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S’s Swap: 10-12 Soup, Shrimp & Couscous

Posted by | October 15, 2010 | THE SWAP | No Comments

The Meal

– Cream of Tomato Soup with Croutons
– Couscous with Pistou
– Spice-Roasted Shrimp

I am very excited about this week’s swap meal for one simple reason:  Pistou!  It’s pesto for people with nut allergies…or I guess in this case, for people (me) who love people (my son) with nut allergies. I did not know about pistou until I tried this recipe and now that I have…(skipping ahead to the verdict here)…it’s awesome!

Couscous with Pistou

The recipe for the pistou-flavored couscous and spice-roasted shrimp comes from Food & Wine. The original recipe calls for quinoa instead of couscous but I’m trying it this way first. If the kids like the flavors, I’ll try quinoa next time. I learned about this recipe from my brother-in-law, Paul. He made the original quinoa and shrimp dish for his lovely wife, Cat, this summer and they both loved it. So much so that they raved about it on FB. Obviously, I had to give it a try and so here it is…(serves 5-6)

1/2 cup (packed) basil leaves
– 4 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
– 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
– 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
– 2 garlic clove, smashed
– 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
– 3 cups dry couscous
– 3 cups water
– Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: In a food processor or blender, pulse the basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme leaves, garlic and cheese. Add 4 tablespoons of the oil; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. In a saucepan, boil water and lightly salt. Combine the couscous and remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the pistou.

Spice-Roasted Shrimp

1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined (and defrosted)
– 1 teaspoon garlic powder
– 1 teaspoon onion powder
– 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
– 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
– 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, chopped
– 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
– 1/3 cup canola oil
– Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions: Prepare the spice rub for the shrimp by mixing together the garlic and onion powders, paprika, oregano, fennel seeds, dried thyme, 2 tablespoons of the oil and ~1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. To prepare the shrimp, mix spice rub with shrimp; coat well. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°. Roast shrimp for 8-10 minutes until shrimp is curled and pink.

Cream of Tomato Soup

This is one of only two soups that are in my repertoire and is ideal this time of year. Because of generous neighbors and our CSA share, we end up with a lot of tomatoes by late summer. I end up freezing a bunch of them just so that I can make this warm and creamy soup when the weather just starts to chill. Plus, a really nice thing about frozen tomatoes: They are super easy to peal. The recipe below serves 8.

2 tablespoon butter
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
– 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
– ~1 cup carrots, chopped
– 1 tablespoon flour
– 6-7 medium tomatoes, peeled and stewed (keep juices)
– 1 (14.5 oz) can of chicken broth
– 1 tablespoon tomato paste
– 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
– 5-6 basil leaves
– Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
– 1.5 teaspoon sugar
– 1/2 pint heavy cream (optional)

Directions: Add oil to saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Add onions and carrots and cook for 4-5 minutes till soft. Mix in flour and stir constantly for ~2 minutes. Add in tomatoes (juices and all), chicken broth and tomato paste. Stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add in thyme and basil leaves, salt, pepper and sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and (in batches) blend to a smooth consistency. At this point, a lighter version of the tomato soup is done. If you would like a creamier version, place another saucepan over medium-low heat and add in heavy cream. Once the cream is scalding, add in the blended tomato soup and mix well. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.

Swap Logistics

I gave Heather frozen shrimp. To reheat, she will have to

– Defrost the shrimp,
– Mix it with the spices,
– Let sit for ~20 minutes,
– Roast for 8-10 minutes, and
– Serve with reheated soup and couscous.

The Verdict

Tuesday: We had Heather’s dinner tonight. Alex loved the chicken and the acorn squash and ate a LOT of both items. Kavya “painted” her chicken with the mashed potatoes and then ate her artwork. Since she was eating so well, we did not protest her “playing” with her food. Dave and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole meal! Thanks, Heather!

Wednesday: This ended up being a very colorful and flavorful meal. We loved it all! Much thanks to Paul & Cat for the awesome (definitely-a-keeper) recipe!

Thursday: We had Heather’s leftover chicken tonight. I thinly sliced the (already grilled) chicken breasts and then put them in mini hoagies with onions (sauteed with a dash of oregano, salt and pepper and then cooked in a tiny bit of chicken broth). Also melted some cheese on the kids’ sandwiches…went over really well.

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