On a recent Sunday evening, I had the pleasure of making a meal here at the cove
for Elaine, one of my besties. When we made the plan on Friday, I realized I didn’t
even have to run to the grocery store because I had all the fixings for a good meal:
frozen shrimp, canned tomatoes, rice, cheese, and whipping cream as well as a
package of store-bought cookies.

Just because we live on the Maine coast where we can get our hands on the good
fresh stuff doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have frozen seafood on hand for dinner
emergencies. And whether you use teeny Maine shrimp or jumbo shrimp “from
away” for this main dish, it’s absolutely delicious. You only have to adjust your
cooking time accordingly.
For a side, you may want to try these delectable crispy-on-the-outside,
creamy-and-cheesy-on-the-inside pancakes. (These are also sublime as a beautiful
brunch treat when topped with poached eggs – just sayin’.)
I couldn’t decide whether to serve the pancakes perched next to the saucy shrimp
for dipping; set them jauntily on top of the pool of tomato and seafood; or
arrange them on the plate with the pink-studded sauce spooned over them. After
several minutes of consideration, I went with the first choice. We dipped.
The meal was such a great success that we barely had room for dessert. We
managed to squeeze it in though.

I don’t think of Cookies & Cream as a real recipe, but more of an idea. Using your most elegant/funky/whimsical dessert
dishes, depending on your mood, make some whipped cream and flavor it further, if you like, with espresso, an extract, liqueur, citrus zest, and/or berries. Generously spread the cream onto thin store-bought or homemade cookies of
your choice then layer them into your chosen dishes.

For this writing, I used Famous Chocolate Wafers because I had purchased some the other day to satisfy a craving for the refrigerator dessert log my mom used to make. However, the combinations are endless. What’s better than your favorite
cookies? Your favorite cookies smothered with whipped cream and shared with one of your best friends, that’s what!

Shrimp in Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 oz.) can tomato puree
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
4 tbsps. fresh oregano
1 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled and cleaned
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium
heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened for about 5 minutes. Add
tomato puree, wine, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes or
until thickened, stirring occasionally.
Place shrimp on top of bubbling sauce. Sprinkle feta over the top. Bake for 15
minutes or until shrimp turns pink and is cooked through. Garnish with parsley
before serving. Yield: 4 servings

Risotto Pancakes
1 cup Arborio rice
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 eggs
3 tbsps. minced fresh herbs
1 1/2 cups grated Fontina cheese
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 cup panko crumbs
3 tbsps. olive oil
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt and rice. Cook, stirring
occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until rice is soft. Immediately rinse rice in a
sieve under cold running water until rice is cool. Drain well.
Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, eggs, herbs and cheese, salt and pepper together in a
bowl. Stir in rice. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate at least two hours.
When ready to cook the pancakes, pour panko crumbs on to a plate. Heat oil in a
large skillet over medium-low heat. Form the rice mixture into balls with your
hands and pat into 3/4-inch pancakes. Place pancakes in crumbs, coating both
sides then fry in hot oil, for about 3 minutes on each side, until crisp and brown.
Yield: 6 servings

Cookies & Cream
1 package Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers
1 pint whipping cream
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Extracts, syrups, liqueur, chocolate shavings, berries, nuts, etc. (optional)
Whip cream, beating in sugar and vanilla. Spread generously on a wafer and
layer in dessert dishes. Cover with cling wrap and chill for at least 3 hours,
until cookies soften. Garnish just before serving. Yield: 6 servings (6 small cookies
for each serving)

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