Shrimp Picatta with Peas

I wanted something like chicken picatta, but without real meat (shrimp and fish don't count, in my version of vegetarianism) and so this super easy and bright dinner with hints of spring.  Which is a bit cruel as winter will probably last another month, or more.

Saute the (peeled) shrimp with a little garlic and oil, then remove while keeping the good juices in the pan.  We like it really piquant so I added just over a half cup of lemon juice and a small bottle of white wine.  Season with a little salt and pepper and parsley if you have it.  Meanwhile, cook small pasta (alphabets if you grocery shopped with a 3 year old) until al dente.  Scrape the bottom of the pan and then reduce the sauce to a thick, saucy consistency.  Add the shrimp back and coat and then mix in some peas.  Serve over the pasta.

The peas turned a bit of a murky canned-pea green, despite being good frozen ones.  I'd like to try either fresh peas (ideally from the pea pick at the farm in the summer) or steaming them first and adding in at the last second.  These needed to thaw in the sauce and maybe got overdone.  They tasted pretty good, despite my not liking cooked peas much.

It all came together nicely and quickly and was quite delicious.  I always forgot how much I like small pasta.

Hawaiian Pulled Pork

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy and tasty this turned out.  One (half-price!) pork tenderloin in the crockpot with bottled teriyaki sauce and a can of crushed pineapple.  Reminiscent of Natalie's family's party, but it worked quite well.  It was sweet and tangy and saucy.  We put it over the flatbread style buns and steamed some carrots on the side.

Veggie Calzone

Here's a nice alternative to pizza, that's not really any more work.

Make a simple pizza dough, rolled out into a rough circle.  Some tomato sauce, any toppings/fillings you want (this was leftover mushrooms, red pepper and some black olives) and a nice thick layer of mozzarella.  Fold in half, seal shut, and bake until the crust is cooked (not long, maybe 20 minutes?).  A bit hit all around, although I'm wary of how it'll fare for leftovers.

Stuffed Shells

 I love stuffed shells and hadn't made them in a long long time.  They're so easy, so versatile, and so good.

These were part of my "clean out the freezer" kick.  I had some leftover sausage with chopped peppers that I just mixed with a tub of ricotta cheese.  I cooked some shells and stuffed the mixture inside once they were cool.  Some marinara on top and they baked for half an hour or so, plus Parmesan to pass.  The outer shells were plenty hot but the ones in the middle were still just lukewarm.  Next time I'd do a little more veggie, a little less cheese, and a little longer in the oven.

Andrew ate three of these, and Thomas ate green beans for the first time!

Lentil Sausage Stew

Definitely not vegetarian!  This was thick and warm and a little spicey, and worth breaking a veggie streak.
I cooked hot Italian sausage meat (split open and remove the casings) and then took them out of the pot.  In the remaining fat I sauteed some onions, then added salt, pepper and thyme.  I added a bunch of sliced carrots and cooked the a couple minutes, but this is probably unnecessary.  Then added in diced potatoes and enough water to cover.  Cook 20 minutes or so, then add lentils.  I used red French and forgot they turn yellow-white.  Cook another half hour or until everything is soft and the stew is thick.  A little balsalmic vinegar and some more salt and pepper to taste.