(Family Features) The holiday season is about celebrating with friends and family over warm, memorable meals, and few things make those gatherings more special than serving dishes made at home.

To elevate your menu, consider a versatile, beginner-friendly ingredient like Wild Caught Texas Shrimp for your next occasion. For a luxurious Italian dish, try creamy Shrimp Risotto with arborio rice. Or, for a comforting bowl of goodness, serve Shrimp Wonton Soup with tender pork and chopped shrimp.

You can feel good knowing you’re serving seafood free from antibiotics and additives while supporting local shrimpers and the Texas shrimping industry. Choosing domestic over imported shrimp ensures your meal is responsibly sourced, meets strict U.S. standards and helps sustain a Texas tradition worth celebrating.

“Asking for Wild Caught Texas Shrimp brings quality to your plate that’s delivered with pride and shines a light on the people that make Texas seafood exceptional,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. For cooking tips and fresh seafood recipes, visit WildCaughtTXShrimp.com.

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Shrimp Risotto

Servings: 4

• 1 pound Wild Caught Texas Shrimp
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt
• pepper
• 8 cups broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 white onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• Italian parsley, for garnish

1. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails on. Rinse, pat dry and set aside.
2. Heat oven to 375 F.
3. Season shrimp with paprika, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil then toss to combine. Lay shrimp in single layer on baking sheet and refrigerate.
4. Heat medium saucepan over medium-low heat and add broth.
5. In separate deep, heavy-bottom pot, melt butter. Chop onion and garlic then add to pot and cook until soft and browning. Add arborio rice and stir to incorporate. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
6. Add wine and cook, stirring, until alcohol smell evaporates. Add warm broth one ladle at a time, stirring consistently. Do not add another ladle until liquid from previous ladle is mostly soaked up by rice.
7. Risotto has finished cooking when rice is chewy with consistency of thick oatmeal.
8. Roast shrimp until cooked through.
9. Remove risotto from heat and stir in grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.
10. Scoop into bowls and lay roasted shrimp on top.
11. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Shrimp Wonton Soup

Servings: 4

Wontons:

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound Wild Caught Texas Shrimp, peeled, deveined, finely chopped
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• salt
• pepper
• 1 package square wonton wrappers

Soup:

• 48 ounces chicken broth
• 1 piece ginger (2 inches), grated
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1-2 baby bok choy
• 1/2 pound Wild Caught Texas Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 scallions, sliced

1. To make wontons: In large bowl, mix ground pork, shrimp, scallions, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, salt and pepper.
2. One wonton wrapper at a time, brush edges of two sides of wrapper with water. Add 1-2 teaspoons filling to center. Fold wrapper corner to corner so two wet edges meet two dry edges, creating triangle shape.
3. Press sides together to seal. Take two corners of triangle and join with water to create purse-like shape. Press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
4. To make soup: In saucepan over high heat, stir broth, ginger, soy sauce, wine and sesame oil. Bring mixture to simmer.
5. Cover pot and turn down heat, simmering 10-12 minutes.
6. Add bok choy leaves, shrimp and scallions. Cook until shrimp are pink and heated through.
7. In separate saucepan, heat water to boil.
8. Drop in wontons in small batches and cook until floating, 5-7 minutes.
9. Transfer cooked wontons to bowls along with shrimp and bok choy from soup pot. Ladle broth, as desired, into bowls.

Funded by a RESTORE Act Direct Component grant from the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The opinions, findings, recommendations and conclusions contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of Treasury. References to specific individuals, agencies, companies, products or services should not be considered an endorsement by Treasury.

SOURCE:

Wild Caught Texas Shrimp

(Family Features) In a holiday season crowded with everything from mouthwatering cakes, cookies and pies to “fa-la-la-la” forgettable fruitcakes, the dessert table can bring you comfort and joy or sweet-tooth dismay.

Here’s the secret to spicy, sweet cupcakes that “sleigh” at the dessert table: These gingerbread cupcakes with honey cream cheese frosting swap molasses for raw honey to deliver bold flavor and buzzworthy bragging rights.

Just like most legendary desserts, every drop of Busy Bee Raw Honey comes with a story. Sourced entirely in the U.S. and tested for safety, quality and three times for purity, it comes with a peel-away back label and Real Honey Code so you can trace your honey’s journey from flower to hive to your holiday dessert table.

To bring the journey to your home this holiday season, visit BusyBeeHoney.com to find more inspiration, information and availability.

