A Mediterranean Meal With Zest!

Denver Chef Jennifer Jasinski Cooks One Up -- On A Shoestring

(CBS) 

Shrimp and Spicy Sausage Skewers with Corn-Orzo Salad

Skewers:
8 peeled and de-veined shrimp (21-25 size)
3 links of spicy Italian sausage (approximately 6" long each)
1 onion
4 each metal or bamboo skewers

Salad:
1-1/2 cups cooked orzo pasta **
1-1/2 cups corn, fresh cut off the cob
2 ounces olive oil
1/3 cup dill vinaigrette
Squeeze lemon juice
Salt and fresh black pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add salt to keep orzo from sticking. Cook for about 8-10 minutes for al-dente pasta. Strain from the water earlier than anticipated to keep al dente. When making a marinated salad, pasta tends to absorb the vinaigrette and continue softening.

Dill vinaigrette:
1/2 cup fresh dill (no stem)
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley (no stem)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Skewer preparation:

To assemble the skewers cut the onion into large squares, about 1-1 ½ inch square.

Cut the sausage into 4 pieces per link, 12 pieces total.

Alternating between shrimp, onions, and sausage, assemble with two shrimp and three pieces of sausage per skewer.

Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on each skewer and season with salt and pepper.

Place on a hot grill and cook until shrimp are opaque, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Salad preparation:

In a small pot over medium heat, add all but 2 ounces of the oil and the peeled garlic cloves.

Cook until garlic is a light golden brown.

Allow the pan to cool and gather all the other ingredients for the vinaigrette.

Place all the ingredients for the dill vinaigrette in a blender and blend until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper and set aside until ready to use.

The recipe will yield more dressing than necessary.

Shuck the corn and sauté it in the large sauté pan with the 2 ounces olive oil and garlic until it is tender.

Combine this with the orzo and then mix in the vinaigrette.

Taste for seasoning and finish with the lemon for balance.

Serve with shrimp and sausage skewers.


Lemon Anise Cookie Sandwich

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons star anise, finely ground
zest of one lemon
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar to sprinkle on the top
8 ounces vanilla bean ice cream

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Grease a 13 x 9 inch jelly roll pan.

Place the softened butter and salt in a mixing bowl (the butter should be the consistency of mayonnaise) and mix well with a wooden spoon until completely dissolved.

Combine the flour, cornstarch, and anise into a separate bowl and set aside.

Grate the lemon zest on a micro plane and stir the lemon zest into the flour mixture.

Add 1/3 cup sugar to the butter and mix until just combined.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms.

Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan (the dough should be no more than 1/2 inch thick).

Sprinkle the dough with the 1/4 cup sugar and bake for about 25 minutes until the edges of the pan are lightly browned.

The middle of the pan will remain light. Let cool until warm to the touch.

With a sharp knife cut the cookies into 3 inch squares.

Chill thoroughly before removing from the pan.

To assemble, place 6 of the cookies on a plate and top each with a small scoop of the vanilla bean ice cream, and top with the remaining cookies.

SO ... HOW DID JENNIFER FARE WITH OUR $40 BUDGET?!

FIRST COURSE
garbanzo beans $1.19
shallots .65
parsley .69
Madras curry $3.99
sour cream $1.49
orange zest .25
cardamom $3.99
pappadams $1.99

SECOND COURSE
shrimp $9.99
Italian sausage $4.29
onion .69
orzo pasta $1.19
corn .50
dill .89
garlic .66

THIRD COURSE
cornstarch $1.69
star anise $2.49
lemon .75
vanilla ice cream $1.99

FINAL COST: $39.37

gmond - I live in rural New Hampshire and all of those items are found in my local grocery store which is not even part of a national chain.

[yongamerica]

Looks ok, I''d pretend to enjoy it at someone else''s house. Seems too starchy. If I was cooking I''d spend my $40 differently.

[cyberus-2009]

And yet again .. CBS uses government math to get under the $40 by not counting:

1cup (total) olive oil
1 cup + 2 Tbsp butter
1 3/4 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup sugar (total)

While the sugar and flour may be a minor cost .. olive oil and BUTTER still aren''t FREE.

[gmond]

I would have to spend $40.00 on gas driving around trying to find all of these ingredients.