Greek Shrimp and Couscous

I cannot take credit for this dish.  I got my new issue of Food Network Magazine earlier this week, and flipped through it leisurely while sipping a glass of wine that night. 

Not really...I read it quickly while the girls were folding laundry and Theresa was napping.  Yeah...that sounds more realistic, doesn't it? ;-)

But I came across this recipe, and thought it would be perfect for Fridays during Lent.  So...all my fellow Catholic foodies...take note.  This ones's a keeper!

I only took pics of the finished dish.  I wish I had more...but I honestly just can't manage these days.  Theresa just turned 2, and the child wants to be held all the time!  I think I will just super-glue her to my hip!  

Here's the link to the recipe:  

Greek Shrimp and Couscous

And here's the finished dish.  Looks delicious, doesn't it?  

Happy Lent everyone, and God bless your table tonight!  

Roasted Fennel with Tomatoes and Chickpeas (and a bonus "recipe")

I saw this recipe on Aarti Sequeira's blog, and immediately bookmarked it for Lent.  I loved the combination of ingredients, and it looked a cinch to prepare.  

I was right.  Just a few swishes with my big knife, 8 ingredients,and 45 minutes...I had a pot of healthy, roasted vegetables, perfect for a cold, rainy night, especially since the weather thwarted my attempt to walk 2x around the lake. :-)  Ah well.  Still, I really loved this dish.  And...it's healthy too!

And...a bonus for you...here's what I made for David's lunch yesterday.  Remember when I told ya'll I was trying to make sure he had lunch to take to work every day?  I haven't been 100% successful, but I'm doing fairly well.  I went to the store, and bought a pound of 21-25 shrimp, and made David a nice salad.  I put the poached shrimp on a bed of freshly harvested lettuce from the garden, added in some lemon, tomato, and a container of cocktail sauce.  That's how he eats shrimp...he'll dip 'em all up first, and then eat the rest of the meal like a salad. ;-)

Anyways...here's the recipe I promised you first.  If you're not sure about the strong, licorice-like taste of raw fennel...have no fear.  A aggressive roasting in the oven mellows this root vegetable into sublime submissiveness...and you'll just be amazed, I promise!

Roasted Fennel with Tomatoes and Chickpeas 

adapted from aartipaarit

1/3 cup olive oil

2 large or 3 medium fennel bulbs, washed well (save the fronds!)

5 large roma tomatoes (or 2 pints grape/cherry tomatoes, left whole)

salt and black pepper to taste

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 lemon

Crusty, toasted bread (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425. 

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, oven-proof skillet.  I used my big, trusty, Dutch oven, since I didn't have anything else...it worked great.  *You cannot use a non-stick skillet for this recipe, because the coating isn't safe to go into the oven.  A well-seasoned, cast iron skillet is fine, but keep in mind the tomatoes will draw some iron into the dish...not the worst thing in the world, but it may alter the taste of your finished dish.  I decided to play it safe.

Trim the tops of the fennel, but keep the root end intact.  Cut each bulb into quarters (mine were pretty big, so I cut them into sixths).  Chop up a handful of the fennel fronds and set aside. 

When the oil is hot, lay in the fennel, and let them sit for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on both sides.  

Cut the roma tomatoes into quarters, and add to the pot.  Gently stir once or twice.  Season with salt and pepper, and then place the pot into the oven for 30 minutes.   

Now is a good time to grill/toast up some crusty bread, brushed with a bit of olive oil.  

After 30 minutes, throw in the chickpeas, red pepper flakes, and cumin.  Stir very gently one more time, taking care not to break up the tomatoes too much.  

Put back in the oven for 5 more minutes (honestly, I just finished it on the stove :-). 

Zest the lemon, and squeeze the juice out.  When the pot comes back out of the oven, add in the juice and zest, the reserved fennel fronds, and a bit more salt if you'd like.  

Once again, I forgot to take a picture of the finished dish...baby tugging on my leg...you know how that goes...thanks for understanding. ;-)

Serve immediately in bowls to take advantage of the delicious tomato juices.  I highly recommend some grilled bread to sop up those juices, they're SO GOOD.  

