Shrimp Scampi Light – Twiins Style 🍤🍤

Servings: 4-6                  Prep: 10-15 minutes                 Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Adapting our family favorite recipes into healthier versions has been a goal of ours this year. We never thought our beloved shrimp scampi could ever be healthy and still taste great. It was a challenge however, we succeeded to reduce the fat by 75% and keep all the flavor!  This lighter version tastes just as good as the original with a few minor tweaks. Our family enjoyed it and didn’t miss the fat. If you’re looking for a healthier, quick weeknight dinner, give this a try.😋 😋

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs large raw shrimp (*to make your own homemade shrimp broth buy fresh large shrimp with the heads still attached – see recipe link below)
  • 4  Tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped (divided)
  • 3/4 cup homemade shrimp broth (clam juice or chicken broth can be substituted)
  • 2 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 4 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • lemon slices for garnish (may be omitted)
  • 1 lb Barilla Linguine
  • reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water after cooking to add to the garlic lemon juice before serving.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Bring pasta water to a boil then add salt to the boiling water. Cover and lower flame to keep hot while prepping shrimp.
  3. Remove shells from shrimp, leaving the shell on the tail section only if preferred.
  4. Devein & wash under cold running water, then drain well on paper towels.
  5. Melt butter in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan in the oven.
  6. Once melted, add the salt, garlic, 1/2 the shrimp broth, and 1/2 the chopped parsley; mix well.
  7. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in the baking pan.
  8. Bake uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. (keep your eye on them)
  9. Turn the shrimp over, sprinkle with lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining shrimp broth, and remaining parsley.
  10. Bake 2-3 minutes, or just until tender & opaque. Do Not overcook shrimp or they will be tough.  (If using smaller shrimp, cut down on the cooking time)
  11. Remove the shrimp, toss some linguine in the pan with the garlic lemon juice. Place a portion of pasta on a plate. Pour a little additional sauce on pasta and top with shrimp.
  12. Sprinkle your desired amount of Pecorino Romano cheese and garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Shrimp Broth

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼  lbs fresh large shrimp with heads attached.
  • Add 2 carrots, cut in half
  • Add 2 stalks of celery, cut in half
  • Add 1 large onion, quartered (red or yellow)
  • 3 large bay leaves
  • 12 peppercorns
  • Enough water to just cover all ingredients

 

Directions

  1. Remove the heads by twisting downward and off. Place in an 8-quart stockpot.
  2. Remove all the legs and shells from the shrimp and place them in the stockpot.
  3. Set shrimp aside for scampi
  4. Add the vegetables, peppercorns, bay leaves, and enough water just to cover the shells and vegetables.
  5. Bring to a slow simmer and simmer for about 2 hours. The liquid should reduce by 1/3 and turn a beautiful shrimp color.
  6. Never let the heat get to a boil. Keep on a slow simmer for 1½ to 2 hours.
  7. Remove from heat. Let cool completely.
  8. Strain all ingredients and discard everything but the broth.
  9. Using cheesecloth, strain again to remove all sediment.
  10. You are now ready to use for scampi or freeze for later use. It’s worth making…

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Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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Marinated Broiled Flank Steak

Balsamic vinegar & Worcestershire sauce make this a delicious and versatile marinade for both meat and poultry dishes. During warmer weather try this recipe on the grill. You won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup EVOO
  • 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 Tablespoons garlic powder, or more if desired
  • 3 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions – Medium Rare

  1. In a large food storage bag, combine all ingredients then place the flank steak inside the bag and seal. Make sure both sides are well coated with mixture.
  2. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or overnight, the longer the better.
  3. Move oven rack to be about 3″ from the broiling unit.
  4. Place the flank steak on the top of broiler pan and broil on high for 4 minutes, then turn & continue broiling for 2-4 minutes, depending on thickness.
  5. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing & serving. Cook less for rare or more for medium well.

Note: Oven temperatures can vary so keep an eye on the steak to avoid burning.

