Roasted Shrimp & Orzo

Kosher salt
Olive Oil
1/2 lb. orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-18 count)
1/2 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1/2 cup fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/4 cup small-diced red onion
1/4 lb. good feta cheese, large-diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5-6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Serves 3-4

Note: This is half the original recipe (which serves 6). I would strongly recommend either omitting the red onion or reducing the amount, as this has far too much onion. I'm not even sure if you need the red onion with the scallions. The herbs seemed a bit overwhelming, too, so adjust to your own preference. I used a basil-tomato flavored feta.

Modified from original recipe in Barefoot Contessa At Home Cookbook.

Potato Salad

4 lbs. red potatoes (8 large)
5 hard-boiled eggs, separated
1 tsp. salt, divided
3 green onions, diced
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook potatoes in boiling water to cover for approximately 40 minutes or until tender; drain and cool. Peel and cut into 1" cubes.

Chop egg whites. Gently stir together potato cubes, egg whites, 1/2 tsp. salt and green onions.

In a separate bowl, mash egg yolks. Add remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, mayonnaise, relish, mustard and pepper, stirring until blended and creamy. Gently fold into potato mixture.

Cover and chill for 2 hours.

Yield: 8 servings

My Notes:

I can't remember where I got this delicious recipe. I've never been a big fan of potato salad, but I love this! I'm not sure why it tastes so much better than others. Maybe it's the red potatoes (or lack of celery and white onions).

I usually cut this recipe in half, but wind up adding a little extra mayo, mustard, relish and seasonings to taste. I also try to buy small potatoes so they cook thoroughly without getting overdone and mushy. If I make the full recipe, I use two separate pots for the potatoes, so they have plenty of room to boil.

Val's Potato Casserole

6-8 medium-sized russet potatoes (whole, unpeeled)
1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup (condensed)
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup dried dill

Boil potatoes until tender, approximately 45-60 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then peel. Cut into quarter-inch slices (or dice into large chunks).

Mix sour cream, soup, margarine, green onions and spices in a large mixing bowl.

Place 1/3 of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of a lightly greased deep casserole dish. Top with 1/3 portion of sauce and 1/3 portion of grated cheese. Repeat two more times.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees until heated through and cheese is bubbly (approximately 45-60 minutes).

I first tasted this potato dish at a family gathering almost 20 years ago. It was love at first bite! My family is forever grateful to Val (my sister-in-law) for introducing us to such a delicious side dish. It goes wonderfully with ham, steak, ribs, and chicken. Or, simply by itself!

Tortellini Rosa

2 Tbsp. butter
4 green onions, chopped
1 8-oz package mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb. cheese tortellini
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large frying pan, saute mushrooms and green onions in melted butter until just tender.

Add tomato paste, stirring until smooth and completely incorporated.

Add heavy cream and stir until well-blended. Turn burner down to low.

Cook tortellini in large pot of boiling water until just done (according to package). Drain and return to pot.

Pour sauce over cooked pasta and toss very gently until tortellini is completely coated. Add cooked bacon and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Note: This is an excellent side dish to serve with Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops, Oven-barbecued Ribs, or Grilled Flank Steak with Rosemary.

Macaroni & Cheese

2 + 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (or margarine), plus about 1 tablespoon for casserole dish
4 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into ¼-to-½-inch pieces
2¾ cups milk
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons salt
2¼ cups (about 9 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup (about 4 ounces) grated Gruyere
2 cups dry elbow macaroni

Fill a large pot with water. Bring to boil. Add macaroni – don’t cover with a lid; cook 1-2 minutes less than manufacturer’s directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.

While pasta is cooking, grate both cheeses. Set aside.

Using 1 tablespoon of butter, grease 1½-quart casserole dish and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in microwave . Cut crusts off bread slices and discard. Tear bread into bite-size pieces. Pour some of the melted butter into a large bowl. Toss bread pieces in melted butter, adding the rest of the melted butter as you work. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat the milk. Be careful not to scald the milk. It should not boil!

In a separate high-sided pan/skillet, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Using a flat-bottom whisk, cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Slowly pour the hot milk into the pan with the butter and flour. Continue whisking until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick (2-3 minutes).

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the salt, cheddar cheese, and Gruyere cheese. Dump cooled macaroni into the pot you cooked it in. Pour in the cheese sauce and stir to coat all the noodles.

Pour the noodle-cheese mixture into the buttered casserole dish. Scatter breadcrumbs over the top.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

When you’re ready to cook the dish, remove from frig about while the oven preheats to 375 degrees. Bake, UNCOVERED, until browned on top, about 30-45 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Notes: I prefer to use 2% milk for this recipe. I also use Oroweat's Country White bread for the breadcrumbs. Excellent with ribs or spiral-baked ham.

Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Favorite Comfort Food: Classic Favorites and Great New Recipes