The recipes you all sent in for the Mediterranean Food contest were universally delicious. But this garlicky, cheesy concoction featuring shrimp and balancing the rich flavor of feta cheese with the sharpness of tomato rose above them all.

“This is a family favorite and it uses the bountiful harvest of our beautiful Gulf of Mexico,” wrote Barclay of Portland, across Nueces Bay from Corpus Christi. “My husband retired from the Marine Corps, and we have lived here for 30 years and have enjoyed this recipe immensely.”

1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup extra light olive oil
3/4 pound tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon hot sesame oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 pound shrimp, shelled
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
8 black olives
1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet or wok, sauté onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until soft. Add tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, basil, oregano, parsley, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in uncooked shrimp. Put in 12-by-7 1/2-by-2-inch baking pan. Crumble feta over top. Arrange olives on top of feta and squeeze lemon over all. Place in oven for 15 minutes. Serve over rice.

Serving size: 1 cup. Per serving: 448 calories, 26.2 g protein, 32.6 g fat, 10.7 g carbohydrates, 2.4 g fiber, 708 mg sodium, 178 mg cholesterol

Carol Barclay, Nueces Electric Co-op