Monday, October 8, 2012

Cover-to-Cover Challenge: Shrimp Scampi Meatballs

A blog that is on my regular reading list is The Bitten Word, two guys that cook recipes from monthly food magazines. They recently posed an awesome challenge: to cook every recipe in a single issue of a food magazine with the help of their readers. The response was so amazing they ended up assigning the recipes in SIX food magazines, a whopping 350 recipes! I couldn't pass up a chance to make something new alongside hundreds of others - I immediately signed up.

My assignment: Shrimp Scampi Meatballs in Garlicky Broth from Everyday Food





















I was glad to be assigned something I probably would have never chosen out of the magazine to make. Travis is a meatball fan so I was hopeful it would be another option to add to our dinner menu, though I was afraid it might be too involved to be cooked on a weeknight. It turned out to be incredibly easy, especially for a dish that packed such a flavorful punch. Paired with some roasted asparagus, it was a perfect meal. We both decided it would be requested again, but I might work on creating a thin sauce instead of the broth to make it a pasta dish instead of a soup.

A huge thank you to the guys at The Bitten Word for putting this challenge together - can't wait to see what everyone else made and looking forward to the next challenge!












Shrimp Scampi Meatballs in Garlicky Broth
Serves 4 / Active Time: 25min / Total Time: 25min

coarse salt
1/2 pound spaghetti
3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, roughly chopped
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus wedges for serving
1/4 pound ground white-meat chicken
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1. In a large pot of boiling slated water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse shrimp until finely chopped. In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, red-pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in milk and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest. Fold in shrimp and chicken until just combined. (do not overmix)
3. In a large pot, melt butter over medium. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add broth and 2 cups water and bring to a rapid simmer.
4. Drop shrimp mixture by heaping tablespoons into broth. Cook meatballs at a gentle simmer until opaque throughout, about 5 minutes, turning halfway through. Divide pasta among four bowls and top with broth and meatballs. Combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest with parsley and sprinkle over soup. Squeeze lemon wedges over soup and serve.

3 comments:

Mom and Dad said...

Awesome Kelly! Glad it's a keeper!!

Jamie K said...

These look great Kelly and so interesting! I'm on Team Saveur in the Cover to Cover project. Team Everyday food had some good entries!

Kelly said...

Thanks Jamie! Loved doing this challenge - can't wait to see what Team Saveur cooked up!

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