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How to Cook Raw Shrimp

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or the SUPER EASY way to cook raw shrimp

We get this question a lot from friends. It seems like many people struggle and stress about cooking raw shrimp. They always tell us a horror story about overcooked and rubbery shrimp with hardly any flavor- YUCK!

Well, we have a solution to your shrimp cooking troubles:  Introducing the easiest way ever to cook raw shrimp.

This method is a combination of quick cooking and quick chilling (if you are going to eat the shrimp cold like in a shrimp cocktail) to prevent the shrimp from overcooking.

If you are using frozen shrimp (like Trader Joe’s frozen raw shrimp) make sure to thaw them before cooking. This is easily done by placing the shrimp in a plastic zip top bag, removing the air, and submerging the bag in a bowl of lukewarm water for about 20 or so minutes. We place another  bowl on top of the shrimp to keep them under the water while we are thawing. Check the water every 5-7 minutes and add warm water when necessary.

What you need:

  • 1# of raw shrimp (we like Trader Joe’s frozen raw shrimp) thawed if they are frozen
  • 1 lemon cut in slices

How to:

1. Fill a 4 quart or larger pan with water and bring to a full rolling boil.

2. Add the lemon slices and the thawed raw shrimp.  Stir a couple of times

3. Turn the stove off, cover the pan and leave to cook for 4-5 minutes. Now if you have super small shrimp, check them after 3-4 minutes of cooking- If you have very large shrimp, check them after 5 minutes they may need another minute or so.  Shrimp are fully cooked when they are a solid “white” in the center.

4. Drain and the shrimp are ready to eat.

If you are going to serve the shrimp cold, place the hot cooked shrimp into a bowl of ice water, and stir for a couple of minutes, adding more ice if needed until the shrimp are cold to the touch. Refrigerate until you are ready to use them.

Variations:

  • “Old bay” type seasoning
  • Trader Joe’s Taco seasoning
  • Garlic
  • Onions
  • Lemons and limes slices

You can add any of these items to the boiling water or to the  shrimp once they are cooked.

We hope you enjoyed this easy way to cook raw shrimp. Now you will be able to cook and add shrimp quickly and easily to many meals. We like to eat shrimp in tacos, with pasta and tossed on a salad.

What is your favorite way to eat shrimp?

5 Easy Recipes for Cinco de Mayo

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So,  what are you going to make for Cinco de Mayo this year??

Well, Trader Joe’s naturally has a lot of items for you to choose from. Do you want to buy stuff already made? OR are you planning to make everything from scratch?  The readymade selection at Trader Joe’s includes chips, salsas, taquitos, burritos, enchiladas –WOW- this list could go on and on…

We are going to mix it up a little this year, as Cinco de Mayo is on a Wednesday and make a little from scratch and also buy a few items already made at Trader Joe’s. Also because it is a Wednesday (and a school night) we are going to keep the celebration fairly simple.

Now when we have parties, or celebrate a holiday (even if it is just the two of us), we like to have a variety of small dishes  or appetizers or tapas to nibble on during the evening, instead of making a big fancy meal. I am not sure how we developed this tradition, but we just love it, and this gives us a great excuse to try new stuff all the time.

Anyway, for Cinco de Mayo, we know that we want to serve Tamales. We like Trader Joe’s Cheese & Green Chili  Tamales (in the Frozen Section) so we are going to pick up some on our next trip.

Trader Joe's Cheese & Green chile Tamales

Trader Joe's Cheese & Green chile Tamales

We also love Sonoran Caviar, to eat with chips, as well as Durango Dip. Yummz!

We are also planning to make a batch of Calabacitas (squash and corn) to round out the meal.

To end the “party” we are going to purchase those yummy Trader Joe’s Crème Brulee’s (see review). They are almost a flan/ custard, and we thought they would be a nice finish to the meal. Our other idea is to serve vanilla ice cream with some fresh papaya chunks- yum.

OK, like I said, we are still in the planning stages. And, YES, this is a LOT of food for two people, but the beauty is that we will have lots of leftovers to stretch this Cinco de Mayo celebration out for a number of days. Heck we could still be enjoying these items into the weekend. Now that is my kind of party (cook once and eat for a few days…..)

We have included the recipes for 5 easy Cinco de Mayo dishes that we hope you will love, so  check out the choices and choose some to make this year.   Here is the complete list of easy Cinco de Mayo recipes for you to try:

5 Easy Recipes for Cinco de Mayo

We hope that these recipes and the items that you purchase from Trader Joe’s will make you Cinco de Mayo celebration a smashing success!

Sonorian Caviar

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Trader Joe's black beans and fire roasted tomatoes

Trader Joe's black beans and fire roasted tomatoes

This recipe is #1 in a series of easy recipes for Cinco de Mayo.

This is one of our favorite dip recipes that we have been making for many years. It is a fun mixture of beans, tomatoes, green chilies, green onions and corn. This is a very flexible and forgiving recipe that will still taste great even if you omit some of the items. If this recipe is too plain for you, we have included some suggestions to spice it up.

This recipe is very flexible and is great for beginner cooks, as you are really just mixing ingredients up together. It can be served ice cold, or can sit out at room temperature for a few hours and it will still taste great. Many of your vegetarian friends will appreciate how good it tastes.

What you need:

  • 1 can Trader Joe’s black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn, thawed
  • 2 green onions, sliced thin
  • 1 can Trader Joe’s Fire Roasted tomatoes with green chilies
  • Salt, pepper

1 bag, Trader Joe’s Tortilla chips

How to:

1. Combine in a bowl the black beans, roasted corn, green onions and fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies. Stir to combine.

2. Season with Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Serve with plenty of chips for dipping.

If possible, make the dip the day before to allow the flavors to develop overnight.

Variations:

  • Use your favorite salsa in place of the can of tomatoes and green chilies.
  • Add 1tsp. (or more) Trader Joe’s taco seasoning for more kick.
  • Add 1tsp. (or more) Trader Joe’s cumin.

Feel free to try your own experiments with this easy recipe- you might find that you discover a whole new dip that you just love.

Sonorian Caviar

Sonorian Caviar

Durango Dip

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Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning Mix

Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning Mix

This recipe is #2 in a series of easy recipes for Cinco de Mayo

This is a creamy easy dip that goes great with chips or is good served on tacos, enchiladas or burritos.  We first tried this dip at a friend’s super bowl party. We were just thrilled to find out how easy it was to make AND that all the ingredients were from Trader Joe’s- yeah.

What you need:

  • 1 pint Trader Joe’s sour cream
  • 1 package Trader Joe’s taco seasoning
  • Optional items: green onions (sliced thin), shredded cheese, olives

How to:

1. Place the pint of sour cream in a bowl and mix in 1 tsp. of Trader Joe’s taco seasoning. Add the green onions if using and stir until everything is combined. Taste the dip and add more taco seasoning if you like (our friends used the whole package of Trader Joe’s taco seasoning, which was delicious, but spicy)

2. Spread the dip into a serving bowl or dish and sprinkle with shredded cheese and sliced olives.

Variations:

  • We thought this dip would be great as a layer on a 7 layer bean dip.
  • Add chopped up bacon for a smoky flavor.
  • Add fresh herbs such as parsley and chives in with the green onions

This dip will also be better if made a day (or two) before you wish to serve it.

Yes, that is really all there is to this dip. At the super bowl party, our friends were using this dip on a veggie tray that was filled with baby carrots, zucchini and cherry tomatoes. This dip was soo tasty that somehow (and we will never tell…) the dip made its way across the table and found its way onto a few of the bowls of chili.  Yummz!