Shrimp with Tomatoes, Oregano, and Feta Cheese

Shrimp and Feta... can you argue with those two ingredients? Tonight I was gifted with a pound and a half of shrimp and asked to make something. As you all know, this is my dream! I found this simple, yet tasty, recipe in my cookbook from the Culinary Institute of America. As suggested in the cookbook, I decided to broil it before serving. It adds a nice color to the dish.

Shrimp with Tomatoes, Oregano, and Feta Cheese Makes 4 servings 1 1/2 lb. large shrimp (16/20 count), shelled and deveined Salt as needed Freshly ground black pepper as needed 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup chopped yellow onion 2 tsp. minced garlic 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne 2 Tbsp. chopped oregano 1 cup Tomato Sauce 1 tsp. sugar 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 4 slices crusty bread

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat until is shimmers. Add the shrimp and saute, turning as necessary until the shrimp are bright pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and keep warm.

Add the onion garlic, cayenne, and oregano to the pan and saute, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, reduce the heat to low, and bring to a simmer. Season the sauce to taste with sugar, salt, and pepper. Return the shrimp to the sauce and simmer very slowly until the shrimp is completely cooked, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the shrimp to a serving dish (or individual gratin dishes). Top the shrimp with the sauce and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Serve very hot, topped with the chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Roast Leg of Lamb

My mother surprised me and brought me a 5 lb. roast leg of lamb that I could "do something with" for dinner. While I really appreciated the gesture (and challenge) this had me pulling my hair out! I am used to cooking based on recipes . . . not buying the main ingredient first. I spent a good hour scouring my cookbooks for lamb recipes that seemed basic and used the leg of the lamb - with the bone in. I ended up turning to the well trusted Joy of Cooking. Actually, I have not made too many things from this cookbook but I figured I was making a basic roast and this would be the book to turn too.

The recipe calls for adding slices of garlic into slits in the roast - YUM! It added a really great flavor. This was fed to five people with different tastes and everyone raved about it. I did struggle with cooking time a bit because my roast was 2 lbs. smaller than recommended in the recipe and somehow it still took LONGER too cook than the suggested cooking time. But I relied on the temperature and everything came out perfect.

I chose to make a Lemon Egg Sauce which was one of the suggested sauces in Joy of Cooking. Only one person didn't like this because they were used to eating roast with brown gravy. But I thought it gave the roast a more exotic taste and besides - people didn't HAVE to add it. The meat was good enough to stand alone.

Roast Leg of Lamb (10 servings) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pat dry, trim, and prepare:     1 whole bone-in leg of lamb (7 to 8 pounds) Combine in a small bowl:     1 Tbsp. black pepper     2 tsp. salt     1 tsp. finely minced fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp. finely crumbled dried rosemary Rub the wide end of the leg with half of the seasoning mixture. Add to the remaining seasoning mixture and toss to coat:     2 large garlic cloves, cut lengthwise into slivers or slices Cut 15 to 20 evenly spaced slits in the roast, and insert the seasoned garlic slivers. Rub the surface of the roast with:     3 Tbsp. olive oil Rub any remaining seasoning mixture over the roast, and arrange it meatier side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Place it in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Roast until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat reads 140 degrees for medium-rare, or 160 degrees for medium, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours (the temperature will rise about 5 degrees out of the oven). Remove from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Lemon Egg Sauce (Avgolemono Sauce) (2 1/4 cups) This favorite Greek sauce is good with lamb or green vegetables, or it can be added to soups, stews, and casseroles - anything, say the Greeks, that is not made with garlic or tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and keep warm:     1 cup vegetable or chicken stock or broth Beat with an electric mixer in a bow until thickened:     3 large eggs Beat in:     1/4 cup fresh lemon juice Beat half of the hot stock into the egg mixture, then whisk this mixture back into the remaining stock. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until the sauce is thick and creamy and coats the back of the spoon; do not let the sauce boil, or it will curdle. Remove from the heat and season to taste with:     Salt and black pepper Serve immediately.

Anginares Me Araka (Stewed Artichokes and Peas)

I finally made something from my Modern Greek cookbook. I wanted to find a vegetable side dish I could serve with the Baked Shrimp with Feta, so I chose Anginares Me Araka which is Stewed Artichokes and Peas.

I'm not sure this dish goes well with the Shrimp and Feta, but I thought it was excellent. I have a bunch left over and I think it will be good cold as a light lunch tomorrow. The flavors are excellent. My mother thought the peas were over-cooked since they weren't bright green, but I like the softness of them with the artichokes (it is supposed to be a stewed dish after all).

This recipe calls for both fresh shelled peas and artichoke hearts - I used neither. I bought organic artichoke hears in the can and a bag frozen organic peas from the freezer section. It might have been better if all were fresh, but I thought it was tasty as is. This dish might go really well as a side dish for a roast or even as a vegetarian option as part of a buffet.

Anginares Me Araka Stewed Artichokes and Peas (servers 4) 8 fresh artichoke hearts with stems trimmed, quartered 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and sliced 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely diced 6 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint 1 pound fresh peas, shelled Salt Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
Place the artichoke hearts in a bowl of acidulated water until ready to use. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the tomatoes and mint and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the peas and drained artichokes and continue to cook, stirring well, for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add enough water to just cover the mixture and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Serve either hot or cold.

Baked Shrimp and Feta

I know I just made something from the October issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, but when I saw this recipe for Baked Shrimp with Feta I just HAD to make it. And I'm so glad I did. I served it tonight to my mother and sister and their guys - all gave it rave reviews. It was even suggested as a dish to prepare for our next dinner party . . .

