Recipe Review from 8/25/2018

I'm still waiting for Cooking Light to post the July recipe index and recipes so I can report on the Buffalo Chicken Tacos and Black Bean Tostadas I made last week.  In the meantime, we'll move on.


Recipe review from 8/25/2018
Sat  (L) Take-out Chicken  (S)  pork chops on the grill
Sun  (S)  leftovers        (S)  BBQ pulled chicken
Mon (yoga/legion/bkgrp)
Tues: Cajun Shrimp Packages
Wed  leftover chicken
Thurs (yoga)  leftover shrimp packages
Fri - out; retirement parties


Easy Greek Pasta Salad (Oh Sweet Basil Blog)  vegetarian
A pretty basic pasta salad that straddles the line between Greek and Italian flavors.   My main opinion is there wasn't enough veggies, that the pasta kinda dominated.  Now, this could be because I used penne (it was what I had in the cupboard), but I don't think so.  A pound of pasta is a pound of pasta,  I had more pasta than veggies and my dish didn't look like the gorgeous picture.

Also of note, with 2/3 cup liquid, make sure to cook the pasta to al dente, because the pasta will soak up that extra liquid.  For example, this was lunches for myself and the Husband for the week - by day four, the dressing had been completely absorbed.

Still, tasty enough for hot summer days and nicely portable for meals.  

Photo from Oh Sweet Basil bl

• 1 pound rotini or other small pasta
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 8 ounces Persian cucumbers, diced (about 3)
• 1/4 cup sliced red onion
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 (8 ounce) chunk feta cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

To cook the pasta, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil.

Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, about 7 to 10 minutes.  Drain well and rinse with cold water. (My notes - cook pasta till al dente, dressing is substantial)

Meanwhile, to make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, cucumbers, onion, tomatoes, feta, and olives.
Drizzle with dressing.

Toss gently until uniformly combined and serve.

Cajun Shrimp Foil Packages (Fav Family Recipes Blog)  gluten free
This was so easy to pull together!  The only prep was cutting the potato, corn and the sausage and that was super fast.  I left the shrimp unpeeled and frozen to help prevent overcooking and to add some good background flavor to the rest of the packets. 

I threw everything into a large bowl, added the seasonings and tossed to coat.  I used Penzey's Spicy Cajun, and erred on using 1 tsp.  It has a bit of zing so I'm careful how much I dole out.

I grilled for 40 minutes - had time to clean up the kitchen and sit outside on the porch for a while.  Packets went right on the plates and dinner was served.  I would make this again, and I would make this for casual company or family.  Recommended!

Servings: 4 packets

• 4 full cobs cut in half or in thirds (8-12 pieces corn on the cob)
• 4 red potatoes, washed and cubed (I cut into dice sized pieces)
• 20-30 uncooked shrimp, peeled or unpeeled  (I left unpeeled, AND kept frozen)
• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into chunks  (I used polish sausage)
• melted butter, or olive oil, to taste

  

  photo from Fav Family Recipes

• 1/2 cup chicken broth,
• Cajun/Creole seasoning (I used Penzey's Spicy Cajun, 1/2 tsp)
• salt and pepper, to taste

More ingredients to try in a foil packet (optional, and to your taste)

• Italian sausage
• chicken (cut in bite size pieces)
• bell peppers
• mushrooms
• red onions
• celery
• carrots

Heat grill to 400-degrees.  You can do this in your oven at the same temperature.

 

My notes - I put everything into a bowl, tossed with the seasonings, THEN ---  Evenly distribute corn, potatoes, shrimp, and sausage between 4 heavy-duty foil sheets (approximately 12x18 inches each).

 

Drizzle melted butter and about 2 tablespoons chicken broth over each foil packet.

 

See above note.  Season evenly and generously, to taste, with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Tightly seal foil packets by folding up the sides over the contents and tightly folding up the ends over the seam.

Grill 30-40 minutes (I did 40 minutes) or until potatoes are tender, flipping once half-way through

Be careful opening the packets to check for doneness, the steam inside is VERY hot!

 

Author/Recipe Notes

Some people have found that their potatoes don't get cooked. Some of our readers have recommended boiling or microwaving the potatoes for a minute or two before adding to the packets. We haven't had a problem with the potatoes being under done, but this is definitely an option for those of you who are concerned about it.  Another option would be to cut the potatoes smaller so they cook faster.