HH recap, and Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

Good morning! I don't know about you, but for me there is nothing more peaceful than a Saturday morning knowing that the day head holds no plans. Love! I plan on sitting on the couch for the next few hours reading (almost done with The Paris Wife), watching the news, drinking coffee, and not being rushed. I apologize for my absence over the past week in a half; we were traveling to Hilton Head and then came home to find our internet down. It was down until last night when we finally got Comcast out here to repair the line. I felt so disconnected the whole week without it!

Being out to town so much has not allowed for a ton of time to plan ahead, but we are still making a major dent in cleaning out our pantry. It makes me so happy to see an organized kitchen again! The recipe I'm featuring today, Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta, is a dish I've made a handful of times before and it's always a big hit. It's a perfect "pantry meal" that tastes like something special. Actually, we enjoyed it so much when I made it a few weeks ago that I made it again last week, but used chicken and garbanzo beans instead of shrimp. As usual, I made a few changes that I will reflect below, but if you want the original recipe click the link above.


Before we get into the recipe, I wanted to share some pictures of our trip to Hilton Head.  We stayed in a big, beautiful house right on the water - it slept 9 people so comfortably, and had 3 levels, 2 kitchens/bar areas, 2 porches, and every room had its own bathroom.  Amazing!  Even more amazing was Brett's entire wedding weekend.  We had an absolute blast - love and fun were totally in the air all weekend.  I am always happiest when I'm back with my college friends; it was just what the doctor ordered to get some quality time with them.  Hilton Head is the perfect setting for a relaxing long weekend in my opinion - beautiful beaches, miles of bike/running trails, and fun restaurants and bars.

Best weekend of 2011 for sure!


On to the food!  

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta
Serves 4
Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger


Ingredients:
olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes (you can use the seasoned kind if you want)
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
dash of red pepper flakes
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup feta cheese
large handful (approx 2 cups?) fresh spinach


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.


In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes, until the juice thickens.


Remove from heat.  Stir in the dill, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Stir in the shrimp, and top with spinach, then feta.  Bake until the shrimp are cooked and the feta is melted and slightly browned, approximately 15 minutes.


Remove from oven, let sit for about 5 minutes, and serve.  This can be served on its own with bread for dipping, or over pasta or rice.  It makes great leftovers too, as the flavors only get more intense over time!