La boda y el viaje

Back to reality after 10 days in Europe - Spain, France & Italy - I am still in a post-vacation fog.  But I offer these early observations:

Weddings are magical, particularly when they involve people you love dearly - like our niece Becca and her husband Kalle - and when they take place in a fantastically magical place, like a castle in Spain:

Cava is delicious.

as are these two new favorite summer drinks:

Spritz

The drink is prepared with prosecco (or champagne) wine, a dash of some bitter liqueur such as Aperol, Campari, Cynar, or, especially in Venice, with Select. The glass is then topped off with sparkling mineral water. It is usually served over ice in a lowball glass (or sometimes a martini glass or wine glass) and garnished with a slice of orange, or sometimes an olive, depending on the liqueur.

Tinto de Verano - Definitely the drink of the trip.

Put a few ice cubes in a wine glass and fill halfway with red wine.

Add either

-sprite, if you like it sweet

-a dash of lemonade/sprite then some sparkling water

-a little slice of orange to make it purdy and even more yum.

Everyone enjoyed tinto.

Spaniards never go to sleep.  The DJ started at midnight!

Collioure, in France, was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. 

 I wish we had stayed longer.

Driving across France and getting stuck for hours in a french traffic jam is sub-optimal.  Arles was lovely, but one should never ever try to navigate its old-city streets in a large BMW.  But you might see this scene as you're wandering through its streets,

and we had the best meal of the trip here.

Rome is so enchanting, such an intoxicating and delightful mix of appreciating the past and living in the moment.  Did you know that in addition to the fact the colliseum is a 60,000 seat, four-storied stadium built in the ancient world, it had a retractable cover?  For real!  And Rome was the one city with plentiful, free water spouts everywhere.  Why?  Because the Romans built aqueducts two thousand years ago.  Those Romans were geniuses.

Apollo and Daphne still make me weep. 

 The pantheon is, well, perfect.  And Trastevere is the best neighborhood.

Barcelona offers such a sensory wallop.  Gorgeous art, amazing architecture, fantastic food, delicious drinks and a totally jubilant vibe.

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia is stunning.

Tapas made me sigh with joy.

Tinto and sangria made me, well, you know.  

and My family made it perfect. 

one-two, plus three.

Busy summer (at last!) days, very little planning - what's a family to do? Figure out a meal that can stretch to two!  I looked in my freezer and found a few chicken breasts and off we went.....

Day ONE;  Chicken Burritos

Throw a few chicken breasts in the crock pot.  Add some taco seasoning if you have it. Cook it on low all day, then cut it up and throw it back in crock pot.
 

sidebar:
 I make my own taco seasoning and always have a tiny tupperware filled with it.
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1-1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper

next/meanwhile:
Sautee up some peppers and onions in some garlic and olive oil.  Throw in a little cayenne or crushed red pepper if you want a little more heat.

 If your daughter is vegetarian, cook up something called "Mexican Crumbles."  I have no idea.

Cook up some rice.  I added some crushed tomatoes, salt & pepper

  I made a mini batch of pico de gallo. Why don't I make this all the time?

I combined: 

1 can drained, diced tomatoes (didn't have enough fresh but that would be better)

1 small diced onion

1 bunch cilantro, chopped fine

2 or so limes, squeezed

1/2 jalapeno, minced fine (more or less depending on how hot you like it)

salt - to taste.  I probably used 1/2 tsp

Heat up some tortillas, some beans if you have them, and put them out with some shredded cheddar and giant tortillas and you've got yourself a one-dish FEAST.

Clearly, I was too starving to photograph the actual end product, but you get the idea.

TWO: Chicken/pasta/broccoli/parmesan mash

We had a lot of leftover chicken.  So, on day two, here's what I did:
Cook up a lb of pasta, whichever shape floats your boat.

Steam up some broccoli  - or roast it or saute it - it's your party!  I had no time so threw the broccoli right in the pot with the water and it worked out swimmingly.  I also sauteed a little spinach I had leftover.

Drain the pasta (and broccoli if cooking on stovetop), rinse a bit under cold water, then throw the whole situation in a large bowl right on top of the leftover chicken, to heat it up a bit

  Add tons of S&P and parmesan and crushed red pepper. 

 I also threw in a little Italian salad dressing to give it some moisture.  Delish.

THREE:

Last night I finally planned a meal and we had one of my favorites:  Barefoot Contessa's Orzo with roasted shrimp and feta.  Recipe below.  It's a WINNER.

 

This is a damned fine meal, friends.  Enjoy.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• Good olive oil
• 3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
• 1 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
• 1/2 cup small-diced red onion
• 3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!
Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

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