past weekend, Oliver and I made garlic and lemon chicken with an herb and roasted garlic sauce. Roasted garlic gives garlic cloves a sweet and almost nutty taste - it's amazing. We made an extra head of garlic and munched on the extra cloves while touching up the sauce.

I realize that this might make me a little strange, but we all have our obsessive food habits, don't we? The garlic in this pasta concoction really made the dish. This pasta dish was another one of those meals I didn't really mean to make a post out of but couldn't resist once I saw the finished product sitting on the table. It was simple and the perfect quick lunch.

Recipe (for 2)
Orichiette for 2
10 shrimp
4 garlic cloves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A good handful of fresh baby spinach
Juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
In the meantime peel the garlic and slice it into even-sized garlic chips. Add a good drizzle of olive oil to a pan on medium low heat and add the garlic. Allow the garlic to flavor the oil and turn a light shade of golden brown. Add the peeled shrimp to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium. As soon as the shrimp turns pink in color add the spinach and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the drained pasta to the pan (with about 1 teaspoon of pasta water) and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning.Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

Herbed Shrimp Brochettes with Mango and Red Onion Salsa

This recipe is inspired from a dish I used to make when I worked in the catering business. We used to serve individual bite-size shrimp skewers with a dipping mango sauce as a canape to be passed around by waiters at cocktail parties. The basic premise is that mango and shrimp are a great pairing, and that marinating the shrimp in herbs gives it great freshness and flavor. I like to serve it in a more casual way for family and friends, but it's easily made suitable for a fancier occasion.

I find shrimp to be a surprisingly easy ingredient to use. Meats, chicken and fish can be a little tougher because you often have to use a thermometer, or know how to touch the product to know its level of done-ness. Shrimp however, is done when it's entirely pink in color, which is generally very fast! The trick, I think, is to not overcook it, because it can quickly become rubbery and chewy. For this shrimp marinade, just be sure never to use the juice from the lime because the acidity in the juice will cook the shrimp in no time. To me, the more shrimp, the merrier!

Recipe (for 8 brochettes)
32 medium sized shrimp
2 green onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup of cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup of parsley, coarsely chopped
12 large mint leaves
Zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Freshly ground pepper
8 skewers

Salsa:
Juice of 1 lime
1 mango, finely diced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
5 mint leaves, roughly chopped

In a blender, add the green onions, garlic, cilantro, parsley, mint and zest. Blend until the mixture is homogeneous. Continue blending while slowly adding the olive oil. The final result should look like a thick and chunky pesto. Season with black pepper. Place the mixture into a sealable plastic bag. Add the uncooked, peeled and de-veined shrimp. Close the bag and move the shrimp around to make sure the marinade coats each and every one. Marinate for a minimum of 1 hour, but preferably for 24 hours in the fridge.

Take the shrimp out of the fridge half and hour before you want to make it. Soak the skewers in a bowl full of water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning. Preheat your oven to 375 F. Season the shrimp with salt and place 4 shrimp on each skewer. Place the skewers in one layer on an aluminum-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp has just entirely turned pink in color.

While the shrimp is cooking, make the salsa. Add the diced mango and red onion in a bowl. Add the lime juice and stir. Add the chopped mint and stir again.

Serve the warm shrimp with the salsa. Enjoy!