Ah, the winter! The time when you keep telling yourself you need to eat healthier, but at the same time are craving comfort foods. So why not do both, I ask? As any of my friends and family will attest to, I’m a carb FANATIC! Especially pasta. Ooh, pasta stuffed with stuffs… I mean, seriously, there are days I will cave and (yes, it’s OK to judge me) just go to the store and buy a can of Chef Boyardee. YES! I know! Here I am trying to maintain a food blog, and I’m telling you I short-cut to Chef Boyardee!

On to healthier things! I was poking around the internet the other day looking for something fun and different to make for dinner (which, let’s be honest, is pretty much the norm for me). I stumbled on the Philadelphia Cooking Creme site, and saw that not only do they have just the regular flavor (which I’ve used to add to spaghetti and marinara sauces) but also a Lemon and Herb flavored one! That started the wheels turning. In the back of my head I heard “no meat Monday.” Hmmmmm….

Next stop was the best place on Earth–the grocery store. There’s just something about seeing all those fresh fruits and vegetables, the fish and meat in the produce section, the lady next to the frozen bins trying to hand out tid-bits of bread with some brand-name sauce. “Yes, please! That smells delicious!” I gathered up my findings after discovering that shrimp were ON SALE! (yes, I’m a victim of the “s” word) and headed out (um, yes, I promise I paid for everything). To dinner, and beyond!

Shrimp Orzo with Lemon Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

12oz orzo pasta
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 12oz bag shrimp, deveined and uncooked
8oz snap pea pods
1 10z container Philadelphia Cooking Creme Savory Lemon & Herb
1/3 c milk
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper

Directions:

Cook pasta according to box directions. I usually add a few chicken bouillon cubes into the water for flavor, this doesn’t add much other than a little color and a bit of flavor.

Depending on what kind of shrimp you find, you’ll want to make sure they are deveined, and shelled. Set aside. In a deep saute pan, melt butter and oil. Toss in minced garlic, cook just until you can smell it, then toss in the shrimp, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Don’t they look delicious?

Pour the shrimp back into the bowl with all the wonderful juices and bits.

Now for the creamy goodness!

Toss that whole container into the pan. Add in milk and stir to combine. Toss in tomatoes, pea pods and cooked shrimp. Let it simmer for a minute, then, if your pan is big enough, add in the orzo and stir it all together. If not, put the orzo back in the pot you cooked it in, and pour in the sauce to the orzo. Either way, I promise it will come out delicious!

Enjoy!

Orange and Cucumber Salad with Maple Dressing

Hello world! I apologize, I’ve been remiss in posting recently. I’ve been caught up in test driving a few different recipes for a dinner party I cooked for this past weekend! I had a blast! My best friend Colleen and her husband hosted the party, and she set such a beautiful tablescape! Unfortunately, you will all just have to imagine its awesomeness as yours truly didn’t take any pictures. The above picture was taken at the party, and with such beautiful china, you can only imagine it’s glory! She finished the party with treats from our childhood–Garbage Pail kids, army men, slap bracelets, pixie sticks, and candy jewelry!

In poking around the internet for ideas to cook for the dinner party, I came across an Italian salad featuring blood oranges, cucumbers, radishes and mint. I was so excited to try it, and did…and then found myself going back to the drawing board, as…the flavor was not what I was hoping for. Off to the store with me! I really loved the idea of using oranges, and cucumbers…but everything else wasn’t hitting me the right way.

After pulling Chef Joann out and away from her football game on a Sunday afternoon, and taste-testing various balsamic vinegars, and oils, taking it home, taste-testing again…. I was satisfied….almost. A week out from the party, I was toying around in the kitchen again. I’ve made a raspberry vinaigrette using raspberry syrup–why can’t I do the same thing with maple syrup? Thus maple vinaigrette was born to my kitchen. (It may have been born to other people’s kitchens, but this was the first to mine!)

Now, you’re thinking (at least, I was) cucumbers and oranges… Sounds good..but a little boring. Need something crunchy…Celery? Naw, too bitter. Nuts? Possibly, but not where I was going. pomegranates? YES! DING DING DING!! Then I felt, maybe the fancy-shmancy tangerine balsamic vinegar I bought the other day might work…so…TASTE TEST!!

Yep, that was fun. However, the maple vinaigrette still won the taste test. Sorry, tangerine balsamic vinegar–you shall be used for science another day!

Orange and Cucumber Salad with Maple Dressing

Inspired by Marcella Hazan‘s Cucumber Orange Salad

Ingredients

Salad

5-6 oranges and tangerines, I recommend trying 1 of each kind from the supermarket*
1 English cucumber (the kind in the saran-wrap), peeled and chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1/2-1 cup pomegranate arils

Maple Dressing

1 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup (feel free to add more for a stronger maple flavor)
1/2 cup walnut oil (vegetable oil will also work)

Directions

For the salad, chop up orange and tangerine pieces into thirds or halves, depending on size. Make sure the oranges are seeded. Toss in the peeled and chopped cucumber, pretty much looking for a 2:1 ratio of oranges and cucumber. Maybe even 4:1. The cucumbers are delicious, but really only there as a crunchy enhancement. Add in the pomegranate–add as much or as little as you want. They’re delicious, good for you, and so pretty with the oranges!

orange2 (See what I mean? These are all oranges!!)

For the dressing, in a bowl, stir together mustard and honey. Constantly stirring, add in the apple cider vinegar. Once combined, slowly pour in the syrup–again, more stirring. Now, STOP! Taste it. Is it maple-y enough (yes, it’s a word, I said so!), if not, add more! Slowly drizzle the oil in, constantly stirring, until the dressing is combined.

Pour over the salad and enjoy!

*Note: I used blood oranges, Cara oranges, honey tangerines, and Valencia oranges. Feel free to play around with it!! Just pick up one of every kind, take ’em home and say YUM!

Aunt Kookie's Cookatorium

Tag Archives: vegetarian