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Thoughts of Spring and Roasted Shrimp with Cannellini Beans

It’s that time of the year. The time of year when thoughts turn to seafood for dinner. For some it is religious or cultural. For others it may be a way to bring warmer weather to mind. For many of us it is a quick and healthy dinner that feels like dining out. Whatever the reason, seafood is a great dinner alternative and here’s Mama D’s latest seafood adventure.

Hands down, my favorite seafood is shrimp. They come in at a relatively reasonable price which is always a plus for me. They cook quickly which means dinner can be ready in less time. They are versatile and can adapt to many cuisines. They are delightfully sweet and just the right amount of bland so that they take well to whatever you choose to dress them with.DIGITAL CAMERA

Where I live, we are landlocked and fresh shrimp are usually an unattainable luxury. Fortunately, there are many varieties of frozen shrimp available and some of them are quite good. It is a little “you get what you pay for” and a lot ” buy the ones that taste best to you.” I found the ones that I like best at Aldi. They are Jumbo E-Z Peel and come in a 12 ounce bag. Once they thaw and you peel and devein them you wind up with about 9 ounces of delicious shrimp which in Mama D’s book feeds two people very nicely.DIGITAL CAMERAMy current favorite way to prepare shrimp is to marinate them in olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic and pepper flakes.DIGITAL CAMERA In recent adventures I have taken these marvelously marinated morsels to the grill. DIGITAL CAMERAI skewered and broiled them for Christmas Eve dinner too, but my current favorite way to cook them is to roast them in the oven. This is quick and easy and with a foil lined baking sheet easy to clean up.DIGITAL CAMERARoasting the shrimp only takes about four minutes. The result is perfectly tender and subtly pink bites of heaven.DIGITAL CAMERA

The inspiration for this dish came from a recipe in Cooking Light Magazine. I took their recipe for Roasted Shrimp and White Beans and ran with it. It started and ended much like the recipe, but I took some liberties, well a lot of liberties, in the middle. I used cannellini beans and red onion  just like the recipe.DIGITAL CAMERA I added some garlic, well a lot of garlic, and a few red pepper flakes.This mirrored the marinade ingredients. I added some dry vermouth and sliced Kalamata olives. My herb of choice was basil and I used the juice and zest of  a whole lemon for extra zing. I garnished with crumbled feta cheese much as the original recipe called for.

This resulted in a side that was the ideal compliment to the shrimp. It was a plate of love with the kiss of the Mediterranean.DIGITAL CAMERAFeel free to adapt this to your own taste. Other herbs like mint or parsley would be great. Adjust the amount of lemon to match the amount of pucker you like. Go ahead and use more pepper flakes or leave them out. I’d really like you to make this your own.

Roasted Shrimp with Cannellini Beans Olives and Feta
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Servings
2
Servings
2
Roasted Shrimp with Cannellini Beans Olives and Feta
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Servings
2
Servings
2
Ingredients
Shrimp and Marinade
Beans
Servings:
Instructions
Shrimp
  1. Place the shrimp that have been well dried in a container with a lid.
  2. Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the shrimp and stir to coat the shrimp evenly with the marinade. Allow to marinate for at least 20 minutes and as long as 4 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the foil generously with olive oil cooking spray. Place the shrimp on the sheet in a single layer making sure that they do not touch.
  4. Bake for 4 minutes. Shrimp should be translucent and pink. Remove from oven and keep warm.
Beans
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large fry pan. Add the red onion and cook 5 minutes until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook another minute.
  2. Add the beans to the pan. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook for another minute.
  3. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and Kalamata olives. Cook another minute or two. Add the basil and toss to combine.
  4. Divide the bean mixture between two plates. Divide the shrimp between the two plates.
  5. Top each serving of the beans with half of the feta cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired and serve.
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All this needs is a salad, and perhaps some crusty bread. Never fear if you don’t have either, it’s wonderful on its own.

If shrimp are on the menu, can Spring be far behind? I hope so… Love, Mama D

Reflections on My Trip Around the Sun and Some Recipe Links

Years ago, when I was a Montessori teacher, we celebrated each child’s birthday with a symbolic trip around the sun, making one circle around a candle for each year of the child’s age. They were preschoolers so it only took a few minutes to complete every trip they’d made so far. There were a handful of accomplishments for each year; learning to walk, starting school, you get the picture.

Ceremonies aside, every year we each complete a trip around the sun. It begins and ends on our birthday. Everything we experienced in those 365(or so) days makes up what we have to celebrate. As I’ve done every year, I’m taking time to look back and reflect on how my most recent trip was. I must say that this year was really something. It was filled with more change 026and discovery than any of my other trips. That says a lot since I’ve had far more trips around the sun than I care to remember.

