Shrimp with Lemon, Feta, and Capers over Orzo

Have you checked out Thyme for Cooking? Katie is an American living in France with her husband who is remodeling the old house they live in; great food, audacious stories and hilarity is always guaranteed! (check out her rants against the thieving bunnies or any of the funny life stories, worth at least a chuckle but often a belly laugh will erupt. And great food!

I didn't even have to see a picture to know I would make this dish; combining almost all of my favorite ingredients of shrimp, oregano, olives, capers and feta, this was a done deal. Best of all, it was practically a pantry meal which I whipped up in less than 30 minutes (take that Rachel Ray!) For those of you who fear this is too many briney ingredients for one dish, let me assure you that my sweet-palated diners loved it.

Fresh Mozzarella Pizza with Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce

 

Ahhh, pizza, the true love of my life. It comforts and soothes me after a rough day, makes me feel warm and gooey on the inside, and conjures up so many happy memories. Offer me a slice from anywhere and I will probably eat it but some of the best pizza is made in my own kitchen.

Making a homemade pizza sauce can be very time consuming - hours of simmering on the back burner, if you choose - or as quick as 30 minutes. When I'm looking for comfort food the 30 minute option always wins. Pizza really is so forgiving because the magical combination of bread, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese is so miraculous; for me it is one of the most perfect food combinations, ever. Period.

Braised Red Cabbage with Cranberries and Mint

Red cabbage is high up on my list of seductive vegetables along with eggplant, red bell peppers and artichokes. It's color is so vibrant and beautiful that sometimes I wonder if I buy it just to look at it in my basket. Luckily I love how it tastes as well!

Most often red cabbage finds itself in my salads or as part of a coleslaw, traditional or Asian style. But occasionally I cook it up and then its brilliant hue becomes even more vibrant before it transitions to indigo. It always astounds me what colors are found in nature!

Beet and Orange Salad with Feta and Mint

Beets are the quintessential root - earthy and rich and sweet and potent - depending on how you prepare them. Simple preparations are my favorite and adding the oranges in this case with the mint and feta created a perfect harmony. These are naval oranges, rather than the blood oranges I have been featuring lately. The beet juice simply "bled" on them a bit, lending a bloody orange appearance.

As the citrus season comes to a close (and presumably the beet season as well, if you have been cellaring them since the fall!) this is an excellent way to pay tribute to both orbs. I was feeling sort of Moroccan-ish when I was cooking up the beets, hence the feta and mint. A preserved lemon vinaigrette was a possibility but I decided simplicity would rule the day.

Decadently Simple Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli is much loved by my family. We eat it steamed, roasted, hot, room temperature or chilled. Generally all we require is salt, olive oil and pepper, and deliciousness ensues. But once in a while, you need to dress it up, kind of like pulling those designer shoes out of the closet and showing them off. That is where this recipe comes in handy.

Roasted broccoli and garlic, tossed with lemon juice and zest, and dusted with parmesan cheese. Magic in your mouth! While this recipe is originally Ina Garten's (aka The Barefoot Contessa), I followed the paired down version that The Amateur Gourmet offered, who left out the toasted pine nuts and shredded fresh basil. No doubt the dish would not suffer from these additions but I can attest most fervently that it certainly shone despite their absence!

Tagliatelle with Green Herb Pistou

One of my favorite vegetables is...flat leaf parsley. I know it is technically an herb and not a vegetable, but in my kitchen it gets treated like a green. I use it equally as a base for salads or as a garnish or base for a pasta sauce. Ounce per ounce it has more iron than kale, and is packed with important minerals and vitamins - potassium, calcium, manganese, and magnesium in addition to vitamins A, C and most of the Bs - as well as being a great source of anti-oxidants. But the truth is, I love it for the taste!

I buy a bunch of it at least once a week and sometimes that isn't enough. Along with cilantro, it is the green that you will always find in my refrigerator. But if you are not a certified parsley lover like myself, there are lots of ways to prepare it to get all of the benefits without having to chew on it like a rabbit, as I am known to do!