Shrimp with Pancetta, Rosemary and Thyme

I love to cook. Always have.

I have spent a lot of time cooking with my dear friend, Charley. At one time in my life, if it was Friday night, I was headed to her house with bottle of wine in tow and ingredients for a previously decided menu in the back seat of my car.

We would put on some r&b and smooth jazz, open the wine and start cooking. Charley is a great cook. She’s also one of those people who preps food well. Every time I’d turn around, she’d have the mise en place in place. Love her!

We did this recipe a lot. A little pancetta sautés in a pan and shrimp, rosemary, garlic and thyme are thrown in the pan to cook and finished with a buttery sauce. Perfect over pasta, your fingers, bread. Whatever.

Eat a little bit, get up and dance to Al Green, sit down and eat some more!

Shrimp with Pancetta, Rosemary and Thyme

¾ pound 21-25 shrimp, tail on
3 fat cloves garlic, sliced thin
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
A tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
A tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Coarsely ground black pepper
2.5 ounces pancetta, diced
1 small lemon, juiced
¼ cup chicken stock
2 tbsp butter


Put the shrimp, garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, pepper in medium bowl, Mix well and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Heat large skillet, put a swirl of olive oil in it and heat. When shimmery, add the pancetta and cook, stirring until crispy. Add shrimp mixture and saute until pink and cooked through.

Remove from pan.

Raise the heat and add the chicken stock and lemon juice. Stir until reduced by half. Add the 2 tbsp butter and swirl until sauce is thickened and reduced. Add the shrimp mixture back in and combine well.

Works wonderfully with cavatelli!

Serves 3.

Shrimp with Pancetta, Rosemary and Thyme

Chicken with Vinegar

Chicken with Vinegar.

Sounds delish, doesn’t it.?

Nope.

But that’s exactly what this meal is.

I love to use chicken thighs in this recipe because they have so much more flavor than breasts. It’s so easy. You brown the thighs in a bit of olive oil and run in the oven for about 20 minutes, take them out and make the sauce with shallots and balsamic or red wine vinegar.

This tastes like you have worked on it all day long. But of course you haven’t. You’ve run in the front door, late as usual, with people showing up in five minutes and you’ve got to look cute, entertain well and not yawn in the middle of dinner because you got up at five to hit the gym and maintain what’s left of your girlish figure.

So, one night, you get home on time, no one’s coming for dinner. You take your sweet time about deciding what to do for dinner, and you fall back on the “They’re going to be here in five minutes and I don’t know what I’m going to serve for dinner” dinner.

Chicken with Vinegar.

A not so delectable name for an oh so delightful entrée.

Chicken with Vinegar

1 good swirl extra virgin olive oil
5 chicken thighs, skin on
¼ cup minced shallots
1 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tbsp butter

Heat oven to 350.

Set a large cast iron or ovenproof skillet with steep sides over medium high heat. Add oil and wait one minutes. When skillet is hot, place the chicken in it skin side down. Cook for about 5 minutes and turn it and cook three minutes on the other side.

Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place skillet in the oven. Cook the chicken 30 minutes. Remove to platter and keep warm.

Pour most but not all of the cooking juices out of the skillet. Place it over medium high heat and add shallots. Cook stirring until tender . Takes about two minutes. Add vinegar and raise the heat to high. Cook a minute or two until the vinegar smell subsides. Add ½ cup water and cook for 2 minutes stirring until mixture thickens. Stir in butter. Return chicken and any juices to skillet and turn chicken in sauce and serve.

Serves 3.

Chicken with Vinegar

Chile Seasoned Pot Roasted Pork

When Groom wants Mexican food, I can usually fix a Haystack or a quesadilla and he’s happy. This morning he started thinking out loud about having Mexican food for dinner. The old Haystack wasn’t in the cards tonight. No vegetarian Mexican food for him this time.

What’s a girl to do?

Find a great recipe and delegate. I found the recipe and I delegated. I had about 3 lbs of Boston Butt in the freezer and I decided to do Rick Bayless’ recipe for Pot Roasted Pork from his fabulous Mexican Kitchen.

Having been put in charge of the pork, Groom rose to the occasion and I’ve got to tell you, he rocked this recipe.

This is so good and so easy. You can cook this in a slow cooker or in the oven for several hours. You make a spice paste with dried ancho and guajillo peppers, spices and herbs and cook it in a bit of olive oil. Then you add the pork, making sure that all the good spice gets all over the pork, add a bit of water and several hours later, you have the makings of an incredible dinner.

A great way to kick off the week!!!

Chile Seasoned Pot Roasted Pork
Adapted from Rick Bayless’ Mexican Kitchen

2 medium dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 medium dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 bay leaves, smashed into thousands of little pieces. .mortar and pestle works best for this
2 tbsp cider vinegar
½ large yellow onion, chopped
4 fat garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp mixed dried herbs (we use marjoram, thyme, epazote and Mexican oregano)
½ tsp allspice
Good pinch of ground cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
3 pounds lean boneless pork shoulder or Boston Butt
Romaine lettuce
Radishes
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced Avocado
Corn tortillas

Put the chiles in small bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Drain and reserve 2/3 cup of the liquid.
Put the chiles and reserved liquid in food processor. Add all the herbs and spices and bay leaves, vinegar, onion and garlic cloves. Process to smooth puree, adding a little water if it gets too dry.

