Good afternoon all,
Sean...Wow! So sorry to hear the DO is not feeling well. Sending good thoughts and prayers to both of you. Hoping the booster shot doesn't have you down and out for today. Chili looked real good especially with warm bread and some wine.
Margaret...Sorry. Couldn't remember exactly which one it was. Either way, hoping you are doing better. It takes a while to bounce back. As for black olive tapenade it is quite tasty if you enjoy olives. I make a joke and call it 'Greek salsa'
as it is as ubiquitous and popular in Greece as salsa is in Mexico. About as many various ways to make it.
Trick or Treat is such a fun time. I don't know who enjoys it more; the kids or the adults. Glad you got a bit of a showing. What was the best costume you saw? No kids here since we live in the 55+ half of the subdivision. The 'family' side did a trunk or treat and us 'old farts' were invited to participate.
I couldn't, but donated a bag of Reese's peanut butter cups to my neighbor who was going. Dave had grabbed it yesterday afternoon when he picked up our deli chicken.
Tom...Glad your weather is agreeable for a change. How is Poppy b.t.w.? Yes, it was an easy dinner and I was glad I had sides in the fridge. Sure makes putting an easy meal together quickly and also uses up all the leftovers.
As for the Shrimp Saganaki recipe it is below. Give it a try; I'd like to know if you made and enjoyed it. It doesn't use a lot of ingredients so I try to use good quality ones in this dish. If you are cooking for one or making it as an appetizer, you can halve the recipe. Or serve it over noodles, rice or potatoes for a 'meal'. It is a great company dish too as it comes together quickly if you do all the prep ahead. Also feel free to adjust heat/spice level to suit your tastes as these are the measurements I used and like things a mild-medium hot.
SHRIMP SAGANAKI
INGREDIENTS:
---2lbs. large raw shrimp, lobster or a mix of both
--- EVOO
---1/2 a medium onion; diced very, very fine
---4 Tablespoons of minced garlic
---2 Tablespoons fresh dill, minced fine and divided as 1Tbsp and 1Tbsp.
---1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard (do not sub prepared mustard)
---1/2 - 1 teaspoon of sugar (more if needed to your tastes)
---2 Tablespoons of hot, crushed red pepper seeds (more/less to tastes)
---1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or black pepper (more/less to tastes)
---1/4 cup fresh parsley; minced fine
--- 1 cup (6-8 ozs.) crumbled feta cheese
---1/2 cup white wine (I use Cupcake's Sauvignon Blanc; hint of lemon, a little dry; goes with meal)
---1 can (28 ozs.) of chopped San Marzano tomatoes in juice
---3 Tablespoons tomato paste (or more if needed)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.) Preheat oven to 400F
2.) Peel, wash, and devein/clean the shrimp and/or lobster well. Pat dry and set aside.
3.) Drain the tomatoes and set the juice aside. (Will need later)
4.) Heat some EVOO in a large skillet and when hot sauté the onion until clear. Add the pepper flakes and cook about 30 seconds- 1 minute until onions get golden. If more oil is needed add here.
5.) Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook 30 seconds-1 minute.
6.) Add the dry mustard, pepper, sugar, parsley and 1 Tbsp. of fresh dill. Stir to incorporate.
7.) Deglaze the pan with the white wine and cook until liquid is about half gone. Turn heat to medium.
8.) Add the tomatoes. If it looks a bit dry add some of the tomato liquid. Add the seafood and let simmer on LOW; about 20 minutes. Check sauce. Add more paste/tomato juice if needed. Adjust flavoring/spices and heat to suit you.
*If the dish needs some salt add it here; otherwise you can skip it.
9.) Pour into an oven proof baking dish/casserole (rectangular or oval; about 2-4" deep is ideal) and distribute the seafood evenly through the casserole.
10.) Top with the crumbled Feta and bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese melts. Broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese melts and is a little brown. Serve immediately topped with the last 1 Tbsp. of fresh minced dill and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Like I said, not hard just lots of prep work and needing to pay attention to adjusting the stove top temp. Reheats best gently on low in a pan on the stove top.
All........
I wasn't real hungry this a.m. so just settled for the last whole wheat roll, warmed and buttered along with a cup of tea. So much for that big breakfast I had planned.
Lunch I used up the last of the steak and potatoes, reheating them and putting on top of a big mixed green salad with all my favorite fixings. Tasty steak salad was a filling lunch. Plenty in fridge left over for dinner.
Will catch up with all later.
AG
