Grilled Greek Salad with Shrimp

Sometimes, a situation arises that is so perfect that you just have to slow down, savoring every moment, trying to stop its inevitable end.



That happened to me when I made this salad, and sat in the backyard, dining al freso with a large glass of wine. The sun was shining on my shoulders, the birds and crickets were having secret conversations, and the air smelled faintly like fire smoke and fresh cut grass. To top everything off, the food was exactly what I wanted. Full of both raw vegetables and grilled, salty feta cheese, perfectly juicy grilled shrimp, all tossed in a simple vinaigrette.

I took a bite complete with succulent grilled zucchini, briny kalamata olive, and just the right amount of feta, alternated with small sips of wine, and just relaxed.

Go have a moment like that today. You deserve it.



And then, when my meal was done and my glass was empty, I sat cross-legged on the grass. And meditated. It was beautiful.


Grilled greek salad with shrimp
Ingredients
- 1/2lb shrimp (31-40 count), peeled and deveined
- 1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/2 red onion
- 2 small or 1 large cucumber, diced
- 8 mushrooms
- 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup feta crumbles

- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2T red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1t oregano
- S&P, to taste

Instructions
- Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Reserve half and set aside.
- Toss shrimp in half of the vinaigrette and marinate for about 20 minutes. Skewer and set in the fridge until ready to grill.
- Prepare zucchini, mushrooms and onion by brushing them lightly with olive oil. Grill them until slightly charred. Allow to cool slightly and cut into bite sized pieces.
- Grill shrimp skewers for about 2 minutes on both sides, or until pink and firm.
- Toss together grilled veggies with remaining ingredients, reserved vinaigrette, and feta cheese. Place shrimp skewers on top or toss them in the salad.

Serves 2

Shrimp

Wine Poached Shrimp

Picture, if you will, a girl prancing around the kitchen listening to Andrea Bocelli while sticking her head dangerously close to a hot pan in order to smell simmering wine and fennel.

Picture this same girl bouncing up and down in her chair saying "mmm mmm" until one of her roommates laughed at her. Loudly. But she didn't care, and instead ripped off another piece of her pain au levain and ate with a smile on her face.

Ladies and gentlemen, that girl was me, and this was my dinner:



I have to admit, this is in the top three things I've ever made. I thought up the recipe last night and hoped it would come together well, and it did. It certainly did. This dish included the most aromatic poaching liquid with background hints of wine, anise and crisp citrus.



That wasn't even the best part. Shrimp so delicately cooked that they almost melted away in my mouth, infused with the aforementioned poaching liquid and served just warm enough to let those flavors shine.



It was perfection. Absolute food perfection. I implore you to make this.


Wine poached shrimp
Ingredients
- 1/2lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1/2 lemon, cut into 2 wedges
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp whole peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt, to taste
- Parsley, for garnish

Instructions
- Bring wine, water, fennel, shallot, garlic, and peppercorns to a boil in a large sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until fennel is soft.
- Add shrimp, then cover and allow to cook for 3 minutes. Flip shrimp, cover and cook for another minute, or until shrimp are pink and firm. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a covered bowl.
- Bring liquid back up to a boil and simmer until liquid is reduced by at least half. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove bay leaf, garlic and lemon. To serve, place shrimp on top of fennel mixture and top with sauce and a sprinkle of parsley.

Serves 2