Put large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat til shimmers. Add the herb paste all at once.
Stir for about five minutes until it turns dark and becomes a paste. Remove from heat and season with salt.

Preheat oven to 325.

Cut the pork into slabs about three inches thick. Put in pot with the chile paste and then flip it over to cover with the chile, rubbing it with spoon to get it even.
Add ½ cup water around it, cover and put in the oven. Baste often. Cook about 2.5 hours.

If you need to add more water, do it a little at a time. You want just enough liquid to be able to baste the meat.

This works great in the crock pot on low for 4 hours. So good.

Serve with refried black beans, chopped romaine lettuce, thinly sliced radishes, chopped avocadoes, fresh cilantro, Mexican crumbling cheese and salsa with corn tortillas. It works wonderfully with taco shells, too, in a pinch.
Serves 4.

Refried Black Beans

2-14 ounce cans black beans
Good swirl extra virgin olive oil
1-½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chile powder

Heat oil in 10 inch skillet. Sprinkle chile powder and cumin in oil and stir well. Open both cans of black beans and put them and their liquid in the skillet. Mash with spatula and stir until the beans are mashing together and the majority of the liquid is gone. You want these to still have a bit of liquid in them.
Serves 4.

Chile Seasoned Pot Roasted Pork

Harira

Spices are fascinating people. Seriously. Think about it. You know them.

Pepper is the tall, dark and handsome guy you wish you knew. A little distant, gorgeous, but fickle. Goes with a lot of dishes.

So to speak.

Saffron is the elegant blonde in the crowd. The one that wears Shalimar and little black dresses and goes to the best parties.

Then there’s Turmeric. He’s the guy that loves leisure suits, loud and always has a joke to tell. But he gets the job done.

Cinnamon, that cute redhead. She changes her tune so fast, she’s deep and spicy and altogether different on many occasions.

Ginger. What can you say about her. She’s hot. She’s sexy. Up for anything.

You get these guys together and you’ve got something going. And in this soup, they do something to lentils and chickpeas that showcases each one of their strong points. It’s at once comforting, to the point, sensual and elegant. Different and familiar at the same time.

Perfect for a cold Sunday night.

Harira
Adapted from Dairy Hollow House Soup and Bread: A Country Inn
Cookbook

2 cups lentils, rinsed and picked over
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 - 14 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
½ stick butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3.4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1-½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 lbs fresh tomatoes, pureed in food processor
Good pinch of saffron threads
Big grating of fresh ginger
Freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked
Coarse salt to taste

In large Dutch oven, put lentils and water and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered, until lentils are done, takes about an hour. Stir in tomato puree.
Then add garbanzos.

In 10 inch skillet melt butter over medium heat add the onion and saute until starts to soften. This takes about five minutes. Add turmeric, celery and parsley and cook about five minutes. Add cinnamon and cook for ten minutes. Take off the heat and add the saffron, ginger and pepper. Add to the lentil mixture. Simmer covered 15 minutes.

When ready to serve, add pasta to soup. Add coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with a big dollop of Greek Yogurt or sour cream and fresh parsley.

Serves 6.

Harira

Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops in Thai Green Curry Sauce

Look at the picture. It’s beautiful, if I do say so myself.

This is so easy to do. If you’re in the mood for a bit something different but familiar, some shrimp and scallops in a green Thai curry sauce on linguine will do just fine.

Make this one. It tastes as good as it looks.

Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops in Thai Green Curry Sauce
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook


A couple of good swirls vegetable oil (all we have is olive)
1 red jalapeno pepper
4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts reserved separately
1 pound sea scallops
¾ pound 21-25 shrimp, peeled, tail on
Coarse salt
1 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tbsp Thai Green Curry Paste
¼ cup chicken stock
1 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
1-½ tbsp Asian fish sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2/4 pound thin linguine
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat a good swirl of oil in skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chile and white parts of the green onions and cook stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Transfer to paper towel to drain. Set skillet aside.

Pat the scallops and shrimp dry and season with salt. Heat two good swirls of oil in that skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add scallops and cook , turning once, until browned, takes about tow to three minutes on each side. Transfer to a bowl. Cook shrimp in skillet stirring occasionally until almost cooked through, about three minutes. Add the shrimp to scallops.
Add coconut milk. Curry paste, stock, brown sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice to skillet, bring to a simmer, stirring and simmer, stirring occasionally for five minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water. Until done, drain.
Stir scallops and shrimp with any liquid in bowl. Reduce heat and simmer until scallops and shrimp are just cooked through about two minutes.

Transfer seafood to a clean bowl. Add the pasta and cilantro to sauce tossing to coat.
Divide pasta and sauce in bowls. Top with the seafood and sprinkle with green parts of the green onion and chile scallion mix.

