A Stellar Standby: Buttery Shrimp Pasta with Garlic and Lemon

We all have our culinary standbys. . . those tried-and-true recipes we can make in our sleep. Tasty dishes that use simple ingredients, yet taste worthy of being on a restaurant menu. They're our favorites and our family's favorites -- the ones on our short list of what to make if someone special is coming to dinner. Although, here at Chez Gourmess, everyone who eats at our table is considered special and worthy of a delightful meal.

You've heard me moan and groan about Chris's disdain for eating pasta for dinner (something about not eating carbs at the end of the day, blah, blah, blah, etc.), so on the off chance we can eat early, I of course make pasta. One of our favorites -- an old standby -- is a lovely shrimp pasta that I've been making for years. Imagine if you will, a bowl of pasta piled high with plump, wild shrimp covered in a bright, buttery sauce bursting with lemon, garlic, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Yum! I should note that I really like using a whole grain pasta in this recipe -- it adds a nutty flavor that's a nice complement to the other ingredients, plus Chris doesn't seem to grumble as much if I point out that I'm using healthy pasta. This pasta dish pairs perfectly with a glass of crisp white wine (try a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Chablis) and a green salad, if you feel like making one.

I've posted the recipe before, but I'll recap it again here.  Because it's worth sharing again and I do revise it a little each time.

Gourmess' Shrimp Pasta

1 13-14 oz. box whole wheat/multi-grain spaghetti

1 lb large, raw shrimp*

1 1/2 -2 cups mixed vegetables (peas/carrots)

1 TBS olive oil, plus more for serving

3 garlic cloves (minced)

Red pepper flakes

Juice of 1 small lemon

1 tsp garlic powder

Kosher salt

3 TBS unsalted butter

Italian-seasoned bread crumbs 

Fresh ground black pepper

2 TBS fresh parsley and basil, minced

*Note: I used extra-jumbo wild Patagonian shrimp since that's what was in the fridge. 

Minimal MESS/ingredients/clean-up: Category 2

To Do:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil, add in pasta and cook for about 7-9  minutes, or until it's al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid, then drain -- but do not rinse. Cover with a lid to keep warm. 
• Make sure your shrimp is deveined (take out the black intestinal line) and remove any shells/tails. Rinse with cold water and pat dry. Chop into bite-sized pieces if extra large, otherwise leave whole. Set aside, but keep chilled. 
• If using frozen veggies, thaw them in a colander. Note: I used frozen peas, but I peeled and diced 3 medium-sized carrots because I had some and I prefer them to frozen carrots.
• Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  When the rim of your pan is hot, add the garlic and reduce the heat. Sauté until soft -- do not let it brown.  If using fresh carrots, add them to the pan and cook until tender crisp.
• Add a couple shakes of red pepper flakes to the pan along with the lemon juice, garlic powder, and a couple pinches of salt. Stir in the butter and the reserved pasta water.
• Add the shrimp and peas and cover the pan, cooking over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until the shrimp is pink and both it and the peas are heated through. Remove from heat, but keep covered.
• Grab a large serving bowl and add the pasta, then the shrimp and veggies. Toss until incorporated and then add a TBS or so of bread crumbs and toss again. 
• Do the "fork test" -- twirl a bunch of the pasta and a piece of shrimp on a fork and take a bite. If it needs more salt, or perhaps a drizzle of olive oil,  add it now.
• Scoop into bowls, and top with pepper and the fresh herbs before serving to your smiling guests.

xoxo

Harissa Holiday

It's beginning to feel a lot like vacation!

Chris and I depart tomorrow -- Morocco here we come! I cannot wait for our culinary adventure of North Africa to begin!

We went to a local, authentic Moroccan restaurant this weekend for a preview of what's to come and well, are we in for a treat! Sweet, smoky spices, briny olives, bowls of nutty couscous, falling-off the bone lamb, succulent seafood, glasses of hot mint tea with honey--and bright red dollops of the spicy/salty traditional condiment, harissa.

To keep us in the mood (and because I received one last CSA box that I wasn't expecting) I decided to make a lovely Moroccan stew with beets, radishes, buttercup squash, potatoes, yams, lemon, chickpeas and raisins.

CSA Bliss: Check out that giant china rose radish, the red beets and buttercup squash!

I typed in "beets, radish, squash" into my search engine and this recipe for a Moroccan-style stew popped up, so I used it as my starting point and then tweaked it. Instead of preserved lemons, I halved and seeded about three large lemons and cooked everything using my slow-cooker (set to 6 hours), adding the chickpeas during the last hour of cooking. I also added potatoes and yams to the ingredients, since I wanted a heartier version. The beets and harissa turned everything a lovely reddish-orange color, perfect for the holidays! (Don't worry, the beet stains on your hands will go away when you do the dishes.)

