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?!!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Tomatillos With Shrimp and Feta

Remember that Greek tomato, shrimp and feta dish?  Well, I was trying to figure out what to do with the tomatillos I planted in my garden, besides making tons of salsa verde, of course, and I did a little research and came up with this.  Of course, my tomatillo plants are still babies, so I bought about 6 or 7 at the green grocer, after I had found a couple of recipes online and felt inspired.  I combined a few ideas and came up with this.

This is made very much like the Greek shrimp recipe, but the tomatillos give it a totally different flair.  First I chopped a large onion, sliced about 3 garlic cloves, and diced one jalapeno ( after eating dinner I realized I could have used another jalapeno!).  I cooked those in a little bit of olive oil with salt until soft.  I added a few little sliced yellow peppers, then my chopped tomatillos, again, seasoned with salt.  When everything started to soften, I added some white wine , the juice of one lime and a chopped tomato.  Finally, I added my cleaned shrimp, and stirred in for just a minute or two, until pink.

I poured everything into a casserole dish, sprinkled with chopped cilantro and crumbled feta cheese. Baked at 400 for about 20 minutes, this was very tasty with a whole different flavor.  Tomatillos are tangy, and the lime juice enhances that, so keep that in mind.  The cilantro and jalapenos give this dish personality. I served it over quinoa, but it would be nice over brown rice or couscous as well. 

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