Roasted Shrimp with Feta

It happened again. I was watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa, oddly enough it was one I hadn’t seen before, and as usual, right away, I was compelled to make the thing that she had just made. She was preparing lunch for a friend. There was sauteed fennel and a splash of white wine and a little Pernod, diced tomatoes, shrimp, feta, and breadcrumbs. Things were sauteed on top of the stove for a few minutes, and then the dish went in the oven for just enough time for the shrimp to cook through and the breadcrumbs to brown. She brought it to the table in the pan straight from the oven. It was easy and fun. I had to do this. The recipe is on the Food Network site, and it’s also in her book Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? In that same episode, she and her friend also made an incredible-looking salted caramel ice cream for dessert. I’m not sure why, but that recipe is nowhere to be found on the web site or in her book, or I would have made that too. [Update: Thanks to a commenter, the recipe was found. It's on the Barefoot Contessa site. Wish I would have thought to look there!] But, back to the shrimp. I made this for dinner the next night. The shrimp, fennel, and tomatoes were scooped onto plates and served with bread for dipping into the sauce exactly as Ina had served it. It was casual, great for summer, couldn't have been easier, and tasted like it should have involved much more effort than it actually did.

This goes quickly, so you'll want to have all the ingredients prepped and ready. First, diced fennel was sauteed in olive oil, and then minced garlic was added. White wine was used to deglaze the pan, and then canned, diced tomato, tomato paste, and some oregano were added followed by just a tablespoon of Pernod. It really does add nice, anise flavor with just that small amount. This mixture was left to simmer for about fifteen minutes before the shelled and deveined shrimp were set on top. Crumbled feta was strewn about the pan, and then a mix of breadcrumbs, parsley, and lemon zest was sprinkled on top. The saute pan went into a 400 degree F oven for fifteen minutes, and then it was served with lemon wedges and bread.

I don't think I've ever made a Barefoot Contessa dish I didn't like. Sure, sometimes a disconcerting amount of butter is involved, but not in this case. Here, the shrimp and fennel were fresh and light with just a little richness from the feta. With some toasted sourdough bread on the side, this meal was as easy, fun, and casual as it looked like it would be.

Quinoa Salad with Dried Iranian Lime

It was last June when I first learned about dried limes. There was a story in the NY Times about their use in cuisine from Iran and Iraq, exactly how they’re used both whole and ground, and their unique, complex flavor of citrus with a slight funky edge. I immediately called Phoenicia, our nearby Middle Eastern market, learned they did have dried limes for sale, and ran straight there to get them. Dried limes are just that, whole, dehydrated, sun-dried limes. You should wash them before using them. Then, you can either pierce them and drop them whole into soups or beans as they cook, or you can chop them and then grind them in a spice grinder or coffee mill. If you grind the chopped pieces, you should shake the ground lime through a sieve to remove any large, hard bits. I tried two of the recipes from the NY Times article, the lentil salad and the broiled shrimp, but I never got around to mentioning them here. I recall that for the lentil dish, the dried limes were pierced and placed in the pot with the lentils while they cooked. The flavor they imparted was very subtle, and if I hadn’t known I’d used the dried limes I don’t think I would have picked out their flavor in the dish. For the shrimp, a paste was made with ground dried lime, other spices, and olive oil, and that paste was used as a rub on the shrimp. In that dish, the flavor from the limes was present, interesting, and enjoyable. I intended to try that again and grill the shrimp rather than broil it, but I just never got to it. All of this explains why I was so eager to try this quinoa salad from the book Plenty. I already had dried limes in my pantry, and I couldn’t wait to use them again.

There are a several great-looking mixed grain salads in that book. Here, quinoa, wild rice, and basmati rice were mixed with roasted chunks of sweet potato, herbs, sliced green onions, and feta. I had just received sweet potatoes and green onions from Farmhouse Delivery, so I was set. I bought Canadian Lake wild rice, which is a long variety that requires about 55 minutes to cook. I cooked it in a large saucepan with plenty of extra water, and added the basmati rice after about 15 minutes of simmering. When the two grains were cooked, they were drained and placed in a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile, sweet potatoes were peeled, chopped into cubes and roasted with a coating of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. For the last 10 minutes of roasting time, the quinoa was cooked in simmering water, and then it was drained and added to the rices. Dried limes were chopped, ground, and sieved, and two tablespoons were used in the salad. Last, olive oil was heated in a small skillet, sliced garlic was added followed by chopped sage and oregano, and I was lucky to still have some sage and oregano in my herb garden after our cold spell. The oil with garlic and herbs was poured over the grain mixture followed by the roasted sweet potatoes and the oil left on the baking sheet, the sliced green onion, a little lemon juice, some shredded mint, the ground dried lime, and cubes of feta. Everything was carefully mixed so as not to break up the sweet potato or feta.

