Two Salads adapted from Ina Garten: Roasted Shrimp and Orzo and Beets with Orange Vinaigrette

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Recipes that other cooks invent should be treated with great respect. I’ve mentioned before that few things put me off more than someone commenting on a dish—very often negatively—that they have ‘doctored’ beyond recognition. Still, if you do delve into the comments, you can certainly learn something and sometimes there’s a certain universality of opinion that is worth paying attention to. In the case of today’s offerings, I didn’t make a single change to Ina Garten’s Beets with Orange Vinaigrette. It’s a winner just as it is. But when I got to Roasted Shrimp with Orzo, two things made me alter the original and, if I may be so bold, they were spectacular changes.

Together, these two salads were the backbone of a birthday lunch we gave for our goddaughter, Olivia, who by some quirk of nature is suddenly 14 years old. (Egads! Where did the time go?)

The Beets with Orange Vinaigrette originally appeared in Ina’s very first cookbook “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (Clarkson Potter 1999) and the Roasted Shrimp and Orzo in her 5th one, “The Barefoot Contessa At Home (Clarkson Potter 2006).

If you’ve never had Ina’s Roasted Shrimp, you’re in for a revelation. Roasting concentrates the shrimp flavor. We’ve posted her recipe for Roasted Shrimp Cocktail and once you’ve tried that you’ll never boil another shrimp, I can almost guarantee. Added to the roasted shrimp is a wonderful set of aromatics. Dill and Scallions and Parsley add color to the dish too. The Feta cheese adds a tangy contrast. So what exactly did I change? Well back to those comments: Lemon juice and olive oil go into the warm Orzo but a lot of recipe users felt there’s wasn’t enough citrus. I upped the amount by half and the flavor came shining through. I also doubled the diced red onion. And I also used a full pound of Orzo.

But the most fundamental change I made was the counter the comment that the dish was blander than expected. And here, I was able to command my secret weapon, “Big Devil” from Pollen Ranch (www.pollenranch.com). I’ve mentioned the merits of Fennel Pollen before and, in the interests of full disclosure, I am part of a group that develops recipes for Fennel Friday Cooking Club. Ina’s Roasted Shrimp and Orzo arrived just when I was wondering how to use the sample I’d been sent. “Big Devil” is a blend of spicy heat made up of Pollen Ranch’s Fennel Pollen, red pepper seed, habanero, mustard seed, flour pepper mix, paprika, ginger, cayenne, garlic, onion, fleur de sel, curry and cilantro. You owe it to yourself to see what Pollen Ranch can do for your cooking. But if you’re reading this and want to use the recipe right away, you can substitute Red Pepper Flakes this time at least. By the way, the dish is completely expandable. I made it to serve 7 and we had plenty leftover which was just as delicious the next day. Feel free to multiply or divide.

Beets at our farm stand are beautiful now–both the classic beet and the golden varieties. Ina goes so far as to say you can used canned beets in the recipe but I’d have to be very hard-pressed to even consider doing that. It will take you an extra 50 minutes to cook the beets but it’s worth every minute. Ina points out that the salad actually improves in taste if it’s done a day or even two in advance: the citrus flavored vinaigrette intensifies the flavor. The only downside to a good long soak is that golden beets, if you use them, will lose their color and turn beet red. And when you make the dish, find large navel oranges. For some reason our supermarket had only medium sized ones on offer. These were very difficult to section. I’d also add hold back half the zest and sprinkle it over the top just before serving. Here are the recipes:

Beets with Orange Vinaigrette from Ina Garten

Serves 6-8. Start to finish 1 hr. 10 minutes. Active time 15 minutes

3 bunches (about 3 lbs) beets

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

3 tablespoons good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)

2 large seedless oranges, zested

Segments 2 large seedless oranges

Drain the beets and dice into 3/4-inch cubes. Place the beets in a mixing bowl and add the raspberry vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and red onions. Zest the oranges and then segment over a bowl to catch the juices. Add half the orange zest, orange segments, and any juices and mix well. Taste for seasoning, top the salad with the remaining orange zest and serve cold or at room temperature.

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo adapted from Ina Garten.

Serves 8. Total Time 1 hr. 30 minutes. Active time 30 minutes

Kosher salt

Good olive oil

1 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)

¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (5 lemons)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tbsp. “Big Devil” Fennel Pollen Blend or 2 tbsp. red pepper flakes.

1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts

1 cup chopped fresh dill

1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced

1 cup small-diced red onion

3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don’t overcook!

Add the shrimp to the orzo.

Then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Two Salads adapted from Ina Garten: Roasted Shrimp and Orzo and Beets with Orange Vinaigrette

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