Taking turns with Tyler

Our family descended on my brother and sister-in-law in Colorado, to visit the newest member of the family…8 week old Tyler. We all took turns feeding him, rocking him to sleep, and changing his diapers (well, I was conveniently absent for most of those diapers!). We also took turns with the cooking, each of us responsible for planning a menu and preparing a comforting family meal.

When it was my turn for dinner, I initially planned on rosemary breaded shrimp over white beans and arugula. Apparently my menu didn’t take into account the limitations of available foods in Pueblo, CO. My mother laughed at me through every aisle of Wal-Mart saying, “Oh sure, arugula – good luck with that Meg!” Okay, change of plans. Wal-Mart had shrimp and bread crumbs so I kept it on the menu, and substituted the beans & arugula for a risotto. I was able to find all the fixings for risotto, so I was in business.

While the gang was busy keeping Tyler occupied, I poured myself a glass of wine and headed for the kitchen to start dinner. First up, getting the risotto started…

Spinach Risotto
2 tbsp Olive oil
5 cups chicken stock
1 onion finely chopped
1 ½ cup Arborio rice
½ cup white wine
3 cups baby spinach
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Heat chicken stock in medium saucepan. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add rice and cook for additional 2 minutes. Add wine and stir until liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken stock and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time until rice is cooked and mixture is creamy. Continue to stir often, about 25 minutes. Add spinach and Parmesan cheese and butter into risotto. Stir in additional chicken stock as desired. Season to taste with S&P. (I also like to add a little cayenne pepper to spice the risotto up and give it some character).

Breaded Shrimp
1 lb. uncooked shrimp (peeled & deveined)
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tlsp olive oil
S&P

Preheat oven to 400. Combine bread crumbs, rosemary, olive oil and S&P in small bowl. Coat shrimp with bread mixture and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

We happily filled ourselves with bowls of risotto and breaded shrimp on top. It was the perfect meal to keep us all going for those late night feedings. I guess the saying is true; it certainly does take a village…


--the daughter