Shrimp with Capers, Lemon and Feta on Orzo

Welcome to February, everyone! I don't know about you, but things are finally starting to settle back into a familar pattern around here. The holidays are over, my decorations are down and we are all looking forward to the next school bread with spring.

As always, I love fitting new, shiny recipes into our weekly meal plan. Today's recipe combines all my favorite flavors, from the lemony orzo, to the salt capers and feta... and of course, the shrimp! I don't fix shrimp at home often, it is not my husband's favorite, but I really should use them more. I love how fast and easy they are to work with.

I had a really hard time keeping quiet about this recipe. My Secret Recipe Club assignment for February with Thyme for Cooking Blog arrived in December and I was tickled that she had several drool-worthy shrimp recipes listed. We took a short break from posting with the group for the holidays, but it is back and I hope you will be as excited about this recipe as I was.

Katie's blog is full of amazing looking dishes with great instructions and fun personal stories. I was immediately drawn to her seafood section and would love to try her Shrimp in Green Garlic Sauce and Shrimp and Spinach Pie soon. But ultimately I decided to go with her Shrimp with Capers, Lemon and Feta on Orzo recipe.

It just happened to contain all my favorites. How could I not make it?

Katie is also a world traveler, and I really enjoyed reading her stories about navigating life in France. It reminded me of my own experiences abroad with cultural differences and hospital stays.

One small change was made (unintentionally) to Katie's original recipe. Though I would have made her recipe as written, I had to make a last-minute substitute. Her recipe called for red bell peppers and when I went to grab mine from the crisper drawer, they had all gone bad.

I am always irked when that happens this time of year.

Lately my youngest, who is almost 3, has been a real terror on shopping days. The worst experience was when he decided it was funny to scream the entire time we were in the grocery store! Oh, the horror! He wasn't upset or mad, he is just really interested in getting reactions out of strangers these days. So he screamed and screamed.

It worked perfectly for him, too. Every. Single. Stranger. Looked. So he continued to scream and smile and laugh from aisle to aisle.

I was mortified!

So, I have been trying to keep my shopping trips to a minimum. My husband has been traveling most weekends, so it is just me and the kids. Last minute trips to the store are not really an option. I try to grab everything I need for the week and if something goes bad, I find an alternative.

To preserve the need for color in this dish, and keep the Mediterranean flavor, I went with grape tomatoes. It did add a nice burst of flavor with the lemon and salty ingredients. I tossed them in last so they were warm but still firm.

If you decide to give this dish a try, which I sincerely hope you do, I would suggest using either the red bell peppers or grape tomatoes as fit your own tastes ... or crisper drawer.

Shrimp with Capers, Lemon and Feta on Orzo

Adapted from Thyme for Cooking Blog

You Will Need:

• 12 oz. large shrimp, thawed and cleaned
• 1 medium leek, sliced and cleaned
• 1/2 c. grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 lemon juiced (4 Tbsp. divided)
• 2 Tbsp. capers, drained
• 15 Kalamata olives, sliced in half
• 3 oz. feta, cubed
• 3 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1/2 c. orza

Cook the orzo as directed on the package. Toss drained orzo with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet. Add the paprika and leek. Saute till tender. 

Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp is evenly pink.

Toss with the remaining lemon juice, capers, olives and tomatoes. Warm through. 

Remove from the heat and top with feta and parsley.

Serve the shrimp mixture over the orzo and enjoy!

See? Isn't that easy? And look at that gorgeous dish.

Note - In case you are also living with someone who is not a huge shrimp fan, grab a bag of frozen, cleaned shrimp at the grocery store and make a half recipe for a quick dinner for one. This may be my new favorite weekend treat when I am sans hubby.

Ready for some more delicious meal ideas? Check out The Secret Recipe Club recipe linky below:

An InLinkz Link-up

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Easy Pesto & Fettuccini - August Secret Recipe Club

Welcome to August... I could do without the recent 109 degree day, it almost made me forget I am currently living in OR and no longer in Asia. But, August does bring some of my favorite flavors, vine ripened tomatoes, ripe watermelon and lush and fragrant basil.

In fact, I am excited to share that my garden is finally complete and everything is taking off nicely. Yes, even my basil has finally started to fill out. I like to plant it between my tomato cages. There is nothing better than the smell of hot basil and tomatoes in the afternoon.

