I love seafood. Most any kind of seafood really, but shrimp are actually one of those super-easy things to make, and because they are mostly IQF on the boats (Individually Quick Frozen), they are fresh when they are frozen and great to keep on hand. This is a garlic and saffron recipe that comes together very quickly. There are two things to be careful of though — be careful not to overcook the shrimp (less than 10 minutes will do) and the sauce can split if you aren’t careful. Paying attention and doing everything expeditiously certainly helps.
Pasta
Today was just a day that I needed Mac & Cheese. And not just any Mac & Cheese, I went for this Mushroom Spinach and Boursin Baked Mac & Cheese. Hearty, garlicky, cheesy, delicious. Now I am going to fall into a food coma on the sofa in front of a hockey game. Because that is about all the effort that I have left. Ahhh, comfort food!
Continuing with the theme of “OMG is it cold in New England”, here is a bowl of homemade hearty winter Minestrone with Tortellini and Turkey Meatballs, sure to warm you up and fill you up. It’s delicious. Also, coincidentally, February 4 is National Homemade Soup Day. Yeah, not joking, but coincidental because I made the soup first and then I heard about the “holiday”.
Comfort food.
We’re heading into January, the worst month of the year, and I am already seeking solice in comfort food. And this, for me, might be the most comforting of all the comfort foods out there in my opinion. Kartoffelschnitz und Spätzle (Potato and Spätzle Stew) It was a soup / stew that my Oma used to make when I was a child. It is winter food. Ward off the chills food. Very Swabian and regional to the Stuttgart area of Germany. It’s a rich, hearty, homemade beef broth, homemade spätzle (freshly made, frozen, or if you live in an area that has them, in the deli cases; avoid the dried) and not only spätzle, but doubling up on the carbs, also potatoes. Just what I needed today.
The other day, we had Peas & Pearls! Now we have Sprinkles & Curls. Ok, so it’s just a cute way of saying tiny cherry tomatoes marketed as “sprinkles” and curly spaghetti, but I think that it’s funny. And if you don’t have either, you can make this recipe with cherry tomatoes and regular spaghetti as well. A super quick mostly hands off meal but also super delicious. The tomatoes are just bursting with flavor!