Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily. There are two types...sweet and dry. Use sweet! Molto importante!
When you add the Marsala to the sauce, be careful. There might be some sizzling and flare-ups, so you might want to have someone you don’t like add it.
JFK. Just Effing Kidding!
Be cautious, Slim People. I need every one of ya!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped shallots
5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup sweet Marsala
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound of pasta (I use spaghetti)
1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of butter…for the cooked pasta!
Salt and fresh-cracked black pepper
HERE WE GO!
Put the porcini mushrooms in the water and let them soak for 30 minutes to an hour.
Take the mushrooms out of the water with a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl.
Strain the water (I use a colander lined with a paper towel) into a bowl.
Save that water!
Chop the poricinis into small pieces.
Give ‘em a quick rinse.
Put a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
Add two tablespoons of butter.
Add two tablespoons olive oil.
Swirl and stir.
When the butter starts to bubble, add the shallots.
Cook until the edges start to turn golden brown.
Add the garlic and cook on each side for a minute or two.
Add the Marsala. BE CAREFUL! There’s gonna be some sizzlin’!
Cook and swirl for a minute or two.
Add 1 cup of the porcini water.
Turn the heat to high until it starts to boil.
Add the rosemary and stir.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook down.
Put the shrimp in a large bowl.
Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil.
Add salt and pepper. Fresh-cracked is best!
Mix ‘em up!
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Lay the shrimp in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Put a large pot of fresh cold water on the highest heat ya got. This be for the pasta.
When it comes to a full boil, add a couple tablespoons of salt.
Add the pasta and cook according to the directions.
When the pasta is five minutes from being done, turn your broiler to high and put in the shrimp.
Cook for 5 minutes, no need to turn ‘em!
Pull out the shrimp and put them in the porcini/Marsala sauce and give a couple stirs.
Add salt and pepper if desired.
Drain the pasta and put it in a bowl.
Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and add a tablespoon of butter.
Stir.
Take some of the Marsala sauce and add it to the pasta.
Stir it a couple times.
DISH IT UP!
Put some pasta on a plate.
Spoon some sauce over top.
Make sure to add some shrimp!
And maybe garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Make sure it looks good.
Because the most important thing in life is to look good.
And eat good! And write good!
Add some freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese if you like and…
MANGIAMO!
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INGREDIENTS1 pound of asparagus, bottom stalks snapped off1 tablespoon olive oilFresh cracked black pepper½ pound prosciutto, sliced thin HERE WE GO!Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.Put the asparagus in a baking dish.Add the olive oil and mix ‘em up.Add some fresh cracked black pepper, mix ‘em up again.Put the asparagus in the oven for about 10 minutes until almost done.Take them out of the oven and let them cool for a minute.Set the oven to broil.Take 5 or 6 stalks, place them on the edge of a piece of prosciutto and roll ‘em up.Do this with all the asparagus.Place the asparagus on a baking sheet and place them under the broiler for two minutes or so.Keep your eyes on these guys! Don’t burn your meat!When the prosciutto starts to brown, remove and put the asparagus bundles on a plate and...MANGIAMO![/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
The other night here at the Slim Shack I wanted some pasta. I’ve been getting these cravings. Maybe I’m pregnant. But I’ve been craving pasta lately, so I pulled out a bag of scallops.I had a basil plant in back of the Shack, it’s been doing pretty well despite it being 189 degrees outside. Palm Springs gets hot in the summer. It was so hot the other day here at the Slim Shack that when I milked the goats all that came out was evaporated milk.I usually keep garlic and lemons and white wine handy. And I had some spaghetti, too. And I had some butter, some real good Irish butter that I had splurged on last week.So I thought I’d whip up a quick little something. I put it all together, and it was good, Slim Folks.It was so good I made it again just a few nights later. Just to be sure.And?It’s well-worthy of Slim People.NOTES:The scallops threw off a bit of liquid. It didn’t bother me, it actually made the sauce taste better. It reduced quite nicely! And the flavor, she was a-so nice!Bay scallops are small and don’t take much time at all. Try and get them to sear on each side. It’s tough, but you can do it, Slim People!I put this over pasta. Call me crazy, but I’m a glutton for gluten!But you can serve it as is with some crusty bread to your crusty friends and family. Or you can serve it over rice. Put it on bruschetta, or a pizza, or your pancakes in the morning!INGREDIENTS1 pound bay scallopsFresh cracked black pepper, brown or Turbinado sugar, and salt, a sprinkling of each3 tablespoons butter1 tablespoon olive oil5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled½ cup dry white wineJuice from one lemon (2 tablespoons, NO SEEDS!)Small handful fresh basil leaves HERE WE GO!Put a sauté pan over medium-high heat.Add 1 tablespoon of butter, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.When the butter has melted and starts to brown, add the scallops.Cook for 90 seconds or until the bottoms are golden.Stir/flip as best you can!
Cook on the other side for 90 seconds or until golden.Remove with a slotted spoon to a platter.Reduce the heat to medium.Add the garlic, cook for a minute or two, until golden.Flip, cook for another minute or two, until golden.Add the wine and the lemon juice.Turn the heat to high, scrape and stir for a minute or so as the sauce reduces.Turn heat down to medium.Add 2 tablespoons of butter.When it melts, add the scallops.Take the basil, snip it with scissors on top of the scallops.Stir gently for a minute.Turn off the heat.She’s a-done!I put my scallop sauce over pasta, I cooked a half-pound of spaghetti in salted boiling water, drained it, and added it right to the sauce and gave it a toss.She’s a-so nice!MANGIAMO!!!
INGREDIENTS1 pound lamb chops (I had 6, each about ¾ inch thick)1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary1 clove garlic, minced (a generous teaspoon)1 teaspoon olive oil, plus 1½ tablespoons for searing1½ tablespoons butter HERE WE GO!Put the chopped rosemary and the minced garlic on a chopping boardEven though they’re already chopped, chop ‘em up together for a minutePut them in a small bowlAdd a teaspoon of olive oil, mix it up.Place the lamb chops on a large plate
Rub a little of the rosemary/garlic/olive oil mixture on top of each lamb chop—only on one side!! Spread it around evenlyAdd a little Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepperGet a large fry pan (I used a 10-inch pan)Turn the heat to highAdd the 1½ tablespoons of butter, and the remaining 1½ tablespoons of olive oilWhen the butter starts to brown, add the lamb chops—spiced side down!Turn the heat down to medium-highCook for 2 or 3 minutes.Using tongs, turn em overCook for another 2 or 3 minutes until doneThat’s it!!Plate it up, make it look nice, add a sprig of rosemary, maybe a dollop of risotto, a couple baked asparagus spears, and…
