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Menu Plan for Fall II: Week 12, Friday

Spinach Timbales
Shrimp with Feta and Greek Olives

Cooking time: 35 minutes for menu           Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

     A simple, 2-course, 2-dish to end the week.  Use the leftover tomato sauce for the Stuffed Mushrooms on Saturday. There is just a quick minute or two to cook the shrimp after you have your starter to finish the dinner.

Spinach Timbales

Total time: 35 minutes
    These go together quickly and make a lovely presentation when unmolded, especially onto a white plate, with the red tomato sauce.  Puréed whole tomatoes have a fresher taste than commercial tomato sauce.  Garnish with some olives or a bit of cheese, whatever is on hand.

 Ingredients:

• 6oz (180gr) frozen spinach 
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese
• 1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
• pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated is nice (a pinch is a very small amount; between 1/8th and 1/16th tsp.
• Tomato sauce:
• 2 cups (15oz, 450gr) whole tomatoes
• 1 tsp basil

 Instructions:

• Thaw spinach - using hot water, microwave, heating on stove top, whatever. 
• When thawed squeeze out all excess moisture (rinse with cool water first if too hot to handle). 
• Butter 2 ramekins and line with buttered parchment or waxed paper (see techniques).
• Put the egg in a medium bowl and beat lightly with a whisk. 
• Add cheese, mustard and nutmeg and stir to combine. 
• Add spinach and stir well. 
• Divide spinach evenly between the 2 ramekins.
• Put ramekins into a  baking pan (I use a bread pan) with deep sides.  Pour hot water into the pan coming half way up the sides of the ramekins. 
• Bake in 400F (200C) oven for 20 - 25 minutes, until set; top will be firm. 
• Remove from oven and carefully remove ramekins from hot water. 
• Run a knife around edges of timbales and invert onto small plates. 
• Remove paper. 
• Spoon tomato sauce on the side and serve.
• Tomato Sauce:
• Open and drain tomatoes, reserving juice for another use. 
• Purée in blender until smooth. 
• Put into a small saucepan, add basil and heat.

Shrimp with Feta and Greek Olives

Total time: 25 minutes
   Shrimp with a Greek flavor: with tomatoes, dry or salt-cured black olives and finished with Feta cheese.  The feta I get is sheep's milk (brebis - traditional) and comes in 7oz (200gr) blocks.  Add it at the end so it stays in chunks, rather then melting into the sauce.

 Ingredients:

• 12oz (360gr) shrimp
• 3 medium shallots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups (15oz, 450gr) whole tomatoes
• 1/2 cup black dry-cured (Greek) olives
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 3oz (90gr) feta
• 4oz  (120gr) spaghetti

 Instructions:

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain.
• Clean shrimp if needed.
• Chop shallots and mince garlic. 
• Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. 
• Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes longer.
•  Open tomatoes, drain, reserving juices.  Roughly chop tomatoes. 
• Add herbs and tomatoes with all juices to skillet.  Simmer, over medium heat,  until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  
• Add shrimp and cook until shrimp curl and turn opaque.
• Pit olives if needed, and cut in half.
• Cube feta.
• Add olives to skillet and heat through. 
• To finish:  Put drained pasta in a large bowl.  Spoon some of the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. 
• Spoon the rest of the sauce and shrimp on top of the pasta, sprinkle with feta cubes and serve.

Cooking schedule: 35 minutes Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, small saucepan, pan or dish for spinach, ramekins, baking pan, pot and colander for pasta, large skillet with lid, blender Turn the oven on, 400F (200C) Put water on high heat for pasta Thaw or cook spinach, squeeze dry Prepare ramekins Whisk egg Add cheese, mustard, nutmeg to egg, stir Add spinach to egg, stir Spoon into ramekins Place ramekins in pan, add hot water, bake Start to cook pasta Chop shallots Mince garlic Sauté shallots for shrimp Open, drain tomatoes for Spinach

Purée tomatoes for spinach Put tomato sauce, basil, in pan, heat Add garlic to shallots, sauté Open tomatoes for shrimp, chop, reserve juice Add tomatoes, juices to shallots, simmer Cut olives, cube feta, set aside Cover skillet, keep warm over low heat Remove spinach timbales when done Drain pasta when done Remove timbales from ramekins to plates Spoon tomato sauce around and serve Done? Turn heat up under skillet for shrimp Add shrimp to tomatoes Run hot tap water over pasta to separate Add olives to sauce when shrimp are cooked Put pasta in serving bowl Add some sauce, toss to coat Add remaining sauce, shrimp Top with Feta and serve

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By Katie Zeller

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