Chapter One Take Out

Chris had a brilliant idea for dinner. Take out! It was actually nice to have a Saturday and not have to fix dinner. Almost as good as going out to eat.

He picked a place in Guilford we had not tried. Chapter One. I was amazed at how delicious dinner was.

We ordered an app, Foccacia Bruschetta. The nut-free pesto was perfect.

I had a dinner that I can not believe I have never had before. Shrimp and Grits. OMG. I love shrimp and I LOVE grits. Add bacon and cheese and what a happy meal that was. And the portion was huge. I know what lunch will be on at least Monday, maybe Tuesday too!

Chris had the Texas Beef Brisket. He did not even need a knife because it was so tender.

We also got an order of the Mac and Cheese. We are saving that for tomorrow night. 

Linguine with Shrimp and Sausage

I opened the the freezer today and took out a 1/2 bag of frozen shrimp and a 1/2 package of al fresco Sweet Italian Style with Red and Green Peppers. Then I did some recipe searching and I found this recipe on Epicurious.com.

It was delicious. The lemon kept it light and I can not stress the importance of saving pasta water. I added quite a bit to keep the dish from becoming too dry. We both loved tonight's dinner.

This is my version of Linguine with Shrimp and Sausage-

Ingredients-
1/2 Lb Linguine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2.5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 Lb shrimp peeled & deveined
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 rounds of thinly sliced lemon
a pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 al fresco Sweet Italian Style with Red and Green Peppers links sliced 1/4 inch

Method-
Cook Linguine. While the pasta is cooking saute sausage until heated through. Remove to plate. Add butter to pan with olive oil, add shrimp and saute for about 4-5 minutes, stir to cook through. Add salt and red pepper to pan with lemon juice, lemon slices and most of the parsley. Return cooked sausage to pan with cooked linguine to finish. Add a little pasta water if the pasta looks dry*. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve.

* A splash of white wine could also be added. And maybe a knob of butter.

Gamberi Coi Fagioli, Shrimp and Beans

It has been awhile since we have had this for dinner. Chris had one comment. And that was that this was delicious. My work is done. Good night everyone.

From Every Night Italian by Giuliano Hazan, Gamberi Coi Fagioli, Shrimp and Beans -

Ingredients-
1 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced crosswise
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound)
1 1/2 cup drained canned cranberry or cannellini beans
6 to 8 fresh sage leaves
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley
salt
fresh ground pepper

Method-

Put the onion and 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet and place over medium heat. Sauté until the onion turns a rich golden color.
While the onion is sautéing unravel the pancetta and cut into strips about 1 inch long and 1/8 inch thick. Peel and devein the shrimp.
Add the pancetta to the onion and cook until it begins to color lightly, then add the beans and sage and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
When you are ready to serve, put the garlic and remaining tbsp olive oil in a clean skillet and place over high heat. Begin reheating the beans over low heat, if necessary. Sauté the garlic until it begins to color, then remove the cloves and discard them. Add the shrimp and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the wine and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Cook the shrimp until they turn completely pink, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Toss the beans and shrimp together and serve at once with a good crusty bread.

Skillet Shrimp with Couscous

I have the Martha Steward's Everyday Food App on my iTouch and yesterday's recipe caught my eye. It was hard not to eat every drop of this. Click here for the recipe.

Shrimp and Beans, Gamberi Coi Fagioli

Tonight's recipe is from Giuliano Hazan's Every Night Italian. This is a wonderful cookbook. And this recipe is perfect. The shrimp and beans and bits of pancetta!

For a side dish I found a salad recipe on Food52. Celery Root & Rocket Salad with Lemon, Capers & Parmesan.


I had never purchased celery root before. I was surprised by what it looked like. It reminded me of a skull. But I loved the taste. It was a great salad.

The Simplest, Best Shrimp Dish Ever

Tonight we had The Simplest, Best Shrimp Dish Ever. Really that is the name and yes it is simple and really good. I got the recipe from the Mark Bittman Blog.

As a side dish I made, from the Smitten Kitchen, Spring Panzanella. It is such a pretty dish. And it too was very good. Also has some Roasted Cauliflower which was almost eaten before dinner.