Taco Tuesday: Shrimp Double Decker Tacos

I've already shared with you how much I love to celebrate Taco Tuesday by cooking up my homemade version of San Diego style Beer Battered Shrimp Tacos and now I'm going to share another one of my favorite taco recreations....And also profess my embarrassing love for Taco Bell. 

Sadly, this love is not just reserved for drunken late night food. I traveled all over Europe and ate some of the best food of my life, but as soon as I landed back in American soil I begged my cousin to take me to Taco Bell. When we were getting ready to move to Maui, I googled to check there was a Taco Bell nearby.  Its bad. But yet its so good. You can judge my Taco Bell obsession all you want, heck I judge myself, but you cannot hate on my love for T Bell too much to not try my recreation of their glorious Double Decker Taco. My spicy, zesty Shrimp Double Decker Taco is SO much better than the original....and as a faithful Taco Bell supporter you know that's a bold statement. 

I start out by using my favorite fast shrimp recipe. I marinate shrimp in olive oil, cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt, and pepper for about twenty minutes while I prep all my other ingredients. Then I saute garlic and white onion in a little olive oil and add the shrimp until cooked through. Off the heat I squeeze in the juice of a whole lime and that's it. Spicy, garlicky shrimp bursting with fresh lime flavor. 

Now for the assembly line. Spread one softened flour tortilla with a layer of heated refried beans, add a crunchy taco shell to one side, arrange a layer of the spicy shrimp (I often break the crunchy taco shell so I can fit in as many little shrimp as I please), then top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato and avocado, cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream!

Serve with wedges of lime for some extra zing and to really bring out the fresh flavors of the tacos. Oh and prep yourself two tacos, because one of these bad boys just won't be enough.

 I can't believe I haven't mentioned the best part. When you make Double Decker Tacos at home, you can have a nice frosty Margarita on the side. Sorry T Bell, I got you beat on this one.

Even if you turn your nose up at fast food joints, there is something to be said about the awesome texture contrast of a Double Decker Taco. You get the soft warm flour tortilla and the crunch of a hard shell taco...best of both worlds! So if you won't try one at Taco Bell, at least you can try one now with my homemade version.

And for all my fellow spice lovers, there is enough heat packed in the shrimp from the cayenne pepper and chili powder that you won't even need any hot sauce packets! But as always, if you and your family are not a fan of spicy food, you can cut back or completely omit the cayenne and chili and it will still be delicious.

Shrimp Double Decker Tacos
(This recipe only makes about 4-5 tacos because I normally only make it as a quick dinner for the two of us, but its very easy to double if you are feeding a larger crowd)

For the Spicy Garlic Lime Shrimp:
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined and tails removed
1/4 cup white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
a big pinch of cayenne pepper-feel free to omit if you don't want the heat!
salt and pepper
1 lime

Marinate the shrimp in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or enough to coat the shrimp) with all the spices and salt and pepper for about twenty minutes. Heat a pan with the remaining olive oil and saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink. Remove pan from heat and squeeze with the juice of the entire lime.

For the Double Decker Tacos:
warmed flour tortillas
crunchy taco shells
refried beans
grated cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
diced tomato
diced avocado
sour cream
lime wedges
Spicy Garlic Lime Shrimp

Spread one warmed flour tortilla with a layer of heated refried beans, add a crunchy taco shell to one side, arrange a layer of the spicy shrimp, sandwich together the taco, then top with desired garnishes.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Yes, I know its three weeks after the Superbowl and Yes, I'm still going to share one of my game day grub recipes with you now because...

1.  I don't think I will ever be one of those amazing food bloggers who is able to plan ahead and make all of their holiday dishes before the actual holiday itself. I work six days a week and I'm no superwoman-so its going to happen on the day of and posted whenever life gives me a breather.
2. This way you now already know ahead of time what you will be making for Superbowl 2014. You're so very welcome.
3. I don't believe these little guys should be only enjoyed one day of the year. They are the perfect snack for any potluck party-football or not!
4. And last but not least... I already miss Football season so I'm reminiscing :( 

Enough of my ramblings to try to make me feel better about depriving you of this recipe for so long...lets start talking about these cuties. Unbelievably moist and tender buffalo chicken cooked conveniently in your slow cooker then piled high on top of slider buns slathered with blue cheese dressing and finished with a sprinkling of blue cheese crumbles and green onions. Easy to make, not as  unhealthy as their cousin the buffalo wing, and cute too. Total touchdown! 

