Good morning all,
Yes...the dreaded Spring ahead thing that you all do with the clocks. I so don't miss that. AZ leaves the clocks alone all year round thankfully.
Sean...beautiful roast chicken dinner. Lots of work but worth it for many tasty meals. Of course leftovers are always yummy and then you can pick the carcass for either shreds of chicken to make enchiladas or soup. Then you can boil the bones for broth/stock. A whole roast chicken gives lots of bang for the buck. Roast veggies and stuffing look plenty good with it. Nice meal.
Sally...hope you got the timing on the veggies straightened out. Worse case scenario you could always brush them with some EVOO or butter and roast them on a sheet pan in the oven for 30-60 minutes and serve with the roast and gravy.
Sed....I'm inclined to agree with you. I hope I never see hairy buttercream either. YIKES. That sounds scary. So what did you make or eat?
Tom....The Garides me Saltsa is excellent and almost, if not, identical to Shrimp Saganaki. Saganaki just refers to the name of the type of pan in Greece in which the shrimp is cooked in. There is also cheese and a mussel saganaki recipe. I was taught to make this in a skillet and then a 9 x 13 glass baking dish which works just fine. No need to worry about not having a saganaki pan.
This is a family recipe that belonged to my Aunt and I have her handwritten recipe. It isn't 'exact'. It says things like, 'handful of parsley' and 'pinch or two of chili pepper flakes', etc. I tried to adapt as many of these to exact measurements based on what I used. I'll give some notes at the end.
GARIDES ME SALTSA (Greek Shrimp Baked in Tomato & Feta)
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. of raw large shrimp; peeled, cleaned, deveined, washed and patted dry; make sure shrimp is very dry before cooking
4-5 Tbsps. EVOO
1/2 a medium-large onion; very finely diced
5 large cloves of garlic; very finely minced (should make 2 heaping Tbsps.)
1 can (28 oz.) San Marzano tomatoes with their juice/puree (look for ones without the basil in it)
2 Tbsps. of tomato paste*
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper*
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes*
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp. dry mustard*
1 tsp. sugar*
2 Tbsps. dried parsley
2 tsps. dried dill
1 cup crumbled Feta cheese
2-3 Tbsps. fresh parsley chopped
1 lemon; cut in wedges or rounds
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.) Use 1 lb. large count raw shrimp. Peel, clean and devein the shrimp. Let dry. Make sure they are very dry before cooking.
2.) Preheat oven to 400F
3.) Prep your ingredients. Then heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Once very hot add the onion and cook about 4 minutes until soft and a little brown. Add the garlic and chili pepper seeds and cook until fragrant.
4.) Add your tomatoes. Add the 1/2 tsp. each of sea salt and cayenne pepper. Add the 1/2 tsp. of dry mustard. Add your wine. Add the 1 tsp. of sugar. Add the 2 Tbsp. of dried parsley and 2 tsps. of dried dill.
5.) Let cook for 5 minutes until sauce is reduced and the alcohol has evaporated. If tomato paste is needed add it here and allow to cook another minute or two to thicken.
5.) Add the shrimp and and continue to cook stirring from time to time until the shrimp just begin to turn pink; about 2-4 minutes.
6.) Transfer the sauce and shrimp to a baking dish and then add the 1 cup of crumbled Feta to the top making sure to spread it out evenly.
7.) Give the top a squeeze of fresh lemon juice from the wedges/rounds you cut from half a lemon. Save the other half of the lemon wedges/rounds for garnish.
8.) Put the baking dish in the 400F oven on the medium rack and bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened; about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it at the 6 minute mark and check to be sure the cheese doesn't burn.
9.) When done serve in individual bowls topped with the fresh parsley, dill and the lemon wedges along with crusty bread to sop up the juices and sauce. You can also put over pasta or rice.
ENJOY!
Chef's Notes:
Not a hard dish to make just goes fast and helps to have all the prep done ahead of time and you have your ingredients lined up.
Shrimp--- use raw, large ones or even jumbo. Small and medium will not work well for this dish. Precooked also doesn't work here. Make sure they are dry and not releasing water when you cook them. It ruins the sauce and makes it taste 'fishy'. You can clean and prep the shrimp a day ahead and just bring them to room temp the day you want to make this.
Onion---any will do flavor wise except red.
Garlic--- Your preference on how much/little you like.
Chili pepper seeds and Cayenne---This dish was meant to have some 'zip' to it. Again how much is strictly your preference.
Mustard Powder---not a necessity and you can even skip it if you do not have it on hand. I use it because I love the 'tang' it gives and the fact it helps counterbalance the richness of the shrimp and 'fattiness' of the cheese. Works well and I even add a bit more. Just my own tastes. See what you think.
Herbs---dried is best for cooking as they don't turn black or scorch. Fresh for garnish as the flavor shines through and they look 'pretty' and taste good.
Tomatoes---San Marzano are best. I look for ones with no basil as this is a Greek dish not an Italian one. If it has basil I remove it. I chop them with kitchen shears right in the can its self before adding or will pulse a few times in the food processor. The sauce should be 'chunky' not smooth but you don't want whole entire tomatoes in there either you have to try to break up while it is cooking.
Tomato Paste---Use if you feel you need it by the Tbsp. full.
Sugar---Same as above. I usually add about 2 tsps. of sugar simply to cut acidity not so you can taste it.
Cheese---Use a good quality Greek Feta. Personally I mix 1/2 cup goat cheese and 1/2 cup Feta as I like the flavor combo. Feta is dry and salty the goat cheese tangier and creamier. I like the contrast of the two together.