Baked Shrimp and Feta 6 to 8 servings 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined Juice of 1 lemon, plus wedges for serving 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 cup tomato puree 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped 1 bay leaf Salt and pepper 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the shrimp with the lemon juice and arrange in a single layer. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato puree, oregano, bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf and pour the sauce over the shrimp; sprinkle the feta on top. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then place under the broiler until the feta is lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with the lemon wedges.

What is it about Gyros?

I was at this really neat store called Land & Sea Market here in Tampa this weekend to get the red snapper for my Red Snapper Alicante. While waiting by the fish case I was checking things out. They had these really fresh looking gyros meat slices along with real, gyros-type pita breads and fresh sauce. So I picked up all the fixing and decided to make them tonight. I have been waiting since Saturday to finally eat them. They looked so good in the package and I had so much hope. Disappointed again. In the past I have tried the mass produced Gyros kit from the grocery store and I wasn't happy with those either. Nothing is ever good enough as which I can get at a fast food restaurant.

So what is about Gyros that is so hard to create at home. Has anyone ever been able to make good gyros themselves?

#4: Biolea Organic Olive Oil, Imported from Greece

Sometimes I question all the different types of olive oil out there. When a recipe calls for extra-virgin olive oil, what difference does it make where it comes from? I usually use a high quality Italian olive oil. But after doing a little bit of research online I find out that there is an entire foodie universe dedicated to olive oils.

For me, I only can really taste the difference when I am eating something simple that shows off the taste of the oil. When adding it to recipes, I have a hard time noticing any difference. I am not a big fan of dipping oils. After a visit to Napa Valley in California several years ago I got into some dried herbs that you add to the olive oils for dipping. They are really great. But that phase passed and now I usually only dip bread in oil when in an Italian restaurant and the oil is piled with freshly grated cheese.

My favorite food to eat with olive oil is tomatoes. I absolutely love sliced tomatoes with olive oil and salt. Sometimes I add balsamic vinegar. When I'm ambitious I add fresh basil and fresh mozzerella to make a Caprese Salad. Lately, I have been eating more of a greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives and feta cheese.

I purchased Biolea Organic Olive Oil since it was the brand suggested as #4 Greek Olive Oil on Food & Wine's 100 Tastes to Try in 2007. It cost $30 and I ordered it from Kaliroi Imports. The Food & Wine taste-testers gave this organic olive oil high marks. Biolea olive oil is made with olives grown at the Astrikas Estate in Crete. Only their olives are used and it is not blended with olives from anywhere else which makes it stand apart from several other olive oils on the market.

Like Kristen at Dine and Dish, I tasted this Greek olive oil in a variety of ways. The very first was to dip my finger into the bottle as soon as I opened it. But as I mentioned above, I don't really get into plain olive oil. The smell is amazing though it it is quite different from the Italian and Spanish olive oils I had right next to it for comparison. Next, I dunked a few pieces of bread into each of the three oils and tasted it that way. The Spanish was the lightest, barely with an olive flavor. The Italian was the strongest as the olive flavor hit you right away. And the Greek olive oil was in the middle. At first it has a very light taste and the olive flavor comes through subtly, but you definately get the olive taste at the end. It seemed to have the most sophisticated taste of the three.

I had to taste it with some tomatoes to really get the full effect. I made Tula's Country-Style Greek Salad. I'm not sure what it was, but using the Greek olive oil instead of the Italian olive oil that I used last time really made this already awesome salad absolutely amazing. The olives, feta and Greek olive oil blended together perfectly. I also used the Biolea olive oil when making the Eggplant Ricotta Bake. In this dish the olive oil is used to brush on the eggplant slices before roasting. I tasted the roasted eggplant before I put the entire dish together and it was really nice. So I can see a high quality olive oil also being used when roasting vegetables. But when I took a bite of the finished lasagna, there were so many complex tastes I could not pick out the olive oil. So this confirms my theory about not using the super-expensive olive oil in recipes with a bunch of strong ingredients.

tula's country-style greek salad

i made tula's country-style greek salad from i like you: hospitality under the influence by amy sedaris. when i received two joy of cooking cookbooks for christmas, i exchanged one for this "unique" cookbook. i read most of it on the plane ride home from chicago. she is a comedian, but the book itself is just strange (more on that later). i think because it's so random. the recipes look great though. amy sedaris mentions that she knows greek cooking very well so i was attracted to a few of her greek recipes. i love cucumbers, tomatoes and feta cheese so this salad seemed like a great place to start.

And it was . . . this salad is super refreshing. the kalmata and feta give it some substance and the salad by itself is quite filling. it is very simple to just chop up some veggies and whisk together a quick dressing. i like it with lots of fresh ground sea salt sprinkled on top. And to my surprise, the salad lasted. i actually made it last night but forgot to add the olives and pine nuts. it is a very large salad so i barely finished half of it. i just left it in the bowl and covered it with tinfoil. there was some extra juice tonight, probably due to the tomatoes, but nothing got soggy. the feta is firm enough not to soak everything up. so i just added in the olives and pine nuts and was good to go. there was so much left that i ate it as the majority of my meal with a little bit of leftover soup.

Tula's Country Style Greek Salad 3 medium tomatoes 1 large cucumber 1 small red onion 5 oz crumbled feta a handful of kalamata olives a handful of pine nuts salt, fresh ground pepper and oregano to taste 1/4 cup olive oil 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar (i used balsamic)

Instructions (serves 6)
slice tomatoes and onion. peel and slice cucumber. arrange tomato, cucumber and onions in bowl. top with feta and olives and sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano to taste. toss in pine nuts.

mix olive oil and red wine vinegar. add salt and pepper to taste. beat olive oil and vinegar mixture and pour over vegetables.

note* if you make this with fat-free feta it will only be 4 weight watchers points.