Lemony Shrimp Scampi II

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Hi guys! How's your Monday going? I wanted to pop in quickly to give you the Lemony Shrimp Scampi recipe I promised you earlier today. Shrimp Scampi is kind of my thing. When people ask "What's your go-to dish?" or "What's the best thing you make?"... my response is typically "Ummm Shrimp Scampi??". It's funny, I obviously cook a lot, but, whenever someone asks a question like that I feel a little stumped. Though, I'm fairly certain that Shrimp Scampi is it. Oh, and deviled eggs (duh).

So, if you're thinking you've seen "Lemony Shrimp Scampi" on the blog before, you have. This recipe, however, is a little different and actually MORE lemony than the other one. Both have the same foundation though. What I like most about this version is that it has vegetables so it lightens up the dish a bit. The vegetables REALLY take on the flavor of the lemon so it transforms them into an almost vinegary/lemony taste that pairs so nicely with the pasta. It feels light, but, also quite comforting.

Lemony Shrimp Scampi: Serves 2

Need:
- 8+ ounces of peel, de-veined shrimp
- Half red pepper and a handful or so of fresh green beans (could use instead: snow peas, chopped asparagus, tomatoes, etc)
- 1.5 lemons, juiced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2-4 Tbs of extra virgin olive oil
- Tbs or so of capers
- Crushed red pepper and salt to taste
- Enough pasta for two (I use Barilla Protein Plus)

Prep:
- Bring salted water in a large pot to a boil
- Sliver or julienne green beans and red pepper
- Juice 1.5 lemons, set aside
- Finely chop the garlic

Cook:
- Add pasta to boiling pot and cook as instructed (usually 8-10 minutes)
- In a saute pan on low-medium, add 2 tbs of olive oil, garlic, vegetables and about 1/3 of the lemon juice
- Add the capers, crushed red pepper, salt
- As the vegetables cook down, keep adding the lemon juice about a 1/3 at a time
- When the pasta is about 2-3 minutes from being done, add the shrimp to the saute pan (they cook EXTREMELY fast)
- Once the pasta is done - add it to the saute pan, mix around, plate, serve, and top with a little more crushed red pepper and Parmesan!

I apologize for not taking many "prep" photos. I didn't think I was going to post this recipe and I was distracted. haha

I hope you had a great Monday and if not... go make some Lemony Shrimp Scampi, curl up on the couch, and watch The Voice. There is nothing pasta, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Pharrel cannot fix. Have a great night! xo

Weekend Sunshine XXVI

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Good day, friends! Guess what? Less than one week until Daylight Savings - whoo hoo! This weekend was filled with relaxation and food. It was excellent! On Saturday, I mentioned that I would be embracing the current pattern of low-key-weekends and I sure did that this weekend. It was so nice to sit back, reflect, and enjoy a little quiet. Here are the sunniest moments!

I had Friday off so I started the weekend at lunch with Jenn & Kerri. (It's a miracle we were able to pull this off - this lunch has been planned for about 2 months)

Jenn & Kerri have been telling me about The Farmer's Daughter for at least a year now - saying that I would love it. They know me so well - it was delicious! The food was incredibly fresh, the service was perfect, and the atmosphere was warm and sunny!

All three of us started with this butternut squash soup which was innnncredible. Our meals were superb. Most importantly, it was just so nice to catch up with these two. I love our cousins dinners and we were long overdue!

On Friday night, we had lemony shrimp scampi (that I think I'll put up a separate post about - it was good!). Then, Rob hit the books and I poured myself a nice glass of Underwood Pinot. I made it through the month with my 5 passes, but, I decided to give it up for the final weekend. I accomplished what I set out to do and this weekend was all about relaxation so I decided to give in for red wine and a movie. Isn't it funny? The thing I missed most was simply a glass of red while making dinner not the late nights out. I think that's a good thing! Right?

As I mentioned in the "Snow Terrain" post, I met up with Michelle for another LONG OVERDUE lunch at Rustic Kitchen. Michelle and I had about 4 million things that we needed to talk about so clearly we stayed for 2+ hours. It was perfect. 

I went to PWG earlier that day and had an awesome, sweaty, red-faced workout, but, after all that sitting at lunch - I thought it would be good to get a little walk in. It turned into a beautiful 3 mile snowy walk and then I didn't feel so guilty about sitting on my couch for the rest of the night :)

Sunday, I didn't take any pictures, but, I went into work for a bit and then met up with my family and ending up having an impromptu lunch at Steel & Rye. It was really nice to see my family - it's been weeks. These snowstorms have kept me from going anywhere but work for over a month. I hope you all had a lovely weekend and enjoyed a bit of the bright sunshine on Saturday. Keep your head up - Spring is just around the corner. Have an awesome week! xo

Snowy Terrain

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Hayyy guysss! Just checking in to give you a little scenic update of my experience getting some outdoor "exercise" yesterday after meeting up with Michelle for an awesome lunch date! (Plus, I know a lot of local peeps who are looking for a safe-ish place to train for the Boston Marathon - this could potentially work - *maybe*)

 I had a bit of down time when I got home and jawbone told me I was no where near my step goal (even though I had a KILLER am workout).  So, after I got home from a lengthy, lovely lunch with Michelle, I decided to go for a little walk. I had noticed a few people walking/running on the usually jam-packed sidewalk that lines the beach in Southie and continues into Castle Island. So, I figured it must be ok enough to get at least a little walk in. I dressed warm and headed out! What I found was really quite beautiful. I've run and walked Castle Island about 4 million times and I've NEVER seen it look like this. The sidewalk wasn't plowed completely, but, it was packed down enough to get a walk or a little runski in.

Massive shadow. Haiiii.

It's so crazy how much snow is still on the ground. 

There were actually a good amount of people out and a lot of cute doggies! I did see some runners and I even picked it up a bit myself on the way home - there are definitely some slick areas, but, it's up to you to figure out if it's actually safe enough for a real run. 

I came really close to jumping the fence to look for sea glass.

Frozen ocean bay and frozen Castle Island path. Sigh.

Frozen peninsula. The kite surfers who typically utilize this section of the bay to surf all year long are probably NOT happy campers. 

Doesn't this look like another land? Alaska? Antartica? I don't know, but, I do know it's pretty damn cool.

Let the sun shine on!

Besides the bright sunlight, fresh ocean air, and bit of exercise... probably the coolest part of my walk/jog yesterday was the now hilly terrain that covers the sidewalk/boardwalk AND the scenery. It might be snow-madness, but, it is beautiful. We may have been hit hard this winter, but, Boston is still my favorite city in the world and I wouldn't trade it for a thing.

Have a lovely Sunday and March, we welcome you with open arms!

xo

For my non-local readers: Here are a few photos from Castle Island when it's not covered in feet of snow. :)