A new job, a newly retired husband, a new home, and a new grandson were the big stories last year. It was a year that saw me taking charge of my health and thus embracing healthier cooking adventures. I’ve included some of my favorite adventures here. Click on the red links to visit/ re-visit them.

A fabulous trip to the Bay Area resulted in some great pictures and a wonderful grilled vegetable adventure.San Francisco 2014 140

My search for healthier burger alternatives led me to experiment with turkey and beans. I loved the Black Bean Burger that was a delicious and nutritious result.DIGITAL CAMERASoups featured prominently this year. From decadent and rich to light and healthy they ran the gambit. I think my favorite was the Gazpacho. It was fresh and crunchy and tasted like summer in a glass.DIGITAL CAMERAGrilling has always been one of my favorite ways to cook. I shared lots of recipes that were partly or totally created on the grill. One of the best combined grilled chicken and asparagus with pasta. Don’t wait until summer to try Farfalle with Grilled Chicken and AsparagusDIGITAL CAMERAThere have been many Meatless Monday recipes some designated as such, some not. A new favorite that was a take off on an old camping dish was Vegetable Hash with Toads in the Hole. I love the fact that the choice of vegetables can be tailored to what is the freshest of the fresh.DIGITAL CAMERAThere were lots of other favorites that I enjoyed re-visiting myself. If you haven’t been there, check out the recipe page. It’s as easy as clicking on RECIPE at the top left of the Home Page.

I’m ready for my next trip around the sun. I learned from the last one that no matter what you encounter as my mother always said, “Everything happens for the best.” I believe that the best is yet to come.

Turkey, The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Back around Thanksgiving, the bus company that I work for gave me (and every other employee) a frozen turkey. This kind gesture is a throwback to another era when employees were given a token of appreciation at the holidays for the work they did. That turkey or ham might have meant that a family could have a real holiday dinner. Today we are more jaded and some of us are better off so that a small turkey seems like small potatoes (sorry, odd analogy) to some. Still, it is 12 pounds more  turkey than I have ever received from any other company I’ve worked for.

The gift turkey had resided in my rather small freezer since then and the time had come to allow it to do more than take up space. So, not long ago, I thawed it and prepared it to give my family the gift of roast turkey. I prepared it simply stuffing it with lemons and onions fresh thyme and garlic. I rubbed it inside, outside and under the skin with smoked paprika herb butter. It emerged golden brown and yielded moist meat that our family enjoyed casually in shifts. This was definitely not a traditional turkey dinner. Twice Baked Potatoes and Broccoli Slaw were the only accompaniments. More than a little “picking” took place and I personally enjoyed my share standing next to the stove.

The thing about turkey is there is a lot of it. Even a small bird offers many meals. While we have enjoyed the sandwiches, pot pie, and continued “picking,” the carcass, those skeletal remains, is perhaps the best gift of all. A bit of meat, some skin, and of course those bones wherein the flavor lies are waiting to transform on the stove.DIGITAL CAMERA That’s why Mama D made turkey stock. I’ve shared recipes for chicken and vegetable stock before and the process for turkey stock isn’t all that different except maybe for needing a bigger pot. A mirepoix is sweat in a soup pot.DIGITAL CAMERA Then water, heat, and time work their magic and stock is born.DIGITAL CAMERAWhile the straining process isn’t pretty, it is necessary as is a cool down, to allow the fat to rise leaving golden goodness. To accomplish this, I used my large “walk out” refrigerator.DIGITAL CAMERAThe resulting stock was divided into manageable portions, and the next layer of the gift of turkey began.

One gift that I particularly enjoyed was a wonderful Turkey Sausage Soup. I was in the mood for something with a little spicy Southwestern feel, so I started with some spicy smoked turkey sausageDIGITAL CAMERA and added a bit of jalapeno and the requisite onions and garlic. Black beans and red bell peppers further enhanced the flavor profile. For a little twist on ingredients, I added some roasted sweet potato. I roasted it and added it to the soup near the end of cooking so that it would keep more of its flavor and texture.DIGITAL CAMERAI relied on a good bit of cumin and a modest amount of ancho chili powder to season the soup. This would be great with any chili powder that you like and you can make it as spicy (or not) as you want. That’s the beauty of soup. some aromatic vegetables, good stock and your imagination result in a pot of goodness that warms the body, soul, and heart. DIGITAL CAMERA I finished the soup with lime juice and topped it with a few home-baked tortilla strips (Cut corn tortillas in strips and lay on a baking sheet coat lightly with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake 7 minutes at 325 degrees, turn, repeat the spray and salt routine and bake for 7 minutes more.) and some avocado. This was good lovin’ in a bowl that was even better the next day.

