News
ENLARGE
Summer is here at South Shore and I'm feeling it mind, body, and spirit. I admit that I was thinking decadent recipes, including deep dish peach pie and chocolate forest cake but a no-cook day was calling my name. Cravings for pre-cooked fish, cold salad greens, and fresh French bread hit me and it made summertime sense. Why slave over a hot stove when it's so easy to whip up a hearty meal for one?
Speaking of being single, a few years ago, I was ex pecting a dear gentleman caller's visit in the hot summer. I wanted to make a foolproof dinner so I turned to trusty semi-jumbo cooked shrimp, lettuce, Thousand Island dressing, French bread, and store-bought ice cream. I made the eats before his arrival so there would be no mistakes or hassles. No muss, no fuss and no worries, sort of. It was going to be rehashing the past and looking toward the future.
The glitch was, once my ex-boyfriend arrived within a few hours we began to dredge the past.
“I can't believe you flirted with women on the In ternet,” I said.
He darted, “You were too busy working for that big women's magazine.”
“It was my career,” I defended myself.
“Yeah, I know.”
And so it went. Back and forth we went at it like a tennis match. We each knew our true colors. The shrimp — our favorite fish — never saw the two of us together that night. Before dusk my old flame left, back home to the Bay Area and I was single again at Lake Tahoe. I was all alone with the fur kids. On the upside, Shrimp Louie was waiting for me, the cat, and the bird dogs. And we lived on and happily ever after.
Mediterranean Shrimp Louie
7 to 8 ounces cooked shrimp (a mix)
2 cups romaine lettuce
1⁄2 cup baby tomatoes
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup black olives, sliced
Mediterranean sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
In a bowl combine mix lettuce, tomatoes, and olives. Top wish shrimp. Serves two.
(You never know when a visitor may drop by and stay for a meal.)
Louie's Simple Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon parsley, fresh, chopped
In a small bowl, mix mayo and ketchup. Add relish, onion, parsley. Chill for about 30 minutes.
These days, this easy to fix meal is healthier than what I put together years ago. I use dark green lettuce instead of iceberg which isn't fit for a lizard. Romaine is touted to be super nutritious with its nutrients and antioxidants. I eat less than more shrimp (it's high in cholesterol — the stuff that clogs our arteries), and I dip French bread or whole grain bread into warm olive oil or real butter (in moderation) It was a true Mediterranean feast for one with leftovers for lunch tomorrow after my swim at the local pool.
Meanwhile, my fish-bread loving ex “soul mate” and I still talk on the phone like old lovers do. We don't argue with 200 miles be tween us. During the summer I can expect a visit (or two). After all, it was the summers we spent here that planted the seed for me to relocate to this mountain town. Perhaps, I'll give him a call tonight and tell him about the fresh shrimp, tossed greens, and bread he missed. Oh, and for dessert rather than vanilla ice cream (his favorite), I had a cup of premium coffee ice cream (the perks of not having to compromise). For some reason, I feel like I was a mermaid in a past life. Fish, anyone?
Motto: Man or woman can live on fish and bread. Enjoying these staples, in a mountain setting make life more pleasurable, whether you're a couple in love or swimming solo.
— Cal Orey is an author and journalist. Her books include "The Healing Powers" series (Vinegar, Olive Oil, Chocolate) published by Kensington. Her website is www.calorey.com.
Speaking of being single, a few years ago, I was ex pecting a dear gentleman caller's visit in the hot summer. I wanted to make a foolproof dinner so I turned to trusty semi-jumbo cooked shrimp, lettuce, Thousand Island dressing, French bread, and store-bought ice cream. I made the eats before his arrival so there would be no mistakes or hassles. No muss, no fuss and no worries, sort of. It was going to be rehashing the past and looking toward the future.
The glitch was, once my ex-boyfriend arrived within a few hours we began to dredge the past.
“I can't believe you flirted with women on the In ternet,” I said.
He darted, “You were too busy working for that big women's magazine.”
“It was my career,” I defended myself.
“Yeah, I know.”
And so it went. Back and forth we went at it like a tennis match. We each knew our true colors. The shrimp — our favorite fish — never saw the two of us together that night. Before dusk my old flame left, back home to the Bay Area and I was single again at Lake Tahoe. I was all alone with the fur kids. On the upside, Shrimp Louie was waiting for me, the cat, and the bird dogs. And we lived on and happily ever after.
Mediterranean Shrimp Louie
7 to 8 ounces cooked shrimp (a mix)
2 cups romaine lettuce
1⁄2 cup baby tomatoes
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup black olives, sliced
Mediterranean sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
In a bowl combine mix lettuce, tomatoes, and olives. Top wish shrimp. Serves two.
(You never know when a visitor may drop by and stay for a meal.)
Louie's Simple Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon parsley, fresh, chopped
In a small bowl, mix mayo and ketchup. Add relish, onion, parsley. Chill for about 30 minutes.
These days, this easy to fix meal is healthier than what I put together years ago. I use dark green lettuce instead of iceberg which isn't fit for a lizard. Romaine is touted to be super nutritious with its nutrients and antioxidants. I eat less than more shrimp (it's high in cholesterol — the stuff that clogs our arteries), and I dip French bread or whole grain bread into warm olive oil or real butter (in moderation) It was a true Mediterranean feast for one with leftovers for lunch tomorrow after my swim at the local pool.
Meanwhile, my fish-bread loving ex “soul mate” and I still talk on the phone like old lovers do. We don't argue with 200 miles be tween us. During the summer I can expect a visit (or two). After all, it was the summers we spent here that planted the seed for me to relocate to this mountain town. Perhaps, I'll give him a call tonight and tell him about the fresh shrimp, tossed greens, and bread he missed. Oh, and for dessert rather than vanilla ice cream (his favorite), I had a cup of premium coffee ice cream (the perks of not having to compromise). For some reason, I feel like I was a mermaid in a past life. Fish, anyone?
Motto: Man or woman can live on fish and bread. Enjoying these staples, in a mountain setting make life more pleasurable, whether you're a couple in love or swimming solo.
— Cal Orey is an author and journalist. Her books include "The Healing Powers" series (Vinegar, Olive Oil, Chocolate) published by Kensington. Her website is www.calorey.com.
