I'm strong to the finich, cause I eats me spinach

anemia (ə-nē'mē-ə) Pronunciation Key
A deficiency in the oxygen-carrying component of the blood, as in the amount of hemoglobin or the number or volume of red blood cells. Iron deficiency, often caused by inadequate dietary consumption of iron, and blood loss are common causes of anemia. (from dictionary.com)

I used to get really really really tired in the middle of the day for no reason whatsoever. Sometimes it would come with really bad migraines. This was back when I used to sleep through the night and get at least 8-10 hours of sleep. Dr. Mom said it might be anemia and we increased my iron. Raisin snacks, iron supplements, and all of a sudden I wasn't tired anymore. Its self diagnosed, to be sure, and maybe its psychological, but hey, whatever works right? So in the hopes that I'll be able to keep a high energy level during THE BAR I've been upping my iron intake all week. Tonights dinner was especially high in iron because it has Shrimp AND spinach, both of which are high in iron.



I got the recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Dinner a Deux. It's one of my favorites because Jen is so funny. I especially love how she includes a quote from her husband about each dish. Jen got the dish from Bon Appetit, which already is a plus for me. I cut the recipe in half, because a pound of shrimp is a lot for two people, and Jon already has a fridge of leftovers for next week that I know he won't touch. My risotto wasn't nearly as creamy as Jen's though, and I don't know if I can blame that on the halving or not.

If I were to make this again, I would definitely add more cheese, salt, and pepper. Jen added red pepper flakes which might have been a good addition, but I held back and it was a little bland.

But I'm beginning to feel stronger already. Of course that could just be fear.

Shrimp Risotto with Baby Spinach and Basil

From Bon Appetit

ingredients
3 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth
1/2 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cups chopped onion
1 large garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice (about 9 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 6-ounce package baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Additional grated Parmesan cheese

preparation
Bring 3 cups broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Add shrimp. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand until shrimp are just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to small bowl; cover with foil to keep warm. Cover broth to keep warm.

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir 1 minute. Add rice and stir until edge of rice is translucent but center is still opaque, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until wine is absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add 3/8 cup chicken broth. Simmer until almost all broth is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Continue to add broth, 3/8 cup at a time, until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, stirring often and allowing almost all broth to be absorbed after each addition, about 25 minutes total. During last 5 minutes, add spinach in 4 batches, stirring and allowing spinach to wilt after each addition. Mix in shrimp, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and basil. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon risotto into shallow bowls and serve, passing additional cheese separately.