Tuscan Grille Shrimp Scampi

Now that the bags are unpacked, the laundry is in the washer and the pictures are downloaded on my computer, I can get back to my standard routine. Why is it that people on vacation load up on foods they don't normally eat on a daily basis and then complain when their tummy acts up (or doesn't as in my case).

Yes, instead of eating granola and yogurt and fruit for breakfast, the first couple mornings I ate eggs and sausage and cheeses and cried all the way to the potty......not that I ate poorly, I ate differently and I paid for it dearly.

Dinner was different. Seafood, seafood and more seafood and every vegetable I could get my fork into. I actually maintained my weight and blood sugar the whole 15 days I was there and ate like a queen. If I splurged it was a lunch when tapas and pizzas where the diet on land but we walked 3 miles everyday and burned the bad off.

Nowadays cruise ships have gourmet restaurants on them, each with a theme, for those that want a more intimate dining experience. Yes, there is a separate charge for the experience but since this was our 30th Anniversary (and The Nudge's birthday), our friends thought we would enjoy a quiet anniversary dinner and gave us a certificate to dine at one of our choice.

First one we tried was the Tuscan Grille (no surprise there, huh?). We had a seat right by the window and watched the sunset while sipping a Negroni. Very nice indeed.

While I had the Grilled Barramundi The Nudge, as usual, made the better choice and ordered the Diver Scallops and Shrimp Scampi. The last time I made scampi he was traveling so I decided to surprise him with my rendition. No diver scallops here, just shrimp and I will serve them with fettuccine, instead of garlic mashed potatoes, but I loved what they did with the vegetables, so I will make them.

Their scampi was different, having a light tomato based sauce. The Nudge said it was divine with a ton of seafood, garlic flavor and a nice touch of heat. I have opted to make a seafood stock and include frozen fresh chopped clams for a bump in flavor. I have two heads of garlic about to sprout so they will get roasted and thrown in right before serving as will a few julienned carrots, zucchini and parsnips that managed to remain fresh in my crisper drawer. A final drizzle of this great olive oil I bought in Florence and dinner is served. This was so easy and had tons of flavor that I will never make scampi the old boring way again.

Tuscan Grille Scampi Diavolo
Makes 2 servings
* 1/2 pound USA colossal shrimp (about 8-9), sliced horizontally
* salt and pepper
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup cornstarch
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 3 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
* 3/4 cup seafood stock (recipe to follow)
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
* 1/2 box dried fettuccine (or 2 portions fresh)
* 1/4 cup chopped clams (optional)
* zest and juice from half a lemon (save rind for stock)
* pinch red pepper flakes

1. Season shrimp with salt & pepper. Dredge in cornstarch. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a frying pan (no non-stick please) till it starts to smoke. Add shrimp and toss like crazy and it starts to turn pink and the edges brown lightly. Remove to bowl.
3. Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil into same pan on medium high heat. Saute sliced garlic until it starts to brown around the edges.
4. Add wine and stock to pan and stir to remove the browned bits. Simmer until it starts to thicken and coat the bottom of the pan. Drain cooked pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Add pepper flakes, zest and lemon juice to sauce and simmer for 1 minute.
5. Add shrimp (and clams if using) to sauce along with the pasta and toss to combine. If pasta is dry, add enough pasta water to loosen sauce (it should be coated but not soaked). Toss in roasted garlic and drizzle with a good finishing olive oil. Serve immediately.

Seafood Stock
Makes about 1 cup
* 1 tablespoon good olive oil
* Shells from shrimp
* 1 cup chopped yellow onions (1 onion)
* 1 carrot, unpeeled and chopped
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/4 cup good white wine
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 5 sprigs fresh thyme, including stems

Warm the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery and saute for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add 3 cups of water, the white wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve, pressing the solids. You should have approximately 1 cup of stock. You can make up the difference with water or wine if you need to.

Roasted Garlic

* 2 heads garlic, very top lopped off to expose each clove
* olive oil
* sprig fresh thyme or large pinch dried leaves
* freshly ground pepper
* sea salt

1. Make a bowl out of foil and place the heads in the bottom, cut side up. Season with the thyme sprig, the pepper and sea salt and drizzle with olive oil. Twist the top tightly and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes. let cool and remove the cloves from their skin into a bowl. Reserve.