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

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Grandma Florence’s Chicken with Potatoes, Onions & Peas

grandmaflorence

Our beautiful Grandma Florence DeBlasi. She cooked wonderful Neopolitan cuisine which was learned from her native home in Naples, Italy. She was a master seamstress and made many of our childhood clothing and costumes. How lucky we were! ❤

 

Would you like to make dinner in one roasting pan and have an easy clean up?

This simple recipe comes from our maternal grandmother Florence. Our family has been enjoying this dinner for as long as we can remember. We regret not having a written record of her wonderful meals but we’re on a journey to recreate them to share with you. Some crusty Italian bread to soak up the juice is a great way to enjoy this meal.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4  chicken thighs (bone-in thighs, boneless thighs, drumsticks), skin on or off
  • 2 sweet onions, sliced in half then quarters
  • 2 cans Le Sueur® very young sweet peas in their liquid
  • 4 russet potatoes, cut in quarters & quarter again (We’ve been using young Yukon gold that you can leave the skin on and cook whole or cut in half if too big)
  • 6 large cloves garlic, smashed
  • EVOO
  • salt, pepper, and garlic powder to season chicken
  • Kirkland Organic No-Salt Seasoning (season potatoes & onions)

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.
  2. Place potatoes, onions, and smashed garlic in a large roasting pan (9x12x2 or larger) and drizzle a little EVOO to coat well.  Season lightly with Kirkland Organic No Salt Seasoning plus salt & pepper to taste
  3. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, stir 2 or 3 times. (This starts softening the potatoes & onions)
  4. Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the skin side with salt, pepper, garlic powder.
  5. Place the pan back in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes then turn the chicken skin side up.
  6. Continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes until the chicken starts to brown. Raise the oven temperature to 475ºF.
  7. Add the 2 cans of peas with 1/3 liquid from one can. Mix well and cook 5-6 minutes longer or until chicken skin is crisp and pulls away from the bone.

Note: Cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken thighs or drumsticks. The smaller the part, the quicker the cooking time.

Variations:

After our mother passed away, Dad made his own version sometimes adding mushrooms and Italian sausage. Most of the family loves Mom’s original but Dad’s is tasty too! Feel free to add your own favorite veggies.

 

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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Shrimp Scampi 🍤🍤

Servings: 4-6                  Prep: 10-15 minutes                 Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

When our families were young, Barbara used to host Christmas Eve dinners in her tiny cape cod house. We never had a sit-down dinner back then so we would be scattered all over the kitchen and living room with 25 adults and children, give or take, but who’s counting? Her shrimp scampi became a favorite part of Christmas Eve dinner but you don’t need to wait for a holiday to enjoy it.  In our families, we usually serve this over pasta topped with Pecorino Romano grated cheese. 😋 😋

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs large raw shrimp (if using frozen, defrost first)
  • 2 sticks salted butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6-8 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
  • 2 tsp grated lemon peel
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • lemon slices for garnish (may be omitted)
  • 16 oz linguine pasta (reserve some of the cooked pasta water for sauce)
  • For additional sauce, double the butter, garlic, salt, lemon peel, & lemon juice to have plenty to add for individual tastes.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Remove shells from shrimp, leaving the shell on the tail section only.
  3. Devein then wash under running cold water, and drain on paper towels.
  4. Melt butter in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish in the oven. Watch that it doesn’t burn as it melts quickly.
  5. Add the salt, garlic, and 2 Tablespoon parsley; mix well.
  6. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in a baking dish.
  7. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes.
  8. Turn the shrimp. Sprinkle with lemon peel, lemon juice, and remaining parsley.
  9. Bake 8-10 minutes, or just until tender. Do Not overcook shrimp or they will be tough.  (If using smaller shrimp, cut down on the cooking time)
  10. Arrange shrimp on a heated serving platter or serving platter on top of the linguine. Place a few spoonfuls of sauce over top. Garnish with lemon slices then serve with extra sauce in a gravy boat.

