What's cookin'?

I love to cook. I have always loved being in the kitchen, first as a child where it was the center of the family; later, I enjoyed creating my own recipes and recreating meals I had enjoyed in restaurants. Growing up in the '60s and '70s in an Italian family, macaroni was dinner at least twice a week. We also learned to love Jiffy-Pop, Cheez-Whiz and other assorted "healthy" fare. Vegetables were never center stage, and salad was often just iceberg, cukes and tomatoes. Weight was never a problem for me either, but as the years go by,I find that the old metabolism isn't what it used to be. In my twenties, I could skip a few Twinkies and lose 5 pounds to get into that cute outfit for a weekend date. Now, in my very, very, VERY late 20's, losing 5 pounds takes nothing short of a miracle! I used my love of cooking and interest in healthy eating to cultivate a repertoire of healthy and delicious new recipes, as well as healthier dishes inspired by old favorites. My project last summer was to research and develop ways to increase my collection of vegetable recipes. Not vegetarian, but vegetable-centered, I have tried to use spices, herbs, and various cultural styles to keep dinner interesting, exciting and worth going back for seconds. I am not a nutritionist, but I have done a good amount of reading, and think I have a handle on what's good for me and what should be avoided. Welcome to my first blog. Feel free to try any recipes that interest you, and share your own! Together we can answer the question....What's healthy for dinner?!!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Baked Shrimp and Tomato Casserole

I had this dish at a Greek restaurant last summer.  I was so impressed with it I had to try to make it at home.  It is really delicious, and not difficult to make at all. 

I sliced about 5 scallions, halved about a cup of grape tomatoes, and crushed a few cloves of garlic.  All of this went into a skillet with a bit of salt and olive oil and were sauteed until softened.  Then I added a half cup of white wine and cooked it down.  Of course, I added a handful of fresh spinach to the pan and let it wilt slightly (didn't see that coming, did you?).  Finally, in went the shrimp, cleaned, deveined and tails removed.  I just let those cook for a few seconds until they started to turn pink. I happened to have had some frozen scallops in the fridge and added those, too, just to mix it up a bit.

I poured the entire contents into a casserole baking dish, added some fresh oregano from the garden, and topped it all off with crumbled feta cheese and some freshly ground black pepper.  It only needed to bake for about 15 minutes and came out bubbly and delicious.  This time I served it over quinoa, but I have also used brown rice.  Either one soaks up the liquid nicely.  The entire prep time for this meal was less than a half hour, but it is so flavorful, and attractive on the plate, you would think it took a lot longer! 
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