Spicy Turkey Sausage Soup
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Spicy Turkey Sausage Soup
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Spray a small baking pan with cooking spray and add the sweet potato cubes. Spray the cubes lightly with cooking spray and roast in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until the cubes are lightly browned and tender. Set aside.
  2. While the potatoes are cooking, cut the sausage in half lengthwise then slice into 1/2 inch half moons. Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan.
  3. Add the sausage moons and toss to coat. Cook for 7 minutes or so until the sausage begins to brown. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon leaving the drippings in the pan.
  4. Add the onions to the pan and stir to coat with the drippings. Cook for 5 minutes until the onion begins to soften and brown.
  5. Add the peppers and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes or so. The peppers should begin to soften and the garlic should be fragrant. Use a very small amount of the stock if things get too dry.
  6. Return the sausage to the pan. Add the cumin and chili powder. Cook and stir for 2 - 3 minutes. Pour in the stock. Bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes or so.
  7. Add the reserved sweet potato and the drained beans to the pot and cook over low heat another 10 minutes. Squeeze the juice of the lime into the soup. Stir and taste to adjust the seasonings.
  8. Ladle into four soup bowls. Top with a few tortilla chips and some avocado cubes and serve.
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The turkey will live on to bestow more gifts of love since there are several more bags of stock in the freezer. I don’t know what they will turn into, but I will think of that kind gesture of the gift of turkey when I use them.

 

A New Year, a New Grill and a New Panzanella Salad

When one reaches a certain age, the excitement over Christmas presents diminishes somewhat. It truly becomes a situation of it being better to give than to receive. That’s where we are. We lavished (as much as two people on fixed incomes can) gifts on our children and grandchildren, and enjoyed the glow of their happiness.

We have wonderful children who are raising wonderful children of their own. They were both thoughtful and generous in the gifts that they gave us. One son gave us a dinner at a small cafe in the city because he knows that we love going into Chicago and discovering out-of-the-way places to eat. The other son knew that one of the things we’ve missed most with our smaller home is grilling out. If you’ve been following my adventures over the last year or so, you know that grilling is our cooking method of choice much of the time. So imagine our delight at receiving a small grill from him for Christmas.DIGITAL CAMERA

While this grill is small, it gives us a platform to resume our favored cooking method. It meets the guidelines for the complex we live in and has ample space to grill enough food to feed two people very well. We’ve used this more than a few times since we’ve received it. Steaks and turkey tenderloin have turned out well, even though my husband, Jeff is virtually cooking in the dark. (note to self…buy a lantern or some kind of outdoor light source).

DIGITAL CAMERAOur latest team effort was some wonderful pork steak. I created aDIGITAL CAMERA smoky rub and Jeff worked his magic on the grill. In what turned out to be a genius touch, I topped each steak with Apple Cinnamon Goat Cheese. It added another dimension to the pork steak and complimented the smokey rich meat beautifully. This is most likely a seasonal item at Trader Joe’s that will be gone by the time I get back there, but there’s always next year.

As we get a better feel for what the grill is capable of, we’ll expand our grilling repertoire to include side dishes. For now, the oven has been a marvelous platform for healthy sides. A recent salad that tweaked the summer favorite, Panzanella is the perfect case in point. We’ve been having a serious love affair with roasted brussels sprouts. We often roast them to golden goodness with bacon, but a new year and a return to healthier choices caused me to choose red onions and colored bell peppers instead. DIGITAL CAMERAThey didn’t miss the bacon, and honestly, neither did we. Panzanella is after all, bread salad, so bread had to join the fun. I opted for some sour dough that had seen fresher days.DIGITAL CAMERA Cubed and lightly coated with olive oil spray it was helped along by a quick toast in the oven, to get ready to absorb the bounty to come. DIGITAL CAMERAA simple vinaigrette with white balsamic and lemon juice was a perfect partner.DIGITAL CAMERA Some mini heirloom tomatoes were tossed in to give it a touch of the traditional panzanella.DIGITAL CAMERA The result was a side that perfectly complimented the grilled pork.DIGITAL CAMERAThis turned out so well that I plan to create other panzanella salads this winter. There are lots of veggies and many varieties of bread out there that would undoubtedly love to get together in a salad bowl. 

Roasted Brussels Sprout Panzanella
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Panzanella salad in the winter? Absolutely! Roast your favorite veggies and toss them with your favorite bread and dressing. Who needs summer?
Servings
4
Servings
4
Roasted Brussels Sprout Panzanella
Print Recipe
Panzanella salad in the winter? Absolutely! Roast your favorite veggies and toss them with your favorite bread and dressing. Who needs summer?
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Dressing
Salad
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or shake in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Set aside
  2. Place the bread cubes in a baking pan. Spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray and toss to coat evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes until the cubes are dry, crisp and just barely browned. Place in a large serving bowl.
  3. Combine the Brussels sprouts, red onion, and bell pepper in a large roasting pan. Add the tablespoon of olive oil and the salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
  4. Roast at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes. The veggies should be tender and lightly browned. Pour the vegetables and any liquid over the bread cubes and toss to combine.
  5. Pour the dressing over the mixture in the serving bowl and toss to coat.
  6. Add the tomato halves and toss once more. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Toss again and serve at room temperature.
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Try this basic recipe and come up with your own bread salad. One can’t live by bread alone, but it does make life more delicious.

