Monday, January 25, 2010

Happy Monday Everyone!

I hate Mondays. Ok, hate is a strong word. I do get to volunteer at the Library on Mondays but that's all it has going for it. It means that John has to go back to work, that our weekend of exploring is over, and today it means rain. Boo. Boo on Mondays.

That being said, I'll tell you about the weekend! Saturday was spent at the vet's. Sadie was due for a check up and booster shots. Not so fun for her, but John and I got to look at a very very cute French bulldog puppy so it was fun for us! I think, if they were swimmers, we would have one. Oh, and if they didn't cost a million dollars.That's the real deciding factor.

To make up for her torturous Saturday, Sunday we went to a parc. Let me just say, I was not expecting much. French parcs are usually small and don't allow dogs. (Really? Makes no sense to me. Although, considering the fact that most dogs here are mean.. maybe it does make sense.) This parc was evidently an exception- or we just need to find more like this. It was HUGE- complete with a large walking path that went through a wooded area, fields, beside a marsh, over a couple of creeks, and had a few real roman ruins. (These are quickly becoming old news. Roman ruins are everywhere.) Sadie loved it and sniffed to her little heart's content. John and I loved it because it was a HUGE, OPEN space that is about 15 minutes from home. Open space is a very very valuable commodity here and you really learn to appreciate it. Oh, and did I mention that it was covered in cork trees? I don't have a picture, but when we go back, I will take some. Amazing looking trees.

I hope you all had just as awesome a weekend! And, here is a recipe that I tried out Saturday. Incredible.

Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (can leave tails on), thaw if frozen
  • Pinch of salt, more to taste
  • Pinch black pepper, more to taste
  • 3 ounces feta cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled)


Method

1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.

2 Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the juices thicken a bit.

3 Remove from heat. Stir in the herbs, shrimp, feta cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Place pan in oven and bake, uncovered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.

Serve immediately. Serve with crusty French or Italian loaf bread, pasta, or rice.


Recipe taken from here

5 comments:

Abby Hunter said...

Mmmm, that sounds delicious! I'll have to try it sometime - thanks for sharing. And I would LOVE to see a photo of cork trees! Have you ever read, "Ferdinand"??

Abby Hunter said...

PS I caught up on some of your most recent posts - and was wondering if you have access to the movie 'Julie & Julia' over there. You NEED to see it. It involves blogging and cooking - and Julia Child spent a lot of time in France! :)

Stacey said...

It really is wonderful- the taste is just so simple but good.
I will try to get a picture up of the cork tree up this week. What is "Ferdinand"? I haven't heard of it.
And, I LOVED Julie & Julia. Such a good movie! I would like to read the book, but haven't found it over here. John wanted me to do the same thing- cook through "The Joy of Cooking" but I said it had already been done. haha!

Abby Hunter said...

Oh good, I'm glad you saw it!!! "Ferdinand" is the cutest story about a bull who likes to sit under a cork tree. :) He is a sweetheart, and just isn't aggressive like the other bulls...but when the men are scouting around for a good bull to put in the bull fight - he gets stung by a bee and acts aggressive for the first time ever - so he gets picked, but when he gets out there, he just sits down to smell the flowers...so they take him back to his cork tree. :) You probably didn't want the whole story, but I just love that book! It's Kalia's - of course!

Stacey said...

Oh wait! I do know that book! It has just been AGES since I read it. For whatever reason they didn't say anything about it in my elem. ed. classes. I will have to email my professor. haha! It is very very cute.