Foodie Flash: Fill the Grill For 8 at Whole Foods

Beginning today and running through June 1, Whole Foods is offering a package deal of 8 burger patties (1/4lb), 8 buns (white or wheat), 8 cabot cheddar slices, one seedless watermelon (10-12 lb) and a grilled vegetable pasta salad (2lb) for $20. It's a great deal available at a Whole Foods location near you. We'll know where we'll be all weekend...boozing and eating:) Happy Memorial Day! Get your grill and drink on!

Pasta Pioneer Style

Here at AF, one of our favorite bloggers, who inspires us day in and day out, is none other than The Pioneer Woman. We admire her photographs, her take on life and especially her homestyle cooking . . . oh the cooking. . . I have tried quite a few of her recipes and love them all, but her shrimp linguine recipe really stands out. Unlike my blog partner, the self proclaimed "pasta-a-holic," I'm not a huge fan of noodles. My last meal on earth would definitely not be spaghetti and meatballs (no offense, Kara)

This shrimp pasta recipe, however, is perfect for those who do not like the heavy feeling you get in your belly after downing a portion of spaghetti cabanora. It's fresh, it's light, it's SO easy to make and it's delicious! It also involves minimal cleanup and is super affordable. Whole Foods was running a special for fresh GA coastal shrimp at 9.99 lb. last week, which was helpful to our budget. Side note: weekly specials as good as that one tend to run out by Wednesday, so be sure to shop early in the week.

Our lovely hosts and dear friends, Anne and Martin, allowed us to surprise them with the dish on a Tuesday night where we could show our appreciation for all the many times they let us come over to their house and "be naughty" as Anne would say. Try this dish during the summer for a group of friends - you can't go wrong.

Below is The Pioneer Woman's recipe, albeit with a few AF tweaks . We paired the pasta with a Caesar salad and coupious amounts of wine per usual!


Shrimp Linguine (serves 8)

Ingredients

1 16 oz. box of linguine
3 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes (I used low sodium)
4 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley
Fresh basil (use the whole package)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes
Tin foil (or as my dad says, "Silver paper")
1 cup of white wine

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Devein and wash the shrimp; remove the tails. Cook the linguine to al dente, until the pasta is just cooked and still firm when you bite into it. The only way to get it right is to taste the pasta along the way. Drain the pasta and set aside.

As the pasta is cooking, mince the garlic cloves. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to brown. Add the diced tomatoes, white wine, salt and black pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Your kitchen will begin to smell intoxicating at this point. As the sauce cooks, give the parsley and basil a rough chop.

Now, assemble your foil pouch, making sure it's very large and very secure. After the 10 minutes are up, take the sauce off the heat, add the shrimp, pasta, herbs. Give it a light toss and pour the mixture into the foil pouch. Secure the foil parcel and place it in oven. Cook for 15 minutes exactly. Remove when done and serve hot.

We served the dish right out of the foil! Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes, and leftover fresh parsley and basil to taste. Please enjoy the step by step photos (a la Pioneer Woman) below.

Saute garlic in olive oil.


Add diced tomatoes, white wine, S&P. Cook for 10 minutes on medium high heat. Intoxicating aromas are about to ensue.


After the 10 minutes is up, take the pan off the heat and add the shrimp. Then add the pasta. Give it a quick toss.


Pour into foil packet. Sorry for the blur - this was an action shot.


Add the parsley and basil. I would actually do this when it is in the pan and off the heat after you add the shrimp and pasta. I meant to and just forgot. Now, tightly wrap up the foil packet. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven. Serve right out of the foil packet and enjoy!

News Flash: Grand China Deal On Scoutmob

Not only is the owner my landlord (sounds strange, I know), but they make the meanest General Tao's chicken in town. I order it extra spicy with extra veggies. Take advantage this weekend, perhaps for a rainy day delivery or a hungover Sunday dinner, which is my favorite way to enjoy Chinese food. If you are not already on scoutmob we highly suggest you sign up today. They have great ATL food deals at all the best spots! You can download the app to your iphone for free.

Scoutmob 50% coupon at Grand China.

News Flash: Atlanta Beer Week in Full Swig

Calling all craft beer connoisseurs, brew lovers and boozehounds! The first ever Atlanta Beer Week started yesterday and runs through Saturday, May 22. Don't miss the opportunity to take advantage of beer specials, tastings and special pairing menus at beer bars, beverage stores, restaurants, brewpubs and breweries in Atlanta and Athens. Participating venues include Sweetwater Brewing Company, the 5 Seasons Breweries, Young Augustine’s, Green’s Beverage stores, the Brick Store Pub, Abattoir, Bocado, Taco Mac and Muss & Turner’s, among many others.

