Greek Potatoes with Lemon Vinaigrette

Eating healthy is really important around our house, but every now and then, a girl just needs a plate of delicious fries, I tell you!  

Am I right?!?

This recipe is a keeper.  Large wedges of russet potatoes are coated with a quick vinaigrette of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, shallot, garlic, oregano and parsley (which comes together in a flash with the help of a food processor).  Next, they bake up all beautiful and golden brown in the oven for about an hour.

The flavor is fantastic, and you could even add a little Greek feta cheese as a garnish if you really wanted to take them over the top.  

Next time, I will probably cut the vinaigrette quantities in half, because I did end up with extra vinaigrette.  This isn't a terrible thing, though, because you could use it up in other dishes.  I bet it would be delicious on a roasted chicken.

Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Greek Potatoes with Lemon Vinaigrette
Adapted from:  Bobby Flay, Food Network Magazine, April 2013

Ingredients:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 large shallot, quartered
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, plus 1 Tbsp chopped, for garnish
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 lbs. large russet potatoes, cut lengthwise into wedges

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the first six ingredients in a food processor.  Add 1 tsp salt, and pepper to taste.  Puree until mostly smooth.

Toss the potatoes with 1/2 cup of the prepared vinaigrette in a large bowl and spread in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet (Reserve the remaining vinaigrette).  Roast the potatoes until tender and golden, turning occasionally, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Transfer the potatoes to a platter and drizzle with some of the remaining vinaigrette.  Season with salt and garnish with the chopped parsley.  Serve with the remaining vinaigrette on the side.

 

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Roasted Greek Shrimp with Orzo

Some of my best memories growing up revolved around vacations spent along the Gulf of Mexico.  Those vacations were filled with fun in the sun, time spent with family, and delicious meals made unforgettable by the amazingly fresh seafood right out of the Gulf near my home state of Alabama.

To this day, I still love a big plate of fresh shrimp, grouper, snapper, flounder or yes...even raw oysters (with hot sauce and a saltine cracker, of course!). 

The wonderful thing about seafood is that it cooks quickly, plus it's really healthy (as long as it's not fried).  That's always a combination worth smiling about!

This dish for Roasted Greek Shrimp with Orzo has become one of my recent favorites.  It's packed with vibrant flavors that will have your tastebuds singing.  I love Greek ingredients almost as much as fresh seafood, so I'm particularly proud to say this is an original recipe.  

And you know what?  It's SO Easy!

For this dish, fresh Alabama Gulf Shrimp are simply mixed with olives, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes and fresh parsley.  After a quick drizzle of olive oil and some seasonings, it makes a quick trip to the oven and is roasted for about 10-12 minutes.  A sprinkling of crumbled, feta cheese finishes things off, and the delicious mixture is served atop a bed of warm orzo pasta.  

So, now that you're hopefully craving a big plate of delicious seafood, why not hop on over and check out the Alabama Gulf Seafood website.  It's filled with pretty much anything and everything you ever wanted to know about Gulf seafood, including great recipes.

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Roasted Greek Shrimp with Orzo
by Celeste Ward

Ingredients:
1 lb Alabama Gulf Shrimp, peeled, deveined, with tails on
1  2.25 oz. can sliced olives, drained
6 oz. quartered & marinated artichoke hearts, drained
5 oz. grape tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced, plus more for garnish
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 - 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup cooked orzo pasta (directions below)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Place the shrimp in a large mixing bowl.  Next, add the olives, grape tomatoes, and fresh parsley.  Squeeze all excess liquid out of the artichoke hearts and add those to the bowl with the other ingredients.  Drizzle the mixture with the extra virgin olive oil and season with the garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Stir well to thoroughly combine the ingredients.

Spread the mixture into a single layer on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. 

Roast in the pre-heated oven for approximately 10 - 12 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked through.

Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve over the warm orzo.  Garnish with fresh parsley.

For the Orzo:
Ingredients:
1 cup orzo pasta
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. lemon zest
Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
While the Greek shrimp mixture is roasting, cook orzo according to package directions.

Drain the cooked orzo and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil.  Add the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.  Stir together and keep warm until ready to serve.

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