mini shrimp cakes

i needed to make something for a picnic. i wanted to make a finger food that was bite-sized so i made these mini shrimp cakes. its the cousin to the crab cake. instead of using a crab mixture, i used a combination of shrimp and bacon. the shrimp is cook in the bacon fat so the flavor is infused throughout! i made it in a mini muffin pan so you can just pop them in your mouth.

mini shrimp cakes
yields 24 mini cakes
3 strips of bacon (i used smoked applewood)
1 dozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 oz of cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup creme fraiche
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
large pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
1 cup panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup of parmesan cheese, separated
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. lightly butter a mini muffin pan and set aside. on medium-high heat, cook bacon in a pan. set aside on paper towel. discard most of the bacon fat but leave a thin layer for the shrimp. cook the shrimp in the same pan, the bacon fat will flavor the shrimp. cool and roughly chop the shrimp and bacon.

in a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. then add 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and egg. beat to blend. mix in creme fraiche, salt and cayenne. fold in shallots, chopped shrimp and bacon into mixture.

in another bowl, toss the panko bread crumbs and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. drizzle the melted butter all over and toss with a fork, until evenly moistened. spoon 1 tablespoon of the panko mixture into each cup of the muffin pan. lightly press down with your finger or spoon. add 1 table spoon of the cream cheese/shrimp mixture in each cup. make sure each cut has shrimp and bacon. sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the panko mixture on top.

bake for 30 mins. let cool before serving.

bon appétit~!

brussel sprouts with bacon, shallots and figs

i dont know why brussel sprouts got such a bad reputation, because they are delish. they are a great side dish with just about any entree. sometimes, i just eat them as the entree. over cooking brussel sprouts can make them stinky. the recipe below cooks the sprouts with a hot water bath, just enough to brighten the color without the stinkiness. and as always...bacon makes everything better =)

mise en place

brussel sprouts

serves 2-4
1 dozen brussel sprouts, cleaned, trimmed and halved
4-5 cups of boiling water
3 strips of bacon, diced
1 tablespoon of shallots, minced
3 dried figs, quartered
1 1/2 tablespoon of parmesan cheese
salt and pepper


place the brussel sprouts in a strainer that has been set in a large bowl in the sink. slowly pour the hot water over the brussel sprouts. take the strainer out of the bowl and using the same hot water, pour it over the brussel sprouts once again and let the water drain. the hot water "splash" gently cooks the brussel sprouts.


heat a large pan on medium- high heat. render the diced bacon, about 2 mins. lower the heat to medium and saute the shallots, about 2 mins. take out the bacon and shallots out of the pan and set aside. reserve some of the bacon fat in the pan, return the heat to high. add the dried figs and brussell sprouts, cut side down, until its slightly browned, about 3 mins.

toss the bacon and shallots back into the pan and season with salt and pepper. plate the brussel sprouts and top with parmesan cheese.


bon appétit~!

basil pesto

everytime i purchase basil from trader joe's, i always end up with more than half of the container. i love how they give you so much but i hate for it to go to waste. so i decided to make a pesto and keep it in the freezer so i can add it to soups or pasta sauces!

mise en place

basil pesto
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tablespoon of tomato paste
3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

place the basil leaves in a food processor (or blender) with garlic, parmesan and tomato paste. process until its thoroughly mixed. gradually pour in olive oil. salt and pepper to taste.

store in a airtight container in the freezer. can be used to flavor soups or sauces.

tip: adding lemon juice to the pesto keeps the color bright green

garlic parmesan croutons

i dont understand why ppl pay money for factory made croutons. its the easiest thing to make at home, at a fraction of the cost. i use/eat a lot of crusty artisan bread at home. so i always have some leftover stale pieces of bread. just cut it into cubes, drizzle your favorite oil, add some seasoning and toast it for a few mins. SO easy. SO good. play around with it, try out different seasonings let me know what you come up with! in this recipe below...the garlic oil steals the show.

garlic parmesan croutons

2 cups of stale baguette, cut into 1x1 inch cubes

4 tablespoons of garlic oil (cost plus world market)

1 tablesppon of parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme and oregano

pinch of salt and pepper

pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. drizzle the oil over the baguette pieces in a bowl. sprinkle cheese, herbs and salt/pepper on the baguette and toss. spread on a baking sheet as a single layer. bake in the oven for 10-15 mins. keep your eye on it so it doesnt burn. the color should be a light caramel brown. or as my friend esther would say...the color of jessica alba's skin. let it cool and serve with soup or salad.

tip: can be made in a convectional oven instead. just set it to a light toast.

bon appétit~!

spaghetti carbonara

carbonara is one of my favorite pasta dishes. it has bacon. need i say more? the egg makes it creamy, the cheese and bacon give it that tasty, salty bite and the parsley gives it a touch of freshness. and to top it off, it's a breeze to prepare.

mise en place

spaghetti carbonara
serves 2
8 oz. spaghetti
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
1 egg
1/8 cup olive oil
4-6 slices bacon
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
fresh flat leaf italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

in a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and 1/4 cup parmesan. set aside.

bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. salt the water, add spaghetti and cook until al dente. about 7-9 minutes.

in the meantime, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat for 1 minute. add the bacon and sauté until it starts to brown and becomes crispy on the edges. add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. add the white wine and simmer until reduced by half. you want to have this step done before the pasta is done cooking.

drain pasta (do not rinse!) and immediately add to the bowl with the egg and cheese mixture. toss quickly. it's important to do this quickly so that the heat from the pasta cooks the egg mixture, making a creamy coating, and not curdle.


add the bacon with all of the pan juices, parsley, salt and pepper and toss. top with 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan and a little more parsley and serve.


the portions of this recipe will feed 1 boy & 1 girl perfectly. i think it will also work to feed 3 girls for a light lunch. obviously, you can double, triple the recipe as needed.

bon appétit~!