Creating Fun Weekends with Good Food

With the weekend coming up I love to start thinking of fun and romantic foods that I can make for Nate and I during the weekend. On Thursdays I usually sit down and plan food for the weekend. This includes, one romantic meal, grill night, and some sort of comfort food for Sunday.

Nate and I have two boys, so getting out for regular date nights happens about once a month. To spice things up I like to throw in a couple of nights during the month that we cook really romantic restaurant like food. Now that my kids are older they enjoy being in the kitchen with us while we are cooking, talking and connecting. I like to have some sort of garlic bread or appetizer available for them to snack on while we all hang out it the kitchen together.

Friday Night Fun in the Kitchen Menu:

Creamy Garlic and Shrimp Pasta...or "Shrimp-in-Love" Pasta!
Cheesy Garlic Bread

Shrimp -in- Love Pasta

8oz precooked linguine...make ahead that morning..helps to save time while you cook that night. When I cook pasta I always make it a habit to dish out a coffee cup full of pasta water. So I can have it when I combine my sauce with my pasta. The starchy flavored water will help to smooth out your sauce.
1 cup of cleaned medium thawed shrimp
2 tomatoes, chopped and seeded (just squeeze all the "juice and seeds" out of your tomato halves over the sink before you chop it)
1 stick of cream cheese
1-1/2 cups of torn cleaned spinach
2-4 cloves of chopped garlic
Butter & Olive Oil

Heat Butter and Olive Oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add shrimp, garlic, tomatoes and cream cheese. Cook and stir until shrimp is pink in color and the sauce is melted and well combined. (Be careful to not over cook your shrimp....when shrimp turns pink it is done!)
Season with Salt and Pepper.

Add your heated pasta to the sauce, if the sauce is too thick, slowly add your saved pasta water(make sure it's hot) to the sauce until it is silky and creamy. Then toss in your spinach and stir until just wilted. You may need to do this over low heat.

Top with fresh parm and serve with cheesy garlic bread.

*When I am feeling lazy, I will leave out the tomatoes and spinach.


Cheesy Garlic Bread

5 garlic cloves, grated
8 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon water
1 baguette, sliced in half horizontally
1 1\2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cook garlic, 1 T butter, and water in small skillet over low heat until garlic is soft and mixture is straw colored. Keep an eye on this..garlic and butter can burn fast!
Mix hot mixture with the rest of the butter and spread on both sides of the bread. Sandwich loaf back together and wrap tight in foil. Place on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes.
Set oven on broil, unwrap loaves and place side by side on baking sheet. Top with cheese and broil until golden and bubbly. Slice and serve...best garlic bread you have ever had..promise!