Clams, Carbonara, and Crevettes

I love when kids eat food that you normally wouldn't expect them to eat.  This little cutie pie and her family are good friends of ours and she is one of my favorite munchkins to  have over for dinner.  Kayla is eating one of my favorite hors d'oeuvres - grilled clams!  It's a recipe from one of my idols, The Barefoot Contessa - Ina Garten.  I made it gluten free by making my own breadcrumbs.  I basically save the ends of my gluten free bread loafs and put them in the food processor until them are finely ground.  This is an excellent recipe to make gluten free.  I love it and the breadcrumb mixture can easily be used as a breading for chicken or fish.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/grilled-clams-with-basil-breadcrumbs-recipe/index.html

This pasta carbonara recipe was fantastic and I loved the combination of these three courses for dinner.  I found this yummy dish in Food and Wine and it was so easy to make gluten free with my favorite BioNaturae pasta.  The arugula really adds the perfect touch. 

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spaghettini-with-arugula-pancetta-herbs-and-eggs?xid=DAILY041513SpaghettiniWithArugula

This soy sauce and lime marinated shrimp salad has so much flavor and I love to make it in the summer.  It's also great with a margarita!  My kids love the shrimp, cucumbers and Parmesan crackers - this is a perfect dinner for us.

La Recette:

6 cups roughly chopped romaine

1 English cucumber cut and half vertically, seeds scraped, cut in half vertically again, then cut horizontally into half inch pieces (it doesn't have to be precise- just sort of cube it)

2 avocados, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 pint grape tomatoes cut in half

1/2 lb. shrimp, 15-20 count, peeled and divined

1/4 cup gluten free reduced sodium soy sauce - I like San-J Organic Tamari (and it's non- GMO verified, extra bonus)

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon honey

1 clove garlic, minced

8 Tablespoons freshly graded Parmesan

Dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons mango vinegar - I found this at Sur la Table, http://www.surlatable.com/search/searchContainer.jsp;jsessionid=C58A6E627D368D448939682BB5B5E1DC.slt-app-01-p-app3?q=mango%20vinegar&s=true

2 teaspoons minced shallot

1 Tablespoon champagne vinegar

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

-Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large salad bowl for serving.  

-In a separate bowl combine the shrimp, gluten free soy sauce, lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and honey.  Marinate for only 10-12 minutes tops.  The soy sauce and lime will kind of "cook" the shrimp.  If it marinates for too long will be really tough after it's roasted.    

-Line a baking sheet will aluminum foil.  Remove the shrimp from the marinade and spread the shrimp out in one layer.  Roast for 8 minutes.  Let them cool to room temperature and add them to the salad bowl.

-Meanwhile, turn the oven down to 375 degrees and line another baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.  Using a Tablespoon, make 8 mounds with the Parmesan cheese and flatten them with the back of the spoon.  Make sure they are spaced a least an inch apart.  Bake them until they are golden 6-7 minutes and let them cool to room temperature.  They should be crispy and easily come off the the parchment.  I like to make extras because they are so tasty and make a great snack.  

-For the dressing, combine all the ingredients and whisk vigorously for 10-15 seconds until well combined.  Drizzle the dressing on the salad, toss, and serve the chips on the side.  Enjoy!

Serves 6

*If you don't have the mango vinegar, put all of the dressing ingredients plus 1 Tablespoon of fresh mango and blend in a food processor or blender.  Also, add 3 Tablespoons of champagne vinegar instead of 1 teaspoon.