Recipe: From Inspiration to Reality

Do you read Real Simple? My aunt has given me a gift subscription for Christmas the past several years, and I absolutely love it. I got the June 2010 issue in the mail today - a nice "welcome home" after a three-day business trip to DC. The food section, near the end of the magazine, is one of my favorites. Whoever does their photography is incredibly talented: every dish looks amazing!

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a cook. My husband is the one with the culinary skills in our marriage. So as beautiful as the pictures in the magazines might be, it's a rare occasion that I turn that inspiration into reality. But there's one recipe that I was brave enough to try and now make on a regular basis.

Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta

by Cynthia Nicholson, Real Simple, Sept 2004

Ingredients

5-6 large tomatoes, cut into eighths

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds of medium shrimp, peeled & de-veined

1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 cup of crumbled feta

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place the tomatoes in a large baking dish. Spoon the olive oil and garlic over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and toss. Place on top rack of oven and roast for 20 minutes.

2. Remove baking dish from oven and stir in the shrimp, parsley, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the feta.

3. Place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked.

The original recipe says to "serve warm with crusty bread," but I like to use a little extra olive oil & garlic to make a juicier sauce, then serve the dish over pasta -- linguini, spaghetti, or angel hair -- with a spinach & arugula side salad. Delicious, and pretty healthy too!