I'm relatively new to the slow cooker scene since I just started eating meat again, but now I don't know how I ever survived without one. I woke up the morning of Super Bowl, threw chicken breasts, onion, garlic, celery, and chicken broth into the pot then went and drank some beer and watched the game, added some hot sauce later, and by Half Time I had a killer meal waiting for me. I want to thank whoever invented crock-pots... I'm forever indebted.

Besides letting you have time to watch the whole Superbowl, these sliders also help you feel better about all the beers you drink on game day. They are much less caloric than enjoying some fried buffalo wings but pack all the same flavor. Ok I maybe did add a pat of butter at the end to make the flavors meld better, but you can be an angel and omit that step if you prefer!

A good tip is to try to reserve some of the buffalo chicken if you can resist! It makes for awesome leftovers like buffalo chicken pizza, quesadillas, salad, wraps...the possibilities are endless! 

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

24 oz skinless boneless chicken breasts

1 celery stalk

1/2 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic

16 oz chicken broth

5 oz Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Slider Buns

Blue Cheese Dressing

Blue Cheese Crumbles

Green Onions, finely chopped

In a crock pot, combine chicken, onions, celery stalk, garlic and broth (enough to cover your chicken, use water if the can of broth isn't enough). Cover and cook on high 4 hours.

Remove the chicken from pot, reserve 1/2 cup broth and discard the rest. Shred the chicken with two forks, return to the slow cooker with the 1/2 cup broth and the hot sauce and set to on high for an additional 30 minutes. At the end mix in one tablespoon of butter until completely melted and any additional hot sauce if you really want to increase the heat.

Assemble the sliders by spreading blue cheese dressing on bottom of bun, then a good amount of the buffalo chicken, sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles and green onions, and sandwich with the top bun. 

Penne Rustica: Baked Shrimp and Chicken Penne in a Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Ever since I've moved to Maui, I have had nonstop cravings for my favorite restaurant meals. But I'm not even talking about restaurants that I went to all the time... I mean any restaurant that I went to in Southern California that we don't have here- I feel like I NEED to have. I'll admit it, I suffer from a bad case of wanting what I can't have. Even though I have a ton of amazing restaurants right down the street from me, I had this strange craving for the Penne Rustica I used to order years ago at Macaroni Grill. So since flying 2,000 miles was out of the question, I resorted to the next best thing...Cooking it myself and boy am I glad I did! 

Instead of following the copycat recipe that is all over the internet, I decided to just whip up my own recipe with the flavors from the dish I liked the most. I wanted to omit the heavy pancetta, rosemary, and marsala flavors that are in original recipe and add in a little bit more spice of cayenne pepper and the light, crisp flavor of white wine instead. It turned out even better than I remembered. Finally teaching me my lesson that's there no reason to be nostalgic when I can cook up the same recipes myself-plus save some money and score on leftovers! 

As much as I wish I could say I whip up all my dinners without following a recipe, that's normally not the case. Most of my dishes begin from a trusted family or chef recipe and tweaked over time until I make it my own. But this time, I really just threw things in while I went...crossing my fingers the whole time and promising Chad we would order take out if it was a total flop ;) But luckily it was the exact opposite....a total hit!!!

I started out with the basics. Sautéing lots of garlic and shallots in olive oil and butter. Then added in shrimp that had been generously seasoned with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Once the shrimp were cooked, I deglazed the pan with white wine and let it reduce a bit. Next I added in precooked chicken that had already been spiced up with my dear friend Cayenne, roasted red peppers, and cream and let all the flavors meld together and thicken slightly. Then, because no pasta dish should be without it, I stirred in a heaping amount of parmesan cheese.

That got tossed together with the penne and placed in a large casserole dish. And since I'm a fan of a cheesy golden brown topping(who's not??), I sprinkled on some grated mozzarella, parmesan, and paprika before baking in the oven.

It only needed a couple of minutes in a hot stove because it was already cooked through- so keep an eye on it! In no time, you are rewarded with a crispy, golden, piping hot casserole that anyone would love. It has a little bit of everything: two different types of proteins, smokiness from the roasted red peppers, heat from the cayenne, and a cheesy cream sauce.

Now how picture perfect does this dish look? And I didn't even have to fly home for it, although I wouldn't mind seeing my pups and fam :) 

Penne Rustica:
1/2 lb of boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb penne pasta
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup of roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup of white wine
2 cups cream
1 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated mozzarella
salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper

Season both the chicken breasts and shrimp generously with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook pasta. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large pan over medium high heat, heat one tablespoon of the butter and olive oil and add chicken until cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate, add remaining tablespoon of butter and olive oil to pan and saute garlic and shallot until translucent. Add shrimp and cook until just pink, then turn heat down to low.

Add white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping off any brown bits on the pan, and let reduce a bit. Next add back in the cooked chicken, the roasted red peppers, and the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium low, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in 1 cup of the parmesan cheese. Add cooked and drained penne to the pan and mix thourougly. Pour mixture into a lightly buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese, grated mozzarella, and paprika on top. Place uncovered casserole in oven for a couple of minutes, until topping is golden brown.

Christmas Eve Hors D'oeuvres Cocktail Party

Oh hello blogging world...I'm back! I took a little hiatus to enjoy my favorite time of the year with my favorite people! My parents came to visit and we had a very Maui Christmas touring them around the island we now call home and getting nice and jolly from too much wine and fancy dinners. I rang in the New Year at the Ritz surrounded by an amazing group of friends and a midnight kiss from my love. It was the perfect way to wrap up 2012 and I'm looking forward to what 2013 brings!

Speaking of change in 2013, I have a SHOCKING change for The Cook A Mama. I am no longer a vegetarian!!! After the past couple years of being a Veggie, I decided it was time for a more balanced diet. Not that I don't think a vegetarian lifestyle is amazing and healthy...but I felt like I was limiting my culinary growth by excluding meat from my diet. And I'll admit it, I was really craving a damn steak. Don't worry though, I promise I'll still be adding lots of veggie/ pescetarian recipes. But now all you meat lovers will have something to look forward to as well!

Ok now enough about me, lets get to cooking. Since I haven't posted in a couple of weeks I thought I would post 4 delicious recipes in just 1 post so you can forgive me for my absence. For Christmas Eve, instead of a formal sit down dinner we always just stay up late playing games, drinking lots of champagne, and eating all different fun small bite appetizers.  You don't have to wait until next Christmas to try out these recipes though, its a perfect Hors D'oeuvres menu for any cocktail party you host! 

First up was Individual Wedge Salads. I simply quartered a head of iceberg lettuce so everyone had their own mini wedge and topped it with the classics: blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles, chopped tomato, green onions, and even some diced avocado. 

This whole meat eating business is new for me and I still can't get used to the taste of bacon...so I made mine veggie style and it was just as delicious. That's what is great about making wedge salads; since each person gets their own, you can much more easily adjust for vegetarians at your cocktail party instead of a large tossed salad.

I'm so excited to share these Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms with you. I hadn't made them in years but they were always such a hit and they still are! 

Mushroom caps are marinated in olive oil and  stuffed with a mixture of panko bread crumbs, crumbled Italian sausage, green onions, garlic, and mascarpone cheese swirled in. The stuffing is SO good- I mean so good its bad-because you will tempted to eat it all straight out of the pan before you even stuff the mushrooms.

Oh and did I mention popping a bottle of Dom Perignon is another Riley Family Christmas Tradition...do I have the best family or what?!

 Knowing that everyone will be feeling nice and boozy from the Dom takes off the pressure of trying out a new recipe like I did with this Shrimp, Arugula, and Tomato Bruschetta. I was really looking forward to trying this recipe I saw on Giada's Holiday Special but unfortunately I wasn't blown away by the flavors. Everyone still devoured it because at the very least it was a creamy tomato bruschetta topped on crunchy garlic bread-how bad could that be? Still next year I will definitely sub in one of my tried and true classics like Bruschetta or Spinach Dip.

And finally, because I'm now a crazy carnivore ;) I  made Mini Beef Wellingtons. I seared small pieces of filet mignon, topped them with a sauteed mixture of shallots and mushrooms, bundled it all into a puff pastry pocket, and baked until golden and flakey. They were delish!

I loved how the Hors d'oeuvres menu had a little bit of everything: greens, mushrooms, shrimp, and beef. Its important at any cocktail party to have variety so everyone can find something they love!

These appetizers are all delicious, fun to eat, cute to look at, and most of all they make for one lively party! I won't lie though, they definitely are time consuming and keep you on your feet and in the kitchen much longer than serving a sit down dinner. But hey that's where I'm in my element, cooking up a storm, keeping my guests full and happy, and getting to wear a cute Santa apron while doing it :)

I hope everyone had a lovely Holiday season and I wish you all a Happy & Healthy New Year! 

xox

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms 
adapted from Ina Garten


16 extra-large white mushrooms
7 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 garlic cloves minced
2/3 cup panko crumbs
5 ounces mascarpone cheese, preferably from Italy
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 5 tablespoons of the olive oil.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste,
Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing for 40-50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.


Individual Wedge Salads
Serves 4

1 small head of iceberg lettuce
1 avocado, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
green onions, chopped
crumbled cooked bacon
blue cheese dressing, preferably Marie's
blue cheese crumbles

Quarter head of iceberg lettuce. Mix in extra blue cheese crumbles into dressing and spoon on top of each quarter of lettuce. Top with above toppings, omitting bacon for vegetarians.

Mini Beef Wellingtons 
adapted from Claire Robinson


2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 1 1/2 cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed and finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and season all sides with salt and pepper. Quickly sear the beef on 2 sides only until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes total; do not overcook. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Add the mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown and release liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and continue cooking until mushroom mixture dries out, is golden brown and shallots are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Preheat to the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
On a work surface, roll 1 sheet of puff pastry to a 10 by 14-inch rectangle. Put teaspoon-sized mounds of mushroom mixture on the pastry, evenly spacing them in 4 rows of 3. Top the mushroom mound with a piece of beef, seared side up. With a sharp knife, cut the pastry into even squares around the meat and mushrooms. Working 1 at a time, pull 2 opposite sides of pastry up over each beef piece, then fold the ends over the top to make a packet. Invert and arrange the packets seam side down on the baking sheet and press them lightly to seal the pastry. Repeat with the remaining beef, mushrooms, and pastry.
Bake the Wellingtons until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven to a serving platter and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.



Shrimp, Arugula, Tomato Bruschetta
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

1 (1-pound) loaf ciabatta bread, trimmed and cut into 14 (1/2-inch thick) slices
Olive oil, for drizzling
1 garlic clove, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 packed cup arugula, chopped
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
Directions
For the toasts: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes. Rub the warm toasts with the cut side of the garlic. Set aside.
For the topping: In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 2 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste, and add them to the skillet. Cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
In the same skillet, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes start to soften, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the arugula, mascarpone cheese, and chopped shrimp. Stir until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the toasts on serving plates and drizzle with the sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.

Roasted Beet Mashed Potatoes

If you're looking for a festive new side dish to spice up your holiday dinner, look no further. Everyone loves classic mashed potatoes with their Holiday Roast, but why not elevate them to the next level by adding in roasted beets? Roasted beets add the perfect touch of caramelized sweetness. They are much healthier than starchy white potatoes: containing high amounts of iron, fiber, and antioxidants. Most importantly your mashed potatoes instantly become bright PINK...like you need any more reasons than that alone!!

Every other week we get a delivery of seasonal, locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables from Kula Fields, an organic farm in upcountry Maui. We love guessing what will be in the box that week and challenging ourselves to concocting new recipes with what produce we are given...its like our own little  Chopped challenge. The other week we received these amazing beets. I love how a beet is so ugly on the outside but when you peel away the skin you discover a beautiful gem. A classic "don't judge a book by its cover" example. I mean have you ever seen a prettier vegetable than this?

Not only are they pretty and colorful, beets also couldn't be easier to prepare. Just peel away the skin like you would an ordinary potato, chop them into smallish pieces, bundle them in foil, and pop in the oven until tender. I like to roast them until they can just be pierced with a fork but not too soft; this way they will maintain a little bit of their texture when mashed. You want your guests to know they are eating beets in their mashed potatoes, not that you just got carried away with food dye to pretty up your potatoes!

Once your beets are roasted, just add them into your ordinary mashed potato ingredients. I used boiled russet potatoes, garlic, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper, and of course some butter. There's no such thing as mashed potatoes without butter. But the sour cream and garlic are necessary as well because they add a nice tang to balance out the sweetness of the beets. 

On a side note, I do have to add that I was one happy girly girl when I realized my mashed potatoes matched my hand mixer :)

This mash is a great way to disguise healthy vegetables to your picky kids; they will be just so excited to eat a mountain of pink fluff on their plate to realize their is yucky beets inside. Its also a fun dish to surprise your guests with this Holiday season. But this recipe is not just for show... I promise you will love the depth of flavor and texture that roasted beets adds to your basic mashed potatoes. 

Roasted Beet Mashed Potatoes 

3 large white Russet potatoes

2 medium size beets

2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped

4-5 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Peel skin off beets and chop into small pieces. Place beets in an aluminum foil pouch on top of a cookie sheet and roast under tender enough to be pierced easily with a fork but not too soft to lose their texture entirely, about 40 minutes. 

