Buffalo Shrimp Subs w/ Blue Cheese Sauce

moderation is key...

Sometimes you just have to satisfy that craving and nothing else can substitute. In this season of Lent and giving up anything and everything that could possibly be "bad" for you, some people lose perspective. They go crazy and cold turkey on all junk foods...nothing fried, no sweets, no alcohol, etc...and I'd be surprised if they make it 4 days let alone 40. So, let's be reasonable, sometimes you have a craving and you just have to satisfy it.

One of the things I crave from time to time is buffalo wing sauce. I love that tangy, spicy, orangeish-red sauce. One of my favorite things to make when I have this craving is buffalo style shrimp. So, for this post I've taken that idea and made it a meal. The addition of a sub bun (or you could substitute a wrap), toppings, and a blue cheese sauce completes my craving for something not so good for me. I won't call this "bad", but it's definitely not healthy for me. When you got a hankerin' satisfy it! Here's how to make this dish...

Ingredients - Serves 4
1 Box Frozen Breaded Popcorn Shrimp (suggest SeaPak)
1 T Butter
1/2 - 3/4 C Buffalo Wing Sauce
4 Sub Sandwich Buns
1/2 C Plain Greek Yogurt (light okay)
2 T Milk
1/4 C Mayo
1 T White Wine Vinegar
2 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
4 oz. Blue Cheese, crumbled
Optional Sub Toppings: Chopped Celery, Thinly Sliced Red Onion, Cilantro Leaves, Lettuce, and/or pickles

Directions
Preheat the oven according to package directions. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake as directed.

As the shrimp cook, make the blue cheese sauce: Combine the yogurt, milk, mayo, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk until combined and then add in the crumbled blue cheese. Stir to incorporate. Cover and refrigerate.

Prepare any toppings and toast the sub buns. Once the shrimp are cooked put them in a large bowl, add the butter and buffalo wing sauce, and toss to coat. Add more wing sauce as necessary to insure all of the shrimp are well coated - saucy!

Assemble the subs: Pile in the shrimp, add any desired toppings, and finish with the blue cheese sauce. Serve immediately! We enjoyed our subs with sweet potato waffle fries. All things in moderation, right?! Enjoy!

Guy's Fries with "Blue-Sabi Sauce"

let's eat the town...NYC

 

My husband and I just returned from our summer vacation. We visited New York City! Neither of us have spent any real time there, so it was an adventure. I think we did everything possible, went to nearly every attraction, and we ate some delicious food along the way. We made it to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in Chelsea, Friedman's Lunch at Chelsea Market, Marseille a lovely French inspired restaurant, and Guy's American Kitchen & Bar owned by Guy Fieri, both of which are near Times Square.

While all of these places are HIGHLY recommended by us, I was inspired by the fries we had as an appetizer at Guy's restaurant. They were covered in wing sauce and served with a blue cheese wasabi dipping sauce. I couldn't help but notice that every color of my rainbow was represented...perfect for this second rainbow series! So, I've ventured to recreate these scrumptious fries for anyone to enjoy...we can't all live in NYC (however, there are SO many that do!). Here's how to make them...

Recipe - Serves 6-8
Hot Fries

2, 15oz Bags Frozen Plain Fries (such as Alexia Yukon Select)

1/2C Buffalo Wing Sauce
3 Green Onions (green parts only), sliced
Cooking Spray

"Blue-Sabi Sauce"
1/4C Sour Cream
1/2tsp. Wasabi Paste
2T Crumbled Blue Cheese
1/2tsp. Half & Half

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet tray (or two) with foil and prepare with cooking spray. Arrange the fries in a single layer. Bake the fries for 30-35 minutes, flipping half way through. The fries should be extra crisp.

While the fries are baking, make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl combine the sour cream, wasabi paste, blue cheese, and half & half. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve. All of these ingredients can be modified, so add more or less of any as you desire.

Once the fries are baked, place them into a large bowl and add the wing sauce. Gently toss with tongs to coat the fries completely; add more wing sauce if needed. Move to a serving platter and top with the green onions. Serve immediately with the "Blue-Sabi Sauce". Enjoy a little bit of NYC Guy style!