Shrimps by the Sea

I can proudly say that I've successfully hosted my first lunch party. The food was edible. The guests were happy. The day was perfect.

The day before was an entirely different story.

The lunch was to celebrate my husband's birthday and a good opportunity to put my cooking skills to the test (or so I thought). We've had people over before but only two or three at a time and usually its some sort of potluck arrangement. This was the first time I was cooking for eight people and I slightly overestimated the quantity which could have fed a small hungry army. I set to work on my rather ambitious menu comprising of shrimp orzo pasta, chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce, eggplant and tomato dip, chicken avocado and roasted red pepper bruschetta, and a vegetable couscous salad followed by the birthday cake.

I started off at 10 am the day before, happily chopping up vegetables, boiling, blending, baking, roasting, and singing along to the radio. Five hours later the singing had turned into an angry growl, I felt like throwing all of the food out the window, and getting takeout from the nearest Chinese restaurant was seeming like a fabulous idea.

I'm glad I stuck it out. The next day we laid out a beautiful spread by the ocean. The weather was perfect, a little overcast so we weren't sweltering in the summer sun, and the food was much appreciated by everyone there. It was well worth all the effort. My husband's favorite dish from that day was the shrimp orzo pasta which is light, delicious, full of fresh herbs, crunchy onions, chunks of feta cheese, and of course shrimp. Its perfect for the summer months.

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo (from Barefoot Contessa Food Network)

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• Good olive oil
• 3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 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
• 1/2 cup small-diced red onion
• 3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced

Directions

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 and 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.