Remember "Fish Friday"? ~ Italian Shrimp and Broccoli ~ A Perfect Dish for Lent

Good ol' "Fish Friday" has rolled around again. At least that's what a bunch of my friends used to call it "back in the day". Traditionaly during Lent many of us do give up eating meat at least once a week. So when I found out that Smart and Final has frozen Bay Harbor shrimp*   going on sale I pulled all my shrimp recipes out and planned to take advantage of the sale during Lent.  I'm stocking up! Fish is fine, and I do eat it, but whenever given the chance to choose between fish or shrimp, I'll almost always choose shrimp. Here's a quick weeknight recipe for you to add to your recipe list during Lent. Hope it helps add an option to your meatless "Fish Fridays". This is a great dish to add pasta too!

 For a printer-friendly, text-only version of the recipe, click here.

Italian Shrimp and Broccoli
Take Shape For Life

Serves 2

Prep Time: About 5 minutes (make sure your shrimp has thawed)

Cook Time: About 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

7 oz raw, peeled, cleaned, tail-off frozen shrimp, thawed
(I used Bay Harbor Shrimp, 41-50 CT. Raw Tail-On Shrimp, Frozen, Sold in a 2 LB. bag for $9.98 at Smart & Final)*

2 Cups raw broccoli, chopped

1/2 Cup Cherry tomatoes, chopped

2 Tablespoons Kraft Fat-Free Zesty Italian Dressing

1 Tablespoon Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)

Optional: If you want to spice this dish up, consider using a jalepaneo infused olive oil, or add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce to the shrimp while they are cooking.

What You'll Do:

1. Thaw frozen shrimp following directions on package.

2. In a skillet, heat olive oil; add broccoli and chopped grape or cherry tomatoes; saute 3 - 5 minutes until veggies are tender-crisp. Place on a plate, cover with foil, and set aside. 

3. Spoon dressing into skillet; add shrimp and pepper. Saute until shrimp is heated through and opaque. About 5 minutes.

4. Combine shrimp and veggies into one skillet; cook 2- 3 minutes.

5. Plate, top with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

You may also like:

Garlic, Shrimp and Sauted Zucchini

South Beach Shrimp Salad in seconds

Tequila Lime Shrimp

 * Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this recipe in any way. My opinions are my own.

Flavorful Broccoli and Chicken in Dijon Mustard Sauce ~ Weigh-In Wednesday

Hello! And happy Wednesday to ya. It's been a very interesting week. I have to say I was pretty nervous about weighing in. Not because anything went wrong, or that I didn't follow this plan to the letter, but because I've been down this path so many times before. In the past nothing ever really felt right, nor worked. All week long I kept thinking "I really need want this to work"...and it did. I lost 6.4 pounds!! WOW! I'm so relieved. Planning ahead has continued to be the key to success each day. It's time consuming at first, but it's been worth it. The first three days, as I was warned, were the most difficult. Those were the days I felt a bit run down and hungry. I had a few headaches too. The rest of the week just got better and better each day. I was still a bit hungry, but less and less each day. Yesterday was the first day I wasn't hungry. That felt good! My energy level is back up, too. It was worth getting through the adjustment week.

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The "Bell" of the Ball ~ Stuffed Bell Peppers ~ Weigh-in Wednesday

It's pretty amazing to me that we're already sitting here officially in the month of FEBRUARY. Goodness, where does the time go?! Oh sure, I could get down about a whole month having passed and I'm just now getting on track with this weight-loss plan, but really, as you know, this month has been all about  getting to where I am now. I'm actually not frustrated or unhappy at all. In fact I feel good. Why? I finally officially started the "Take Shape for Life" plan three days ago!

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Here a Pie, There a Pie, Everywhere a Pie ~ Let's Celebrate National Pie Day!

Click here to subscribe to the podcast at iTunes.
Right-Click here then choose "save link as" to download the podcast to your computer so you can listen to it on your portable device.

National Pie Day is January 23rd, 2011 and we're celebrating here on Dishin' In the Kitchen. Today my interview is with Sunny Hernandez creator of For Your Pies Only! Sunny is a gal who really knows her pies. She's been learning how to make pies from past generations, and today is carrying on with that family tradition.

To celebrate National Pie Day Sunny shares with you a savory pie recipe and her family secret on how to make a flaky pie crust. Enjoy our conversation, and be sure to visit Sunny and her scrumptious pies!

How will you be celebrating National Pie Day this year?

Have You Ever Roasted Olives? ~ Roasted Chicken Legs with Olives

Have you ever had roasted olives? Or roasted olives with your chicken legs? Until now I hadn't. In fact I'm embarrassed to say that as a lifetime member of the "I Love Olives" team I've never even considered roasting my olives.

Well, that is until I met Amy McCoy author of the "Poor Girl Gourmet" cookbook!

After making this dish I've surmised that I clearly need to be eating more Italian-inspired dishes because this one, as Amy tells it, was inspired by an Italian dish right out of, you guessed it, a trip she took to Italy. I think it's time to start planning a trip, don't you?

I'm a sucker for rustic foods, so I knew I had to try this recipe. It's very easy to put together - perfect on a busy weeknight. But truthfully, it's sophisticated enough to serve to guests over the weekend, too. Just serve it up alongside some roasted or grilled veggies and you'll be good to go. Roasted olives are ridiculously good. The roasting deepens their flavors. You are left with a pleasantly mild salty flavor that is cradled in the buttery, golden juices of the chicken fat. Enjoy!

You may also like this recipe from the "Poor Girl Gourmet" Cookbook:
Living La Vida Loca - Honey & Fig Glazed Chicken Thighs

For a printer-friendly, text-only version of the recipe below, click here

Roasted Chicken Legs with Olives
Amy McCoy - Poor Girl Gourmet

What You'll Need:

4 chicken Leg Quarters, approx. 3/4 pound each
*I used four legs and one thigh, because that's what I had on had. It worked perfectly.

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 pound good quality olives

*I used pitted Kalamata olives from a local deli, but any good quality olive, pitted or not, will do. In fact, I almost always have whole green olives with pits in my fridge, which I'll be giving a try on the next go 'round. If you serve olives with pits to guests be sure to alert them .

What You'll Do:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F)
2. In a large baking dish arrange the chicken legs in a single layer, skin side up. Using a basting brush or your hands, lightly coat the skin with the olive oil. Sprinkle the legs with the thyme, and season them with salt and pepper.
3. Scatter the olives around the chicken so that the olives rest in their own space in the baking dish. This will allow them to be marinated with the chicken fat as they cook.
4. Roast the chicken until the skin is crispy and juices run clear when the legs are pierced, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Serve each leg, or thigh, with about one-quarter of the olives per person.