to school, to posting, to feeling so busy I don't know what to do!
Since our move, my days have been filled with new staff meetings and workshops. Tonight was the first meal I've made at the new house that I felt was post-worthy, even though there were good ones before we left our old house in Topeka. One of which was a great set of recipes I got from Cara that she got from Bonnie, but I believe those are stashed in my recipe box, and I'm too lazy to go get them out. One was an interesting mole, one was a southwestern take on a gratin, and the other was a salad. All very good, but I did a little doctoring. When I feel motivated and have more time, I'll post those and my alterations. I would definitely make them all again!
Tonight was short, sweet and to the point.
Entree was Shrimp with Cilantro Pesto from Melissa D'Arabian, then my own batch of rice w/ chili & lemon juice (because I ran out of lime juice!), and a broccoli slaw with a chili lime dressing from Cara. All three went perfectly together! And it came together so quickly...no photos because I was hungry and lazy.
Here are the recipes, my edits and alterations are in parentheses.
Shrimp with Cilantro Pesto
Ingredients
Pesto:
1 lime
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted chopped pecans
1 clove garlic, chopped (I used more because I love garlic!)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
(I added a little water to thin it out a bit)
Shrimp:
3/4 pound raw medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen cooked & it worked great!)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Directions
Pesto: Grate 1 teaspoon zest from the lime and juice the entire lime for about 2 tablespoons of juice. Combine the zest and juice with the cilantro, green onions, chopped pecans, chopped garlic, sugar, vegetable oil, and extra-virgin olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture until well-combined, but still slightly chunky. Season the pesto with salt, and pepper, to taste.
Shrimp: In a bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of the pesto. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the shrimp until just opaque and pink, about 3 minutes. Put a generous spoonful of pesto into a serving bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Serve the remaining pesto on the side or freeze for another use.
(My method differs quite a bit here: I thawed the shrimp under cold running water, meanwhile heating the pesto & 1 T. of olive oil in a skillet. Once the shrimp were thawed and drained, I added them to the pesto to warm through.)
My Rice:
2 c. instant brown rice
1 3/4 c. water or chicken broth
2 T. olive oil
Seasonings you like (in this case I used chili powder, salt, pepper and a splash of lemon juice)
Heat oil in skillet, add rice and brown gently, stirring frequently. Add seasonings and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and return lid to pan for 5 more minutes or until water evaporates. Serve under a healthy serving of shrimp & cilantro pesto!
Chili-Lime Broccoli Slaw
Ingredients:
1 bag broccoli slaw
about 15 baby carrots
1/4 c. chopped cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, chopped (ribs & seeds removed for less heat)
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1 lime, juiced
1 t. apple cider vinegar
1 t. chili powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Combine all veggies in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Combine dressing with veggies and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
