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Serves four to six

2 T. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
4 ounces each green lentils, rice, fettuccine
1 stick butter
1 pound Texas shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat; add the onions and cook until golden brown. Stir in the tomatoes with the salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Boil the lentils, the rice, and the fettuccine separately in pots of water until cooked. As each one cooks, drain and add to the tomato mixture; set aside.

Melt the butter in another large pan. Add the shrimp, mint, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp has turned a light pink. Serve immediately on top of the tomato-lentil mixture.

Created by Chef Michael H. Flores.

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Serves four as an entrée or six to eight as an appetizer 

Shrimp
Olive oil
5 fresh rosemary sprigs 4-5 inches long
4 fresh oregano sprigs 4-5 inches long
7 garlic cloves
1 pound Texas shrimp, shells on

Place about five inches of oil in a deep pan (enough to cover the shrimp). Add the rosemary, oregano, and garlic. Heat the oil over a medium low heat until the temperature reaches about 120^ºF. Add the shrimp and turn the heat to low (at this point the temperature will drop to about 110^oF. and will probably stay there). Poach the shrimp for about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel to drain and rest for 2 minutes. Serve with Skordalia sauce.

Sauce
1 pound baking potatoes
7-9 garlic cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
Paprika

Bake the potatoes in a 400^oF. oven until tender, about 45 minutes or until an inserted knife slides out easily. Let cool until you can handle them at which time they should be peeled and cubed. Place all of the ingredients, except for the one cup oil, in a food processor and quickly pulse to combine. With the motor on high add the oil until combined. Serve alongside the poached shrimp with a heavy sprinkling of paprika for color.

Created by Chef Michael H. Flores.

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Serves four to six

1 cup long grain Texas rice
1 pound Texas shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 pound Texas strawberries, hulled and cut in half
Fresh tarragon for garnish

Cook the rice according to the directions on the package.

In the meantime, place the shrimp, extra virgin oil, pepper, and salt in a bowl and toss until the shrimp is coated well; set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat.  Pour in the balsamic vinegar and cook for 2 minutes. Add the strawberries, coat with the vinegar, and continue cooking for another minute. Add the shrimp and stir well to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes.

Serve the shrimp and strawberries atop the rice and garnished with chopped tarragon. 

Created by Chef Michael H. Flores.

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Serves six

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup of any Texas barbecue sauce
Juice of half an orange
2 pounds uncooked Texas wild-caught shrimp, shells and tails removed
1 T. of any Texas-made barbecue seasoning blend
2 T. corn oil
6 bolillos or sandwich rolls
Pickle slices
Onion slices

Whisk together the cream and barbecue sauce. Pour it into a large sauté pan and bring it to a simmer. Continue simmering for 45 minutes occasionally whisking and scraping the sides and bottom. The sauce may separate; just keep whisking it back together.  When the 45 minutes are up remove the pan from the heat, add the orange juice and whisk the sauce together. Allow to cool completely. This sauce can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

To make the sandwiches you'll first have to shred the raw shrimp by using a knife or by using the slicing attachment of a food processor; I prefer the latter. Put the shrimp in a bowl and toss it together with the seasonings and oil. Place a large sauté pan on high heat and get it hot. Add the shrimp and sauté for a couple of minutes until all of the pieces turn pink. Stir in the sauce and reduce the heat to low. Cook just as long as it takes for the sauce to warm up. Serve in bolillos with sliced pickles and onions.

Created by Chef Michael H. Flores.

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Serves six

1 one-pound bag of saffron-flavored rice (e.g., Vigo or Mahatma brands)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 raw chicken breasts, cubed
1 tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound raw Texas wild-caught shrimp, peeled, deveined
2 links Spanish chorizo, sliced
Small box of frozen peas, thawed
1 can of kidney beans, drained
Small jar of sliced olives with pimentos, drained

Cook the rice according to the directions on the package, using olive oil instead of butter. While the rice is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pan (with a cover) over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red bell and sauté for 2 minutes; add the garlic and cook for another minute. Next add the chicken, salt and pepper, and continue cooking for 4 minutes; stir in the shrimp and chorizo. Cook for 2 more minutes and then add the peas and beans; cover and turn heat to low.

As soon as the rice is ready, combine the two pots. Do not over-mix. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve immediately topped with the olives.

Created by Chef Michael H. Flores.

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Serves six as an entrée or eight as an appetizer

15 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. crushed red chile flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1 zucchini, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup Texas white wine
1 cup fish stock or clam juice
1 pound raw Texas wild-caught shrimp, peeled, tails off
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves, packed
2 tsp. salt
French baguette

Sauté the garlic and chile flakes in olive oil for 5 minutes over low heat. Add the zucchini and bell pepper and continue sautéing for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Pour in the wine and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the stock or clam juice and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat. Squeeze in the lime juice and add the cilantro and salt. Serve immediately with crusty French bread for dipping.

Created by Chef Michael H. Flores.

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Serves four as a main dish, six to eight as an appetizer

Honey-Caper Shrimp
1 pound Texas shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 T. capers
2 T. liquid from the caper jar
1/2 cup Texas honey
2 T. dry sherry
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. salt
1 cup olive oil

Put the shrimp in a zipper bag and set aside. Purée all of the capers, liquid, honey, sherry, zest, juice, and salt in a food processor; add the oil. Pour into the zipper bag and coat the shrimp well. Squeeze out any air, zip, and marinate for two hours at room temperature.

Remove the shrimp from the marinade and grill over a medium-high flame for about 1½ minutes per side.  Serve over spinach with raisins.

Spinach with Raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup Texas white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Piquillo peppers, julienned
12 ounces Texas spinach leaves
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Salt and pepper, to taste

Soak the raisins in the wine for several hours.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan on medium-heat; add the garlic and Piquillos and sauté for 2 minutes. Next add the raisins and wine along with the spinach.  Cook for about 3 minutes, until the spinach is just wilted. Finally, toss with almonds and season with salt and pepper.

Created by Chef Michael H. Flores.

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Serves ten to twelve

1/2 pound Texas shrimp, cooked, tails and shells removed
1/2 pound Texas shrimp, cooked, tails and shells removed, roughly chopped
1 cup sundried tomatoes, rehydrated
1 pound cream cheese
8 ounces Texas goat cheese
4 green onions
2 sprigs fresh dill
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed, discard stems
1 tsp. hot sauce (e.g., Tabasco)
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup capers
2 T. red onion, diced

Place only the half-pound of the whole shrimp in a food processor along with all of the other ingredients (except capers and red onions) and purée until smooth. Remove to a bowl and stir in the remaining half-pound chopped shrimp. Pour into a round bowl lined with plastic wrap, pat down and refrigerate for several hours to overnight. To serve, unmold on a platter and top with capers and onions. Serve with crackers.

Created by Chef Michael H. Flores.