Christmas #1 of ????

I set Kyle's dinner plate down in front of him tonight and jokingly said, "Sorry this meal isn't very colorful." LOVE the color in the this! On Thanksgiving night I was looking at a magazine and saw this salad recipe from Jaime Oliver. I skipped the mint. Nice high fiber option for my detox week! Crunchy food. I also made shrimp with peppers and smoked paprika--well a version of a recipe, from Bon Appetit, I sauteed instead of roasted. Basically I did everything the same only on the stove top and much quicker, as I bought cooked shrimp at the seafood counter. The recipe serves 16 by the way--scale down as needed. I guess technically this is our first Christmas dinner. Kyle and I have "tradition" although you might call it a "rebellion." We exchange gifts as soon as we buy them! Round #1 was tonight!












Garlic-roasted Shrimp with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika

Ingredients
nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 pounds uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled with tails left intact, deveined
3 red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2-inch triangles
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika*
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup dry Sherry

Preparation
Spray two 13x9x2-inch metal baking pans with nonstick spray. Mix shrimp, peppers, oil, garlic, smoked paprika, and cayenne in large bowl to coat. Divide mixture between prepared pans, arranging shrimp in single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast shrimp 10 minutes. Turn shrimp; sprinkle with oregano. Roast until shrimp are just opaque in center, about 7 minutes longer. Transfer shrimp and peppers to platter. Place pans over 2 burners on medium heat. Add half of Sherry to each; boil until reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Drizzle over shrimp and serve warm or at room temperature.


Raw Beet & Pear Matchsticks With Feta

LEMON OIL DRESSING:

3-1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
10 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt + freshly ground pepper

SALAD:

1-1/2 lb (700 g) beets (about 4 large), peeled, cut into matchsticks
3 ripe pears, peeled, cored, cut into fine matchsticks
Sea salt + freshly ground pepper
7 oz (200 g) feta cheese, crumbled
Leaves from 1 bunch mint, finely chopped

For Lemon Oil Dressing, whisk together lemon juice and oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Alternately, put everything in jar and shake.) Refrigerate in sealed container until ready to use. Makes about 3/4 cup.

For salad, in large bowl, combine beets and pears. Add about 1/2 cup Lemon Oil dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well. Adjust dressing and seasoning if needed.

Divide salad among serving plates. Top each with crumbled feta. Sprinkle each with mint. Or add feta and mint to beet mixture. Toss well, then serve.

Makes 6 side servings (8 cups)