Herb Harvest!!!

This is the first year that I've been successful at growing herbs in deck boxes.  And having herbs that you can just snip and add to your cooking is awesome!

First the cilantro....we have so much of it.  I love it, especially in guacamole or tacos.    There was a sweet cilantro salad dressing the other day too.  Homemade salad dressing tastes SO much better and is apparently better for you, too.

Brian made a quick homemade spaghetti sauce the other night and used fresh parsley and basil. It was delicious.

Next up:  cilantro in homemade salsa and perhaps a basil pesto.  I'm loving this!  Now, if my tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini come up, it will be a perfect growing summer.

Coconut Curry In A Hurry

New to us on the home front:  shrimp coconut curry!  The sauce was easy enough to put together...only coconut milk, fish sauce,  red curry paste, a little brown sugar and cornstarch.   Shrimp with fresh veggies (bean sprout, red pepper and snow peas.)

  Brian and I agreed it could have even had a little crushed red to make it spicier.  It came together quickly for a Monday Night supper and is definitely a keeper.

Hurricane Shrimp

Menu for last night (courtesy of Pinterest):  Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Skillet.  We write the house menu up to two weeks in advance, so obviously it wasn't written with "Sandy" in mind.  The power in our house went out at 4:45 pm, so it was looking like pb+j.  The kids were thrilled with sandwiches by flashlight.  I munched on half a nutella and banana sandwich, hoping the power came back on in time to cook something a little better.
Wish granted!  Around 7pm, we were able to put together this recipe.  It was delicious...with soy sauce and green onion, but also some shaved Parmesan and red pepper flakes.  A fusion dish, if you will.

Day Three: A Cookout

Dinner last night was a cookout with friends at their house.  The weather wasn't exactly compliant, so we ate inside.  Shrimp salad, chicken kabobs, hot dogs, hamburgers and corn on the cob.  Lots of delicious summer fare!

For dessert I brought a chocolate cream pie that I picked up at the grocery store on my way home from the nail salon.  It was ok, nothing special.  As I was plating it I discovered that I had bought one that's sugar-free.  Oops!

Valentines Day Dinner

Mmmm....nothing says "I Love You" like sushi, soup and crab rangoon at home!  No, I mean it...we haven't been out to dinner for Valentine's Day since......2003?  The last experience was so crowded and horrible we made the joint decision to skip it and do something special at home.  So this year is tuna and salmon maki rolls, crab rangoon and Tom Yum Seafood Soup from our favorite takeout place.  We'd never had the latter, and well, we never will again.  At first, one can't decide if they like it or not.  It tasted kind of like a hot and spicy margarita.  Limes and tomatoes should never go in soup together, that was the final judgement.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

December: Snowy and....Balmy?

Last Thursday (Dec 3rd) was a record-breaking 66 degrees!!  We had company for dinner, and decided to abandon our pork chop recipe in favor of barbecue pork chops and potato packets on the grill.  Grilling in December.....ah delicious!  :)  Today, just a couple of days later, it's snowing and we're all about the Greek-Style Shrimp Scampi!  There's nothing like a big plate of pasta on a night like this. (and the lower carb one that I bought, "Dreamfields," actually tastes pretty good and doesn't make me miss regular spaghetti too much)

In the spirit of the season, Will and I are going to a friend's house tomorrow for a cookie-baking playdate.  I can't wait!

Shrimp Versatility

This is for the shrimp lovers out there.

I love shrimp because it's quite versatile. It goes with a variety of flavors, from bold and spicy to mild and sweet. Cold, hot, it's good either way! But one of my new favorite recipes pairs shrimp with another thing that I have started to really like in the past few years....feta cheese. Feta is good for a variety of dishes: pizza, pasta and salads, to name a few. But it really shines here in this recipe from the Food Network. I have modified it a little bit...I don't usually have fresh herbs on hand because they're so darn expensive, and I never can seem to use up what I have! This recipe also works better if you remove the tails from the shrimp...I've experienced it both ways and it's better without the extra "crunch!"

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can tomato puree
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
cooked white rice (optional)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the tomato puree (carefully) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken.

Remove from heat. Stir in the parsley and dill. Lay shrimp in one even layer on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Spread sauce over shrimp, then sprinkle with feta. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and chesse melts, approx. 12 minutes. Serve with rice if desired.

This would also make a really good appetizer with some crusty bread!