PERFECT LENTEN SANDWICH

Welcome to Foodie Friday TLB friends!

Last weekend I made a new sandwich for hubby. It went over so well, I thought I would share the recipe with all of you. It's the perfect accompaniment to a hot bowl of soup, and a great recipe to make during the upcoming Lenten season. This year Ash Wednesday, or the first day of Lent, is on February 10th. 

EASY SHRIMP SCAMPI--Great Meatless Meal!

It's that time of year when I find myself searching for new meatless recipes for the Lenten season. Heaven knows there is a plethora of them floating around. I love the new twist on the old classics the best!

In case you didn't know I am a huge fan of Ellie Krieger. I love her recipes because they are healthy as well as tasty. Today's dish is Ellie's Shrimp Scampi with Artichokes. It takes just minutes to prepare and tastes so delicious. I added a side of steamed broccoli and dinner was served!

Follow the link to Ellie's recipe:  

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/shrimp-scampi-with-artichokes-recipe.html

Loaded with shrimp and artichokes the recipe couldn't be any easier. Why not give it a try any night for a quick dinner. You'll be amazed at the flavors as they meld into this delish dish!

Thanks for joining me on FOODIE FRIDAY and have a wonderful weekend!

Kathleen

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It's Foodie Friday....In Honor of the Sochi Olympics--Beef Stroganoff from Russia

Americans have been, and continue to be focused on the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.  With temperatures varying from 43-50 degrees, some joke that maybe Atlanta would have been a better choice of host city.  But to our exceptional athletes competing, no jokes, just hard work and focus on bringing home that medal.They have not let the temps dampen their enthusiasm.

Meanwhile all of us back home remain strong in our support for these exceptional athletes that represent our country..........GO USA!  At the time of my printing this blog, the medal tally was as follows: 8 Gold, 6 Silver, and 11 Bronze........and we still have 2 more days!

So what do we know about Russia.....its food and its culture? Since today is Foodie Friday I have chosen a Russian favorite dish to prepare.......Beef Stroganoff. It is simply tender beef with a mushroom and typically a sour cream sauce served over noodles. Ellie Krieger's recipe uses Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, to cut the calories. It is such an easy dish to prepare, adding a side of green beans and dinner is served Olympic style!

 

  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/beef-stroganoff-recipe.html

Displayed in the photo above is a Russian lacquer box. My husband brought this home as a souvenir from his travels to Russia years ago. It is something I have always loved to display.

Russian lacquer art was developed from the art of icon painting which came to an end with the collapse of Imperial Russia. The painters, who previously had been employed by supplying to churches and people's homes, needed a way to make a living. At this point papier-mache boxes were lacquered and hand painted. (**SOURCE Wiki)

I hope you have enjoyed a little bit of Russia with me today. What a great way to start an interesting
conversation around the family dinner table..........why not serve your family a warm and delicious Beef Stroganoff tonight and see where your conversation takes you.

        GO TEAM USA!

              Kathleen

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Foodie Friday-A touch of Lisbon!

A year ago my husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to commemorate our "36th Anniversary" by taking a trip abroad to Portugal and France.

Exciting, adventurous, romantic, educational, beautiful and gratifying would be how I would describe our trip. We had the time of our lives!

From the beginning planning stages we both agreed that one of the things we would do was sample local fare from whatever region we visited. Our first stop was Lisbon, Portugal. 

We stayed in a lovely hotel --Hotel Avenida Palace in the center of Lisbon. http://www.hotelavenidapalace.pt/en/hotel-overview.html?gclid=CPm7xIXmvrkCFUid4AodeBkAxw

By being centrally located we were able to walk everywhere. Each evening we ate our dinner at a different restaurant in the square. 

Feeling adventurous our first dinner in town, was Portugese Paella. We were delighted at the taste of chorizo, shrimp, olives, and spices with delicious flavors that all melded into this awesome dish. 

With our trip being one year ago I decided to recreate something similar to our dinner for my husband last week.I made a Chicken Paella with Sausage and Olives from Ellie Krieger, the same dish we introduced to  our daughters by teaching them how to cook this last Christmas. It is such an easy recipe that we all love.

Hope your family enjoys this as much as mine!!

 

  

Chicken Paella with Sausage and Olives

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

3 ounces chorizo sausage, casing removed, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 10-ounce package frozen peas

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 large ripe tomato, chopped

1/4 cup sliced green Spanish pimento-stuffed olives

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground tumeric

Small pinch of saffron threads

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, skillet over med-high heat. Use a skillet that has a cover. Add chorizo and cook until brown. Add chicken and stock, stirring until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in skillet. Add onions, and cook, until softened and translucent, 3-5 minutes. Return the chicken and chorizo to the skillet and add chicken broth, peas, rice, tomato, olives, salt, pepper, turmeric and saffron. ( I did not purchase Saffron because it is very costly and the dish tasted great without it!)

Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to oven. Cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 25-30 minutes.

*** I have an induction cooktop which requires "special" cookware. I made this dish with my pan on the stovetop and transferred the contents into a pyrex casserole dish with a cover for baking.

SOURCE-- So Easy Cookbook by Ellie Krieger

http://www.amazon.com/So-Easy-Luscious-Healthy-Recipes/dp/B00D1GD7JG