This was such a pleasant mix of nutty, chewy grains, and the garlic, onion, and herbs hit all the right flavor notes. The dried lime with its concentrated citrus was well-matched with the sweet potato and feta. You could easily add more of one thing or less of another here, but I wouldn’t change a thing next time I make this. It was a meal of a salad, and since it makes a nice, large quantity, it will be several meals. I’m already looking forward to the next one for lunch.

Orzo, Sun-dried Tomato, and Walnut Salad with Feta

I finally picked Poor Girl Gourmet out of my to-read stack. I received a review copy a while ago and had been hearing good things about it. The book is by Amy McCoy, and her blog is also called Poor Girl Gourmet. What we have here is a food lover who had become accustomed to spending a lot on groceries each week. When the economy hit a snag, she needed to scale back her grocery budget but wasn’t willing to compromise on quality. By sticking to a list, not splurging on expensive items, and reducing the amount of meat purchased, McCoy was able to cut her food bill in half. This book includes recipes for dishes that fit her new approach to shopping and cooking, and the good news is that it’s not all boiled bulgur wheat dinners. The book is full of really good, fresh, and flavorful meals that are all under $15 and serve four. In the soups and salads chapter in addition to the salad I’m showing here, there’s a summer romaine and corn salad with chicken and lime corn cream dressing. In entrees, you’ll find kale lasagne with walnut pesto, chicken in cider gravy, and roasted chicken with spicy orange sauce. There are also vegetables and sides, bakery and desserts, and a chapter called splurges for special occasions. There’s a simplicity to the recipes in that fewer ingredients make for less expensive dishes, but that also allows you to appreciate each item that is used. For instance, I decided to make the orzo salad with sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts, and as I read the recipe, I thought about adding basil or a little garlic or maybe some fresh tomatoes too. I think adding any of those things would have muddied the nice balance of what was already there.

To make the salad, orzo was cooked and drained and then transferred to a serving bowl. Olive oil, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, the dry kind not in oil, chopped toasted walnuts, crumbled feta, and chopped fresh oregano were added. I have lots of oregano in my herb garden, so that ingredient was free for me. The pasta salad was to be served on top of a bed of lettuce, but I’ve shown it in a bowl by itself in these photos. In the back of the book, there’s a chapter on wines which includes information about finding value buys in less well-known varietals. I learned about negroamaro, which is from Puglia, and I brought home a bottle of a rose version of it to enjoy with this meal. It was dark as far as roses go, not sweet, and a nice, chilled wine for summer.

Sun-dried tomatoes do their umami magic in this salad, and with the oregano, a happy blend of flavors happens. The crunchy walnuts were just right, and the feta brought some salty bite. This was a great dish, and I’m already eyeing a few more to try from the book. I liked that this book presented how to cook with fresh ingredients in an economical way that wasn’t about giving up on any of what you enjoy most in your meals. It’s about finding an affordable mix of good, basic ingredients, stretching gourmet items, and growing what you can or buying seasonal produce locally. That’s a great plan for any budget.

Tabbouleh, Tzatziki, and Watermelon Salad

We had a great fourth of July holiday weekend. We spent a lot of time outside, we had a lot of fun, but mostly, we ate a lot of food. I had several things in mind that I wanted to try, and I managed to put them together into one big feast of a meal on Sunday night. My original inspiration for the meal came from the cucumbers that were included in our CSA pick up. I love chopped cucumbers simply tossed into a green salad, but these were destined for something more interesting. I’m not sure of the varieties of cucumbers we received, but one was long, skinny, and striped. As soon as I saw it, I started thinking about tzatziki and how I had never made it myself. I flipped to the recipe in the Barefoot Contessa Parties! book, and right there on the preceding page is the tabbouleh recipe. I had also just seen some fantastic-looking watermelon salads on both Kopiaste and Kalofagas, and I decided to put these ideas together along with some pita, feta, hummus, good olives, and grilled kabobs. I wanted to make homemade pita but ran out of time. One of these days, I’ll try making it myself. As long as I’m confessing, I bought the hummus already made as well. There were just too many other fun things to do this weekend, but all the parts came together for a meal that left me wishing I could keep eating for several hours in a row.

