Friday, March 6, 2009

Garides me Ntomata kai Leuko Krasi / Shrimp with Cherry Tomatoes and White Wine


The typical Greek diet during the days of Lent includes an array of legumes, grains and pastas but the highlight for me is the multitude of seafood dishes from shrimp, to calamari, to octopus, lobster, crabs, mussels, clams or scallops.

I love seafood and yet as of late it's been frequenting our dinner table less and less. The kids really enjoy fresh fish such as red snapper, sole or porgies much better so all other seafood and shellfish have naturally been put on the back burner (no pun intended). With the start of Lent, however, I got to make this scrumptious shrimp dish that everyone--young and old--thoroughly enjoyed.

I tossed some cherry tomatoes in a light white wine sauce along with onion, scallions, garlic, dill and parsley and served the shrimp with some rice but a small-shaped pasta would work equally well. Try crumbling some Feta and sprinkling over top just before serving for an added depth of flavor (I omitted the Feta in my own as it was a Lenten dish).




Garides me Ntomata kai Leuko Krasi /
Shrimp with Cherry Tomatoes and White Wine

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 scallions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
Hefty pinch of dried Greek oregano
1 pound of large shrimp, de-veined but not peeled
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and saute the onion until soft. Stir in the scallions, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook a couple minutes more. Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add the shrimp to the skillet, cover and cook until just pink (literally less than five minutes). Sprinkle with the dill and parsley and serve over rice or pasta.

10 comments:

Peter M said...

Telia...I like using cherry tomatoes too (for their sweetness). You're fortunate to have children that enjoy seafood at an early age.

Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul said...

So easy and very "summery" Maria...great flavours.

Anonymous said...

I can smell the garides from here!

Ivy said...

A perfect dish for Lent. I had garides today as well.

♥Rosie♥ said...

Oh this dish looks so fresh and full of colour!! Absolutely gorgeous...

Rosie x

Maria Verivaki said...

really yummy and tempting

giz said...

Absolutely a gorgeous dish. And I thought lent was a period of food restriction - I don't think I'd feel very restricted at all.

Anonymous said...

A really beautiful dish, Maria. Simple but with a perfect combo of ingredients.

Núria said...

Maria, I think that Lent has lost its real meaning... isn't this a dish for a banquet? I LOVE it! And those pictures look great :D

Maria said...

Peter: there have been some beautiful cherry and grape tomatoes out in the markets here this month. I'm lucky to have kids that enjoy pretty much anything I place in front of them at this age -- after the age of 1, I never gave them anything other than what we as adults were eating as well.

Peter G.: I know, this did remind of summer ... but we're still waiting for spring!

Ioanna: I looooove seafood!

Ivy: It is a very good dish for Lent, and I kind of feel guilty for enjoying it so much!

Rosie: I enjoyed the colors in this dish as well and some green peppers would add another dimension of flavor and color as well.

Maria: too tempting to be a Lenten dish if you ask me!

Giz: Thanks so much for stopping by ... you're right, lent is not as restrictive as one might think, though it probably should be.

Elly: And yet it took just minutes to make!

Nuria: Lent has definitely lost some of its meaning ... we're all finding too many ways around the food restrictions and coming up with mouthwatering dishes!