Shrimp Recipes for the Everyday Menu

By Allan Stearman

If shrimp recipes are off your radar because they seem too complex, revamp your mindset. By learning the basics of preparation, you can add shrimp recipes to your weekly menu without flinching.

A microwave can be your best friend for a simple shrimp scampi recipe that will bring comfort to your family. Treat your family to restaurant quality food at home with a shrimp pasta recipe or a grilled shrimp recipe. Grilled shrimp recipes can be quickly prepared and served once you know the tricks of preparing shrimp. Cooking with shrimp only requires you to become familiar with your ingredients.

There are a variety of sizes of shrimp including the popcorn or bay shrimp for tacos or salads, small tiger shrimp that can be purchased ready to cook, peel, and serve, medium shrimp which are the favorite for pasta, large shrimp which are the choice for shrimp cocktail, jumbo prawn for grilling, and the colossal tiger shrimp, for when you want to wow your crowd.

To ensure you have quality ingredients, learn how to shop for shrimp. Keep in mind that the larger the shrimp, the more you will pay per pound. Fresh shrimp should have semitransparent flesh, be moist, firm, and have no ammonia odor or black spots on the shell. The ration of fresh shrimp to prepared shrimp is 3 to 2, that is 1 pounds of shell on shrimp produces 1 pound of shelled shrimp.

Any connoisseur of shrimp recipes knows that the closer to the source when you buy shrimp, the better the flavor. Frozen shrimp is most common on the market and the same maxims hold true as for all frozen foods. Be sure the product is thoroughly frozen and that there is no freezer burn. Thawing is best accomplished by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight or placing under running cold water. If the shrimp you purchase is previously frozen, the flesh should be firm and with a sheen.

If you are in a big hurry, then you can find less flavorful preprocessed shrimp. Learn how to quickly peel and devein unprocessed shrimp with these easy directions for peeling each shrimp.

A shallow incision from the head end to the tail end requires a small sharp kitchen knife. The shell will then peel away to reveal what is called a sand vein, black in color. Using the sharp point of the knife, the vein can be removed and disposed of. The shrimp can easily be cut in half by placing it face down on a cutting board and slicing down the back. Rinsing the shrimp in cold water and keeping all at the same temperature gives a better result.

Shrimp recipes call for one of five general ways of preparing the shrimp. Boiling, broiling, sauting, steaming, or baking shrimp give results that are tantalizing, tasty, and full of texture. A large spectrum of flavors and visual appeal is available. The main rule to keep in mind for recipes using fresh shrimp, regardless of the method of preparation, is to never over cook the shrimp. Now go enjoy! - 29974

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Things To See And Do When Traveling To Australia's Gold Coast

By Cordelia Kennedy

Australia's Gold Coast is that area that lies on the eastern-most point of the Australian continent on the border between the Queensland and New South Wales Regions.

Fuel Your Adrenalin: The Gold Coast is well on the way to calling itself Australia's adventure capital with no end of thrill seeking activities available - think jet boating, jet-skiing, off road 4WD adventure, Zorbing, surfing lessons, bungy jumping, tiger moth joy rides, helicopter tours, go-karting, Harley Davidson jaunts, WRX rally car racing, scuba diving, Deep sea fishing, hot air ballooning, theme parks and Infinity. To name a few!

Cheer on the Local Team: The Gold Coasts population is increasing at the rate of knots and with it, its sporting power. A day at an Australian Rules football game, or rugby or basketball or local iron man contest is a great way to keep the whole family entertained. The Titans in the NRL and the Blaze in the NBL both turned two in their respective codes this season. An AFL team will join the fun by 2011 officially and Gold Coast United is the A-Leagues most colorful new addition.

Treat Yourself To A Spa Day: There is an ever growing list of high class spa centers throughout the Gold Coast. If you are looking for the pleasure of walking around, in the daylight hours, in a plush and comfortable robe and slippers, while be pampered there are many places for you to visit. Some of the notable locations are Golden Door Spa Health Spa, Main Beach and L'qua Spa.

The magnificent Gold Coast truly has something for everyone and you'll will want to return time and time again to experience it all. - 29974

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