Ingredient: Italian seasoning, divided

Shrimp Orzotto in Creamy Wine Sauce

Cooking with wine is a bit of a misunderstood area. It’s not quite as simple as many people believe it to be with such a wide range of wines available to cook with and a variety of ways in which to use them.

Wine is used in a similar fashion to seasoning. You’re not pouring it in to change the taste of the entire dish, but more to enhance and complement the flavors already there. The alcohol present in wine actually triggers the release of flavor molecules in the sauce, making every ingredient the wine contacts taste even better.

White wines can be wonderful in a whole host of dishes, which is why you’ll often find them in chicken, fish and seafood recipes, as well as vegetarian.  Seafood such as lobster and shellfish are considered full-bodied, so are better partnered with creamier, full-bodied whites like Chardonnay. White wine sauce has been described as ‘a classic sauce for fish’.

A common misconception when cooking with wine is that all alcohol content is burned off during the cooking process. This isn’t completely true. Typically, the majority of the alcohol will evaporate, but in order to eliminate all traces you would need to cook something for a good three hours or more.

It’s not just alcohol content that is evaporated either. All wines contain a small amount of sulphites, a natural result of the winemaking process. These evaporate along with the alcohol, while the flavors are concentrated. The undesirable stuff comes out, the good stuff is enhanced!

This shrimp orzo is nicely complimented with the creamy wine sauce.

Print Recipe
 Shrimp Orzotto in Creamy Wine Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword shrimp orzo in creamy wine sauce
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword shrimp orzo in creamy wine sauce
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl pat the shrimps dry with paper towel, & mix them with salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning & crushed red pepper flakes.
  2. Melt 1 tbsp. of butter in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add shrimp & fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, just until it cooks through.
  3. Meanwhile bring 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth to a boil & cook orzo pasta until all the broth is absorbed & orzo is tender. Set aside.
  4. Remove the shrimps from the skillet & set aside. In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tbsp. of butter & melt until it just starts to brown. Add onion & garlic and cook until translucent & fragrant.
  5. Once the garlic is cooked, add wine & cook for a couple of minutes. Next add heavy cream & once the liquid is simmering, add salt & 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Add orzo & crumbled gorgonzola cheese.
  6. Add shrimp back into the skillet & reheat. Serve with chopped parsley.

Gnocchi w/ Chicken & Bacon

The classic Italian potato dumplings or gnocchi as their called, make for a hearty meal no matter how you serve them: baked with creamy cheeses, sautéed with veggies, dressed in a tangy tomato sauce… you name it. The most common way to serve them in Italy is with a light butter sauce and fresh sage.

Gnocchi go back to Roman times when they were made of semolina dough mixed with eggs, but they have evolved into many different variations since then. At first, they existed with different ingredients such as squash and breadcrumbs, made of ordinary wheat flour or cornmeal. Then came the cheese and potatoes. But they didn’t become the potato dumplings we know today until the 16th century when potatoes were introduced to Europe. The potato gnocchi originated in Northern Italy, where the cooler climate was better suited for growing potatoes rather than grain. These potatoes are starchier and make the light, airy dough which produces the soft, pillowy texture and more ‘potatoey’ flavor of the gnocchi.

Being a dumpling lover, I absolutely love gnocchi any way they are served. This recipe boasts all the winning attributes of a well-balanced meal. The creamy sauce softens and flavors the pillowy potato gnocchi – a perfect base for the tender seasoned chicken breast.

From their humble beginnings, the gnocchi are now a world cuisine.

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 Gnocchi w/ Chicken & Veggies
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword gnocchi w/ chicken & veggies
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword gnocchi w/ chicken & veggies
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon & set aside.
  2. Season chicken breast with salt, pepper & 1 tsp of the Italian seasoning. Add the chicken to the skillet & cook 5-7 minutes per side. Remove chicken from the pan & set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic & mushrooms; cook until fragrant. Add the milk, gnocchi, cheese, bacon & remaining Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & cook, stirring frequently, until the milk has reduced slightly & started to thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
  4. Stir in peas. Add the cooked chicken & simmer until peas are cooked & sauce thickens a bit more. Place in a serving dish & sprinkle with extra parmesan if you wish.