From Laila’s Table to Yours — May 21, 2015
When Laila cooks, she usually hears a knock on her door. Laila, a Clare Housing resident for 8 years, is a master in the kitchen, and the smells of her cooking wafting down the hall means that Laila rarely eats alone. Fortunately, Laila loves company as well.
Debbie Wyman and I recently sat down with Laila to talk to her about her future, and her volunteer work as a Kitchen Angel at Grace House II, one of our Care Homes. Laila is at an exciting cross roads. After regaining her health, she’s now “graduating” from the program, and will be moving out of her apartment at Clare Housing at the end of the month.
Although she’s leaving Clare Housing, she hopes to continue volunteering at Grace House II, and plans to visit her friends at her old building. When asked why she volunteers to cook at Grace House II, Laila remarks that she loves talking to the residents that join her at the table. She is also hoping to get a job preparing meals for either school children or adults in an assisted living home once she leaves Clare Housing, so cooking for a group is great practice.
Laila was kind enough to share with us her favorite recipe! Her favorite dish that she enjoys making at Grace House II is Alfredo sauce pasta with shrimp and broccoli.
Now, Laila is the type of cook who does things by feel — so this isn’t exactly what Laila would cook for you. She’s too spontaneous to be pinned down! A lot of her recipes are improvised.
But here with her approval is her own version of Alfredo pasta with shrimp and broccoli (sans improvisation). She likes to serve this with garlic bread, and a nice romaine salad. Bon Appetit!
Alfredo Pasta with Shrimp & Broccoli
Serves 4
Ingredients
- Broccoli, 2 cups, chopped
- Large shrimp, 1 lb, peeled and de-veined
- Garlic, 4 cloves, minced or mashed
- Olive Oil, 1/4 cup
- Lemon Juice, 1 tablespoon
- Parsley, 2 tablespoons, minced
- Spaghetti, 1 lb cooked
- Butter, 1/4 cup
- Heavy Cream 1/2 cup
- Parmesan, 1/2 cup, grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan, for garnish, shaved
For the shrimp, in a large skillet, cook the cloves smashed garlic over low heat in the olive oil, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove the garlic from the skillet and discard.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the shrimp to the garlic-infused oil and cook until they turn pink on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes, and turn them over. Add 2 tablespoons of the minced parsley and the minced garlic. Cook until the shrimp are firm and pink, about 2 minutes more.
Remove the cooked shrimp, along with any pan juices, to a bowl and toss with lemon juice and the remaining parsley. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until tender.
Meanwhile, over medium heat melt the butter in the same skillet you used for the shrimp. Drain the spaghetti and over low heat toss the spaghetti in the skillet along with the heavy cream and grated Parmesan until the pasta is well coated. Add the shrimp to the skillet, cover, and remove from the heat.
Serve when the shrimp are warmed through, about 5 minutes, in four warmed bowls. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and garnish with shaved Parmesan.
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