 

 

Reflections on Christmas Present

While the magical glow of Christmas is still in the air, the knowledge that the holiday season is slowly winding down and a new year is on the horizon is creeping into my mind. This is a time of reflection. It’s more than what worked and what may have seen its last Christmas appearance though that will be given some thought. It’s the deeper emotional experience of the holiday season. This was a year that just by the nature of the changes that life has given us was cause for a deeper feeling of joy and gratitude.

DIGITAL CAMERAIt was a year of family getting bigger and home getting smaller.Scan_Pic0061 Job descriptions changed along with our address. While many changes were joyous, others were startling, causing major adjustment to thought and life style. As my mother always said, “Everything happens for the best” and in Mama D’s Kitchen and life that has proven true. I’m grateful for every change because it brought new insight into what really matters. Love and family are the most important things. What ever needs to be done to enhance that is one’s life path.

This year the holidays seemed to get here at warp speed. The baking happened, but at such a rapid pace that picture-taking became an afterthought. One newcomer (or I should say two) was added because it could be made in 10 minutes or so. It yielded a generous amount of goodness that was welcomed far and wide. “Bark” is a  decadent confection that features virtually anything mixed into melted chocolate. The mixture chills for an hour or so and is then broken into pieces. My maiden voyage included two versions taken from Kraft Recipes. One featured white chocolate with dried fruits and pistachio nuts that lived up to its name, Jewel. The other blended white and semisweet chocolate with pretzels and peanuts creating a sweet and salty treat. Check out these recipes and get your own inspiration This was so easy and yummy that I see many more variations in my future.DIGITAL CAMERAWhile I don’t have many pictures of the cookies I made, I do have a Holiday recipe that I came up with that is worth sharing. It uses the flavors of the season and pairs beautifully with the heartier holiday fare that comes along at this time of year. Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash are joined by Cheddar Cranberry Cheese. This cheese is a seasonal item at both Trader Joe’s and Aldi. It may be carried at some Delis as well. It was wonderful on the Christmas Eve cheese tray and was fabulous in this gratin.

DIGITAL CAMERASo, these three stars were joined by red onions, rosemary, and thyme.DIGITAL CAMERA

The onions were sautéed in butter and as a last-minute thought some dried cranberries came along for the ride. The herbs went in and everything took a “milk bath” as the sauce came together. I used a combination of 2% milk and fat-free half and half, but  cream would be wonderfully naughty.DIGITAL CAMERAI added plenty of grated cheeseDIGITAL CAMERAand when everything was beautifully co-mingling I poured it over the squash and sweets.DIGITAL CAMERAIt baked in the oven under a foil cover for about 35 minutes or so. Then a final layer of cheese was added.DIGITAL CAMERAA few more minutes in the oven and  the gratin transformed into golden brown deliciousness.DIGITAL CAMERA

This would be a wonderful side dish for any Fall or Winter holiday meal. It could even be a wonderful main dish for two on a cold Winter’s night… and it was.

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Gratin
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The perfect holiday side dish that can also be a vegetarian main dish.
Servings
4
Servings
4
Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Gratin
Print Recipe
The perfect holiday side dish that can also be a vegetarian main dish.
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Slice the squash and sweet potatoes in similar sized slices. Layer in a Gratin dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a medium fry pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook stirring occasionally until the onions soften and just begin to brown.
  3. Add the dried cranberries and the herb leaves and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in the Wondra flour and continue stirring and cooking for another 2 minutes. Do not let the roux brown.
  4. Stir the milk in slowly and continue to stir until it is smoothly incorporated. Continue cooking, stirring frequently until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat.
  5. Immediately add 3/4 cup of the grated cheese and stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Pour over the squash and potatoes, spreading to evenly cover the top.
  6. Cover with foil and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or so. Check that the potatoes and squash are tender.
  7. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top and return to the oven uncovered. Bake another 10 minutes or so. The top should be golden brown and the sauce should be bubbling.
  8. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
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The holiday season is slowly winding down. I’m always a little sad to see it end. This year I’m planning on keeping the warm feelings and abiding love in my heart for as long as I can. Christmas is after all, a state of mind. I hope your hearts stay filled with the Christmas spirit, too.