Don’t get me wrong — Ikea is great for those on a budget, but the quality of their products are reflected in their prices.  Lately, I’ve been on a TJ Maxx/Home Goods, Ross, & Marshalls kick.  I find name brand items for a fraction of the cost and I leave the store completely elated.

But last night, I went to Target and saw Giada’s line…OMG!  Can someone please buy me everything?  I promise I’ll cook/bake you some goodies!  Check out her LookBook here.

So, where do you get your kitchen tools?!

I’ve been eating a lot of shrimp lately. So, why not post a recipe that has shrimp in it?!  In Ellie Krieger’s The Food You Crave, she mentions that this is a perfect meal to celebrate Spring.  Well, we’re about three weeks early, but I’m perfectly okay with that.

Linguine with Shrimp & Vegetables
Adapted from Ellie Krieger’s The Food You Crave
Serves 4 (serving size: 2½ cups)

You’ll need:
- ½ box (12 oz) linguine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled & deveined
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 pint container cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook the linguine according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink and the asparagus is tender but firm, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove the shrimp mixture from the pan and set aside.

Combine the lemon juice, wine, and reserved pasta water in the skillet over medium-high heat. Let simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. Return the shrimp and asparagus to the pan and stir in the parsley. Add the drained linguine, tossing to combine. Add the tomatoes and toss. Sprinkle with cheese, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

It was light, fresh, tangy, and just plain ol’ good!  You could really add or replace the shrimp with other kinds of seafood, like scallops, if you want.  I think I’ll try using less lemon juice and maybe adding the asparagus that was originally in the recipe—I’m totally going to get it after saying this, but I just don’t like asparagus!

Anyway, happy eating!

Filed under: savory Tagged: dinner, ellie krieger, pasta, shrimp, vegetables ]]> http://bittensweet.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/recipe-linguine-with-shrimp-vegetables/feed/ 13 RLV shrimp linguine http://bittensweet.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/recipe-turkey-meatloaf/ http://bittensweet.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/recipe-turkey-meatloaf/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:29:50 +0000 RLV http://bittensweet.wordpress.com/?p=357 Continue reading →]]>

For my mother’s birthday years ago, okay like two years ago, I gave her Ellie Kriger’s The Food You Crave recipe book and she’s only made one recipe since.  She tried making her Turkey Meatloaf and her Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream & Chives.   Well, it wasn’t a hit for her, but it was for me!  So, ladies & gents… meatloaf is what’s for dinner tonight.

Turkey Meatloaf
From Ellie Krieger’s The Food You Crave
Makes 8 (1 inch thick) slices

You’ll need:
- ¾ cup quick-cooking oats
- ½ cup skim milk
- 1 medium onion, peeled
- 2 pounds ground turkey breast
- ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ½ tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice ¼ of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 x13 inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 ½ inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to15 minutes before slicing.

If you read some of the reviews on the Food Network website, a lot of them said that the consistency wasn’t where it should have been, so like most, I added more oats.  Actually, I added about a cup to get it to where I wanted…or so I thought.  The meatloaf was still a bit mushy after I took it out of the oven.   I even kept it in the oven an extra 15 minutes.  I wonder if it has anything to do with it being lean turkey.  Maybe I just need to tweak the recipe a bit more.  Flavor was great though!  :)

Oh, and I’m not sure if you saw on Twitter, but I’m hosting my blog.  I haven’t prettied it up or anything, so I’ll post the link when it’s ready.  And if you have any ideas for my blog, seriously, let me know.  I want to write about things other than recipes!

I don’t know about you, but I love, love, love bacon & corn. They’re definitely up there with Nutella. Anyway, I was looking through my Cooking Light: Fresh Food Fast recipe book and stumbled upon this great concoction.

Unfortunately for me, I use precooked bacon. I know, I know…raw bacon tastes better (after cooking it, of course!) but I don’t like how it stinks up my 800 square foot apartment!  Ah, well.

Corn & Bacon Chowder
From Cooking Light: Fresh Food Fast recipe book
Makes 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

You’ll need:
- 2 bacon slices (I used 4)
- ½ cup refrigerated prechopped celery, onion, and bell pepper mix
- 2 (16 oz) packages frozen baby gold and white corn, thawed & divided
- 2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided (I used whole)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup (3 oz) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (such as Cracker Barrel)
- freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Directions:
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble and set aside. Add celery mixture and 1 package corn to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Place remaining 1 package corn and 1 cup milk in a blender, and process until smooth. Add pureed mixture to vegetables in pan; stir in remaining 1 cup milk, salt, black pepper, and cheese. Cook over medium heat (do not boil), stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Ladle chowder into bowls. Top each serving evenly with reserved crumbled bacon. Sprinkle with additional black pepper, if desired.

Serve with a salad or whatever you have on hand…I chose buttermilk ranch pretzel pieces!