I’m Over Comfort Food

When you think of Sunday Dinners in the winter, what do you think of? A big pot of your grandmother’s meatballs? A hunk of meat braising all day in a Dutch Oven? Buttery mashed potatoes? Creamy polentas? Paellas? Lasagnas? And all things warm and comfort-y? Me, too. It’s most of the reason I can get through single-digit-degree February.

But now it’s March, the month of daylight savings, the month in which spring begins, and I am OVER comfort food! You know that expression “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have?” I’m going to adapt it slightly to this: “Cook for the season you wish it was, not for the one that is currently kicking your ass.” Which is how we ended up with grilled (!)  Spicy Sweet Glazed Shrimp on our table last Sunday night. I’ve linked to this recipe before — um, a dinner served on sticks, and that calls for only three ingredients? Pinch me? — and I think it ranks higher on the “Been Meaning to Try” list than any other I can think of. After eating it last week, though, it’s on a more selective list, along with Salmon Salad and Burrito Bowls: Healthy Meals Everyone in the Family Eats Without Question, and That I Will Make Over and Over Again All Year Long.

There are certain realities that interfere with my Pretend-it’s-Summer routine: Namely, my decidedly winterish ruby red grapefruit obsession.

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp
This is only barely adapted from Martha Stewart.

oil for grill
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1/3 cup honey
About 25 shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper
Lime wedges for serving

Heat a grill or grill pan to high. Lightly oil hot grill. Stir together Sriracha and honey. Assemble kebabs; season with salt and pepper. 
Grill shrimp 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, brush with glaze, and cook until cooked through, another few minutes minutes. Brush with more glaze and serve with a squeeze of lime juice.

Greens with Avocado and Grapefruit

To a large bowl, add the following:

1 bunch greens (Bibb, red leaf, mesclun)
1 grapefruit, sectioned or supremed
1 avocado, in half slices
1/3 cup dill
2 tablespoons red onion, minced

Make Dressing
Whisk together (or shake together in a jam jar) the following ingredients: 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, squeeze of lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt & pepper.

Toss salad with dressing and serve with shrimp skewers.