ArcaMax

HAPPY ST NICHOLAS DAY!

When I was little, I attended a Catholic grade school. I learned about St. Nicholas Day from the nuns. I brought my new-found knowledge home to my mom and she went right along with it.

I was really into gifts (still am), so when the nuns told me you were supposed to put your shoes by the front door and gifts would appear the next morning, I was hooked.

St. Nicholas Day is the 6th of December, and is celebrated all over the world. It’s really big in the Netherlands and other parts of Europe. They even have parades and light fireworks.

So back to the gifts.

The idea is to put your shoes by the door the night before. Traditionally, your shoes would be filled with oranges the next morning, maybe a little chocolate and/or a teeny gift of some kind. I guess how many gifts you get depends on the family budget.

My brother and I put our shoes out and went to bed...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

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Shrimp de Jonghe with Zucchini Noodles

Shrimp de Jonghe is traditionally a decadent Italian appetizer that is buried in buttered bread crumbs. What I have done here is re-envision the appetizer as an entrée. I cut the bread crumbs way back and incorporated zucchini noodles instead of a pasta base. I bet you’ll never miss the pasta. You'll need a spiralizer to make the noodles, but you'll have a lot of fun doing it.

This dish is a great idea for company at the holidays. You can make a big batch very easily. I put in the green and red pepper bits to give it a bit more holiday color. In the Italian tradition of making shellfish on Christmas Eve, this will fit the bill perfectly.

Serves: 2 to 3 and can be doubled easily

Ingredients:

½ cup of butter
4 tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic will do)
1 pound of shrimp (peeled and deveined). You decide the size you like.
¾ cup of dry white wine
¼ tsp of grated black pepper
A whisper of cayenne (optional)
½ cup of diced green bell pepper (optional)
½ cup of diced red bell pepper (optional)
1 Tbl of minced, fresh parsley
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbl of olive oil
3 cups (or more) of zucchini ‘noodles’ made with your spiralizer. You can enjoy as many noodles as you’d like without worrying about the carb overload that comes from using pasta.
¼ cup of Panko bread crumbs

Instructions:

You’ll need two pans for this dish but don’t let that intimidate you. The dish comes together quickly and easily.

In a large saute pan, melt your butter. Add the garlic and stir. Add the shrimp. (The size you chose will determine cooking time. Medium shrimp will cook in 3 to 5 minutes). Just let them bubble in the butter on medium high. Turn them a couple of times so they get cooked through. When they are no longer opaque you can add your wine, spices and the peppers: black, cayenne, green and red. Let bubble for a few minutes so the sauce gets hot and the peppers loosen up a bit.

While this sauce is cooking you can work on your zucchini noodles, too. If you are not confident with doing both at the same time, just cook the shrimp and then turn them off and let them sit while you do the zucchini.

In a medium saute pan heat the olive oil and add the zucchini noodles. Just stir to heat them on medium high and cook them a bit. They won’t take more than a minute or two. Don’t overcook or they will fall apart. Even if they do, don’t fret. You’re burying them in sauce and shrimp anyway.

When the noodles are hot you can serve.

I put the noodles in the bottom of an entrée bowl or on a plate for each person. Spoon the shrimp mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese, the panko bread crumbs and the fresh parsley, and serve.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola