When Something is Bitter...

... you add a little sweetness! :)

The only thing I knew about broccoli rabe was that Giada used it a lot on the Everyday Italian show, and that it was a leafy green vegetable. What my mom told me before I started cooking it was that it had a very bitter flavor. She liked the bitter flavor of broccoli rabe, but that information made me not so excited to make it. I knew raisins and pine nuts would be added to the broccoli rabe, but I was still anxious to see just how bitter the leaves were after they were cooked. I blanched the broccoli rabe VERY quickly in boiling, salted water and shocked it ice water to stop the cooking process. Afterwards, I sauteed red pepper flakes and garlic in olive oil, then added the blanched broccoli rabe and raisins. Once everything was cooked together for about six minutes, toasted pine nuts were tossed in for the finishing touch. First, I tasted the broccoli rabe without raisins in order to experience its true bitterness. My mom was right; the broccoli rabe wasn't so bitter that I couldn't eat it, but it was bitter enough for me not enjoy it very much. Next, I tasted it with the raisins and pine nuts and it was much better. This vegetable dish was quick and simple, and had an awesome depth of flavors. The only thing wrong was that I didn't like eating it unless there were raisins and/or pine nuts in every bite. I never would have tried raisins or pine nuts with a leafy green if it wasn't for this recipe. I would use the recipe again, but probably use spinach instead.

Along with the broccoli rabe, I completed Giada's recipe for Grilled Jumbo Shrimp.

Althoughhhh, I kind of cheated with this recipe because the shrimp were kind of jumbo... and I kind of grilled them... Jumbo shrimp are defined as shrimp that are 11 to 15 per pound. Extra large shrimp are defined as 16  to 20 per pound. My grocery store didn't even sell the 11 to 15 per pound shrimp, and even if they did they would have been way to pricey. I decided to use 16 to 20 per pound. Next was the grilling part. This past Sunday when I made these recipes, it was a very rainy day, meaning I couldn't use the grill outside. I had no choice but to complete these recipes that day, sooo I plugged in my good ol' George Forman Grill. While the grill was heating, I seasoned the shrimp in a little Olive Oil, garlic salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. I left the top of the Formal Grill open and grilled the fresh shrimp until they were pink. They were delicious!! In the past I have only been eating shrimp that were already cooked and frozen, so fresh shrimp was something new to me. I really liked the fresh taste of these shrimp and I would definitely make them again. Putting these shrimp in some spaghetti would be a nice dish too!

Time Spent: 1 hour and 30 mins

I've decided to update my "time spent"s on all my blog posts because I've realized that cleaning up after making dishes takes up a lot of time, so it's only fair to include that time in my hours spent on this project.

Ciao!