Early in the day, I marinated chicken in lemon juice and zest, olive oil, garlic, and oregano. I also started the tzatziki by grating the cucumber and leaving it in a sieve over a bowl in the refrigerator for a few hours. Ina’s recipe suggests that the yogurt also be strained, but I used thick, Greek yogurt and skipped that step. To complete the tzatziki, the strained cucumber was combined with yogurt, sour cream, minced garlic, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, fresh dill, salt, and pepper. The tabbouleh is also a good dish to prepare in advance so the flavors can form a mutually respectful union, and I have actually made the recipe from this book before. First, bulgur wheat was covered with boiling water, and lemon juice, olive oil, and salt were added. That was left for an hour while green onions, fresh mint, parsley, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes were chopped. After the bulgur had absorbed the water, the other ingredients were incorporated, and it was placed in the refrigerator until ready to be served.

We had green bell peppers, onions, and yellow squash also from our CSA, so those were included on the kabobs with the chicken. While the kabobs were on the grill, I sauteed sliced haloumi in olive oil for the watermelon salad. I used basil because my mint has succumbed to the heat, and I forgot to save some of the store-bought mint I used in the tabbouleh for this salad. I also completely forgot about the red onion that should have been added to the salad, but it worked out ok. Actually, this simple salad of watermelon chunks, browned haloumi, basil, and olive oil was one of the single most delicious things I’ve eaten lately. I can’t stop talking about it, and I highly suggest everyone give it a try.

The watermelon salad was definitely the star of the evening, every bite inspired nodding and smiling, but the table was loaded with delicious things. The kabobs were made even better with the tzatziki, the tabbouleh was cool, fresh, and crunchy, and the sharp, sheep feta and mix of olives were tasty accessories on the platter. I’m now wondering why I had never made tzatziki before, but I’ll certainly be making it again. The cucumber, dill-flavored, creamy goodness pairs so well with lemon-marinated chicken. At the end of the meal, we were beyond stuffed, and we were saddened that we’d reached a point at which not one more bite could be taken. Luckily though, with leftovers, we can enjoy it all again.

Greens with Red Beans, Cilantro, and Feta Cheese

I just returned from the Wednesday Farmers’ Market where I pick up our CSA share every other week, so I’m in the right frame of mind to tell you a little about Local Flavors by Deborah Madison. For this book, she visited farmers’ markets all across the US, including Hawaii, to see the differences from place to place. The chapters are, for the most part, organized by season starting with early spring and proceeding through fall. So, the first chapter’s recipes highlight what you’re likely to find at markets at the beginning of the year. There are stories strewn about that tell of Madison’s visits to various markets and the farmers she met. She offers suggestions for substitutions for regional things that might not be found in all areas of the country or that become available at different times. The real goal of the book is to encourage support of local farmers, to explain the value of fresh, local food, and to inspire the home cook to make good and delicious use of locally grown food. As luck would have it, Russ Parsons of the LA Times wrote about cooking with farmers’ market produce today too. He wrote about improvising with what you find and suggested "Cooking from the farmers’ market is a bit like playing jazz."

Last week, I mentioned having a lot of greens on hand, and when I saw this recipe in the book I knew it would be a great way to use some of them. It’s listed in the book as redbor kale with red beans, cilantro, and feta cheese. I had spinach and what I think was broccoli greens, and any kind of greens would be good here. One of the interesting points that Madison makes in the book is that by buying at farmers’ markets, you have the chance to get the same vegetables at multiple stages. When a planting needs to be thinned, the greens may be cut and sold earlier in the season. When the vegetable is growing, you may be able to buy small versions of it, and then you’ll later see the mature state for sale. I’m not sure if the greens were offered because of thinning or not, but it’s interesting to think about the growing season and being involved in it in some small way. So, I had planned this for dinner the other night, and while out picking up the feta, I found some Texas-grown corn. I love fresh corn. I had an inkling that it might be a nice addition to this dish, and adding another locally grown item definitely seemed to be in the spirit of the book.