Ah...this was delicious...I know it doesn't look impressive, but simple homey food tastes the best, don't you agree?  

So there's not one, but 2 ideas for you for a meatless Friday.  God bless your table tonight!

Stuffed Shells with Crab and Spinach

I wanted to get this post up last Friday, but received sad news that afternoon.  My beloved grandpa died.  He went the best way possible.  He laid down for a nap, and didn't wake up.  I am thankful he was able to meet Theresa last summer before he died.  I loved him so very much.  

Sigh...and life goes on.  And I still have 7 people to feed, including one very hungry baby girl.  We just can't believe how much food this tiny thing can pack away.  She must have a hollow leg. ;-)

I saw this recipe in my latest issue of Everyday Food.  I liked the idea of stuffed shells, but knew I wanted to make some changes.  First, nobody here is a fan of tuna casserole, so I swapped the tuna with canned crab meat.  I left out the red pepper flakes because my kiddos have tender tongues (well...except Rebecca), and added nutmeg to the sauce.  I love the flavor of nutmeg and spinach together.  I used 1/2 skim and 1/2 whole milk to cut back on the fat and calories, and panko bread crumbs instead of blitzing up a hamburger bun for the crumbs. Lastly, I added some cheese to the pasta sauce, because everything is better with cheese, right?  

Stuffed Shells with Crab and Spinach
adapted from Everyday Food 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely diced

1/4 all purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

2 cups skim milk

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

8 ounces (about 1 cup) white American or monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup panko or other dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese. 

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cans (6 ounces each) crab meat

Salt and pepper to taste

6 ounces (about 20 count) jumbo pasta shells

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add a couple of swirls of olive oil--this will keep them from sticking together.  When ready, drop your pasta and cook according to the package directions for al dente, but take it out one minute early.  This keeps the pasta from being mushy in the finished dish. 

Drain into a greased, 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.  Preheat your oven to 375.  

In a large pot or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the onion until soft and tender, about 5-6 minutes. 

Add the flour and whisk for another minute to cook out the raw flour taste. 

Gradually add the milk, making sure to whisk constantly to avoid lumps.  Cook until slightly thickened and bubbly.  Turn the heat down very low, (or off) and whisk in the cheese; then the sauce won't curdle on you. 

I used a block of white American I had leftover from Theresa's birthday party--waste not, want not, right?  And it was really about 1 1/2 cups. ;-)  I would recommend monterey jack or a mild cheddar if you don't have American.  Anything else will be too strong in flavor and overwhelm the crab meat.  

Stir the sauce gently until all the cheese is melted,  Sprinkle in the nutmeg, season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.  

In a medium bowl, mix together the parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and Italian seasoning.  I used my favorite, Penzy's Pasta Sprinkle.  Reserve half of this mixture for the topping. 

Now, take half of the cheese sauce, and add it to the remaining breadcrumb mixture, along with the spinach and crab meat.  Mix together until well combined.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  (I know the sauce isn't pictured, sorry about that).  

Fill each pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach and crab mixture.  

When all the shells are filled, carefully pour the remaining cheese sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with the rest of the breadcrumbs.  

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges, and the breadcrumbs are a golden brown.  I put mine under the broiler for just a couple of minutes to speed things up.  Let sit for about minutes before serving. 

Doesn't it look amazing?  :-)

I couldn't wait until dinnertime.  I tasted one right away.  Oh, it was so good.  The pasta shells hold just the right amount of creamy filling, and the crab and spinach taste incredible together.  This is way better than tuna casserole!  

I will be straight-up honest with you...Rebecca, Theresa, David, and I LOVED this casserole, the other kids, not so much.  Oh well.  More tasty leftovers for the rest of us...YUM. 

I hope you try this recipe this Friday if you're observing Lent.  God bless your table tonight! 

