Menu: April 19-April 25

Sunday:
Citrus Chicken Stir Fry

Monday:
Chicken Ceasar Salad

Tuesday:
Italian Club Sandwiches

Wednesday:
Margherita Pizza

Thursday:
Margaritas and Mexican food with the Congers!

Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli

This was so easy and so, so good! This was similar to the roasted broccoli side dish that Colin is in love with and I'll definitely be making this one again.

2 lbs. broccoli, cut into florets (with some stem still attached)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined (fresh or frozen)

Lemon zest from one lemon

White rice

Preheat oven to 425. In a medium bowl, toss together broccoli, 2 tablespoons olive oil, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder. In another bowl, toss together shrimp with 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest, and a dash of salt and pepper. Place the shrimp and broccoli in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast 10-15 minutes or until hot and sizzling. While roasting, prepare some white rice. When shrimp and broccoli are done, serve over cooked rice, sprinkle with lemon juice and top with lemon slices.

Source: Amateurgourmet.com

Grilled Romaine

This was a yummy and more exciting alternative to the usual salad. Colin wanted to break out the grill for the spring, so he fixed some delicious salmon and grilled corn on the cob and this was the perfect accompaniment.

1 Romaine heart (1 heart=2 servings)

2-3 teaspoons olive oil

Ground pepper
Grated Parmesan

Red wine vinegar

Cut each heart in half lengthwise so that the root keeps each piece together. Lightly brush the cut side with olive oil. Season with pepper, place the cheese in a shallow pan large enough to lay the romaine in. Press the cheese firmly on the cut side until it adheres. Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Place the romaine in the pan and cook until the cheese turns golden, 1-2 minutes. Place the romaine, cheese side up, onto plates and sprinkle with the vinegar. Serve immediately.

Source: Alton Brown

Jalapeno-Potato Cheddar

This is a super-easy recipe from the Rachael Ray website--so easy that there aren't even measurements for the ingredients! Just do what works for your tastes and the consistency you want and it will turn out great!

Butter

Fresh jalapeno

Onion

Potato

Chicken broth

Sour cream

Cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a saucepan and cook thinly sliced jalapeno and finely chopped onion until softened. Add finely chopped, peeled potato and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Puree half of the cooked potatoes with sour cream. Stir the puree into the soup and sprinkle with cheddar cheese and thinly sliced jalapeno rounds before serving.

I served this with black bean tostadas (basically just the black bean tacos laid flat) and it was a delicious, easy, flavorful meal.

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons

This was my first time ever cooking with gnocchi and it was suprisingly quick and easy. I'll definitely be tyring other recipes using gnocchi.

1 lb. fresh or frozen gnocchi

2 tablespoons butter

2 medium shallots, chopped

3 small zucchinis, very thinly sliced lengthwise

1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Pepper, to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Cook gnocchi until they float, about 3-5 minutes, then drain. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until butter is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add shallots and zucchini, and cook, stirring often, 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes are just starting to break down, 1-2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add gnocchi and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Basil Shrimp Orzo

8 oz. orzo

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with garlic and basil

20 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper

Crushed red pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
Parmesan

Cook orzo, drain and set aside. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil, about 5 minutes. After about 3 minutes, add in shrimp. Add tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, red pepper and tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat, add orzo, sprinkle in Parmeasan and mix.