I cheated a little and used canned beans, so I skipped the part of the recipe about cooking red beans. I also skipped the part about boiling the greens because I find it so much simpler, and more flavorful, to saute them. So, I cleaned and chopped the greens, sauteed them with finely chopped onion and the last of my homegrown cilantro, and then I added some water and the rinsed and drained canned beans. I cut kernels from two ears of fresh corn and added that as well. This was left to simmer for about 10 minutes, and then I served it with brown rice and a nicely pungent sheep’s feta crumbled on top. I like greens with beans, and the cilantro added nice flavor. But, and I really don’t mean to pat myself on the back here because I’d rather pat the person’s back who grew the corn, that fresh corn made the dish. I highly recommend seeking out the freshest, local corn and greens you can find when they’re available and giving this a try.

If you’re curious about what’s available at the Austin Farmers’ Market at this time of year, today my CSA pick up included: zucchini big and small, baby yellow summer squash, onions, red beets with gorgeous greens, baby leeks, orange carrots with leafy tops, watermelon radishes, tiny, baby green cabbages, and a red cabbage. Also at the market, there were some first of season tomatoes, and a some tomatoes that had been greenhouse grown, cucumbers, green beans, some other summer squashes, arugula, and potatoes. Other vendors offer locally made cheeses, grass-fed beef, bison, lamb, chicken, and eggs, and I know I’m probably forgetting several other things like the delicious-looking bread. For dinner tonight, I’m going to blanch some of those perfect green beans and then toss them in a leek vinaigrette with chopped cucumber and tomato. That’s getting topped with leftover sheep’s feta.

Sliced Spring Salad with Avocado and Feta

Have you read A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg yet? The book is moving and touching and funny, and I couldn’t put it down once I started it. Her stories describe times with her father, time spent in Paris, and meeting and falling for her now husband. All of which involved food in one way or another, and each story includes a recipe or two. And, about the food, I have several post-its marking pages of things I intend to make. The first of those to be tried was the sliced spring salad. I had some radishes and cilantro from Hands of the Earth Farm, and the weather’s been warm and muggy and just right for a crisp salad.

To begin the preparation, the red wine vinegar and Dijon vinaigrette was made in a small bowl. Then, there’s a description of the order in which the vegetables should be sliced based on the speed at which they oxidize. I should mention that the writing of the recipes is as well-done as that of the stories in that they are both clearly of the same voice. I won’t ruin it by quoting it here. The radishes were sliced first, then radicchio, followed by endive. Those were tossed in a large bowl with cilantro leaves and some of the vinaigrette to taste. Last, the avocado was sliced and placed on top, and the salad was sprinkled with French feta. It was quick and easy to assemble, and the most time-consuming part was probably picking the leaves off the cilantro stems.

It was a colorful, fresh combination that was perfect with some simply grilled chicken. The radicchio and endive were crunchy and flavorful, the radishes added a peppery note, and the buttery avocado was delicious with the cilantro. French feta is a little milder than Greek, and it worked very well here. As noted in the recipe, goat cheese would also be good. It was a winner that we’ll definitely have again. Up next from this book could be meatballs with pine nuts, or slow-roasted tomato pesto, or custard-filled corn bread, or caramelized cauliflower with salsa verde. So many post-its.

Tunisian Vegetable Stew

A few weeks ago, I mentioned using the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home book for inspiration, and that was my resource for this meal. I was hoping to find an interesting way to use some cabbage and possibly some other vegetables I had on hand. When I arrived at the page for this Tunisian vegetable stew, I thought, ok, this sounds good and looks simple enough for a serviceable, weeknight meal. That proved to be true, but it was also really flavorful, vibrant, and satisfying. In fact, it was so good it really took me by surprise.

To start, onion is sautéed, thinly chopped cabbage is added with sliced green bell pepper, canned tomatoes join the mix along with chickpeas, then ground coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne are added, and it’s covered and left to simmer for 10 minutes or so. I need to pause and ask if you’re aware of the health and wellness benefits of turmeric? Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties among a host of other healthful qualities. I’m always happy to add some turmeric to a dish, and I tend to add a little more than is requested. So, the spices added great flavor and the mixture gave off a lovely aroma as it simmered. At the end of the simmering time, fresh lemon juice was added.

To serve, any grain would do, but I chose quinoa. The stew was ladled over a mound of fluffy quinoa and then topped with crumbled feta and some slivered almonds. Kurt and I were both expecting an eat your vegetables kind of meal, but we discovered it to be so much more. The diversity of textures, the bright lemon in combination with the spices, the fresh cabbage and bell pepper, the savory rounded flavor of chickpeas, the tanginess of the feta, and the crunchy almonds all made this a surprisingly delicious and enjoyable dinner. The Moosewood book continues to do well by me, and everything I’ve tried from it has or will become a repeated meal.