Janet's Shrimp Pasta

Yeah, that's right. This recipe is all mine. Made it up myself. No surfing, no foodnetwork.com, no Epicurious.com. All mine. I had shrimp I just bought and needed to cook it tonight. I have some newly planted rosemary and basil plants, and I needed to pinch off the new growth. I didn't want to throw the clippings away (heaven forbid), so I thought, "What could I make with shrimp, rosemary, basil, half a lemon and half a red pepper?" Oh, did I mention tonight was clean-out-the-fridge night? I also had a box of these scrumptious grape tomatoes. They must be in season, because they were the sweetest batch I ever had. Brett kept eating them like candy. I took all these fresh ingredients and came up with a delishus pasta dish that was ready in 20 minutes. I hope you enjoy my creation!

1 lb large shrimp, shells removed

Put shrimp in bowl with some olive oil (about 1/4 cup), 3 cloves garlic, minced in the garlic press, 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, juice of 1/2 a lemon plus the zest, 1/4 tsp (or more) crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Let marinate while preparing veggies.

Cut up 1 red pepper into strips
Slice 1/2 sweet onion ( I happened to have leeks, so I used what was left of them)
Wash 1/2 container of grape tomatoes

Fill large pot with water, and heat to boiling. Add salt.
Don't add pasta yet.

Heat large saute pan with 1/4 cup olive oil.
Add onion (or leeks), and saute until soft.
Add red pepper strips and saute for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
Add the grape tomatoes and the marinated shrimp to the saute pan.
At the same time, add about 3/4 box of penne to the boiling water.
Cook shrimp about 3 minutes per side, until pink.
Cook pasta until al dente.

After you've cooked both sides of the shrimp and they are pink, add 1/2 cup white wine, and about 1/4 cup low salt chicken broth. Bring to boil and simmer for about 5 minutes, until shrimp are cooked through.

By this time, the penne should be ready. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and put them into the saute pan with the sauce. Mix everything together and cook for about 5 minutes, until all flavors combine. Add chopped basil and Italian parsley, more olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes if you want more heat, and grated parmesan cheese.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

I've just introduced powertools in the kitchen. Today, I bought an immersion hand blender. How did I ever make soups without it? By making a mess in my kitchen, that's how. This thing is awesome! I was able to puree my curried cauliflower soup in about 3 minutes. I've used a blender to puree soup in the past, but have also given myself a nasty burn. The hand blender is easy to use, fast to puree, and a cinch to clean. I'm sold!
My other great find this weekend was the Williams-Sonoma Sous Chef Series. Every month, you get to recreate a recipe demonstrated by a sous chef from a well known American restaurant. This month was a recipe for curried cauliflower soup from Gramercy Tavern in New York City. I used several techniques to make it, including toasting whole spices, making a bouquet garni, and pureeing with the immersion blender. The end result was amazing. My favorite part of the soup was the yogurt garnish. Mixing yogurt with lime juice is so simple, but so delicious. Thank you, Jamie, for the website!

Curried Cauliflower Soup, courtesy of Sous Chef Series from Williams-Sonoma

• 2 heads cauliflower, cut into florets (about 10 cups)
• 1 onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• ½ leek, white and light green parts only, diced (about ¾ cup)
• 2 large carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
• ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ bunch cilantro, chopped (about 2 cups)
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon mild curry powder
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• ¾ cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Reserve 1 cup of small cauliflower florets, ¼ cup of onion, ¼ cup of leeks and ¼ cup of carrots for garnish.
2. In a large pot, warm ¼ cup of the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the remaining onion, leek and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have begun to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook until soft, about 10 minutes longer.
3. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, combine the coriander and cumin seeds and toast until they are fragrant and slightly browned, about 2 minutes. In a square of cheesecloth, combine the toasted seeds and the cilantro and tie into a bundle, securing it with a piece of kitchen twine. This is called a bouquet garni. Add it, along with the turmeric, curry powder and garlic to the vegetables in the pot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the vegetable stock, bring a simmer and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and discard, then puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the puree to the pot and keep warm.
5. In a large skillet, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the reserved cauliflower, onion, leek and carrots and cook until the vegetables are just tender and lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and reserve.
6. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil and lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Divide the hot soup among 6 deep bowls, garnish with the reserved vegetables and drizzle with the yogurt mixture. Serve immediately.

Lemon Caper Swordfish; Swiss chard with carmelized onions

Tonight I decided to make something light, fast, and tasty. I saw a nice piece of swordfish, so I decided to make a piccata sauce for the fish. Piccata is used on chicken, veal or seafood, and is a quick way to add flavor to your protein.

Swiss chard is not the most well known vegetable, but it is one of my favorites. It is a member of the beet family, but tastes nothing like beets. It comes in different colors, but I've only seen red and white at my produce stand. All varieties are very good for you and are loaded with calcium, folic acid, and vitamins A, C and E. I eat it because it tastes good. The onions become sweeter the longer you carmelize them, and the bitterness of the greens are balanced by the sweet raisins and the syrypy balsamic.

1 lb swordfish steak
4 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tbsp capers

Brush swordfish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Broil on rack in oven, 4 minutes per side, or cook on grill about 5 minutes per side
Meanwhile, mix rest of oil, lemon juice, garlic, capers, zest in pan. Cook on low 3 to 4 minutes.
You can add a pat of butter and heat until melted, if you want your sauce to be even better.
Serve with swordfish.

Swiss Chard and Carmelized Onions
1 bunch swiss chard, washed, leaves and stalks separated
2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 sweet onion, sliced
2 Tbsp golden raisins
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

In large skillet, heat oil and add onions. Cook over med-low heat, stirring until golden and very soft, 10 min
Tear Swiss chard leaves into 2 inch pieces and cut stalks into 2 inch pieces.
Add stalks and raisins to onions and cook until stalks are tender, about 10 minutes
Add leaves and vinegar, cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper, if desired