This is my version of an Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) recipe. I say quite literally that watching her show on Food Network and cooking from her books has increased the quality of my food dramatically. You can tell she tests her recipes A LOT and they do work. Ina has two or three genius recipes where you bake shrimp with different flavors and just eat the dish with bread. Another one is “Baked Shrimp Scampi.” It’s so much more fun when you’re preparing a casual dinner to not even have to worry about making pasta. Just make a great saucy dish and serve it with bread. Here’s another great one that follows this playbook.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
1 ½ cups medium-diced fennel
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
¼ cup dry white wine
1 (14 ½-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ¼ pounds (16 to 20 per pound) peeled shrimp with tails on
5 ounces good feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
1 cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Basil leaves, torn
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 lemons

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 10-or 12-inch heavy ovenproof

skillet over medium-low heat. Add the fennel and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fennel is tender and a bit browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, oregano, Pernod, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Arrange the shrimp, tails up, in one layer over the tomato-mixture in the

skillet. Scatter the feta evenly over the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle over the shrimp.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked and the bread crumbs are golden brown.

Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp. Tear basil leaves by hand and scatter on top.

Serve hot with crusty bread and a lemon wedge.

Spice-Rubbed Pork with Grilled Citrus

I am definitely listening to you and one of your requests was a healthy dinner that actually tastes good. This one is so easy – big flavor, minimal cleanup, and together in 10-15 minutes. In fact, this dinner is so simple to put together, I let Ben do it for the video. The spice rub is actually very similar to one I use with grilled salmon. And grilling citrus like lemons or oranges (or in this case, both) is a way to create a simple sauce that is a little bit more special than just squeezing a raw lemon. For the sides, we did steamed snap peas but you could substitute any simple green vegetable and roasted cauliflower. It’s amazing how roasting cauliflower can give it flavor and make it so satisfying you don’t miss the potatoes. And I LOVE potatoes.

Ingredients:

One loin of pork or two pork tenderloins
Head of cauliflower, de-cored and cut or broken into florets
Spice rub (recipe to follow)
Lemons and oranges cut in half through the middle.
Olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper

Preheat grill for indirect grilling or preheat oven to 375 farenheit. Make the spice rub. Toss cauliflower with olive oil, salt, and pepper (and other seasonings you like such as garlic powder) and spread out on a sheet pan. Set aside.

Rub the spice mixture on the pork. You can do this up to a day in advance to let the flavor get in the meat. When you’re ready to cook, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt. Check the package on your pork and if it has salt added, you can be a little lighter with your seasoning.

If grilling, sear the fat side of the pork over the direct flame, then put the loin(s) on the part of the grill without a flame underneath. A pork loin will probably take 35-45 minutes, pork tenderloin 20-30 minutes depending on size. If you’re roasting in the oven, the times will be about the same. Toward the end of the grilling, place lemons and oranges cut side down over the open flame for about 3 minutes.

 Check pork with a meat thermometer and remove at 155 farenheit, tent with foil.

While the pork is resting, roast the cauliflower for about 15 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

When ready, squeeze grilled citrus over the roast and serve with the cauliflower and vegetable or green salad.

Spice Rub:

1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp Aleppo pepper or chipotle chili powder
1 tsp orange zest
1 heaping tbs brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Double or triple the recipe if you want to keep some on hand.

This is my all-time most requested recipe. A close second is the “Italian Mac and Cheese” that I will share soon. There are so many different ways to make mac and cheese, I call this version “Yankee Mac and Cheese” because it uses a white sauce with flour and butter instead of eggs or evaporated milk. It’s a bit fussy to make the roux and mix in the flour but the results are worth it. Also, you can mess around with the cheeses and seasonings. One thing I do strongly recommend is grating your own cheese rather than using the pre-shredded. I have made this so many times both ways and grating your own really does have more flavor in the end.

1 box (16oz) elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces Gruyere, grated (2 cups) or Parmesan (1/2 cup)
12 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (4 cups) I use Cabot Seriously Sharp
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Add the macaroni to boiling salted water (about a tablespoon added after the boil). Cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well. If you’re going to make ahead and bake just before dinner, rinse the noodles to cool them off.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in the microwave for 5 minutes at 50 percent power. You don’t want it boiling, just warmed up a bit. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. While stirring, add the milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Use a whisk to smooth out lumps if you need. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the bread crumbs are browned on top.