Recipe of the Week

Do you ever go through spells where the idea of cooking dinner is just...beyond you. You don't want to cook anything you usually make because you are SICK TO DEATH of every single recipe you have. You don't have the energy to go through dozens of cookbooks to find something NEW AND EXCITING the whole family will eat.

With that in mind, I thought I would institute a recipe-of-the-week column to let you in on my newest and best creations. I promise I will try them first rather than letting my unsuspecting readers reader be my guinea pig.

SO - here is my very first recipe:

St. Simon’s Island Shrimp Bog
(and I don't know what the heck a bog is either)

1/2 pound slice bacon, finely diced
2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
3 1/4 cups defatted chicken broth
1 1/2 cups peeled & chopped tomatoes, with juice (I used a can of petite diced tomatoes with the juice)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp each cayenne & black pepper
2 lbs. medium-sized shrimp, cleaned
1/4 cup chopped parsley

In a large pot, fry bacon over medium heat; drain and set aside. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat, add the onions to the pot, then cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring. Add the rice, 2 1/4 cups of the broth, tomatoes with juices, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and black pepper; bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.

Stir in the bacon, shrimp and the remaining cup of broth; continue cooking, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the bog with a fork, adjust seasonings and sprinkle the parsley on top.

It was so good my husband wanted to ply it with drinks and then take advantage of it in the backseat of a car.