Dinner...Off-the-Cuff

There are days when I get home from work and all I want to do is curl up in bed; let the rest of the day melt away. I’m sure everyone has experienced days when things just keep going wrong, one incident after another. The bane of my existence are days like these and as a direct result, I end up having a glass of red wine and popcorn with black pepper (I know it sounds odd…but it’s so yummy!) for dinner cause I can’t seem to do anything else.

Last night was turning out to be one of those nights but I had a pound of shrimp that needed to be cooked or frozen, so I opted for cooking with a little help from The Talking Heads (music to get the inspirational juices flowing). I get my apron on and I stand in front of the pantry for a good ten minutes and think, “hmmm…what shall I do with my shellfish friends?” I had some cremini mushrooms on hand, can of diced tomatoes, basil and spaghetti noodles; so I started building from there. As soon as I started prepping all my ingredients my bad day seemed like a distant memory. I think the smell of garlic and basil and melting butter is therapeutic…I might just patent an air freshener!

All the ingredients I had on hand and I just kinda “wing-it” to come up with this little concoction. I think that’s the most enjoyable way to cook!

Ingredients:

1-pound shrimp, pealed and deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped cremini mushrooms
4 cloves of garlic
1 large shallot
3 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine (optional)
* I love the pairing of sherry and shellfish…crab or shrimp…it just gives the dish a rich dimension of flavor!
1 can (14 oz) chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
Handful of torn basil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
* I set the pine nuts in a small dry sauté pan on low heat for about five minutes, tossing occasionally to avoid burning
1/2 a package of Spaghetti noodles, cooked in boiling, salted water
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When the skillet is nice and hot add the shrimp, season with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Cook the shrimp until they just start turning pink, about 2-3 minutes, you don’t want to cook them completely you just want to get the delicious shrimp “essence” in the pan. After 2-3 minutes transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the mushrooms to the hot skillet. Saute the mushrooms for about 5 minutes; you want to see the mushrooms start to release their juices. Add the garlic, shallot, sherry, and season with a teaspoon of kosher salt and pepper. Heat through for another 3 minutes.

Lower heat to medium-low and add the canned tomatoes and chili flakes and another pinch of salt and pepper. You want to cook the mixture so the liquid evaporates and the sauce gets thick, about 8 minutes, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the shrimp back to the skillet and stir to incorporate the ingredients and heat the shrimp through, another 2 minutes or so.


Turn the heat off and add torn basil leaves and cooked spaghetti. Top with the pine nuts and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Dinners ready!

The best remedy for a not so great day: eating a really great dish!

Awe comfort food!

Is there anything more divine than sitting down to a delicious meal? How about a divinely delicious meal that fills not only your hungry tummy but also your hungry soul? There have been times when I needed not only a really tasty meal but also a meal that brings me so much joy that I forget about my lousy day or lousy weather or the lousy neighbor’s dog! Everyone has their special dish that they describe as “comfort food,” usually produced by many hours in a hot kitchen and following a recipe written many years ago by a “granny.” And that SHOULD be the way to eat comfort food…right? WRONG…there is a time and place for “granny” and it’s usually not a Tuesday night before a big project is due at work. This is when I turn to recipes that illicit the same emotions you get from eating real “comfort food” without all the hassle of a weekend “prep-and-cook-for-hours” session. And whom do I turn to the most…Martha and the folks from “Everyday Food!” Their Chicken and Dumplings recipe is absolutely comforting without all the fuss. The first time I made this, I followed the instructions to the letter and it came out perfect…the chicken was moist and flavorful, the dumplings where tender and oh so good…and J. loved it! But I decided to make some changes…i.e. more veggies and some noodles (like the dumplings weren’t indulgent enough!). Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings

Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients

Base:

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

5 medium carrots, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

2 stalks of celery including leaves, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

1 ½ cups cremini or white button mushrooms cut into thick slices

2 tablespoons good white wine like sauvignon blanc

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour

1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas

Dumplings:

3/4 cup (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or 3/4 Teaspoon dried dill weed

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

Optional addition:

1 package egg noodles

Directions

In a Dutch oven (or a 5-to-6-quart heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid), heat butter over medium heat and add onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms and thyme.

Cook; stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes then add a teaspoon of salt. Stir until salt is incorporated then add wine and continue cooking for 2 minutes.

Add 1/4-cup flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; season with a little more salt and pepper.

Nestle chicken in pot; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup flour, dill, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With a fork, gradually stir in 1/2 cup milk to form a moist and soft batter. It should be just a little thicker than pancake batter and should easily drop from the tip of a spoon. (Add additional 2 tablespoons milk if too thick.) Set aside.

After 20 minutes stir peas into pot then drop batter in simmering liquid in 10 heaping tablespoonfuls, keeping them spaced apart (dumplings will swell as they cook).

Cover, and simmer until chicken is tender and dumplings are firm about 20 minutes.

OPTIONAL: at this time you can boil some egg noodles to go along with the dish...only if you feel like living life on the wild side, that is!

Taadaa...comfort food in milliseconds!