Shrimp In Pumpkin Seed Sauce Food

QUICK SAUTEED SHRIMP IN TOMATO GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, scallions, garlic, a nice pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook until the greens of the scallions are wilted and darkened with the oil and the garlic is tender and slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and cook while stirring until the tomatoes are softened, about 2 minutes. Add the clam juice and lemon juice, bring to a light simmer and stir. Taste, and if the tomatoes and lemon juice are too tart, add sugar and stir.
• Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook on 1 side until the shrimp begins to turn opaque and curl slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Then toss and cook until they just begin to turn pink on the other side, 1 to 2 more minutes. (Shrimp cooks fast and there's a thin line between done and overdone; the best rule is to remove the pan from the heat as they begin to reach the finish line. Continue tossing and the heat of the pan will continue to cook them until done.) Serve warm or chilled.

SHRIMP IN GREEN MOLE

Steps:

• Heat a heavy straight-sided skillet or a saucepan over medium heat and add pumpkin seeds. Wait until you hear one seed pop, then stir constantly until they have puffed and popped and smell toasty, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not let them darken beyond golden or they will taste bitter. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Remove 2 tablespoons to use as garnish and set aside.
• Place remaining cooled pumpkin seeds in a blender and add tomatillos, chile, lettuce, onion, garlic, cilantro and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Cover blender and blend mixture until smooth, stopping the blender to stir if necessary.
• Heat oil in the skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin and let it sizzle for a couple of seconds, then add puréed tomatillo mixture. Cook, stirring often, until sauce darkens and thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. It will splutter, so be careful. You can hold the lid above the pot to shield yourself and the stove, or set the lid on the pot to partly cover it.
• Add remaining cup of chicken stock, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until sauce is thick and creamy, 10 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
• Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Shortly before serving, bring mole sauce to a simmer and add shrimp. Simmer 5 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through but still moist. Serve over rice, garnishing each serving with toasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro.

SHRIMP IN PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Place the shrimp in a large saucepan with the water, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and onion. Bring to a boil, over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the shrimp are pink and curled, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, lift the shrimp and onion from the cooking liquid. Save the cooking liquid to use for the sauce base. Set the onion aside on a plate. 2. When the shrimp are cool enough to handle, peel and devein. Put the shrimp shells in the pan of cooking liquid. Put the cleaned shrimp in a bowl and set aside. Bring the liquid with shrimp shells to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Pour the shrimp broth through a strainer into a bowl. Reserve the broth and discard the shells. 3. In a dry skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring constantly, until they pop about in the pan and are aromatic. Spread the seeds out on a plate to cool then grind to a powder in a spice grinder. (I use a coffee grinder reserved for spices.) 4. Put 2 cups of the shrimp broth into a blender jar. Add the ground pumpkin seeds, reserved onion, cilantro, and serranos. Blend until smooth. 5. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Pour in the blended sauce and cream. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Stir in the shrimp. Heat through. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Serve hot.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

GREEN PIPIAN

Steps:

• Heat a heavy Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat and add the pumpkin seeds. Wait until you hear one pop, then stir constantly until they have puffed and popped, and smell toasty. They should not get any darker than golden or they will taste bitter. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
• Place the cooled pumpkin seeds in a blender and add the tomatillos, chiles, lettuce, onion, garlic, cilantro, and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Cover the blender and blend the mixture until smooth, stopping the blender to stir if necessary.
• Heat the oil in the Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a bit of the pumpkin seed mixture and if it sizzles, add the rest. Cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens and thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. It will splutter, so be careful. Hold the lid of the pot above the pot to shield you and your stove from the splutters. Add the remaining chicken stock, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt. For a silkier sauce, blend again in batches.

CEDAR-PLANKED SHRIMP WITH CHIPOTLE-PUMPKIN SEED SALSA

Steps:

• Prepare barbecue (high heat). Place bell peppers on grill rack. Cover and grill until peppers are blistered and blackened on all sides, turning frequently, about 15 minutes. (Or char peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides.) Enclose peppers in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop peppers.
• Sauté pepitas in small dry skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool in skillet.
• With processor running, drop garlic cloves through feed tube and finely chop. Add bell peppers, pepitas, chipotle chile, vinegar, and oregano and process until finely chopped. With machine running, gradually add oil and process until mixture is almost smooth. Season salsa to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).. Place cedar planks on hot grill rack and heat until cedar begins to smoke, 10 to 20 minutes depending on thickness of cedar. Turn cedar planks over. Arrange 12 shrimp on each plank. Cover and grill shrimp without turning until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Transfer planks with shrimp to heatproof platter. Serve hot or at room temperature with salsa for dipping.
• * Dried, smoked jalapeños in a spicy tomato sauce called adobo; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.
• More info: Look for cedar planks at cookware stores or order them online from fireandflavor.com or natures-cuisine.com. Look for planks that are about 3/4 inch thick (thinner ones can burn and warp on the grill). Be sure to buy natural planks, which are sometimes labeled "untreated." Avoid cedar shingles, as they may be treated with chemicals. When soaking planks, weigh them down so they're covered by the water.