The biggest chore with fresh basil is to keep using it! See the tops below? My plants were trying to flower. That was the signal that I needed to give them all a good trim... and I had to come up with a good recipe to use all that amazing basil.

Today, not only am I finally getting to harvest the basil from my garden, but I am sliding in under the wire to share my August Secret Recipe Club recipe. This month I was given bcmom's kitchen.

Anna confesses that her blog is a way to keep track of all the recipes she really enjoys. I am sure she is never at a loss on what to make for dinner, her blog is full of great recipes. I have to admit that I wish I had been assigned Anna's blog in the Winter. I have bookmarked several of her soups to make later this year. Her Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup is calling to me! But, days hitting over 100 degrees, soup is just not going to be on this week's menu!  She really enjoys cooking and modifying recipes, which is evident in her posts.

I finally decided on making her Easy Pesto & Fettuccini recipe because it was so fitting for my current predicament.

And it turned out perfectly! Almonds are one of my favorite pesto choices because they are much less expensive than pine nuts. I keep my pesto green with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation. But, I will be making this stuff by the truckload next weekend to stock the freezer for winter. At that time I will fill ice cube containers and top with olive oil. So worth the extra effort!

Easy Pesto
from bcmom's kitchen

You Will Need:

• 1/4 c. almonds
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan (or more to taste)
• 1 pinch ground nutmg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 c, olive oil, or more to achieve desired consistency and cover for storage

Toast the almonds on a baking sheet at 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Turn half-way through and remove when they are fragrant and lightly toasted.

In a food processor or blender, combine the almonds, garlic, basil, cheese, nutmeg and 1/2 c. olive oil. Pulse till smooth. I usually leave small chunks in mine, Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately by tossing with fresh cooked pasta and adding reserved pasta water till the pesto coats all the pasta. 

To store the pesto, place in an airtight container. Smooth the top and pour a small amount of oil on tip to cover. If freezing, place prepared pesto in an ice cube tray and cover each well with a little oil. Cover with wrap and freeze. Once frozen, the pesto cubes can be popped out and stored in a zip topped container. 

Now, the original recipe was for pre-made fettuccini but, since it was Sunday, I broke out the food processor and my new Kitchen-Aid pasta rollers for good old fashioned homemade fettuccini. Don't worry, I don't always have time to make fresh pasta... but, it is always a treat. If you haven't tried your hand at it, I urge you to try it. Check out my Shrimp Scampi post for info on making your own pasta noodles.

There is something just so satisfying about seeing all that beautiful pasta out to dry. Well, maybe not as satisfying as that first bite of homemade fettuccini noodles with fresh pesto.

Yum!

Of course, Anna's pesto recipe could be used in so many other great ways... I also love pesto with tortellini, on chicken and even with tomatoes. To me, pesto is such a great and fresh gift from summer on the farm.

Enjoy...

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Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells #SeafoodHop

Did you know that June is National Seafood Month? These creamy seafood stuffed shells are definitely an excuse to celebrate. Filled with shrimp, scallops and crab, these are a great way to indulge in just a little taste of the sea... or more.

I am excited to share this little gem with you. It has all of my favorites. It is creamy and rich, but it is easy to enjoy just one shell paired with a big robust salad, or just go for a bigger plate of this dish.

I chose some of my favorite seafood to include, shrimp was probably the first seafood I ever enjoyed, crab is one of my favorite locally caught seafood and scallops are the seafood I didn't discover till I became an adult. And discover, also called falling in love with every bite.... I did.

So grab yourself some seafood, a big casserole dish and check out my recipe below. I promise, you will love every creamy bite!

Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells

You Will Need:

• 12 large pasta shells, cooked, drained and cooled
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. butter, divided
• 4 green onions, chopped thin, whites and greens divided
• 1/4 c. chicken broth
• 4 oz. clam juice
• 1/2 lb. baby bay scallops
• 2 c. bay shrimp
• 1 can white crab meat
• 1/4 c. all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese
• 4 strips bacon, chopped

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the whites of the onions till tender. Then add in the clam juice and chicken stock. Bring it up to a simmer. Then add the scallops till cooked. Add in the shrimp and crab meat, then take off the heat and stir. Drain the seafood and reserve the cooking liquid.

