Shrimp Salad

Plump and crisp pieces of shrimp in a smooth tangy dressing. Yum!

I saw a couple of shelled fresh white shrimp in the supermarket today and Shrimp salad was the first thing that went into my mind!

I could never forget the rows of seafood stalls at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco when I visited in 2004. Every one of them was selling the same thing - shrimp salad on crusty bread, or pieces of king crab legs. The colors were so fresh and vibrant - attesting to their freshness. I just wish I could say the same about their taste. Everything was bland and flat. They did not skimp on the salt but that was basically it. I pity the fresh seafood had to bathe in a very lifeless and boring dressing!

For a really good Shrimp Salad/ Spread, make sure the shrimp are fresh! Peel and de-vein the shrimp and rinse with salt and water. Dump the prepared shrimp in a pot of boiling stock (I add celery leaves, lemon, onions, and or dill stems to my stock - basically the leftover of the dressing ingredients). Cook for a good two or three minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp, then shock in a bowl of ice water.

For the dressing, mix the following: 1/2 cup chopped celery stalks, 2 tablespoons chopped onions, one chopped garlic clove, one cup sour cream, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, two tablespoons mustard. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss in the shrimp. This salad is best when allowed to "cure" one day in the ref. Serve with crusty bread.

Leftover Turkey?

As usual, we had a whole turkey roasted and carved for Christmas Eve dinner. We usually have Butterball turkey but the supermarket only had Norbest in stock. This brand turned out to be better - it was easier to cook as it came with its own "thermometer," and the bird roasted just until the inside was cooked through but still juicy and tender.

Six very hungry persons weren't able to devour the whole bird. So what did I do with the leftovers?

Sandwich

I flaked some of the leftover meat, tossed it with some gravy just to moisten them up, then stuffed them into crusty baguettes with some veggies.

I also made some Turkey Pie

I basically made a white sauce, folded in the flaked turkey with some sauteed mushrooms, carrots, potatoes and peas.

Then I experimented with some crusts, sort of. I used a basic flaky pie-crust for my first pie.

Then I ran across a recipe for a cream-cheese pastry which was easy to make, but unbelievably flaky!

I always experiment with turkey leftovers! After all, this bird only comes to our house once a year!

Happy New Year!

A new year and a new look!

Greetings, everyone!