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 12 cupcakes

• 1 3/4    cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2       cup packed dark brown sugar
  
• 1 1/2    teaspoons baking powder
  
• 2          teaspoons ground ginger
  
• 1          teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/8       teaspoon ground cloves
  
• 1/2       teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2       cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  
• 1/2       cup Busy Bee Raw Honey
  
• 1          egg, lightly beaten
  
• 1/2       cup buttermilk, at room temperature
  
• 1          teaspoon vanilla extract

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8          ounces cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/2       cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  
• 1/4       cup Busy Bee Raw Honey
  
• 1          teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 4-6       cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line 12 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups.
3. In medium bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
4. In large bowl, using hand or stand mixer, beat softened butter and honey until smooth and slightly fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Beat in egg then mix in buttermilk and vanilla until combined.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and stir gently until no streaks of flour remain; don’t overmix.
6. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
7. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.
8. Let cupcakes cool in pan about 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
9. To make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add honey and vanilla then gradually beat in powdered sugar until fluffy, spreadable and reaching desired sweetness. Chill for firmer consistency before piping or spreading, if desired.

SOURCE:
Barkman Honey

(Family Features) During a season of turkey dinners and festive cocktails, those rich holiday staples may start feeling heavy. When it’s time to reset with a lighter, delicious homemade dinner, try a seasonally appropriate pizza as a simple solution for returning to routine.

In fact, regardless of season, pizza remains one of the most popular food choices in the country. According to Current’s “Pizza Wars” survey, which explored preferences and habits among 6,500 respondents in America’s most populous metropolitan areas, the average respondent ordered nearly five pizzas per month. With New York-style rating as the top preference and pepperoni as the favorite topping, the survey found Americans would have to be paid an average of more than $14 million to give up pizza for life.

Additionally, 45% of respondents identified undercooked pizza dough as the worst “pizza crime.” To help avoid that fate, experienced pizzaioli and everyday home cooks alike are turning more often to electric pizza ovens, which deliver restaurant-quality pies without gas or open flames. Energy efficient with capabilities for both indoor and outdoor use, they’re a versatile solution for apartment dwellers and those crafting homemade pizzas any time of year.

Building on a mission to reimagine cooking with electric technology that’s smarter, cleaner and more sustainable, the Current Model P Smart Oven Pizza reaches 850 F, perfect for Neapolitan-style pizzas ready in just 2 minutes, such as this Truffle Mushroom Pizza that’s an ideal fit for complementing all those heavy holiday meals with a lighter weeknight bite.

Its design combined with a cordierite 12-inch cooking stone ensures uniform heat for authentic, crispy crusts with multiple cooking modes, giving you the versatility to cook any way you like. Controlling through a smartphone app offers digital temperature monitoring along with chef-curated recipes or a “pizza build calculator,” which takes the guesswork out of pizza-making – you can personalize a 12-inch pizza with your chosen amount of sauce, cheese, toppings and even dough thickness, and the app will compute a customized time and temperature for perfect cooking.

A thoughtful gift for foodies and gadget fanatics alike, you can bring the joy of pizza to the holiday season with these topping ideas and celebration inspiration:

• Bring comfort to winter with toppings like sausage, roasted squash, mushrooms, caramelized onions and smoked gouda.
• Take advantage of leftovers from holiday gatherings with a pizza that includes brie, cranberry drizzle, roasted turkey and spiced butternut squash.
• For a sweet treat, top with hazelnut spread and marshmallows – perfect for capping off holiday parties.
• To get loved ones involved, host a pizza party swap where friends and family create pies with favorite seasonal toppings.
• Host a DIY pizza bar allowing guests to personalize their own pizza creations, a delicious way to wind down the festivities.

To find more pizza-infused holiday inspiration, visit CurrentBackyard.com.

Truffle Mushroom Pizza

Recipe courtesy of Chef Trimmell Hawkins, Current

Cream Sauce:

• Oil or butter, for sauteeing
  
• 1/4       cup onions, small diced
  
• 3          garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1/2       cup mushrooms (such as baby portobello, button or shiitake), minced
  
• 1          tablespoon picked thyme
  
• 2          cups heavy cream
  
• 2          tablespoons cornstarch
  
• 4          tablespoons water
  
• 2          tablespoons truffle oil
  
• salt, to taste
  
• pepper, to taste

Pizza:

• 1          pizza dough
  
• grated or fresh mozzarella cheese
  
• mushrooms
  
• spinach (optional)
  
• cooked sausage (optional)

1. To make cream sauce: In saucepan over medium heat, add oil or butter. Saute onions until translucent then add garlic and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms release moisture and begin to caramelize.
2. Stir in picked thyme and cook 1 minute to release oils.
3. Add heavy cream and bring to gentle simmer. Let it reduce slightly, 5-7 minutes.
4. In small bowl, mix cornstarch and water to make slurry. Slowly whisk into simmering cream sauce until it reaches desired consistency.
5. Remove from heat and stir in truffle oil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6. To prepare pizza: Preheat Current Model P Smart Pizza Oven to 850 F. While oven heats up, roll dough out to 8-12 inches and add desired amount of cream sauce.
7. Top with mozzarella, mushrooms, spinach and sausage, as desired. Once oven is hot, cook pizza 2 minutes until bubbly.

SOURCE:
Current