In a skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon butter and whisk in the flour and salt till fragrant. Then add in the heavy cream. Gradually add in the reserved liquid so the sauce doesn't get too thick. Stir in the Parmesan cheese to melt.

Pour a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish. Then add the seafood back into the remaining sauce. Spoon the mixture into a shell and place it into the casserole dish. Top the filled dish with chopped bacon and a little more Parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the shells are nice and bubbly. Top with remaining green onions before serving.

Enjoy!

For more seafood recipes, visit a few of my favorite bloggers:

• Italian Scallop Tortellini Bake by Confessions of an Overworked Mom
• Easy Baked Salmon by Day by Day in Our World
• Shrimp, Teriyaki Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs by Mom Does it All
• Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells by Adventures in All Things Food
• Brown Butter and Lemon Mahi Mahi with Roasted Asparagus by Jennifer Sikora
• Shrimp and Jicama Salad by Upstate Ramblings

Creamy Tomato Pasta - April Secret Recipe Club #Recipe

So, I have a thing for pasta... Simple, fast and delicious, dress it up with Alfredo or dress it down and throw in a bunch of fresh ingredients and toss. Really, it is a busy Mom's dream dinner because no one complains when I serve up pasta.

The hardest part is always deciding how to make it. I have a simple fresh spaghetti sauce that my kids really get excited for, while my husband is a fan of a creamy white sauce. So when I saw Kate's blog, Kitchen Trial and Error and found her recipe for Creamy Tomato Pasta, well, I was sold.

Um, let me back up a minute. Kate's blog just happens to be The Secret Recipe Club April assignment. I drooled over page after page of delicious food photos and recipes. With a hearty number of pasta options, too. Really, I am going to have to go back and make a few more because my schedule has been insane around here.

Kate is all the way on the other side of the US, in NY, and she shares a love of kitchen adventuring. I have to love a fellow blogger who gets excited to create things from scratch that she could just as easily buy at the store. Yes, I still think that added love makes all the difference.

Now usually I don't throw tomato recipes up on the blog out of season, but really folks, I just couldn't wait. My husband has started the crazy long farming hours to get things planted, but tomatoes haven't been on the list yet. This year I opted to skip the greenhouse planting and will be getting all my tomato plants (yes, full plants) delivered in May. Our home garden will be full and overflowing with various colors and sizes of tomatoes.

So, this recipe, the best marriage between a glorious fresh tomato sauce and a creamy Alfredo, WILL be coming back out when the tomatoes are ready. It will probably be coming out again and again.

I grabbed some rather sad roma tomatoes at the grocery store, but the recipe still turned out delicious. Start off the party by slashing the bottom of each tomato, simmering it for a minute or two and then shocking it in a nice ice bath.

The tough outer peel will come away easily after that.

Then I sauteed up some onion and garlic. The chopped tomato joined the party and I simmered it all till it was softened. Since my basil is not in season, I had some frozen cubes in the freezer that I added to the sauce. You can also grab these in the freezer section of your local grocery store.

Then you can grab an imersion blender, but I grabbed my Blendtec and pureed the tomato mixture till smooth.

Then I completely switched gears and created a creamy Alfredo sauce.

lll

Creamy Tomato Sauce
adapted recipe from Kitchen Trial and Error

You Will Need:

• 1 1/2 lbs. fresh tomatoes (I used Roma)
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 c. basil, frozen or fresh
• olive oil
• 1/4 c. chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp. butter, unsalted
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lb. farfalle pasta

Put a large stock pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. 

In another medium sized pot, bring water up to a simmer. Cut an "X" onto the bottom of each tomato and let them blanch for about a minute, or until the peel starts to pull away. Drop tomatoes into a ice water bath to finish the cooking process. Finish pealing them, slice in half, remove the seeds and then dice. Set aside.

in a small pan, saute the onion and garlic in a little oil till softened. Then add in the tomato and stock,  continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until the tomatoes start to break down. Then transfer the mixture to a blender and and chop or puree as desired. Return to the pot and continue to simmer gently and thicken.

Cook your pasta as directed on the package.

For the Alfredo sauce by,  melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let cook until fragrant. Then whisk in the heavy cream and garlic. Continue whisking until it thickens. Remove the garlic cloves, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the Parmesan Cheese.

Combine the tomato sauce and alfredo in one pan. Use reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce, if needed. Toss with Farfalle and garnish with a little more freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.

