On My Hearth: Caribbean Confetti Shrimp

Another shrimp recipe because I love 'em and also need to use up some leftover peas and a few slivers of red & green peppers in my produce drawer.

Caribbean Confetti Shrimp


Buy peeled and deveined shrimp because it's a real timesaver. Start cooking the rice first, so it will be done at about the same time as the shrimp.


2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup green bell pepper strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 pimento-stuffed olives, halved
1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
1 pound peeled, deveined medium shrimp
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add vinegar and next 4 ingredients (vinegar through bay leaves); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cover and cook 4 minutes. Add peas; cover and cook 1 minute. Discard bay leaves. Serve with rice.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup shrimp mixture and 1/2 cup rice)

CALORIES 306 (15% from fat); FAT 5.1g (sat 0.8g,mono 2.5g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 22.9g; CHOLESTEROL 129mg; CALCIUM 105mg; SODIUM 759mg; FIBER 3.4g; IRON 4.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.3g

Cooking Light, JUNE 1999

On My Hearth: Fettuccine with Shrimp and Portobellos

My grocery store had baby bellos on sale so I'll be using them for this recipe.

Fettuccine with Shrimp and Portobellos


Serve this entrée in a bowl with toasted bread to soak up the flavorful broth.

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 (4-inch) portobello mushroom cap (about 5 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Asiago cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain.

Remove brown gills from underside of mushroom cap using a spoon; discard gills. Cut cap into thin slices. Cut slices in half crosswise.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushroom, onion, parsley, salt, and garlic; sauté for 4 minutes or until mushroom releases moisture, stirring frequently. Stir in broth, wine, and shrimp; bring to a boil. Add pasta, and cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with cheese and chives.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups shrimp mixture, 2 tablespoons cheese, and about 1 teaspoon chives)

CALORIES 384 (21% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 3.3g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 23.8g; CHOLESTEROL 114mg; CALCIUM 156mg; SODIUM 540mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 4.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.9g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2004

Daily Inspiration: If You Knew

If You Knew
by Ellen Bass

What if you knew you'd be the last
to touch someone?
If you were taking tickets, for example,
at the theater, tearing them
giving back the ragged stubs,
you might take care to touch that palm
or press your fingertips,
into the crease of a life line.

When a man pulls his wheeled suitcase
too slowly through the airport, when
the car in front of me doesn't signal,
when the clerk at the pharmacy
won't say thank you, I don't remember
they're going to die.

A friend told me she'd been with her aunt.
They'd just had lunch and the waiter,
a young gay man with plum black eyes,
joked as he served the coffee, kissed
her aunt's powdered cheek when they left.
Then they walked half a block and her aunt
dropped dead on the sidewalk.

How close does the dragon's spume
have to come? How wide does the crack
in heaven have to split?
What would people look like
if we could see them as they are,
soaked in honey, stung and swollen,
reckless, pinned against time?


Ellen Bass's most recent book of poetry, "Mules of Love," won the Lambda Literary Award. This poem is from "The Human Line," forthcoming from Copper Canyon Press in 2007. She teaches poetry and creative writing in Santa Cruz, California.

On My Hearth: Cheese Ravioli with Toasted Walnuts

I have most of the Thanksgiving leftovers out of my house, will serve the last of them today for lunch and then toss the rest. Since I am sick of "meat & potatoes" and ready for some new flavors, this Real Simple ravioli recipe sounds perfect! I'll serve regular pasta sauce alongside for those who don't like walnuts, will make fresh steamed broccoli as well.

Cheese Ravioli with Toasted Walnuts


* One 14- 16 ounce package cheese ravioli
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* 1 clove garlic sliced
* 1 cup walnuts roughly chopped
* 2 teaspoons lemon juice
* Kosher salt and pepper
* 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley chopped
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan


Directions

1. Cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the cooking water.
2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and walnuts. Cook, stirring until the nuts are lightly toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the parsley, and the reserved cooking water.
4. Add the ravioli and toss to coat.
5. Divide among individual plates and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Daily Om: November 26, 2007
Brand-New Day
Inner Sunrise

When today is not going well, it is tempting to focus on tomorrow as a blank slate with all the possibilities that newness provides. It is true that tomorrow will be a brand-new day, but we do not have to wait until tomorrow to start fresh. We can start fresh at any moment, clearing our energy field of any negativity that has accumulated, and call this very moment the beginning of our brand-new day.

There is something about the sunrise and the first few hours of the morning that make us feel cleansed and rejuvenated, ready to move forward enthusiastically. As the day wears on, we lose some of this dynamic energy and the inspiration it provides. This may be why we look forward to tomorrow as providing the possibility of renewal. Many traditions consider the light of the rising sun to be particularly divine in its origins; this is why so many people in the world face east when performing ritual. We too can cultivate that rising sun energy inside ourselves, carrying it with us to light our way through any time of day or night, drawing on its power to awaken and renew our spirits.

