Quick Dinner = Delicious Dinner

Tonight’s was a good one indeed. I received the latest issue of Everyday Food in the mail a few days ago, and this recipe just jumped out at me. One of the things that attracted me to it was its simplicity, and the fact that I usually have all of the ingredients on hand. In fact, the only thing I needed to purchse today was the tomatos. Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta was a keeper. A real- live 30 minute meal was in my kitchen today. I made a few changes to suit our tastes, but mostly adhered to the recipe. One of the things I noticed about this recipe is that it relied heavily on two herbs- dried oregano and fresh mint. Right there I paused. I am not a huge mint person. And I also don’t care for dried oregano as a lone herb. So I took the 2 teaspoons of dried oregano and only used half for the oregano, and then added a teaspoon of dried basil. I left out the mint completely and used a few tablespoons of fresh chive for freshness and garnish. The dish worked perfectly. It was simply flavored, but it came together so nicely. The only thing I would change, is I think I would like another clove or two of garlic. I matched this up with the Orzo and Green Beans on the same page, and the two dishes really melded together into one. I did use fresh asparagus instead of the beans- but I am sure the beans would have been fine as well. I really liked the lemony pasta paired with the salty feta shrimp. Andy and I have both declared this dish an instant weeknight hit. We would eat this anyday. The recipes for both can be found in the May 2006 issue of Everyday Food, and can also be found in the Recipe Trove.