Enjoy!

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Quick Mexican Penne Casserole

Casseroles have my a big help this past week. As things ramp up for Spring planting and warmer weather activities, I need hearty, delicious meals that I can make quickly and will last for at least 2 meals.

More bang for my buck, right?

One item that is always well stocked in my pantry is Ro*Tel, and I am starting to believe it really does make everything better.

To create this quick Mexican Penne Casserole I let Ro*Tel help to add flavor and pizzazz to pasta and lean ground beef. Of course, topping with melted sharp cheddar and a generous handful of parsley and green onions adds a little extra color and crunch.

Truly, I started buying Ro*Tel by the case so we can throw it in our crispy burritos, casseroles, chili or soups. Yum!

More than just a can of diced tomatoes, the green chilies add a lot of flavor without adding heat. I seem to be the only one in the family who likes spicy foods, so this is my compromise.

Start your pasta boiling to aldente and preheat the oven

Then begin browning the ground beef in a deep skillet. Add in all the ingredients, reserving the cheeses, chili powder and some of the parsley and green onions. Season to taste.

Could you use cilantro? Probably. We are not a big cilantro family, so I usually go with Italian Parsely instead.

Drain the pasta and mix with the ground beef mixture.

I poured half of the pasta into my casserole dish, then topped with the crumbled Cotija cheese. Add in the remaining mixture and top with the sharp cheddar cheese. Give the top a light dusting of chili pepper for color and bake till heated through.

I served mine garnished with a nice helping of parsley and green onions.

Ready to grab the recipe?

Mexican Penne Casserole

You Will Need:

• 1 lb. penne pasta
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cans Ro*Tel 
• 2 Tbsp. sun dried tomato pesto
• 1/4 c. Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 c. Cotija cheese, crumbled
• 2 c. sharp cheddar cheese
• chili powder, for dusting
• 4 green onions, sliced. White and green parts divided
• salt and pepper to taste

Start a large pot of water boiling. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a high-sided skillet, brown the ground beef. Add in the soup, Ro*Tel, sun dried tomato pesto, parsley and the whites of the sliced green onions. Season to taste. Warm through and set aside.

Boil the pasta just a minute short of aldente. It will finish cooking in the oven. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Pour half the mixture into a 9"x13" casserole dish. Top with the crumbled cotija cheese and then add in the remaining pasta mixture. Top this with sharp cheddar and a dusting of chili powder.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbly.

Serve garnished with the remaining chopped parsely and green onions.

Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite meal this time of year? I would love to hear what your go-to is below.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tortellini Soup

Normally this time of year I would be cuddling up in front of the wood stove in the evenings. Armed with my favorite cup of tea and either a good book or a knitting project, that is how I relax at the end of the day. Sadly, our January here in Oregon has looked more like Spring.

I know, if you are currently snowed in, you have my sympathies. Feel free to ship a little of that to the West Coast.

I would love a little cold weather around here, a little snow on our mountains and a reason to break out my favorite soup recipes.

Well, despite the sunny warm afternoons, I am still determined to get my soup on. This week I wanted to dive right into a vibrant and flavorful Roasted Red Pepper and Tortellini Soup.

It is pretty simple, but ends up making a wonderful dinner soup.

The base is a simple roasted red pepper pureed soup.

Start with diced onion, carrot and garlic.

Then bring in the drained roasted red peppers, chicken stock, a bay leaf and a little salt and pepper. I like to save the rinds from my Parmesan cheese... and those may have jumped in the pot, too.

Really, who wouldn't want in on this little flavor party?

Once everything is softened and warmed through, I put it all through the blender. Don't forget to snag that bay leaf and anything left of the rinds.

Then I add more chicken stock, if needed, dump in the frozen tortellini and the baby spinach to wilt.

Then grab your spoons, because soups on!

Roasted Red Pepper and Tortellini Soup

You Will Need:

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 16 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, drained
• Parmesan rinds *optional
• 2 c. packed baby spinach
• 2 c. frozen or fresh cheese tortellini
• Parmesan cheese to garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

Start by sauteing the onions and carrots in butter in your soup pot. When the onions are translucent, add the minced garlic and saute for another minute. Add the stock, bay leaf, red peppers and optional Parmesan rinds. Let the soup come up to a simmer, turn off the heat.