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

It is hotter than blazes here.  So hot, that I am cooking in spurts.  I'll go a whole week without really having cooked anything worthwhile, and then I'll go crazy for a couple of days, making enchiladas, chicken spaghetti, and these summer rolls.  No, these are not rainy day makings either...we're way behind the rainfall we normally get in a year.  It's finally cooled down a little bit, but I made these a while back when it was just so hot, turning on the stove or oven was the last thing I wanted to do. 

In between praying for rain and cooking spurts, I've been trying to make things for David to take to work.  He started a new job a few weeks ago.  The headquarters for the company is way out in the middle of nowhere, about a 45 minute commute.  The good news is it's a nice, pretty drive down country roads.  The bad news is there are no restaurants of any kind for miles around.  It's not such a bad thing...I'm secretly happy I get to cook for him more often instead of him eating out nearly every day like he was previously.

I made these summer rolls years ago, and it was fun, but really too fussy for my level of patience at the time.  Fast forward about 8 years, 5 kids later, and throw in a fabulous garden...well, it's still fussy, but the kids can occupy themselves, someone is always around to hold the baby, and the herbs I need are conveniently right outside the back door.  Not so bad, right?  Plus, I don't have to heat up the house, and the 2 ingredients that do require the stovetop take mere minutes to cook.

I found everything I needed at my local grocery store.  Hopefully you can as well, and have something cool and refreshing to eat on a hot summer day. 

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

8 rice paper wrappers (look for them in the Asian section of your grocery store)

12 medium shrimp (unpeeled)

4 ounces rice vermicelli noodles (make sure you get rice, not wheat vermicelli)

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned

3 scallions, julienned

1 carrot, peeled and julienned

1 teaspoon salt

Handful of fresh mint leaves

8 large (or 16 small/medium) fresh basil leaves

Handful of fresh cilantro

8 lettuce leaves (green leaf, Boston, or romaine works fine)

Poach the shrimp briefly in a pot of simmering water for 2-3 minutes...don't overcook them.  As soon as they are pink and opaque, drain and run under cool water.  Cut in half lengthwise, and set aside.

Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions.  It should only take 3-4 minutes.  Drain and set aside to cool.

Toss the cucumber and scallions with the salt to help them soften slightly, but still retain some crispness.  Set aside for a few minutes. 

Have all the herbs washed, spun dry in a salad spinner (or patted dry with paper towels) and ready to go.  I was lucky to have some nice mint and basil from the garden.  Alas, my cilantro had already gone to seed. 

Leave the lettuce leaves whole if they are smaller, larger ones can be simply torn in half.  They should also be washed and dried.  

Soak a rice paper wrapper in water for about 20 seconds.  Lay out on a work surface covered with a clean kitchen towel.  The towel will absorb any excess water. 

Lay 3 shrimp halves across the middle of the wrapper.  Top with the noodles, cumcumber and onion mixture, carrots, cilantro, mint, and basil.  Place on lettuce leaf over everything.

Fold the bottom half of the wrapper carefully over the filling.  Don't worry...it feels delicate, but it's quite strong.  Fold in the sides, and then roll into a tight bundle. 

You can cut them in half on the diagonal to serve 'em if you want to be fancy. :-).  David doesn't go for looks when he's eating, he just opens his mouth, lol.  Serve with some peanut sauce on the side (you can find that in the Asian section of the store too). 

I doubled this recipe and made about 18 rolls (it just depends how much filling you put in).  They are best the day you make them, but will keep for one day in the fridge, in a lightly covered container, with a paper towel at the bottom to absorb any excess moisture and additional paper towels in between the layers. 

I'm not going to lie.  It took me a good part of the day to make these.  I prepped the vegetables, herbs, and shrimp in the morning, and cooked the noodles and assembled the rolls in the afternoon.  They may take some work, but it's worth it, trust me.  They are WAY better than anything store-bought.  You know you've always wanted to make these, right?  Don't be scared...you can do it!  Just remember I have to manhandle 4 kids and nurse a baby too. ;-)  It probably won't take as long for you. 

Stay cool everyone, and I hope you make these summer rolls while you're trying to beat the heat! 

 God bless your table tonight!