When He Cooks for Me

I have the sweetest husband ever!  He randomly gets flowers for me.  He lets me go to the gym even when I'm late leaving work.  He looks for ways to do things that I enjoy.  He wants to take K to school and ballet.  He reads stories to her.  He seeks to lead our family in God's will.

A few weeks ago, K was out of town.  We had both worked in the ER opposite days that weekend and didn't really get to spend much time together.  The last day she was gone he wasn't going to be able to eat, but he decided to get food that I like and cook for me.  He got fresh veggies and shrimp and grilled them.  You see, he doesn't like shrimp but I love it!  So, even though he couldn't enjoy dinner, he made sure I had something that was enjoyable.  That night, we then proceeded to play Super Mario on Wii.  :-)  It was a fun night! 

Garlic Balsamic Grilled Shrimp from AllRecipes

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
• 1 onion, cut into chunks

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix the vinegar, oil, garlic, basil, salt, and ground pepper. Place the shrimp, bell pepper, and onion in the bowl, and gently toss to coat. Cover, and allow to marinate at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Heat a pan grill over high heat or prepare grill. Alternately thread the shrimp, onion chunks, and pepper chunks on skewers.
3. Place shrimp in grill basket or on skewers.  Put these on the grill.  If using skewers, cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until shrimp is opaque.  If using basket, cook until opaque.

serve with grilled veggies and cous cous.  Enjoy!

Please Forgive the Photography!

As said in the title, PLEASE, forgive the photography!  I forgot my camera and had to use one I was not aquainted with.  Do not judge with your eyes...let you tastebuds give it a try!

I made this dish a long time ago and have been waiting to post it, hoping that I'd make it again and could take some better pictures.  However, I have not made it again yet (thought I plan to soon...I have all but the feta available) and it is so good, I feel that I need to share this recipe with you! 

I found the recipe on one of the first sites I ever visited, Sweetnicks.  She has been cooking great dishes for adults and dishes for the kiddos for several years (well, Nick is 7, I think, so gather from that as you may).  Anyway, I made this one day when I went to a friend's house to eat.  She doesn't like shrimp (go figure!) so we made a small dish for her with chicken.  Both versions were delicious!  I served it with roasted zucchini and couscous.  Delicious and healthy!

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta
Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices  (I think we added extra tomatoes)
• 1/4 cup finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh dill (I didn't use this...not a fan of dill)
• 1-1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Heat the oil in an oven proof skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomato juices thicken.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, dill, and shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the feta over the top. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and cheese melts, about 12 minutes.