Chris declared it delicious and I had to agree -- it was tasty. We drank a lovely, dry Riesling to accompany it. Yum and yum.

Hearty Harissa Stew
Ingredients:
1 (1 1/2-pound) buttercup or butternut squash
1 pound radishes (2 large china rose variety, otherwise use about 2 bunches regular)
4 large potatoes
2 large yams
1 pound beets (about 3 large)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon paprika (I like smoked)
2 teaspoon garlic powder
5 TBS harissa
2 TBS honey
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup raisins (golden or regular)
3 large lemons, halved and seeded, plus the zest from 1 lemon
1 (15-ounce can) chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups couscous
3/4 cup squash seeds, toasted
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

To Do:

• Peel, halve, and remove the seeds from the squash, reserving 3/4 cup of seeds for later. Chop into large chunks. Place in bottom of slow cooker crock.

• Remove stem from radishes (peel if needed) and chop into medium-size chunks. Place in slow cooker.
• Peel and chop potato, yam and beets into medium sized chunks and add to pot. (Do beets last or your cutting board/knife will stain everything else red.)
• Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add onion, garlic and shallot, stirring until tender. Add to them, the salt, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, harissa and honey and heat through, then transfer to slow cooker.

• Add the chicken stock, raisins and lemons and 1/2 the zest to the slow cooker pot and stir gently to combine everything.

• Set slow cooker to 6 hour setting.
• After 5 hours, stir in the chickpeas.
• When you have 30 minutes left, chop the cilantro. Also, clean the squash seeds and then toast in a pan until browned/popping. Make the couscous according to the package directions. (I toast my couscous in olive oil, stirring it in the pot until it browned, and then cook it -- makes a big difference.)

• When the slow cooker turns off, scoop a few spoonfuls into a small bowl and test the seasonings. You may want to add a bit more salt and/or spices. Also, be sure to remove the lemons.

• To serve: Place a mound of couscous in the middle of a large bowl. Top with the stewed veggies and sprinkle with seeds, the remaining zest and the cilantro. 

Delish!

May your holidays be filled with good food, family, friends and fun!
I'll return to cookery in January.
xoxo

Oven-Roasted Cod with Tomatoes, Olives, Capers, Garlic, and Lemon

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.

 --Julia Child

I think I've mentioned this dish or something similar to it in the past -- but I can't help post about it again. It is my go-to for a quick, no-fuss way to create an elegant and tasty fish dish.  

I had some cod handy, but you can use any other white fish -- halibut, bass, trout, snapper, tilapia, etc. (I wouldn't use salmon or tuna for this, as you want to use a fish that doesn't have a strong flavor.)  Also, a thick fillet is better than thin, as the pieces will break apart -- but a thin fillet will still taste terrific, so go with what you have in your fridge/freezer.  

There's not really a recipe for this dish, but here are the basics: 

To Do:

• Roughly chop: 2-3 ripe tomatoes and 1 lemon (include the rind, remove any large seeds) and put in a medium-sized bowl.  
• Add in 3-4 gloves of garlic (mince one and lightly smash the others), 1/4 cup of capers (drained), and about 3/4 cup of olives (I like a mix of green and black, and pitted is nice, but not necessary), also drained. 
• Dice 1/4 stick of butter into cubes and add to the mix.  
• Stir these ingredients all together gently, add a bit of salt/pepper and some parsley, and set aside so it can get a bit juicy from the tomatoes.

• In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a roasting pan with olive oil cooking spray.  
• Prep your fish by checking for any bones, cutting into uniform pieces if necessary, and patting dry (if was frozen).  

• Place the fish in the pan and top with the tomato mixture.  Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over everything and pop in the oven for about 30 minutes -- until the fish is flaky and the tomatoes are soft.  

I had some baby spinach on hand, so I sautéed it and seasoned with a bit of olive oil and garlic powder and used that as the bed for my fish.  You can also serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or couscous.  Or, just serve it on its own--but have some crusty bread nearby, as it is nice to sop up the juices with something.  Note: Remove the lemons before plating and if your olives have pits, provide your guests with a small bowl where they can discreetly drop them.   :)

The result  of this wee bit of effort is a lemony, briny, buttery, fabulous fish dish that doesn't taste fishy.  And, served with a light green salad and crisp glass of white wine, it makes for a lovely summer meal.

Enjoy!

xoxoxoxo