Tedious Prep, Quick Dinner

I'm on a mini vacation for two weeks as I transition jobs and decided to use some of the time to tackle some recipes that may be difficult during the week. Today's challenge: Parsley Stuffed Shrimp and Green Beans with Balsamic Pesto.

So, when I read the recipe for the stuffed shrimp, it was a no-brainer must-do in my book. I love shrimp, I love parsley and I love homemade bread crumbs. Sold! We used the remainder of our Jesus bread (see previous post), so named because the more we took from it, the more there seemed to be, and I had pots of fresh parsley. I prepared the bread crumbs and parsley and then came the stuffing of the shrimp. This is when I realized why you don't see this dish on restaurant menus. Shrimp are not very big creatures. Stuffing them = trials of patience. It took about 15 minutes and me becoming very intimate with the shrimp, but I got 'er done and threw them in the fridge.

Next up the pesto: this was the easiest pesto recipe ever.

Pesto


1 clove of garlic
3-4 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1 1/3 cup of tightly packed fresh basil
3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese


1. Put garlic and olive oil in food processor. Pulse until smooth.
2. Add basil and cheese. Pulse until basil is chopped but not fully processed (aka a liquid).
3. Put in covered container at room temperature until ready to serve.


I then left to meet Manatee at the bike store to finish outfitting my bike for my new bike commute. Exciting!

We got home and we were both rather ravenous, so I turned on the broiler. The shrimp took 4 minutes. I steamed green beans which also took 4 minutes. Then all I had to do was toss the green beans with the pesto and 4-5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (mixed with 1/2 tsp brown sugar), then serve.