Meanwhile, boil potatoes on the stove until tender. Using a hand mixer, whip the potatoes with the garlic, butter, sour cream, milk, and salt and pepper. Use more or less butter and milk until potatoes reach desired consistency. Mix in the beets afterwards, just enough to incorporate and whip up but not too much to lose the chunky mash consistency. 

Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta

"I like to cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food."

C'mon ladies...I know you are all with me on this one. Sometimes after a long day at work, nothing sounds better than a big glass of white wine. But what's even better is if you can pour a little bit of that glass right into what your cooking and end up with a fabulous tasting, easy weeknight meal. And that's exactly what this Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta delivers. Like you even needed an excuse to buy a new bottle of Sauvignon Blanc!

You should have most of the ingredients in your pantry already so after work all you need to do is grab some fresh shrimp and parsley at the grocery store, pour yourself a big girl glass of wine, and get to cooking!

You begin by sautéing garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, and shrimp in butter and extra virgin olive oil. Remove the shrimp as soon as they begin to turn pink. This only takes a couple of minutes.

Now is the time where you have to practice some self restraint and tip a 1/2 cup of your white wine into the pan allowing it to deglaze and reduce down. Next you practice no self restraint and add another dab of butter and olive oil to the pan to get that delicious, buttery, garlic sauce that scampi is known for.

Once the butter has melted and the sauce has developed, simply return the shrimp to the pan.

Add a sprinkling of chopped parsley for a little pop of color and fresh flavor.

Toss together the shrimp scampi mixture with 3/4 pound of cooked angel hair pasta. You can use a full pound of pasta if you are cooking for a crowd, but I think the sauce and flavor of the scampi gets lost when you add too much starchy pasta to the party. Besides, the scampi is so rich and satisfying without a ton of pasta and we could all use to cut a little carbs in the winter months!

And of course you can't serve pasta without a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

There you have it, a fresh yet satisfying pasta dish that takes as long to cook as it does to polish off your first glass of wine!

Shrimp Scampi
3/4 lb Angel Hair Pasta
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pan, melt 2 tbsp of butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes until translucent and soft. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook until just pink (being careful not to overcook because they will be added back to the pan later).  Remove shrimp from pan to a separate plate with a slotted spoon; try to avoid removing too much of the onion or butter sauce during this process.

Add wine and juice of one lemon to the pan and bring to a boil to allow for the wine to reduce. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter and olive oil.  Return shrimp to pan, cooked angel hair pasta, and parsley. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Top with parmesan cheese and serve.

Pumpkin Bread with Honey Butter

Ok, I admit it. I've been on a Pumpkin Frenzy lately. First it was Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seed Granola Parfaits, then it was Pumpkin Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate and Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting, and now whether your like it or not its going to be Pumpkin Bread with Honey Butter. But believe me-you're going to like it. The Pumpkin Bread is chock full of all the spicy, warm flavors of autumn that you love: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. And the Honey Butter adds the perfect counterpart of sweet and creamy; plus it tastes like something served at a fancy cafe but is ridiculously easy to make.

When making this recipe I had one of those Domestic Goddess moments. Most of the time when cooking, I feel like our little kitchen is overcrowded with dishes, or I have flour smudged somewhere on my face or outfit, or I'm constantly checking on a million different components trying to get dinner on the table pronto.  But not this Pumpkin Bread. I made it at night right before my boyfriend was getting home from work and as soon as he walked in he was welcomed with the homey, fall aroma of freshly baking pumpkin bread and I was just finishing up washing the couple of bowls I used. Then in the morning I woke up just 10 minutes before him, whipped up the 4 ingredient Honey Butter, brewed some Kona coffee, sliced up the bread....and became girlfriend of the year.

Who doesn't want to have a girlfriend of the year/ domestic goddess moment? Or better question...who doesn't want to wake up to freshly baked warm pumpkin spice bread slathered in sweet but salty honey butter? I promise this will be my last pumpkin recipe for a while and I also promise that this is one you won't want to miss out on!

Pumpkin Bread

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
8 ounces (scant 1 cup) canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
2/3 cup water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the 4 tablespoons softened butter, sugar, and oil at high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times.

Add the pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and water and mix until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 to 65 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before trying to remove from pan. Serve warm with Honey Butter.

Honey Butter
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt

Beat butter in a small mixing bowl until it becomes fluffy. Add honey, cinnamon, and salt and beat until well mixed, fluffy, and spreadable.