Got to give the recipe I used for last night's dinner, and leftovers..
Skip this if you don't like lemon with onions. I kinda do, both in my faux remoulade onion thing (with of all things, mustard), and in this recipe, to follow.
This is from a foodblog (flog, to me) that I had to add to my bookmark bar, Dinners for a Year and Beyond.
http://dinnersforayear.blogspot.com/2008/07/dinner-121-garlic-lemon-shrimp-and-orzo.html
copying the photo, not sure it will stick, but the photo attracted me..
This is the post -
Like many food bloggers, I spend an inordinate amount of time reading, developing, and testing recipes. I love to grocery shop. The fiction that I read is somehow about food. I watch culinary television shows. My cookbooks and magazines overflow my shelves.
I have found a way to share my passion for all things food, make a little cash while I'm at it, and not work crazy restaurant hours. As a personal chef, I help hungry families gather around the dinner table with a meal that doesn't come in a flat, cardboard box.
My business allows me get to know a family well. I plan and shop for their groceries. I cook in their home anywhere from 3 - 6 hours. I know what foods they like and what they don't like. Kids are running through the kitchen. Dogs are looking for a handout. As the name implies, it is a personal job. I would have to say this is a dream job for me. I love cooking for my family and now I get to share my passion for good food with others.
Today I cooked for a client that I have had for over a year. This family is an ideal client in that they are up for trying new recipes and foods. Also, for the most part, they let me pick their menus. One of their selections for a dinner this week was Garlic Lemon Shrimp and Orzo.
A white wine sauce enhanced with onions and garlic is used to poach the shrimp. Parsley and Parmesan and a pat of butter enrich the sauce before it is tossed with orzo. A filling yet light meal that will be enjoyed by your family and friends alike.
Garlic Lemon Shrimp and Orzo
serves 6
2 cups orzo, cooked al dente and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 cup white wine
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon butter
2 pounds of shrimp, 21 - 25 count, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil. Add onions and cook for about 5 - 6 minutes or until they are soft but not brown. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Add the lemon juice, zest, and wine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and cook for 2 - 3 minutes to meld the flavors together. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in pat of butter until melted.
Add the shrimp and cook until just cooked through, about 4 - 5 minutes. Toss shrimp and sauce with the orzo, parsley and Parmesan. Serve with extra cheese.
Osso-
I didn't add the cheese, an anathema to me with fish/shellfish. Might be good to the less biased palette, and even ital chefs are playing with it now.
I used only 3/4 lb medium sized shrimp (less work to peel that the tinys - and I'd be asleep standing peeling two pounds - also, cheaper) and only, say, 1 1/4 cups of orzo. Everything else the same - ok, maybe I added only 1 and 1/2 chopped medium onion.
This tasted wonderful. The basic flavours worked. And it was easy. Comfort food, even.
