Rebecca Davis 6/12/17 Rebecca Davis 6/12/17

Shrimp rolls

Shrimp rolls are a cheaper alternative to the classic lobster roll and scream NEW ENGLAND SUMMER! just as much.

How is it already mid-June? Things are changing so fast around here that the spring slipped away and now it's almost summer (though spring is doing its best summer impersonation as I sit outside writing this in 93 degree heat). We're also at the two-month mark in our countdown to leaving NYC...it's finally happening: We're moving to the burbs. I've lived here for 15 years, so it feels weird and exciting to live somewhere else. And to have a HOUSE! What are we even going to do with more than three rooms?

We're heading north to a great town in Connecticut and I'm excited to be a New Englander! In that spirit, here are some shrimp rolls that we make a lot during the summer. If you use pre-cooked shrimp, this is a no-cook dinner that screams summer at the beach (even sans beach). The fresh tarragon is pretty key to this concoction, but if you don't have any I would use fresh basil instead of subbing in dried tarragon.

Shrimp rolls

Time: 20-30 minutes, mostly active
Yield: 4 large rolls with about 1 cup shrimp mixture in each roll

2 lb raw shrimp (if using cooked shrimp, skip the butter; defrost overnight in the fridge or in lukewarm water, if needed)
2 Tbsp butter (plus 1-2 tsp for frying tarragon, if desired)
½ cup chopped celery (2 large stalks, minced)
2 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped (with a few leaves left over for frying at the end)
½ cup mayonnaise
1.5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
½ tsp old bay seasoning
large pinch salt
4 large brioche or potato hotdog buns

In a large skillet, melt the butter over a medium flame.

Add the shrimp and cook until they are pink throughout, about 5-8 minutes (longer if you start with frozen shrimp).

Chop the shrimp, celery, and tarragon and combine with the mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, old bay, and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Toast your hotdog buns and fill with shrimp mixture.

Melt another tsp or two of butter and fry whole tarragon leaves. Top the shrimp rolls with a few leaves and some more old bay seasoning. Serve immediately.

Rebecca Davis 6/3/17 Rebecca Davis 6/3/17

Black Bean Soup

Guys, I'm ALONE. Not in the despair-filled, we're-all-ultimately-alone-in-this-life sense, but in the literal, concrete sense. I spent my first night away from M and E last night and it was glorious and bittersweet in equal measure. After a good 45 minutes of looking at pictures of M on my phone and missing him ferociously, I spun around The-Hills-Are-Alive style in my room before falling asleep in my hotel bathrobe at 10:30.

It's a funny time to be away and probably a good test of my anxiety coping skills. After M's injury last week, I'm feeling more protective of him than ever, so this is forcing me to deal with the lingering fear that SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN. Because something will happen eventually- it always does. Although last week I felt panicked realizing that I can't always protect M, I'm trying to remember that I AM protecting him by giving him life skills and resilience and by not hovering and sending him the message that I don't trust him and that the world is filled with danger. Also, his dad is the greatest, so I really need to chill out.

Anyhoo, this is my first post in some time that wasn't interrupted by a small person with constant demands OR exhaustion from addressing said small person's constant demands. So without further ado: Delicious black bean soup!

A few notes: 15 minutes is a long time for onions to start a soup, but the caramelizing really enhances the flavor of this simple dish. Also, this soup is of a medium thickness. If one wanted a thicker soup, reduce the liquid by 1 cup. Similarly, to thin the soup further, add 1/2 to 1 cup more liquid. I like the textural difference of some pureed and some whole beans, but one could also puree the whole thing for a uniform consistency. Other ways to add texture: Set side some caramelized onions for later topping; add in a small can of poblanos or other roasted, chopped green chilis; top with crushed tortilla chips, cojita cheese, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, etc for faux nachos on top.

Black bean soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp cumin
1/8-¼ tsp cayenne
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken stock
S/P

Heat olive oil and butter over a medium flame. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant.

Add 1.5 cans of black beans and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, and using an immersion or regular blender, puree the soup. Add the other .5 cans of beans, salt and pepper to taste, and heat through again.

Yield: 50 oz or about 5 cups

Rebecca Davis 5/15/17 Rebecca Davis 5/15/17

Meatless Monday: Spring vegetable baked gnocchi

This easy gnocchi dish elevates all of its ingredients into a creamy, cheesy, veggie delight that’s ready in under 30 minutes. #meandthemoose #gnocchi #asparagus #mushrooms #meatlessmaindishes #vegetarianmaindishes

While I usually nix the idea of a two-step pasta dish (it’s still so good even if you don’t cook it twice!), this one is so quick and easy, even a lazy cook like me can have this on the table in under 30 minutes!

Take me to the pasta!

Whelp, it's been a while since my last post and if I'm being honest, it's because I've been obsessively online shopping for shoes to wear to my college reunion. But it's not as shallow as it sounds! I'm focusing my energies on something I can control because there's a lot right now that I can't. It's easier to compare heel heights and debate the pros and cons of suede in DC humidity than to worry about, say, authoritarianism or long-term career plans or huge and imminent life changes. It's enough to give me an ulcer. Which is also something I worry about.

This casserole is a helpful one to have in your repertoire on busy days and is, as always, a helpful vehicle for vegetables. I tend to shy away from baked pasta since it requires an extra step that the original ingredients don't necessarily need to taste great. But smothering things in cheese is always better than NOT smothering things with cheese and since the gnocchi cook so quickly, the overall prep and cooking time isn't overwhelming. Also, the gnocchi have a lot of starch thanks to the potatoes, which thickens the ricotta so that a bechamel or flour-based sauce isn't necessary.

Spring vegetable baked gnocchi

Time: 25-30 minutes, all active
Yield: 4-6 adult servings, depending on your appetite

1 package shelf-stable potato gnocchi, cooked al dente
1 Tbsp butter
1 large shallot, minced
1 box baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 box shitake mushrooms, chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch asparagus, woody stems chopped off
1-2 Tbsp water, if needed
½ cup full fat ricotta
½ cup parmesan
Several large pinches of salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat broiler.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

While the water is heating, melt the butter in a sauté pan over a medium/ medium-low flame and cook the shallots until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they soften and begin to release some water, about 5-7 minutes. Add a large pinch of salt.

Add the garlic and asparagus and cook until the mushroom water evaporates. If the mushrooms don’t release any water, add 1-2 Tbsp of water with the asparagus and cook until it evaporates.

Once the water boils, add the gnocchi and as soon as they start floating to the top, scoop them out with a slotted spoon or strainer and put into a large bowl. If only a few gnocchi float at a time, scoop them out in small groups. If the gnocchi aren’t floating or some seem to be cooking at the bottom of the pot for longer than 3-4 minutes, test for doneness and scoop out as long as they no longer taste doughy.

In a large bowl (or right in the baking dish!), mix the gnocchi with ricotta, parmesan, sautéed veggies, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish (if necessary) and top with shredded mozzarella. Bake under the broiler until cheese is brown and bubbly, about 3-4 minutes.