Kalosirthate piso!!

That's Welcome Back! in Greek. So gang, I give you my sincerest apologies for the delay in posting a new recipe for you. Sir whisked me off on an All-For-Fall vacation (all of our vacations are named). Nothing too fancy. Just six days in Greece, Athens and we stayed most of the time right by the colorful Tsakalof Street. Agatha was able to get in some modest shopping with Sir's contribution to her till. Certainly we came across a plethora of recipes I could have added to our expanding list but because of the circumstances I felt the menu is a little advanced at this stage in the teachings.

There are so many nuances of the Kept Boy one must acquire or at least be aware of before venturing off to some reputable locale like Greece or Turks and Caicos to dine off the extended fork of your very own Sir.

However, I can at this point let you know an excellent recipe for the first big meal home. If your appetite didn't turn on you from the regional diet then proceed. The meal must be kept light, comfortable and rich in a simple to create flavor. Upon our return yesterday afternoon - after a well earned nap - I prepared a Shrimp Pesto dish with a side of couscous.

Pesto Shrimp with Couscous Parcels

The Ingredients:

-10-12 Pieces of Large Shrimp Peeled and de-veined

-1/2 Box of Plain Couscous (about 5 0z)

-1 Cup of Chicken Broth

-1/2 a Red Onion thinly sliced

-4 Garlic Cloves Minced

-1 Small Red Bell Pepper sliced thinly (Agatha says that when choosing Bell Peppers -ones with 3 bumps are sweeter, one with four bumps are better for cooking. Since this dish cooks quickly, I went for the sweeter 3 bumped variety.

-2 Tsp Olive Oil

-4 Tbs of Red Pesto (If you know how to make a good pesto by all means do so, but why do it when there is a fabulous selection of Pestos at the local organic food market)

-2 pieces of Parchment Paper roughly in 15 by 15 squares.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Bring the Chicken Broth and Olive Oil to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in the Couscous, add a dash of salt and a dash of pepper, cover, and set aside for five minutes.

In the Meantime, take the 2 pieces of Parchment Paper and fold them in half. Using a scissors, cut them into large hearts. (I love this part because the hearts remind me of how much I love my Sir!)

After 5 minutes, add to the Couscous the Sliced Red Onion, Minced Garlic, and Sliced Red Bell Pepper. Mix well.

Place about 1 cup (or half of the mixture) onto one side of a heart of Parchment Paper.

Top the Couscous mixture with 4-5 pieces of Shrimp.

Top the Shrimp with 2 tbs of the Red Pesto.

Fold the other half of the heart over the mixture.

Starting on the rounder side of the heart, make little folds moving along the edge of the heart sealing the mixture in. Each fold should seal the fold just before it creating a sealed parcel.

Repeat with the other piece of Parchment paper.

Bake the two Parcels for 20 minutes.

When Done, Place the Parcels on plates. Each packet is a meal in itself. open the packets, mix in the Pesto and enjoy!

Tomorrow I will be adding a touch of the unicorn section to the blog and to your life. Tidbits of discipline I have acquired over the years in the kitchen long before I donned the Cheftain hat. Because everyone can, and should at one moment of their life eat off an extended fork in a land where the only words they can say are Welcome.