I am sharing this menu from 2014. This has been a rough couple of weeks with Mr. T in and out of the hospital and further testing going on. There are days, I have to admit, when I don’t feel like cooking, writing or anything else, but The Permanent Tourist remains a healing focus for me personally! Thank you to all of my readers! New menus coming up soon!
Saturday evenings usually find us tired from working in the garden and ready to relax. Mr. T and I love to entertain, having a couple of friends over for drinks and a few appetizers is just the ticket for warmer evenings. I found a recipe on the internet for “Bang Bang Shrimp”, the appetizer made famous by Bonefish Restaurant. Of course, I had to do some tweeking, making the final recipe nothing like what I began with….it’s just something I do. Anyway…the result was so delicious. We paired it with some yummy bruschetta and a bowl of pistachio nuts. Rum drinks seemed in order and “Dark and Stormy’s” filled the bill. It was actually just the two of us when I did the test run this but I’ll be preparing it for friends very soon! Enjoy! (Note: the shrimp recipe is also gluten free…always a plus for me!)
Spicy Thai Shrimp
Bruschetta
Pistachio Nuts
Dark & Stormy’s
Spicy Thai Shrimp
1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
1 egg white, lightly whisked
1 cup cornstarch
2 cups peanut oil
Toss the cleaned shrimp in the egg white and place in a large baggie. Pour the cornstarch into the bag, seal the bag and shake well to coat the shrimp. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet until almost smoking. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden. Drain on paper toweling.
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup sweet Thai chili sauce or regular chili sauce, i.e. Heinz
1 teaspoon hot chili oil or Tabasco
Mix the three ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer the drained shrimp to the bowl and mix well to coat. Serve on a platter lined with fresh lettuce leaves and garnish with chopped scallions and lime wedges.
Bruschetta
1 baguette, cut on the diagonal in 1/4″ slices
olive oil
1 heirloom tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
sea salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush each slice of bread with olive oil and place on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Combine the remaining ingredients, tossing to coat with the oil and balsamic. Spoon a mound of the tomato mixture on each slice of bread and serve.
Pistachio Nuts (no recipe needed for this!)
Dark & Stormy’s
Per drink:
1 1/2 ounce dark spiced rum, we like a brand named “Kracken”
Reed’s extra strong ginger brew
fresh lime
Place ice in a highball glass, add the rum and ginger brew, stir well. Squeeze fresh lime juice into the mixture and also garnish with fresh lime. Cheers!
