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Here’s some more crap I’ve been meaning to tell you about:
Summer has finally hit here in Nova Scotia. After about 40 days straight of rain, it’s hot and humid. Naturally, the first hot day in ages prompted the ancient boiler at the dance studio to kick in at full tilt, and the radiators blasted heat for several hours. That means the studio was approximately 400°C (1000000°F) last night, and smelled like leg sweat. I burst into flames midway through the first class.
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2.0 has been away on a golf trip. He goes every year with a ragtag group of other hairy, golf lovin’ creatures. I can only imagine what their rented condo smells like. It makes my eyes water.
When 2.0 goes away, I do my best to eat as much shrimp as possible. Because, as any true movita fan could tell you, he doesn’t like shrimp. Which is weird, right? I mean… he’s 40. Aren’t we supposed to be going to cocktail parties? And eating shrimp with cocktail sauce? (Wait. Is that why cocktail sauce is called cocktail sauce?) Also, I think we’re supposed to be drinking more scotch. Which is unfortunate, because in my mind that’s about the same as drinking turpentine. But I digress. This week is really all about the shrimp. And avocado. And goat cheese. And anything else 2.0 doesn’t like to eat.
So, with 2.0 gone and a reduced work schedule this coming week (Srping Break, mofos), I’ve been doing a lot of baking and photographing. The house looks like a Cooks Illustrated photo studio. The tripod has been standing at attention in the dining room, ready for duty on short notice. I’m pumping baked goods outta the kitchen like a freakin’ industrial sized bakery. It’s the shiz, shorty.
Also, I’ve been looking at real estate listings. Reading blogs. Contemplating a new dining room table. And watching a lot of true crime shows. Like, a lot. It’s a guilty pleasure. Do I want to know who bludgeoned small town America’s prom queen to death? Yah. I do. And yah, I knew it was the boyfriend. Because it’s always the boyfriend.
But just in case 2.0 reads this and thinks that I’m not missing him like crazy, I took the time to make a special pasta dish just for him. I’ll make him a big plateful when he returns. This is a pasta dish that can be topped with shrimp. Or not. Because some people don’t like shrimp. So you’re going to make the shrimp in a separate pan. That way, weirdos that don’t like shrimp don’t have to have any. And those of us that like it, can. This pasta sauce is garlicky and has a little basil injected into it. It’s only got five ingredients in it, and it couldn’t be any easier to make. Oh, and the addition of ricotta cheese just before serving makes this pasta sauce creamy and smooth. That’s just the kind of sauce 2.0 likes. Actually, this sauce is so easy and so tasty that it just might knock your stinky golf socks off. For reals.
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Super Easy Pasta Sauce {Topped with Shrimp… or not} – print and make for someone you love (even if they don’t like shrimp)
For the pasta and sauce:
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute – until fragrant. Add the tomatoes (and their juice) and the basil, and cook until the sauce begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low, and allow to simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking the tomatoes up with the back of a spoon.
As the sauce is simmering (about 15 minutes before serving time), cook the pasta according to package directions and drain. Set aside. As the pasta is cooking, prepare the shrimp (if using).
Once the pasta is cooked and drained, stir the ricotta cheese into the tomato sauce, and then immediately mix the sauce into the cooked pasta. Top with shrimp (if using, recipe below).
For the shrimp:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the white wine and lemon juice. Add the shrimp, allowing it to cook for about two minutes on each side. Pluck the shrimp from the cooking fluids, and serve on top of pasta or eat straight from the pan.
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I’ve noticed that every blogger who cares about food in the least is presenting you with wonderful holiday treats these days. I’ve spent part of the morning reading about cookies, cakes, loaves, and candies. Beautiful photos of sparkly bits and bobs. Tales of holidays past. So, I present to you: shrimp pasta. Festive, right? Well, if you don’t like it, you can bugger off. It’s got red and green in it for cripes sake, what more do you want?
2.0 doesn’t like shrimp. I know. It’s a wonder we’ve managed to stay together as long as we have, because I love shrimp. I’d throw myself in front of a car for it. Now, there’s a part of me that questions 2.0’s apparent distain for this perfect little crustacean. For a long time, he said he hated lobster. Fine by me – more for my belly. But guess who likes lobster now? Very inconvenient. Now I have to protect my lobster. Eat it with my arms warding off potential theft. Swatting at the air and growling when approached.
My sister, Haddy, gave me this recipe years ago. I make it when 2.0 is travelling for work. Mostly because he says he doesn’t like shrimp. But also so I can eat it all by myself. The original recipe had snap peas in it, but I prefer the addition of edamame. I also swapped in some balsamic vinegar. Because I like balsamic vinegar. It’s festive. Peanut butter gives the dish a smooth vibe, and the shrimp are all sweet and tasty like when you chomp into them.
When you make this for someone, they will love you extra. They will say, “thank you for making me this wonderful holiday treat. It is way better than a pretty sugar cookie. And I don’t even like stuff with crushed candy canes on top. No, I like this pasta way better.”
It could happen.
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Haddy’s Shrimp Pasta – inspired by Haddy Beaucoup (movita’s sister), original source unknown – print and make
Yields 4-6 servings.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain and then cover and set aside.
