Between Thanksgiving and New Years we ate A LOT. Turkey for Thanksgiving, fresh duck and sausage from Chris’s parents, pounds and pounds of ham and prime rib for Christmas, Mom’s sausage and peppers for New Year’s Eve, Boston Butt, collard greens and black eyed peas for New Year’s Day…. and God only knows what else in between.
Chris knocked out some spectacular meals during this holiday season and the recipes and stories should all have a home here at this blog. Unfortunately, I was too busy eating and drinking to take good notes, snap pictures and get online to tell the stories. That is no way to run a food blog and I apologize.
In the interest of putting gluttony and laziness behind us, let us start off the New Year with something a little healthier. Chris decided on New Year’s Day that our diet was in need of more seafood. I do not know if this was a casual suggestion, a resolution for 2012, or the 11th Commandment but either way, when New Year’s leftovers ran out we headed to the seafood counter at our local Publix to see what was on sale.
Fresh, inexpensive, light and easy were our goals for the trip so this is what Chris put together…
Prep The Shrimp
½ Pound of 21/25 shrimp, cut into thirds
1 Clove of garlic, crushed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 Tsp of chives, chopped
Mix and coat with a few teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
Add a pinch of salt and set this bowl to the side…
Prep The Veggies
2 Large zucchini, quartered and diced
2 Green onions, sliced
1 Clove garlic, chopped
Pasta
Boil water while you do all the stuff that comes next.
Add linguini to water when it boils.
Even I can do this part!
Cook The Veggies
Heat the pan, add a little EVO and add the veggies
Add a few chives, chopped
Add a little salt & pepper
Stir frequently over high heat until “they got a little brown on ‘em”
Remove the veggies from the pan
Finish It All Up
In the same pan as the veggies, bring the heat back up, add oil, and drop in the shrimp mixture from earlier.
Add a few chopped tomatoes (I think this was actually an afterthought when she had tomatoes left over from the salad she made along the way)
Get the shrimp close to done and add the veggies back in
Drain the linguini but save ½ cup of the water (oh yeah, it should be done by now if your timing is good. Chris’s is but here is where I would probably screw up the meal)
Mix the linguini with the shrimp and veggies plus the ½ of water and ½ cup of white wine (Chris used Pinot Grigio. Serve with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives.
First of all, this is one of those meals that makes me say, “Well that was easy. I could do that!” Then I sit down at the table and realize that no pasta I have ever made in my life was ever that good. The entire meal was simple, quick, healthy and most importantly - delicious. The flavors came together perfectly and it was exactly the light and healthy fare that our bodies need right now.
The icing on the cake was that it was relatively inexpensive. After the holidays budget concerns loom as heavily as diet ones. We bought the shrimp on sale and pasta and veggies are always cheap so a family of three had a healthy, delicious meal at home without breaking the bank.
So here is to a healthy, fun New Year. Chris is always cooking up something fantastic in the kitchen and I promise to do a better job sharing her magic. Seriously though, I am an only-child… I am allowed to get a little selfish during the holidays, right?
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