Maryland Steamed Shrimp with Homemade Cocktail Sauce

I made this for both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve this year. My mom always made it on special occasions growing up, especially after we left the east coast and moved to Illinois. There is no other way to eat shrimp, in my opinion!

*2 lbs uncooked, deveined shrimp (works well with or without shells)
*2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning (no substitutes!)
*1 cup beer
*1 cup apple cider vinegar
*1 tsp salt

In a large pan or soup pot, combine Old Bay, beer, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp. Cover and turn off heat. Wait until there all of the shrimp turns pink. (If your shrimp is too cold, you may need to turn the heat back on and return to a boil for a couple seconds.) Drain. Serve immediately or chill for several hours and serve cold. I prefer it cold.

For the cocktail sauce:
*Ketchup
*Pure Horseradish
*Lemon Juice
*Worchershire sauce

Combine all ingredients to taste. I like mine spicy, so I add lots of horseradish.

You could buy prepared cocktail sauce, but as a seafood snob, that goes against my beliefs. It tastes so much better when you make it yourself.

Use the directions for shrimp to make Maryland Shrimp Salad. Chill the shrimp, chop it into chunks, add mayo, chopped celery, a little lemon juice, pepper and more Old Bay to taste. Serve on wheat toast with lettuce and tomato. My favorite sandwich ever!

Shrimp & Wild Rice Casserole

This is on the menu tonight at our house. It's originally a Paula Deen recipe, modified by Dannie to my brother's tastes. As for my Rob, he's a self-proclaimed "shrimp eater" so I'm sure he'll love it. Dannie says the leftovers are fabulous and recommends doubling the recipe and using a 9x13 pan, so that's how we'll roll tonight.

We're watching our waistlines around here, so I plan on modifying this with low-fat ingredients and cutting out the butter. I know, I know... where's the fun in that? :o)

1 (8-ounce) package wild rice
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (10 3/4-ounce can) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
Salt and pepper

Cook the rice according to package directions minus 1/4 cup water. Drain and cool. Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tablespoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook the shrimp for 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside. Heat the butter in saucepan and saute the pepper and onion until soft, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the rice, soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, shrimp and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well. Spray a 9-inch square aluminum cake pan or an 11 by 7-inch glass casserole dish with vegetable spray. Place the mixture in the pan and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Aunt Mo's Lime Grilled Shrimp

When I was pregnant, Mo came over and made this shrimp on the grill for us. Ever since, they've been a staple in our house. And they're so easy! Yesterday it was warm enough to grill, so guess what was on the menu? We always have these shrimp along with grilled steak. Last night, I served these with stir-fried sugar snap peas. If we're doing it right, I start with a tomato-mozzarella and basil salad, and serve mashed potatoes along with this meal. Matt and Shana call it the "Abel Special." It is absolutely our favorite.

1 pound medium to large shrimp; peeled, deveined and rinsed

1-2 tbsp olive oil

zest of one lime

juice of one lime

kosher salt

fresh cracked pepper

Place shrimp in a bowl. Pour olive oil and toss to coat. Zest a lime over the bowl, then cut the lime and squeeze in the juice. Sprinkle with kosher salt (a good amount) and lots of fresh cracked pepper. Toss to coat and let the shrimp marinate in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

We've grilled it a couple of ways. On skewers, directly on the grill, or on foil on the grill. Our favorite way is on the foil. It helps keep the most lime flavor.

My sister makes these all the time, too, and skips the olive oil. But I think the shrimp taste much better with the olive oil.

Maryland Crab Soup

I'm proud to say Baltimore, Maryland is my hometown. I grew up eating steamed crabs and crab soup and truly believe that traces of Old Bay can be found coursing through my veins. The taste of real Maryland crab soup takes me right home. It's the ultimate comfort food. I will definitely be making a big pot after the holidays. This recipe is modified to my tastes from one of my mom's oldest cookbooks, The Chesapeake Collection. Traditional Eastern Shore crab soup doesn't call for worschestire sauce, but I add it, 'cuz that's how I roll.

4 cups water
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
5 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning*
1 tablespoon worschestire sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups frozen diced potatoes
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 pound backfin crabmeat, picked over for shells**
Salt and pepper to taste

*You can find Old Bay seasoning by the seafood counter.
**Get REAL crabmeat. Look for Phillips crabmeat in the refrigerated section of the seafood area.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in hot water. Add crushed tomatoes and bring to a low boil. Add vegetables and cook until tender. Add Old Bay and worschestire sauce. Reduce heat and add crabmeat. Heat through, but don't boil. (The crabmeat will shred.)

Serve with saltine crackers. Ever since I was little, I've crumbled them into my crab soup. My Uncle Fred showed me how to crumble crackers while they were still in the package, so that's my favorite way to eat it.

This freezes really well. Hope you try it and enjoy!