Transfer the soup to a blender and puree. Return the puree to your soup pot and add additional chicken stock, if necessary, to thin out your soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Bring the pot back up to a simmer and add the spinach and cheese tortellini. Simmer until the tortellini is done (as directed by the package) and the spinach is wilted.

Enjoy! 

What is your favorite Winter soup?

Easy Weeknight Lasagna Roll-Ups

What dinners do you have planned for the week? Any comfort food in there?

I usually try to compile a mix of easy to make dinners, freeze-ahead meals and family favorites. Lasagna is usually reserved for the weekend - something that takes me longer than 30 minutes to make, but it is one we always enjoy. I mean, it is classic comfort food.

My love of lasagna may just surpass Garfield the cat's..

I remember for my 13th birthday, homemade lasagna was my dinner request. I have never been a fan of ordering it in a restaurant though, and frozen just can't compare. It has to be homemade and my Mom made the best.

Lasagna is also a great place to pack in some extra veggies. Whether I put sauteed eggplant in the sauce, spinach in with the ricotta, or layer on the squash or broccoli, there are so many fun ways to switch up the flavor and customize it. But again, usually creating a dish of lasagna takes me a whole afternoon. It is a delicious labor of love, but one I don't sign-up for often.

So while looking for the week's dinner inspiration I saw photos of lasagna roll-ups, I thought this might be a great chance to simplify my favorite. Even favorite recipes have room for updates, right? Maybe it is Winter talking, but I was really craving a cheesy classic.

This lasagna roll-up recipe is a great one if you want to make a whole bunch ahead of time and freeze small trays of it. Each roll or two is a simple serving perfect to pair with a salad, bread sticks or other vegetables.

This time around I went with simple fresh wilted spinach. I happened to have a couple of bags on hand. Why fresh over frozen? Just a personal preference, but sometimes the frozen spinach has hard stems. I always have a bag or two of baby spinach in the fridge. Use what is handy for you.  I saved myself some time by blanching it in the same water that I later cooked the pasta.

I like to boil the pasta early on  and let it cool slightly on a baking sheet sprayed lightly with non-stick spray. I used 12 noodles to fit in my casserole dish, but I always try to boil a few extra in case they break when I take them out.

I sauteed up a medium yellow onion along with sausage.

My favorite way to break up meat is with a potato masher. It makes quick work of the browning meat in smaller chunks.

Once my meat was browned, I added in my favorite jar of marinara. Let it heat through and it is ready to go.

Once everything is cooked and ready to go, assembly goes quickly. Just layer, roll, repeat. You can fill them as full as you wish, but you have to be able to transfer your roll into the casserole dish.

I had a ladle full of sauce in the bottom to keep the pasta from sticking and burning.

I put a single-layer of roll-ups in my pan and then topped with the remaining sauce and some shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Then bake. It is that easy.

Mmmm... doesn't that look good?

Lasagna Roll-ups

You Will Need:

• Lasagna noodles, about 12 or enough to fit your casserole dish
• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 1 c. sausage

• 8 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 c. mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 Tbsp. basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by putting on a large pot of water to boil and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Once the water starts to boil, blanch the baby spinach until wilted. Drain well in a colander and rough chop the spinach once it has cooled enough to handle. Set aside.

Start cooking the pasta as directed. Once cooked, remove from the boiling water and place, in a single layer, on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray to cool slightly.

In a large skillet, saute the diced onion in oil over medium heat with a pinch of salt. Add the sausage and break it up as it browns. Once the sausage is almost done cooking, add the minced garlic and finish browning. Once cooked, add the jar of marinara sauce and bring it up to a simmer. Warm through and turn off the heat.

In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, 1/4 c. mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and basil. 

To assemble, place a noodle on your work surface. Spread with ricotta mixture, a little wilted spinach and top with meat sauce. Spread a ladle-full of sauce in the bottom of your casserole dish. Roll up the filled lasagna noodle and place the seam-side down in the dish. Repeat until the dish is full. Top with remaining sauce and remaining cheese. Season the top with salt and pepper. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until the dish is warm and bubbly. 

To freeze ahead, before baking cover the casserole dish or disposable pan tightly and freeze instead. Enjoy!

What is on your menu this week? What is your favorite dish to make and freeze ahead for a busy night?