shrimp with feta and fennel

 

 

 Happy Monday!  I hope you all had a glorious weekend.  In no particular order, here are my highlights:

• Celebrating Amanda's birthday with Guapos and a really awesome novelty straw fashioned into sunglasses/headpiece.  
• Watching the Hoos Mens Lacrosse team beat Cornell in overtime.....while simultaneously playing in a bridge tournament in which 90% of the other participants were eligible for AARP membership.  Shocker.
• Receiving the word "sext" from my mom on Words With Friends.  Not sure if I was more confused that the game actually accepted it, or that it came from my mother.  (Role reversal from 1992.  "Don't say that word!  Where did you hear that?") 
• Finally hearing that new catchy tune "Call Me Maybe" and falling in love with it.  If you know my affinity for cheesy pop tunes targeted at the 18 & under demographic, this should come as no surprise.  Mark my word, this song will be the official Summer 2012 anthem.

 

Speaking of summer, it's barely springtime here, but the tease of this week's warm weather forecast has me craving long days, warm nights, and frequent trips to sandy beaches.  To me, summer signifies a three-month hiatus from life - even in the "real world."  Lunches are slightly longer and lazier.  The work week shortens as people sneak out of the office at a few hours early on Fridays.  Men dress down slightly, because nobody wants to wear a tie in 100 degree weather.  Vitamin D intoxicates even the most curmudgeonly among us, and everyone is happier and nicer. 

 

And of course, some people have vacations to look forward to in the summer - the ultimate escape from reality.  Every summer, I count down the days until I go to the beach.  And if I'm lucky enough to go more than once, the countdown starts back up again the day I get back.  My beach house is my happy place.  There's nothing better than spending time with the people I love, doing the things that I like to do.  Life is simple there.  There is no agenda.  No obligations.  My biggest concern is how I am going to occupy myself while laying on my stomach.  (Come on - nobody likes tan-your-back day.)  We play lots of cards and Scrabble and drink lots of daquiris.  We are early to bed and early to rise - but with nowhere to go, we don't mind.  Compare this with my hectic day-to-day, and it's no wonder I am counting down the days as soon as I come back to reality.  (#mylifeishard)

 

Dinner at the beach is fast, simple, light, and easy.  Lots of grilled vegetables.  Fresh corn on the cob.  Salads.  Steaks on the grill.  Fish.  Last summer, I remember making a shrimp pasta with my mom.  It was our last night at the beach and we wanted to use up everything we had.  Ripe tomatoes.  Zucchini and squash.  Portobello mushrooms.  Home-grown basil.  Fresh shrimp.  All cooked down together into a rich sauce and tossed over cheese tortellini.  It was a dinner, like many others before it, born out of complete necessity.  I don't think we even thought much of it as we sat down to eat it.  Hell, I don't even know if anyone else in my family remembers it.  But I do.  This dinner stuck with me, for one reason or another.  I'd say it was the best meal I had last summer, no joke.  (And let's just say I ate really well last summer and may have put on a few pounds to prove it.) 

 

But, because I don't have fresh summer produce right now, and I can't eat angel hair, my heaven-on-a-plate had to be reinvented.  I made this last week using a head of fennel and high-quality diced tomatoes, and ladled the sauce over quinoa instead.  (It would also be good over rice, or on its own.)  It was still delicious, though I can say that the background noise of Law & Order: SVU is not quite as peaceful as waves breaking on the beach.  Only 74 days until I get a chance to remedy that with my next beach vacation. 

 

But who's counting?

 

Sauteed Shrimp and Fennel with Feta
Adapted from Eating Well
Serves 2

 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, cored and cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 4 cups)
1 15-ounce can San Marzano diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
chopped parsley, for garnish

 

1.   Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
2.  Add tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and pepper, stirring and scraping up any browned bits.  Warm thoroughly until mixture starts to bubble, about one minute.
3.  Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and just cooked through, about 4 minutes.
4.  Remove from heat and stir in feta and parsley.
5.  Serve on its own, or over rice or quinoa.

 

 

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blood orange, beet, and fennel salad

Happy Leap Day!  I had a different post prepared for today (a satisfying and substantial dinner), but I am going to save that for tomorrow and give you something a little bit unusual instead.  In honor of Leap Day William, it would be cool if each of you ate something today that you wouldn't ordinarily eat any other day of the year.  Take a leap of faith.  Try something new.  Live on the edge.  If you're at a loss for ideas, you can try this salad.  I know it is a bit weird, but trust me, it's completely awesome.

 

Some people buy candy as a once-in-a-while treat from the grocery store checkout line.  I buy cooking magazines.  (Unless they have peanut butter M&Ms, in which case I buy both.)  When I saw this recipe in January's Bon Appetit, I knew I had to make it.  I have had a raging obsession with fennel since visiting Italy last summer, but as it is almost as unwieldy and intimidating as butternut squash, I've never made anything with it myself.  Luckily, I soon learned fennel is pretty easy to prepare if you just read a little bit about it first.  The entire plant is edible - from its white, bulbous base, to its green, celery-like stalks, and its feathery, dill-like leaves.  It's also super versatile.  It is delicious raw - either shaved thin in salads, or alone with a drizzle of good olive oil and sea salt.  When prepared by braising, sautéeing, roasting, or grilling, the bulb softens and the flavor mellows.  Oh yeah, that's the best part about fennel.  When raw, it tastes like black licorice.  When cooked, it becomes a little sweeter and less powerful, but the notes of anise still shine through.  Yum. 

But enough about fennel.  This recipe also includes my other favorite things - beets and winter citrus.  In fact, the stars of this salad are actually the blood orange and the beet, with the fennel taking a supporting role.  Blood oranges are small, but powerful, and replete with fiber and antioxidants.  The tart flavor pairs amazingly with the inherent sweetness showcased in roasted beets.  (If you have missed my love affair with beets, you can read more about it here.  I know I wax poetic about a lot of vegetables, but I am particularly fond of beets.)

I followed this recipe almost exactly, but I've changed the wording in the recipe because some of the original verbage is confusing and misleading.  I also used parsley instead of cilantro, and I threw some fennel fronds in for good measure, too.  Enjoy!

Blood orange, beet, and fennel salad
Serves 2
adapted from bon appetit

4 medium red beets, tops trimmed 
2 blood oranges 
1 medium navel orange 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
6 slices of fennel, sliced very thin on a mandoline
6 slices of red onion, sliced very thin on a mandoline
High-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon chopped parsley and fennel fronds, for garnish

1.  Preheat oven to 400°. Scrub beets, wrap individually in foil, and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Let cool.
2.  Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, cut all peel and white pith from all oranges; discard. Working over a medium bowl, segment one of the blood oranges by slicing between each membrane and allowing them to fall into the bowl.  Squeeze excess juice from membrane into bowl and discard the membranes.  Slice remaining blood orange and navel orange, either crosswise into thin rounds or segmented.  Place in the same bowl and allow to stand for a few minutes in the citrus juices.
3.  Peel cooled beets. Slice beets into thin rounds, wedges, or both.  Layer beets and oranges (without juices) on plates, dividing evenly. Arrange fennel and onion over beets. Spoon reserved citrus juices over, then drizzle salad generously with oil. Season to taste with coarse sea salt and pepper. Let salad stand for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Garnish salad with parsley and fennel leaves. Pin It Now!