One simple way to do this is to carry an image or a photograph of the rising sun with us in our wallet or purse. We can also post this image on our wall at work or at home, or have it as our screensaver on our computer. When we feel the need to start fresh, we can take a moment to gaze at the image, allowing its light to enter into our hearts. As we do this, we might say out loud or quietly to ourselves, I am ready to let go of the past and start anew. We might visualize anything we want to release leaving us as we exhale, and as we inhale, we can take in the fresh energy of the eastern sun, allowing it to light the way to a brand-new day.


I'll try to heed the above advice and consider this a "new day," but since today started with me feeling slightly ill, quite worn-out and rather put-upon, it's not going to be easy.

In the spirit of always keeping this blog "real" and honest, sharing the bad along with the good, I confess that I am not in the best mood this morning, nor have I been for a couple of days now. I awoke Friday with a horrible neck and shoulder ache, pain to the point where I was popping 2 Advil every 4 hours. I'm not sure how I strained my muscles this badly, imagine it had something to do with the horribly-uncomfortable movie theater seats Thursday night combined with all-day cooking, but who knows. The end result is that I am still in pain, though not as bad. To top that off I have a sore throat and congestion, not enough to knock me off my feet but enough to be annoying.

In addition to those ailments I am also exhausted, just plum wore out as my kinfolk would say. 4 solid days of having everyone home, cooking at least 2 meals a day, cleaning up messes, doing dishes, etc. etc. is wearing on me. And, frankly, I'm tired of entertaining! Beren's girls have been with us for 4 days and while they are sweet, lovely, well-mannered children, they are still several years younger than my daughters, still somewhat guests in my home and require a different level of care/attention. Yes, I let Beren handle most of it but there are times with a Mom-type-person is needed as well.

So, after a relaxing Sunday afternoon on Ft Lauderdale beach sipping frozen mojitos and watching the cruise ships deport, I came back to reality: home and prepared dinner, cleaned up, took a shower and promptly went to bed. At 8:15 pm. I was invited to join Lily at the gym this morning at 5, so I figured a good night's sleep would allow that. I set my alarm, arose at the proper time, only to find that my daughter had changed her mind and would rather sleep than work out. No problem, I got dressed and ready to go alone. Except that there are two things you absolutely need at the gym: your membership card and your iPod (the music there is atrocious). Hmm..membership card is MIA and my iPod? Battery dead, headphones nowhere to be found. A quick search through pitch-black bedroom and an inquiry posed to children resulted in nothing. So, here I sit, frustrated and aggravated, sore neck & throat, feeling very annoyed and put-upon indeed. Today's agenda holds no comfort: we are taking Beren's girls to a birthday party at a laser tag place after Jezebel's visit to the vet this morning. *groan* I am exhausted and the day hasn't even officially begun..perhaps I'll just go back to bed and hope for a better sunrise.

On My Hearth: Easy Shepherd's Pie

We ended up with tons of leftover mashed potatoes this year, to Lily's delight! When she was a little girl I went into her room to tuck her in, found her already asleep but as I kissed her wee head she mumbled, "I want somebody to make me some mashed potatoes." LOL We never figured out where that came from, must've been a dream she was having, but it's a standing joke at our house. She truly does love her mashed taters!

In order to make this vegetarian-friendly I'll be using veggie crumbles in lieu of the beef.

Easy Shepherd's Pie
from Real Simple

1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (such as carrots, peas, and corn), thawed
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Cheddar (optional)
1 16-ounce package refrigerated or frozen and thawed mashed potatoes

Heat oven to 400° F.

Place the beef in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until no trace of pink remains, about 5 minutes. Spoon off and discard any fat. Stir in the ketchup and Worcestershire. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Spoon the beef mixture into a baking dish.

Mix the cheese (if using) with the potatoes in a medium bowl. Spread the potatoes over the beef and bake until heated through, 10 minutes. Divide among individual plates.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 384(40% from fat); FAT 17g (sat 8g); SUGAR 6g; PROTEIN 22g; CHOLESTEROL 88mg; SODIUM 827mg; FIBER 3g; CARBOHYDRATE 28g

On My Hearth: Pasta with Tomato and Peas

Since by now everyone is already sick of Thanksgiving leftovers, we are continuing on our little Veggie Adventure here at the Castle. We're on the letter "P" and even though peas are a common vegetable which I'm sure Beren's girls have eaten before, I'm going to serve them in a way I bet they've never tried.

Pasta with Tomato and Peas
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound linguine
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated Romano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water. Stir to melt the tomato paste and create a sauce, adding more pasta water if necessary. Stir in the oregano, thyme, and parsley. Gently fold in the cooked pasta, peas, and the cheeses, adding more reserved pasta water if necessary. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
User Rating: 4 Stars

Thanksgiving Thoughts & Inspiration

Daily Om: November 22, 2007
Beyond Counting Blessings
Being Truly Thankful

Often when we practice being thankful, we go through the process of counting our blessings, acknowledging the wonderful people, things and places that make up our reality. While it is fine to be grateful for the good fortune we have accumulated, true thankfulness stems from a powerful comprehension of the gift of simply being alive, and when we feel it, we feel it regardless of our circumstances. In this deep state of gratitude, we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself, and our thankfulness is part and parcel of our awareness that we are one with this great mystery that is life.