In a large skillet, over medium-low heat, cook the green onion, chicken broth, sesame oil, peanut butter, soya sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes until thickened slightly (about 5 minutes). Add in the shrimp and cook until the shrimp is heated through (about 2-3 minutes).
Toss the cooked linguine, red pepper, edamame and sauce together and serve.
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Guess what? Nope. Guess again. No. Guess again. Okay, I don’t know why you’d even suggest that. Cheesus. I’m just going to tell you. The Cat Farm is getting a major internet overhaul today. Yup. We’re getting FibreOp 2.0. We don’t know what the hell that is, but we know we like anything 2.0. Also, we’ve been told that we can watch television shows that we record in the basement when we are upstairs in bed. That’s basically what sold us. Oh, and then they told us that our internet speed will be smokin’ and that uploads will be blazing fast. That’s when 2.0 asked me what uploading is.
So, because some men are coming and taking my internet away in a few minutes, and because I love you and didn’t want you to head into the weekend without a little movita, I present to you: MacTuna Casserole. 2.0 made up that name – he said it makes the casserole sound like a Scottish dude. Macaroni, cheese, tuna and a little bacon on top. Your grandmother would approve. Your cardiologist? Not so much.
This makes a 2 quart casserole dish of heart stopping delight. You can serve about 4-5 people with it. Or two people and three cats. You could also divide the casserole into cute ramekins. That’s portion control, friends, and your cardiologist would probably approve of that. (The internet men just called. They are on their way. My fingers are currently typing as if possessed by a 30 Mbit/s upload speed!)
Okay, I’ve gotta go. Enjoy the internet without me today. Perhaps organize yourselves into some sort of movita fan club/street gang. One of you could design the jackets… let me know how it works out.
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MacTuna Casserole – print, bake and stuff in your face
Yields one 2 quart baking dish.
Topping:
Cook macaroni to al dente and drain. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, and saute onion and celery until tender, about three minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Whisk in the flour and Worcestershire sauce. Keep the mixture moving over the heat for a minute. Gradually whisk in milk, making sure no lumps remain. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and just begins to boil. Remove from heat.
Whisk in the cheddar cheese, sour cream and pepper. Stir in the tuna. Stir in the macaroni. Turn into a 2 quart casserole dish. (You could also divide the casserole into ramekins, and then reduce your baking time by about half.)
Top with bread crumbs, bacon bits and/or dabs of butter. Bake uncovered at 350°F degrees for 20-25 minutes.
note: you can make this the casserole ahead of time – make up until the baking stage and then refrigerate – you will need to increase your cooking time by about 10 minutes as it will be cold.
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Despite Mother Nature’s attempt to thwart us with the crappiest spring ever, the Cat Farm prevailed. Our veggie patch produced a massive quantity of peas. Sure, they were weeks late arriving, but better late than never. We basically told nature to screw off, we don’t care about your incessant rain, this here mini-farm will produce. And sure, we’ve got mould growing in each and every crevice of our bodies, but if you’re looking there it’s your problem. Yah, nature. We are rubbin’ your face in it.
The thing about peas is, I don’t normally like them. As in: I hate them. But when they come from your own veggie patch they taste totally different. No lie. So, I spent a significant amount time looking for pea recipes (because that’s what I do – I prefer the company of the interweb to real, live human beings), and finally settled on some pea pesto.
2.0: I don’t think I like pesto.
movita: Do you know what pesto is?
2.0: No.
movita: Well, you like pesto.
This is my new approach with 2.0. I just tell him he likes it. It seems to be working.
This pesto recipe is delightful. It didn’t taste too pea-ish, if you know what I mean. I made it with the peas from our garden, but I suppose frozen peas would do just as well. Do not use canned peas. What is wrong with you? Why would you even think about using canned peas? Besides, I’m in the process of having them banned from grocery stores. Also, I added some lemon to the original recipe – I think a dash of fresh lemon juice makes peas really happy. And 2.0 really liked his pea pesto, so there were no tears at dinner.
The day I made our pea pesto the clouds moved in and the skies opened up. Rain and hail pelted the house and we had hour upon hour of thunder and lightning. I guess nature was giving us the finger. Okay, I’m not sure that the pea pesto actually caused the storm, but it sure did help us weather it. Get it? That was a custom made pun-type deal just for you.
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Pasta with Pea Pesto – adapted in the barest of ways from Smitten Kitchen – download, make and eat
Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 2 minutes and then drain and rinse them in cold water – this will prevent the peas from overcooking. Set the peas aside. Alternatively, you could just drain the peas after cooking and let them cool to lukewarm. That would be just fine too.
Set aside 1/2 cup of your cooked peas – they are going to make your final dish look all pretty like. Whirl the remaining cup of peas in the bowl of a food processor with the garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, 1/3 cup parmesan and salt until smooth ( 2-3 minutes), scraping down the bowl as necessary. With the machine still running, drizzle in olive oil and process until combined.
Cook your linguine until al dente. Reserve two cups of the pasta cooking water and then drain linguine and return it to the pot. Over moderate heat, add the pesto to the pasta and toss, adding the reserved peas and as much reserved pasta water as needed to smooth and distribute the pesto. Let the mixture cook for a minute or two so that the pesto adheres to the noodles. Serve immediately, garnished with remaining parmesan.
movita beaucoup 