Pan Fried Dinners for Two/Keep Scrolling…
Garlic Shrimp Toast
Ingredients
16 Ounces Large Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
1 Pinch Cayenne Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced, Or More To Taste
2 Thick Slices French Bread
6 Tablespoons Clarified Butter, Melted, Divided
2 Teaspoons Fresh Lemon Zest
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
½ Cup Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Italian Parsley
1 Pinch Salt, Or To Taste
Directions
Step 1 Butterfly shrimp and place in a mixing bowl. Add cayenne, paprika, and garlic and stir until shrimp are evenly coated. Refrigerate until needed.
Step 2 Trim most of the crusts off of the bread.
Step 3 Add 4 tablespoons melted butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add both slices of bread and toast until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove bread to a plate and wipe out any crumbs.
Step 4 Add remaining melted butter to the skillet and increase heat to high. When the pan is very hot and you see the first wisp of smoke, add shrimp and use tongs to spread into an even layer. Sear, without stirring or tossing, for 1 minute.
Step 5 Sprinkle with lemon zest and add lemon juice and cream. Stir with a spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom. Let cream boil and reduce for 1 ½ to 2 minutes as the shrimp finishes cooking and the sauce thickens up.
Step 6 Turn off the heat and stir in parsley. Taste and add salt if needed.
Step 7 Divide shrimp and sauce evenly over each piece of toasted bread.
Notes:
Cooked shrimp will not work in this recipe. If you substitute small or medium shrimp, you don’t need to butterfly them. Instead of shrimp, you could use other types of shellfish, like scallops, lobster, or crawfish.
Make sure your French bread slices are 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. In Step 5, if the shrimp finish cooking before the sauce thickens, remove them to a bowl and cover while you finish the sauce. Then add them back with the parsley in Step 6.
Chicken and Mushrooms
Ingredients
2 Chicken Breast Halves, Boneless, Skin-On
Salt And Ground Black Pepper To Taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
8 Ounces Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced 1/4 Inch Thick
1 Pinch Salt
½ Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Butter
Salt And Ground Black Pepper To Taste
Directions
Step 1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Step 2 Season chicken on all sides with salt and ground black pepper.
Step 3 Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in an ovenproof skillet. Place chicken skin-side down in skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
Step 4 Turn chicken over; stir mushrooms with a pinch of salt into skillet. Increase heat to high; cook, stirring mushrooms occasionally, until mushrooms shrink slightly, about 5 minutes.
Step 5 Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken breasts to a plate and loosely tent with foil; set aside.
Step 6 Set skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat; cook and stir mushrooms until brown bits start to form on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Pour water into the skillet, and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Cook until water is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Step 7 Stir in any accumulated juices from the chicken into the skillet. Stir butter into mushroom mixture, stirring constantly until butter is completely melted and incorporated.
Step 8 Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mushroom sauce over chicken and serve.
Pan Fried Salmon
Ingredients
2 (3 Ounce) Fillets Salmon, With Skin
Sea Salt To Taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Directions
Step 1 Rinse the salmon fillets and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels; season with sea salt.
Step 2 Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 3 Gently lay the salmon into the hot oil with the skin side facing up and cook until the the flesh side is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes; turn and continue cooking until the skin side is slightly browned, about 5 minutes more. Remove the salmon from the skillet, allowing any oil to drain from the fish back into the pan.
Step 4 Remove the skin from the salmon fillets; fry the skin in the oil remaining in the skillet until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the crispy skin with the salmon. Srves 2
Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
½ Pound Ground Beef
½ Onion, Chopped
½ Cup Ketchup
2 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Prepared Mustard
1 Teaspoon White Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Hamburger Buns, Split
Directions
Step 1 Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in ground beef and onion. Cook and stir until beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease. Stir in ketchup, water, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Step 2 Bring beef mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until sauce has thickened, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve on buns.
Crone of Hearts 