- We made her Roasted Shrimp Cocktail from her Back to Basics Cookbook (pg.38). I will never again boil shrimp. Roasting shrimp in the oven is so easy, 400 degree oven, sheet pan, a little salt and pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, 5 minutes and you have perfectly cooked shrimp! We also followed her cocktail sauce recipe and it was delicious! Roasting shrimp is definitely the way to go!
- I made her Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette recipe with a green salad . . . It's from her Family Style Cookbook (pg.42). MAKE THIS DRESSING!!! It calls for a raw egg yolk which I was a little leery of . . . but it was so delicious. This will definitely be a staple in our house!
- From her How Easy is That? Cookbook, I made her Ricotta Cheese! It was so much fun to make I will share the whole process later this week! I made the Ricotta for our Vegetarian Lasagna recipe, it was really yummy and easy to make.
- A few of you (our readers) suggested Ina's Lemon Chicken . . . it did not disappoint. It was delicious! It was really great the next day cold, chopped up in a salad!
- From Foolproof Cookbook we made Straw and Hay with Gorgonzola . . . turns out I don't like gorgonzola cheese. So this recipe was a bust for me, Lee wasn't thrilled with it either. If you like gorgonzola cheese maybe this will be more to your taste.
- Lastly, and our favorite recipe we made Roasted Shrimp and Orzo. You would have to like dill and lemon . . . errrrrr and shrimp, but if you do like those things this recipe makes a great lunch!!!
Good olive oil
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
1 red pepper
3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced
3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!
Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.
I thought an entire week of Barefoot Contessa recipes would be enough . . . . but I have another entire week's worth of recipes I still want to try. So looks like we'll be carrying Barefoot Contessa week into this week!!!
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!
Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.
I thought an entire week of Barefoot Contessa recipes would be enough . . . . but I have another entire week's worth of recipes I still want to try. So looks like we'll be carrying Barefoot Contessa week into this week!!!
Menu Plan for this week:
- Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts (with homemade goat cheese)
- French Apple Tart
- Lobster and Shells
- Roasted Shrimp with Feta
- Winter Minestrone Soup
- And maybe Tuscan White Beans
We love Gorgonzola cheese :) I make a salad with tomatoes (red & yellow) , red onions, fresh basil, Gorgonzola cheese, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Delicious! So I'm excited to try the straw and hay recipe :) Thanks and Happy Blogging!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I am currently trying to be better about meal planning for the week. My go to girl right now is Pioneer Woman but I think I will try Ina next, thanks.
ReplyDeleteOne of our favorite family dinners is Ina's clam chowder (in the orange cookbook - I think family style). We also love her meatloaf and parmesan mashed potatoes in the yellow book.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big Ina fan and own most of the cookbooks. I do like owning them because I can make notations in the books.
Kristina
I will definitely have to make this one! I absolutely love shrimp and orzo. This recipe looks so fresh, perfect for spring!
ReplyDeleteSomeone may have already said this, but I am reminded of Julie and Julia! And I've been thinking of trying recipes from my grandmother's cookbook from 1946. Fun!
ReplyDeletehttp://northislandcottage.blogspot.com/
Hands down Ina is the best cook around and she's got a fabulous house too! The Barefoot is the only set of books that I pick up and cook with most of the time ....... and I don't cook!
ReplyDeleteRoasting the shrimp is genius! I think I might actually try this recipe. It seems like something quick & easy to whip up for a weeknight meal. Thanks for the inspiration! By the way, I think focusing on one chef per week is a great idea. I'd surely tune in every week to read about it.
ReplyDelete