Recipe Sharing

When I moved into my very own apartment it was a gracious gesture that my family came over to see the tiny space. The whole apartment was smaller than most homes master bedroom and we sure were stuffed in there. As a housewarming gift I received a beautiful metal box containing a treasury of family recipes.  My grandmother painstakingly spent hours typing (with an actual typewriter) the details of each recipe on the 4×6 index cards. At the time I had no idea how valuable these would prove to be.  Looking back, what would I have done without this wealth of knowledge passed down to me?  Really, what would any of us do without the process of recipe sharing?  We find them everywhere. Our friends pass them along to us, magazines are filled with them, type any ingredients into a search engine and there will be a website or blog with a recipe waiting for you.  In honor of sharing our favorite recipes, here are the top requested recipes that I enjoy making.  These recipes comfortably serve 4, adjust accordingly.

A Summer Salad:

Mixed Greens, Mango, Cucumber, Green Onion, Celery, Radish, Pepitas, Topped with Briana’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette.  Toss all items together in a mixing bowl, serve.

Shrimp Pink Primavera:

1lb medium or large Shrimp, 2 tbsp Olive Oil,1 Red Onion, Salt, 2-3 Cloves of Garlic, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, 1 Orange Bell Pepper, 1 Summer Squash, 1 Zucchini, Splash of Red Wine, 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning Spices, 1 tbsp Basil, 1 Bove’s Marinara Sauce, 1/3 cup cream, 1 lb Spaghetti, Shaved Parmesan for Sprinkling

Heat a large skillet with the Olive Oil over medium heat. Mince the Red Onion and place in skillet. Sprinkle with Salt. When they turn translucent add Garlic.  Then mince and add the rest of the veggies.  If at any point they seem to be sticking, add more olive oil.  Add the Splash of Red Wine and the Italian Seasoning and allow them to cook until soft, but not mushy.  While they saute, if you have bought frozen shrimp, defrost them now.  Once the veggies seem done, stir in the Bove’s Marinara Sauce and Cream.  Cook the Pasta (if you are gluten free, rice pasta works for this recipe as well)  When the sauce and veggies are warm, add the Shrimp and cook them for a few minutes.  They will curl up slightly.  Don’t keep them on the heat too long, because then they will get tough and chewy. Pull off the burner.  Add the Pasta and Sauce together per plate, Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Flourless Chocolate Cake:http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Flourless-Chocolate-Cake-14478   Click the link for the recipe. I ALWAYS use Ghiradelli chocolate when baking.

Enjoy!