ARF/5-A-Day #91

For the past couple of weeks, I have been going to bed consistently at 1 am. Long story short, I’ve developed really painful carpal tunnel over the last month or so, and if I stay up late, and take Tylenol Extra Strength before I go to bed, I have half a shot of getting a good night’s sleep. I can’t say it’s working 100%, but it’s made it slightly more bearable. Why am I telling you this? Ahh, because it brings us to tonight’s recipe.

Going to bed so late lets me catch up on my backlog of Tivo’d shows, and the other night an episode of Barefoot Contessa made it to the top of the list. She made a Roasted Shrimp and Orzo dish that looked simply delicious, and the easy prep time makes it a great weeknight meal.

I thought with the cucumber and feta in it, I could sell Nicholas on it, but no dice. Unfortch, The Husband didn’t care for it either. What the heck is wrong with these people? So tomorrow I’ll be making the rounds to drop off some Roasted Shrimp and Orzo CARE packages – can’t eat the entire batch myself, no matter how good it is. And it was. Good. Make it. Now onto what everyone else has been serving up for our ARF/5-A-Day roundup.

Another Food Network chef’s recipe hits Cooking is Medicine, with Claire serving up a steaming hot bowl of Ellie Krieger’s Tuscan Vegetable Soup. Our weather FINALLY turned a bit today and soup season is fast approaching. Love it.

More comfort food is heading our way with Chicken Pot Pie, courtesy of More Bread and Cheese, Please:

Table for Two picks up the comfort food theme with her Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole with an OMG addition:

Next up is Canela y Comino with her uber-healthy Simple Andean Salad:

Zlamushka’s Spice Kitchen is up next with her very creative Soy Bean Yin and Yang:

Sarah from What Smells So Good takes care of our sweet tooth with her healthy Manly Coffee Cake:

Newcomer Oooh!Cake finishes us off this week with another dessert, this time a Fresh Strawberry Tart:

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo
Recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa

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

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of 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, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of 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 to 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, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon 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.