Asking the Barefoot Contessa...

Ah... 2 hours on the plane from Seattle back to San Francisco, the perfect time by myself with no distractions to get caught up on my magazine addiction.  On the flight up to Seattle, I read the entire Sunset Magazine - it's now all marked up with fun things to do in the Bay Area, recipes to try, places to visit... more about that later!

Now on to House Beautiful, savoring each issue in its' entirety, turning the pages, marking up articles to share on my Facebook page...

 I have 3 issues to catch up on, starting with the July/August issue. I must be hungry  though, as I immediately turned to the "Ask the Barefoot Contessa" column!   Here's what I found, and what I made for dinner on Wednesday night; "Spaghetti with Shrimp and Broccoli"... easy, easy easy.  Never thought about roasting shrimp (prawns) but they sure turned out gorgeous, pink, juicy and NOT overdone.





You will need:

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 cups of broccoli florets 
• Good Olive Oil
• 1 pound shrimp (16-18 per pound) shrimp peeled and de-veined
• 1 pound good pasta - we used whole grain
• 8 large garlic cloves 
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

**Not on the Barefoot Contessa's list, but I also roasted red peppers and fresh cherry tomatoes from our deck garden

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, bring a large pot of water to boil with 2 tsps. of salt

2. Combine the broccoli, (and red pepper if you choose)  1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tsp. of salt, 1/2 tsp. of pepper on a sheet pan , spread out and roast for 5 minutes.

3. Remove from oven, and then spread shrimp and tomatoes with the broccoli, return to oven and roast for another 8-10 minutes. (look how plump the shrimp/prawns are!)

4. Meanwhile cook the pasta in the pot of boiling salted water, according to the directions on the package. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water before draining the pasta.

5. Heat 1/3 cup olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the finished pasta. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden.  Add the red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds more.  Carefully add the reserved pasta cooking water to the garlic and oil, then bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, add 1 tsp. of salt and simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced by about a third. 

        **Hint: we used 1/2 cup of white wine in place of 1/2 cup of the pasta water**

6. Add the drained pasta to the garlic oil and toss.  Take off the heat, add the cooked shrimp and broccoli, plus the parsley and Parmesan cheese.

7.  Voila"!   Serve with a nice white wine and some crusty fresh bread, and enjoy!  

Have a wonderful weekend, get outside and enjoy some nice fall weather.   I think we will be headed down to the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero in San Francisco for some farmer's market shopping - will send pics if we do!

We've had a very eventful week at Caron's Beach House - here's where we've been featured!

Completely Coastal - Caron's Beach House http://www.completely-coastal.com/2010/09/carons-beach-house.html

Sally Lee by The Sea: Window Shopping for Beach Fall Finds http://www.sallyleebythesea.com/2010/09/window-shopping-for-beachy-fall-finds.html

Coastal Creations and Designs: Everything Coastal Unplugged http://coastaldesign.blogspot.com/2010/09/everything-coastal-unplugged-interview.html

Thanks again for your support, your comments and for following!  

Dining Alfresco on our Deck overlooking the San Francisco Bay

Brunch Dining Alfresco.. Delish Mixed Mushroom Frittata!
It's that time of year again, when we find any excuse possible to live outside in the sunshine and enjoy our view over the central part of San Francisco Bay. We are lucky enough to be able to walk with our coffee cups down to the farmer's market on Sunday mornings, here in our little community. Walking back, our arms and bags laden with fresh local produce, artisan cheese, hand-crafted olive oil...

Easy Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cups mixed mushrooms - doesn't matter what kind!
6 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil)

Put 2 tablespoons of the oil into a nonstick pan,  heat gently, then add the shallots,garlic, and basil. Saute gently for a few minutes until softened, but not browned.

Chop or slice mushrooms and add to the pan, saute for 4-5 minutes until they just start to brown, remove from heat.

Mix the eggs into a bowl with the parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Then carefully stir in the mushroom mixture, and the sun-dried tomatoes. Wipe the pan clean.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the clean skillet and pour your egg mixture back in. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until set on the bottom. Transfer to under a pre-heated broiler and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the top is nicely brown.  We love to top ours with a nice manchego or parmesan cheese, but it's all up to you!

The complete touch?  Mimosas served in our Caron's Beach House beautiful coastal martini glasses!

1/2 glass Champagne
2 barspoons of Grand Marnier
freshly squeezed orange juice to top off

Enjoy your next Sunday Brunch - would love to see some of your favorite brunch specialties!

Martini Glasses with Etched Schools of Fish!