As a little girl, I was convinced that the reason my parents liked so many different foods, which at the time were "gross" to me, is because their taste buds had simply died. The idea of someone enjoying a cooked onion or eating a sauce that contained sour cream or swallowing food that touched another food on the plate was outrageous to me. Therefore, mom and dad no longer had taste buds.
It turns out that my taste buds seem to be "dying" as well or just accepting new and yummy flavors never once tried as an eight-year old. And though I can still be picky at times when it comes to eating, I now eat a much wider variety of dishes. The one delicacy I still can't embrace is shrimp. But I have learned that Walter loves shrimp and orders it at every possible moment while eating out. With that in mind, and wanting to try something new this week,
I went out on a limb and made pasta with the one thing I avoid at all costs: shrimp.
This meal involved a special trip to the seafood man at the grocery store. I held my breath (seafood smells disgusting) and managed to get the man's attention (he was slicing an octopus while listening to loud Mexican folk music) and was able to point with a smile at the smallest little shrimp bodies I have ever seen. The man, sensing my inexperience, inquired about my purchase and made sure I was buying the right little shrimpers. I insured him that I had a recipe waiting at home and knew what I was doing. After fooling the happy seafood man, I walked out that door and headed home.
I had a feeling I wouldn't like this meal, so I made sure to make a hearty salad on the side with a delicious homemade dressing recipe given to me from my cousin Mallory - thanks Mal! As it turns out, shrimp pasta was not so bad. (I just swallowed the shrimp whole to avoid any sort of texture disturbance while in my mouth.) And Walter would even say that he LOVED this meal and would be content adding it to the weekly menu. While he had second helpings of shrimp pasta, I was on thirds of the salad. What can I say....love makes you do crazy things. So take it or leave it folks, it's all up to you.
Shrimp Lemon-Pepper Pasta
Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) package pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped green/red peppers
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 diced tomato
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1 lemon
salt to taste
2 tsps fresly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup butter
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 9-13 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute garlic about 1 minute. Add chopped red and green peppers, mushrooms and diced tomatoes. Mix in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, a
nd simmer until liquid is reduced by about 1/2.
3. Mix shrimp, butter, parsley, and basil into the saucepan. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Stir in the cooked pasta and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated.
Side Salad with Light Dressing
1. Mix whatever vegetables and toppings you have on hand. I used lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, cheese, craisins, walnuts and salt/pepper.
2. Create your dressing by mixing a 1-1-1 ratio of olive oil - lime juice - honey and pour over the salad.
Buen Provecho!
No comments:
Post a Comment