Cooking in a Small Kitchen: Monday Night Dinner

What is it like to cook in a small kitchen?  Let me show you.  Here I am cooking Monday night dinner.

Tonight I got home around 7:30, changed into jeans, tied on my apron and started cooking.  This is my usual routine along with the glass of white wine I have while cooking.  (A girl has got to unwind somehow.)

Dinner was pasta with shrimp and asparagus left over from Easter dinner. First I lightly sauteed chopped celery, leeks and a clove of sliced garlic in olive oil with a pat of butter.  While that was going I shelled the shrimp and blanched the asparagus.  I added 3/4 cup of white wine to the saute - same wine as I'm drinking - let it simmer down, then added the shrimp.  When it turned pink, I added the asparagus and set the pan to simmer. Next I boiled the pasta water, after adding 2 T. of salt.  Once the pasta was al dente I added it to the sauce along with some pasta water. Then I chopped about 1/4 C. parsley, sprinkled that onto the dish, stirred everything together and it was done. 

The pasta water is boiling and the sauce simmering.

Stirring the pasta water. I'm always gritting my teeth while cooking. It's a technique that seems to work for me.  Kind of like Michael Jordan sticking his tongue out while making those amazing shots.

Pasta with shrimp and asparagus ready to serve.

Most nights we have a salad with dinner and tonight wasn't any different. 

Getting the romaine lettuce ready for salad.  

Don't I look glamorous? This is the real me, sans make-up.

The salad is ready.  Tonight I added french and kidney beans

along with the usual vinaigrette.

It takes me about one hour to make dinner.  But it's actually easier and quicker to cook in a small kitchen because everything is close at hand.  And yes, I cook like this almost every night.  Usually we eat at the dinner table, but tonight we watched the NCAA tournament.  I was rooting for Butler, but Duke won.  Still, what a great game!

Until next time!

Genevieve