It is difficult for most of us to access this level of consciousness as we are very caught up in the ups and downs of our individual experiences in the world. The thing to remember about the world, though, is that it ebbs and flows, expands and contracts, gives and takes, and is by its very nature somewhat unreliable. If we only feel gratitude when it serves our desires, this is not true thankfulness. No one is exempt from the twists and turns of fate, which may, at any time, take the possessions, situations, and people we love away from us. Ironically, it is sometimes this kind of loss that awakens us to a thankfulness that goes deeper than just being grateful when things go our way. Illness and near-miss accidents can also serve as wake-up calls to the deeper realization that we are truly lucky to be alive.

We do not have to wait to be shaken to experience this state of being truly thankful for our lives. Tuning in to our breath and making an effort to be fully present for a set period of time each day can do wonders for our ability to connect with true gratitude. We can also awaken ourselves with the intention to be more aware of the unconditional generosity of the life force that flows through us regardless of our circumstances.

We had a rather rough week here at the castle with Jezebel's disappearance last Friday night; thank the Goddess she returned home safe & sound! I was beside myself with grief, always knew how much that feline familiar meant to me but it certainly was reinforced during those 4 days when she was absent. I hope she got it out of her system because she'll never step those paws outside again!



Along with that, I had a lot to be thankful for this year; Beren's girls joined us for Thanksgiving dinner for the first time, as did Kevin's Mom and sisters. We squeezed 14 folks into my dining room, it was fabulous! I tried some new recipes this year as did Kristyn, everyone contributed and we had a feast fit for a King! Above is a shot of Beren teaching his girls the fine art of tater peelin', below are my gorgeous folks hangin' on the patio.



After dessert we all stuffed ourselves into the car and headed to the movies, our family's Thanksgiving night tradition.  Enchanted was an adorable little flick, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The evening ended with a moonlit poolside chat with my Sweetie, then off to bed for this weary hostess. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving, though, can't wait to do it again on Yule!

On My Thanksgiving Hearth: Mom's Tasty Treats

Just a couple more recipes that were on my hearth yesterday, and are still taking up residence in my fridge today..groan...

There are three things my Mom must make every Thanksgiving: Waldorf Salad, Sour Cream Fruit Salad (Lily's favorite), and THE Cake. The Waldorf salad is pretty standard, and the fruit salad as well, but the cake..sigh..I simply can't describe this nutty delicious confection, have never tasted anything quite like it. It's a dry-ish cake, best served alongside coffee or even spread with a bit of butter or cream cheese. Simply wonderful and worth every moment that it takes to prepare it..especially since Mom does it for us! LOL (By the way, the adorable image above was embroidered onto an apron for me by, guess who? Yep, my talented Mama!).



Sour Cream Fruit Salad

8 oz. Sour cream
2 cans mandarin oranges
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 can pears
1 package coconut
1 package small marshmallows

Drain oranges, pineapple and pears, cut pears into small pieces. Mix sour cream,
oranges, pineapple and pears, add coconut and marshmallows (as many as you want, just make sure it blends nicely).

Pecan Raisin Cake

1/2 pound butter
1 pound (2 cups) sugar
6 eggs (beaten)
1 pound (4 cups sifted all purpose flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup orange juice
4 cups shelled pecans
1 pound raisins

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar thoroughly with electric mixer until fluffy, sift flour with baking powder and salt (reserve one cup to dredge nuts and raisins) add rest of flour, eggs and orange alternately. Mix in raisins and nuts.

Pour into greased tube pan

Bake 3 hours in 275 degree oven.

Makes a 7 pound cake.

On My Thanksgiving Hearth: Baby Brussels Sprouts with Buttered Pecans

Kali and Kevin are contributing this dish along with Cranberry Martinis (recipe to follow). Yummy!

Baby Brussels Sprouts with Buttered Pecans

Gourmet | November 2006

If you find it difficult to get excited about Brussels sprouts, then it's likely you've never sampled baby ones. The tiny sprouts—less than an inch across—lack the bitterness of their full-grown counterparts. Paired with buttered pecans, they may just become your new Thanksgiving favorite.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pecan halves, cut crosswise into thirds
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 lb baby Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread pecan pieces in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and bake until fragrant and a few shades darker, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt to nuts and toss until butter is melted and nuts are coated.

While nuts bake, cook Brussels sprouts in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain sprouts and pat dry.

Melt remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase heat to moderately high, then add sprouts and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned in patches, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, then stir in pecans and serve.

Cooks' notes:
• If you can't find baby Brussels sprouts, you can use 2 lb regular Brussels sprouts, quartered.
• Pecans can be toasted and buttered 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature, covered.
• Brussels sprouts can be boiled 1 day ahead and kept chilled in a sealed plastic bag with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.