Serve over linguini pasta†, rice or a nice crusty Italian bread to soak up the butter.

†If serving over pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water after cooking to add to the butter sauce before serving.

Variation: Try adding some bay scallops to the shrimp and for those who don’t like shrimp try some seared chicken bites!

For a lighter version see our recipe for Shrimp Scampi Light

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

Notes: A great meal for a ketogenic diet. Just add some veggies as a side.

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Spaghetti Squash + Hot Sausage & Cheese

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

  • 2 medium spaghetti squash
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons EVOO (to sauté onion & garlic)
  • Drizzle of EVOO
  • 2 lbs  Neeses Country Style Hot Sausage  (any type bulk sausage can be substituted i.e. Italian hot or sweet)
  • 2 15 ounce cans Hunt’s tomato sauce (or any prepared sauce)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • pinch of oregano, dried (on each squash)
  • shredded Sargento cheddar† cheese to sprinkle on top
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into narrow strips
  • 1 yellow or green bell pepper, cut into narrow strips
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley for garnish, chopped

Instructions

  1. Cut the squash in half lenghtwise & scoop out seeds with a spoon.
  2. Drizzle EVOO over squash, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregeno.
  3. Lay squash face down in a large baking sheet then bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes or until tender.  Remove from oven & let cool.
  4. In a large skillet sauté the onion & garlic in 2 tablespoons of EVOO until translucent.
  5. Add the sausage & peppers, turning & breaking up the sausage until cooked.
  6. Drain the sausage mixture and set aside. Wipe out the excess oil/fat from skillet.
  7. Return sausage mixture to the skillet & add the Hunt’s tomato sauce then simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes.
  8. Scrape out squash with a fork to form “spaghetti strands”
  9. Add the cooked spaghetti strands to the sausage mixture , stir well and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
  10. Garnish with chopped parsley.

† Cheese Variations – you can substitute any shredded cheese of your choice in place of the cheddar i.e. mozzarella, swiss, gruyere, pepper jack, etc.

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

FYI – we had just enough left over spaghetti squash to use as a side dish so I broiled a pre-cooked Kielbasa and added a green salad. My husband loved it & wanted more!

 

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Rigatoni with Sausage, Eggplant & Fennel

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (we use Cento or 28-ounces prepared Basic Tomato Sauce )
  • 2 medium eggplants, cubed
  • coarse salt to sprinkle over cubed eggplant to drain excess water
  • 1 large fennel bulb, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (we use Dorot frozen crushed cubes)
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 4 ounces pancetta, diced
  • 1 Tablespoon EVOO
  • 1 lb rigatoni pasta (we use Barilla)
  • 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (we use Cello from Costco)
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta (we use Galbani Classic)
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • pinch of pink Himalayan salt
  • 2 pinches of Italian seasoning (we use Morton & Bassett)
  • fresh basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

  • Add cubed eggplant to a colander along with a generous amount of course salt & drain for 30 minutes.
  • Heat EVOO in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add pancetta and cook 4-5 minutes until browned & crispy, stirring occasionally. Add sausage to skillet & cook 7-8 minutes until golden brown. Remove the sausage & pancetta with a slotted spoon. Set aside in large bowl.
  • Set aside 3 Tablespoons of the oil & fat from the skillet and discard the rest.
  • Add fennel & onions to skillet along with a pinch of salt & pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Add eggplant to fennel & onions and cook an additional 5 minutes.
  • Add the sausage & pancetta mixture back to the skillet.
  • Add crushed tomatoes, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Simmer for 40 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
  • While mixture is simmering, cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water then drain pasta in a colander.
  • Add the pasta and the 1/2 cup pasta water to the skillet then cook 1 additional minute to incorporate. Stir in the 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese.
  • Add the pasta to a large serving bowl and top with spoonfuls of ricotta cheese and basil leaves.

This is a fabulous dish for a gathering of good friends accompanied by a simple salad, crusty Italian bread and a glass of dry red wine.

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

 

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