Easy Peasy

Eating while pregnant has brought out some interesting choices for dinners - my fave for a while (to include this past Saturday night) has been peanut butter on a tortilla. Seriously, I sometimes crave it. Last night was different, I craved this fabulous Roasted Shrimp & Orzo Salad - SO good. It is light and fresh and just perfect for a Sunday supper!

Roasted Shrimp & Orzo

Serves 8 ~ Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients

Kosher salt

Good olive oil

3/4 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons - I cheated and used the bottled stuff. Seriously, if I were to squeeze all the lemons that Ina called for in her wonderful recipes, I'd need my own lemon tree! Of course, if I still lived in the Golden State, this would not be a problem. Alas, metro DC does not provide the environment for the proper growth of a lemon tree!)

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-18 count)

1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (about one bunch)

1 cup chopped fresh dill (forgot to get this at the store and supplemented with dry - I probs used about 1/4 cup - for some reason we have two large bottles of dill in our pantry so I'm trying to get rid of some of it before we move!)

1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium diced (I didn't seed it - and I used an English cucumber b/c that was what I had!)

1/2 cup small-diced red onion (about 1/2 of a medium sized onion)

3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2) Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil (I skimped on the salt and totally skipped the oil), and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9-11 minutes (or just follow the instructions on the box), stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

3) Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5-6 minutes, until the shrimp or cooked through (mine were done in 4 minutes). Don't overcook!

4) Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving. (I chilled mine and served cold - I prefer it that way!)

Bon Appetit!

I'm Back!

So, it has been a while, hasn't it? I've been a little busy being prego, entertaining out-of-town guests, retiring from the military, beginning my career as a stay at home wife, and house hunting in Kansas! We have been eating fairly poorly the last few months, but I'm happy to say, we are back on track. Well, not really - this post is about lemon bars...the only redeeming quality would maybe be the lemon zest. At least they are homemade right? :) Up until now I've been subsisting on the lemon bars from Corner Bakery - which are amazing - but this version from my girl in the Hamptons is to die for!!

Lemon Bars

(As a side note: I crave anything citrus, thus this creation was driven by the bebe!)

Makes 20 squares or 40 triangles ~ Barefoot Contessa Parties!

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

FOR THE FILLING

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (Ina says 4-6 lemons, I used 2 and had plenty)

1 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (I used the 2 lemons I zested and then supplemented with "Real Lemon Juice" from a bottle...)

1 cup all-purpose flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350*.

2) For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt, and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press into a 9x13x2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

3) Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave oven on.

4) For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into squares or triangles and dust with confectioners sugar.

Bon Appetit!

PS: I think they have better flavor if you chill the lemon bars - they are more tart that way!