Shrimp with Tomatoes, Feta and Parsley

Looking through the 101 Classic Recipes of Saveur magazine I found the familiar recipe for shrimp made with tomatoes, feta and parsley. I have made something similar before and recall it was very easy to make. So yesterday I made the Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta using Saveur's recipe as a guide. I skipped hot green chile and ouzo - my husband does not like it. Here is how I made it.



Ingredients:

2/3 lb of large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
4 oz of feta, cut in small pieces
1/2 of white onion, chopped
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

1. Turn your oven broiler on. In an ovenproof large pot (I use my Le Creuset) heat up 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil, add onion and on medium heat saute until soft, about 3 minutes. In a large bowl crush tomatoes with your hands and add them to the onions. Mix and salt and pepper to taste. Cook tomatoes on medium heat until sauce become thick (about 15-20 minutes). Stir once in a while. Add shrimp and cook them turning once about 4 minutes total.

2. Next sprinkle feta on top and put a pot without a lid into the oven. Broil for about 3.5 minutes. Take out and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve and eat.

Asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto

This is a great appetizer dish or if you want a main dish. To make it wash and trim asparagus. In a large pot heat up water until it is boiling, add asparagus and turn the heat off. Let asparagus cook in hot water for about 1.5 minutes (or a bit more depending on thickness). Take asparagus out and submerge into a large bowl filled with iced water. This is called blanching. Next wrap prosciutto around asparagus.

Risotto with Peas and Shiitake Mushrooms

The other night I found myself wondering what I could do with shiitake mushrooms and sugar snap peas. There was nothing else in the fridge - no protein and I did not feel like a stir fry. Risotto popped into my head. And I made it. It came out superb so I made it again last night and we all enjoyed it. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

For Risotto
1 cup of arborio rice
4 cups of chicken stock (I used low sodium but regular will be just fine)
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 lb of sugar snap peas, only peas!
1/4 cup of white wine
1 tablespoon of cold butter
Salt 
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

For Mushrooms
1 lb of shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

 Preparation:

1. Mix mushrooms with Olive Oil and roast in the oven at 450F for about 25-30 minutes turning once or twice.

2. To make risotto you need two pots: one for risotto and one for stock to keep it hot. In a pot heat up chicken stock until boiling, reduce heat to low. In a separate pot fry shallots in Olive Oil for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat, add arborio rice, stir and deglaze with white wine. Let cook for a minute or so. 

3. Now it is time to add chicken stock. The key is to keep the stock warm/hot. Add just enough chicken stock to cover the rice and let it cook until all stock is absorbed, then add more chicken stock again just enough to cover the rice, repeat until rice is almost done. Stir occasionally. Taste for salt. With low sodium chicken stock I had to add some salt with regular I did not. 

4. Once rice is almost cooked add peas, stir, cover with a lid and turn the heat off. Let stand for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes add cold butter to hold it together and stir. Risotto is ready to be served. 

5. To plate put risotto on a plate, add shiitake mushrooms on top and garnish with shaved fresh asparagus. If wanted, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!