Da Booty

I raided my in-laws herb garden last weekend and this was my booty:

In that glass there is:

basil

oregano

sage

parsley

mint

& chives

I had a plan for all of it...

First up:

Pasta with Garlic, Shrimp and Fresh Herbs

makes 4 servings

1lb pasta

1/2 lb shrimp, shells removed

3T olive oil

8-16 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 cups fresh herbs, chopped (I used all of them listed above, except for the sage)

1/2 t Kosher salt

black pepper

1-2 cups milk or heavy cream

1 lemon

Parmesan Cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions, add the shrimp during the last two minutes of cooking time. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic until very lightly browned.

Return the pot of drained pasta to medium heat and add the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Add the milk or cream slowly and mix until a little sauce forms around the pasta. Taste and re-season if necessary (it will probably need a little more salt).

Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon and Parmesan on top.

~~~

#2:

Chicken Salad with Apple and Basil

from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 t Kosher salt

1 t black pepper

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (~2 limes)

1 T white wine or rice vinegar

2 T light brown sugar

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 granny smith apples, diced

1/3 cup peanuts, roughly chopped

2 T fresh mint, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Place the chicken in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover by 1/2". Add 3 t of the salt and 1/2 t of the pepper and bring to gentle simmer. Cook until no trace of pink remains, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the lime juice, vinegar and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the scallions and apples and toss.

Drain the chicken and pat it dry. Dice the chicken and add it to the apple mixture along with the peanuts, mint basil and the remaining salt and pepper. Toss.

Serve with a hearty bread and a good cheddar cheese to make it a meal.

~~~

And last:

Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage

from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

1 24-oz package cheese ravioli

6 T unsalted butter

2 medium shallots, thinly sliced

16 fresh sage leaves (the leaves I had were huge, so I cut them into four pieces each, and counted 1 piece as 1 leaf)

1/4 t kosher salt

1/4 t black pepper

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the ravioli according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it foams. Add the shallots and cook until golden, 1-2 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium, add the sage and cook until the leaves get crispy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Return the cooked ravioli to the pot, add the butter mixture and toss gently. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan and toss again. Top each serving with the remaining Parmesan.

~~~

So, that was it for the herbs and 3 days was really pushing their shelf life in the fridge. This meal was born out of the need to use up some of the stack of corn tortillas that I had leftover from the Poblano Soup a couple of weeks back. I make another version of Enchilada Casserole but I wanted to try something new for this one. Also, I looked at a few different pans to use before I decided on this one. It was a little strange to bake the casserole in a loaf pan but it really ended up being the perfect size. This was very rich and a little heavy. I think if I make it again it will be when the weather is much cooler.

Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

makes 4 servings

1 T vegetable oil

1 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

1 can green chili enchilada sauce

1 can diced green chilies

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

10 corn tortillas

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until no pink remains. Stir in the diced green chilies and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.

Layer two corn tortillas in the bottom a loaf pan and top with 1/4 of the chicken mixture and a little bit of the enchilada sauce. Repeat three more times. Once you have used all of the chick mixture place two corn tortillas on top and cover with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the cheddar. Bake for ~15 minutes, until heated through and cheese is bubbling.

~~~

I have had this meal on the menu for three weeks now and kept not getting around to making it. The shrimp were frozen so they kept fine but I had to replace the zucchini and the lemon because I ended up using them in other things. It is so simple and really delicious, especially on a sweltering night.

Grilled Shrimp and Lemon Kebabs

modified from Real Simple

makes 2 servings

12 large shrimp, shells on, deveined

1 lemon, cut into small wedges

2 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 1" thick slices

1 T olive oil

1/2 t kosher salt

8 skewers (if using bamboo soak them in water for 30 minutes)

Heat grill to medium. Thread the zucchini onto 4 skewers. Brush with the half of the oil and season with half of the salt. Grill turning once, until tender, 4-5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, thread the shrimp and lemon wedges onto the 4 remaining skewers, alternating them. Brush with the remaining oil and season with the remaining salt. Grill, turning once, until the shrimp are cooked through. About 2 minutes per side.

~~~

I made this salad to have along with the kebabs above. I hadn't planned it but had all of the ingredients on hand and wanted to use the broccoli before it went bad. When I went over to my in-laws house later that night they had made the same thing. We compared notes and had pretty much come up with the same recipe.

Broccoli Salad

makes 2 servings

1 small head broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces

1/8 cup raisins (I used golden, or you could also use dried cranberries)

1/8 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/8 cup red onions, chopped

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 t white wine vinegar

1 t sugar

Combine the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar and pour over the broccoli mixture. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

~~~

Jer and I are hitting the road this week, headed for the great Rocky Mountain West! The home of my childhood, my family and my heart. So, there will be a little hiatus here on This Week's Menu. We will be packing light on the way out so that we can load up on the things we love that we can't get out East. For Jer it will be Fat Tire and I will searching for a bushel of roasted green chilies! See you all in a few weeks!

~A