Tonight, flights of beer from Southern Tier and Hopping Frog (two breweries that are new to the ATL) are being served at Leon's Full Service, and you can score $3 Peronis and a free glass at TAP in Midtown tomorrow. We're planning to head to The Porter on Thursday when Schmaltz and Mikkeller breweries takeover the bar.

Check out the event Web site for more details. Cheers!

Ole! Shrimp Taco Salad

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone! In honor of this lively holiday, we wanted to post a recipe that you can prepare at home this evening if you decide to forego the crowded Mexican restaurants. Kinger and I invited our friend, Lisa, over last night for shrimp taco salads and Coronas. Lisa happens to be an amazing cook/fellow foodie and has her own blog with her fiance, Andy, so we were aiming to impress her. We also wanted to make a healthy dish - our calorie intake has increased significantly since we started AF, and we're trying to watch our figures in anticipation of bikini season.

We adapted the following recipe from one we saw in this month's issue of Cooking Light, substituting honey for maple syrup to sweeten the shrimp marinade/salad dressing and non-fat greek yogurt for light sour cream. We also grilled our shrimp on Fire & Flavor's Alder Grilling Planks rather than on metal skewers. You will be amazed by the intense, smoky flavor these planks add to the shrimp. It makes a huge difference! Fire & Flavor's founder, Gena Knox, recommends using alder rather than cedar for shrimp because it brings out the delicate flavor of the shellfish. The planks retail for $9.99 for a pack of two 15-inch planks, but Kingsley got a set for free simply by taking advantage of a deal that was advertised in the company's e-newsletter.



The ingredients for this dish came to about $30, and the recipe makes enough for six people. Since there were only three of us, we ended up with tons of leftovers. Pair the salad with ice cold Corona Lights with fresh lime slices. Here's the best part...each serving was a measly 228 calories (minus the beers). We guarantee you'll love this meal, and you won't feel like a total heifer after inhaling it!


Ole! Grilled Shrimp Taco Salad

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. chipotle hot sauce
3/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 ears shucked corn
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 oz. baked blue corn tortilla chips (about 1 1/2 cups)
non-fat greek yogurt
1/4 cup diced peeled avocado
1 jar prepared salsa
1 container non-fat greek yogurt
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions

Soak two small cedar planks in warm water for at least 15 minutes.

Combine lime juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic, syrup, and hot sauce in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place the shrimp in a shallow bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the lime juice mixture over shrimp, tossing gently to coat. Reserve the remaining lime juice mixture; set aside. Place chopped lettuce, green onions, cilantro, black beans and tomatoes in a large bowl; set aside.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Place shrimp on cedar planks. Once grill comes to temperature, place corn on grill. Grill about 10 minutes. Turn corn and add shrimp planks. Grill for 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. You do not need to turn the shrimp as they cook.

Remove shrimp and corn. Cut kernels from ears of corn. Add shrimp and corn kernels to bowl with lettuce and other ingredients. Drizzle reserved lime juice mixture over the salad, and toss gently to combine.

Divide tortilla chips evenly among shallow bowls; top each serving with salad. Serve with lime wedges on the side. Guests can top their salad with greek yogurt and salsa to taste.

Wright’s Bacon – Oh, How I Love Thee

Wright's Bacon...oh, how I love thee. Let me count the ways.

1) You are so crispy and delicious.

2) You are the perfect combination of smoky and salty goodness.

3) You are the best bacon I have ever tasted in my life.

I love bacon, and I am a true believer that bacon makes everything better. I'm not sure if you all have ever tasted Wright's bacon? If you have, you would know it. In my humble opinion, it is simply the best bacon in the world. My mom got me hooked on Wright's. I am not quite sure at what point she started using it, but I can distinctly remember standing in the kitchen, tasting it and asking with enthusiasm, "Mom, what kind of bacon is this? This is different. This is delicious!" She replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "It's Wright's - the best bacon out there."

So, I'm addicted...everything in moderation of course. It is my suggestion whenever you are in need of some bacon, whether it be for a Sunday morning breakfast or to make some fresh crumbles for your potatoes, turn to Wrights. At AF, Wright's is our preferred brand of bacon. You won't be disappointed. It's available at a Publix near you. A 1.5 lb. package costs $4.99, and a 3 lb. package sells for $10.99.

Happy frying!