Serves 3

Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops in Thai Green Curry Sauce

The Frazzly Nub Rice Bowl

Has your week had two Wednesdays in it? Boss been on your case about anything and everything? Have you just not been yourself? If so, you are a member of an elite group. The Worn to a Frazzly Nub Club. This is the club you join when you are running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to do everything perfectly and be the best you can be for everyone. Welcome to the WTAFNC.

Members of this little club have been known to hop in the car and head for the nearest Whopper in the neighborhood . I’ve done that.

A lot.

But, when I’m not in the mood for fattening and I want something that I won’t regret eating , this is what I fix. The Frazzly Nub Rice Bowl.

I’m sure this had a better name at some point, but I can’t remember it.

The principles of it are simple. Rice mixed with veggies and beans. This presents itself much better than it sounds. And you just can’t help but love it. Amazingly enough, there are no herbs or spices in this version. That doesn’t mean you can’t throw them in . Be creative. Top with freshly chopped Italian parsley or cilantro. You can vary the flavored oil drizzle at the end with a spicy chili oil, or a lemon oil or a basil oil if you like. The grating of Parmesan is a wonderful addition, but I’ve done this with feta on top or even Monterey Jack to give it a Mexican flare.

Whatever you do will be fine. And you’ll come out on the other end of a crazy week feeling great and ready to take on the world.

Or not.

The Frazzly Nub Rice Bowl

A good swirl extra virgin olive oil
3 fat garlic cloves, minced
1 medium red onion, diced
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
½ red bell pepper, diced
Big splash of dry white wine
1 good size stalk broccoli, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 14 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup Bhutanese Red Rice (if you don’t have this, go get it. The most flavorful rice I’ve had in ages!)
1-½ cups water
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
A little oil from the sun dried tomatoes

Combine rice, water and a bit of coarse salt in saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for 25 minutes on low. Let sit while you cook the veggies.

Heat good swirl of extra virgin olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the red onion and saute for a few minutes. Then add the broccoli and saute a few minutes, then add the carrots and red bell pepper. Add the garlic and cook for five minutes. Add the zucchini and sun dried tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes. Add a big splash of white wine. Add black beans and cook for five more minutes or until broccoli is done. Add 2 cups of cooked red rice and combine.

To serve, drizzle a bit of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes over the top. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

You’ll instantly feel better.

Serves 3.
You can use any kind of veggie you want. Just be sure to cook the firmer ones the longest.
It’s also great if you use yellow rice as well.

The Frazzly Nub Rice Bowl

Merguez with Spinach and Golden Raisins on Couscous

Growing up,if someone said we were having sausage, I knew exactly what I would be eating. It would be made of pork, full of flavor and have a lot of salt and sage seasonings. Loved it. Later on I found out that tasty link sausage I loved had hog casings holding in the meat. Hog casings? I put that thought out of my head, or maybe to the side in my head and have enjoyed sausage for years.

I have read about making sausage, and have been intrigued by it, but I’ve got to tell you I am not into hog casings. Can’t help it. It isn’t in me. I like the idea of making your own sausages fresh and grilling them. No preservatives or additives and no hog casings. You can make small amounts and freeze them for quick additions to pasta or stews.

Merguez is the name of a Moroccan lamb sausage. Honestly, I’ve never had the real thing, only these. And we’re crazy about them! Talk about spice! The sensation of hot smoked Spanish pimenton, cumin, coriander and cinnamon combines well with garlic and cayenne pepper. I love the Italian parsley and cilantro in this as well. It’s fresh and bright and is complimented by the couscous and the sweet spinach with golden raisins. Be sure to make the yogurt sauce to go with this. It finishes the flavors beautifully.

Merguez
A Moroccan Lamb Sausage adapted from The Mediterranean Kitchen

1 pound ground lamb
3 fat cloves garlic, minced
About a ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
About a ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tbsp hot smoked Spanish pimenton
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
A good pinch of coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Take out a little bit and fry it until done so you can taste the seasoning and adjust.

You can grill this outside if you want or cook on top of the stove in cast iron skillet.

Pat the mixture into small 3 inch patties. Put on plate and keep cold in refrigerator until ready to cook.

Grill 3-5 minutes per side until cooked through. These freeze wonderfully. Put patty on waxed paper and top with another piece of waxed paper. Keep the paper in between the patties and put in Ziploc baggy to freeze. I freeze six and use six for two people.

Makes 12 small patties.


Yogurt Sauce

½ cup Greek yogurt
½ Meyer lemon, juiced
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
About ¼ cup chopped fresh mint

Combine and let sit while you cook the sausages to allow the flavors to blend.
Makes ½ cup.

Spinach with Onions and Golden Raisins

1 pound fresh spinach, washed
1 good swirl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped sweet yellow onion, chopped onion
good pinch dried crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
good pinch ground cinnamon
1 grating fresh nutmeg
1/2 cup dried golden raisins

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounces plain couscous, cooked according to package directions

Heat a good swirl of extra virgin olive oil heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add dried crushed red pepper and garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add spinach and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in golden raisins. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir butter into couscous and season with salt and pepper.
Plate couscous, spinach and sausages. Top with yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with a bit of lemon peel. If you have them on hand, slivers of sweet preserved lemons take this over the top.

Merguez with Spinach and Golden Raisins on Couscous