shabou: Home Cookin'

Last night I had my brother-in-law and his fabulous girlfriend over for dinner. I love cooking for company and am always trying to think of new things to make. Shrimp Parm is one of my favorites so I decided to do a baked version. It was so easy and got rave reviews. Recipe below.

What you will need (serves 4):

1 pound cleaned uncooked shrimp (I like the large size shrimp)

2 cups Breadcrumbs (Italian Style)

2 Egg Whites

1 cup Flour

Sliced (Deli Style) Mozzarella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Dried Basil Flakes

Tomato Sauce (my favorite is the Rao's Arrabiatta sauce. It's a little pricey but well worth the money in my opinion)

I bought a pound of shell off, uncooked colossal shrimp. These are the big guys. I prefer them large, but if you like a smaller shrimp, that works too. I buy them cleaned because it's just easier, less messy and saves time. I rinse them under some cold water to get any of the fishiness off.

Boil a pot of water and cook the shrimp just until they start to turn slightly pink. MAKE SURE not to overcook!!!

You'll need 3 plates. One with flour, one with the egg whites and one with bread crumbs mixed with grated Parmesan cheese.

Preheat the oven to 375 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or tin foil. I like parchment because it doesn't stick but just use an oil spray if your using tin foil.

Dip the shrimp in the flour (shake off any excess), then the egg white, then finish it off with the breadcrumb and Parmesan cheese mixture. Lay them on the baking tray.

Cook 10 minutes then turn over each shrimp. Coat each shrimp with a spoonful of sauce, a 1/4 slice of mozzarella cheese and then sprinkle the top with a pinch of basil and a pinch of Parmesan cheese.

Put back in the oven and bake about another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is all melted and starting to bubble.

To go with the Shrimp Parm I also made a Burrata, Arugula & Tomato salad. It was so easy and so delicious!

Toss the Arugula with some good olive oil and a pinch of salt & pepper. (Go the extra mile and invest in some Flor de Sol salt, it really makes a difference) Dice up cherry tomatoes. I used red and orange ones. Lie the Arugula on a long plate. Top with the diced tomatoes and sliced Burrata. (If you can't find Burrata anywhere a good buffalo mozzarella would work too) Drizzle the top with a good balsamic and some more olive oil. Finito!

I also purchased (sorry, this wasn't home made) a Spinach Artichoke flat bread to round out the meal, but any crusty side would do; a baguette, garlic bread, focaccia, etc.