Shrimp Tapas

One of my favorite weekend "dinners" is Ann's (Thibeault's Table) Shrimp Tapas. It's a meal that comes together very quickly, especially if you purchase "easy peel shrimp", shrimp that is already headed and deveined. I picked up a loaf of French bread to serve with, so to heat it up, I turned the oven on to 500 F.
(takes about 15 minutes to heat up to temp), turned the oven off, and placed the loaf in the oven until the shrimp was dished up (5 - 10 minutes). Took the bread out of the oven and cut it up into cubes to sop up that delicious buttery shrimp sauce. Opened a bottle of wine (had a chardonnay on hand), and dinner was done. A nice relaxing evening with a delicious meal. Can't beat that.

Shrimp Tapas

6 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Italian or French Bread cut into cubes

Heat the oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a large, shallow pan. When the garlic just begins to turn golden, add the shrimp and cook over high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the broth and lemon juice.

Pour into a large earthenware bowl and sprinkle with salt and parsley. Serve immediately.


Source:; Thibeault's Table

Appetizer: Scallops with Chili & Honey

Cooking has taken a bit of a sabbatical in my home, but the kitchen is open again!  And what better way to get cooking again than with a simple but delicious recipe.  I stumbled upon this recipe at Sweet Paul's: Scallops with chili & honey on a golden wonton.  So pretty and the perfect bite.  A bit sweet with a little bite of the finely minced chili, the tender scallop contrasts beautifully with the crisp wonton.  Instead of (what looked to me like) an over-sized square wonton wrapper, I used a fluted biscuit cutter to create pretty little rounds on which to place the golden scallops.

The recipe suggested adding the scallops and the honey at the same time.  I tweaked that a bit by browning the scallops first (make sure to pat them dry before adding to the pan), then added the honey, brought the "sauce" to barely a simmer, and finished cooking the scallops through.  Finely sliced green onions formed a little bed on the wontons on which to place the scallops and added yet another texture contrast. The whole recipe took just minutes to make, and, truth be told, just minutes to eat... I couldn't help myself!

A fine way to get cooking again, don't you think?!

Scallops with Chili, Honey on Crispy Wonton
Serves 4 as an appetizer

4 small wonton sheets
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red chili, finely chopped
4 large scallops, cleaned
2 tablespoons honey
salt
1/2 spring onion, thinly sliced

Heat the canola oil in a pan and fry the wonton sheets until puffy and golden.  Drain & cool on paper towel.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add chili and sauté for 30 sec.  Add the scallops and cook for 40 sec on each side until golden.  Stir in the honey and bring to a simmer.  Add a little salt.

Arrange wonton and spring onions on small plates, and top with the cooked scallops.  Drizzle a tiny bit of the honey and chili mixture over, and serve while hot.

 Source:  Sweet Paul blog

Saturday Blog Showcase #15 - Spanish Varillas

It's time for Saturday Blog Showcase again.  Thanks to Ann (Thibeault's Table) for hosting this week!  We'd love to have you join us.  To participate, make a recipe from another blog, introducing us to the original blog (or reminding us of one we already love!)  Link back to that blog and place the Saturday Blog Showcase logo on your post.  Then sign in to Mr. Linky (located at Thibeault's Table this week), and that's all there is to it!  It's a great way to show appreciation to the many great cooks of blogdom!

This week, i discovered a blog called Spache the Spatula.  With beautiful photography and delicious-looking and -sounding recipes, I knew my pick would not disappoint.  And it did not!  A simple recipe, but full of flavor, an appetizer called Spanish Varillas caught my eye.  With great ingredients like Prosciutto di Parma and goat cheese and arugula, how could it be anything but great?  A simple goat cheese mixture is spread over the prosciutto, layered with arugula and wrapped around a crispy breadstick, and cocktail hour is complete.  Absolutely delicious!  Thank you, Rachael! 

Spanish Varaillas

-Prosciutto di Parma (or serrano ham), sliced very thin
-crispy bread sticks (you could get flavored ones if you want but I just stuck with the traditional; also, I could only find grissini, the very thin breadsticks - so I used 2 per 'roll')
-goat's milk cream cheese (I couldn't find this but did find a creamy goat cheese - I used about 1/2 cup)
-chives, diced
-sun-dried tomatoes (I  used three), minced
-pinch of freshly ground pepper
-pinch of sea salt
-baby arugula (I used a mixture of baby arugula and baby spinach)

Mix together the chives, pepper, sea salt, sun-dried tomato, and cream cheese in a small bowl.  Spread the cream cheese mixture over one side of a slice of prosciutto and add the arugula on top of that.  Carefully roll the prosciutto around a bread stick. Repeat for as many as your heart desires.

Serve with leftover cream cheese mixture to dip!

Prosciutto-wrapped Roasted Asparagus

One of my favorite Giada deLaurentiis recipes is more of a method than an actual recipe.  It calls for roasting stalks of asparagus and then wrapping them in this strips of prosciutto.  It's really delicious.  I like to roast asparagus until it has caramelized, leaving the tips almost crispy.  Unless the spears are rather thick, I bundle 3 or 4 of the pencil-thin asparagus into one.  Once wrapped in prosciutto, I like to 'gild the lily' by drizzling a little balsamic vinegar over the spears.  Delicious!!

Prosciutto-wrapped Roasted Asparagus

1 pound asparagus (about 19 stalks), trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 paper-thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise
Balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Snap the dry stem ends off of each asparagus and place on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is slightly caramelized, about 15 - 25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the spears). Cool slightly.

Wrap each asparagus with 1 piece (about 1/2 a slice) of prosciutto, exposing tips. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.  Serve at room temperature.

Adapted from Giada deLaurentiis

For Printable Recipe, Click Here 

Saturday Blog Showcase - Linda's Goat Cheese with Olives, Lemon & Thyme and Rosemary Flatbread

Welcome to the 2nd week of Saturday Blog Showcase!  I'm hosting the Showcase this week - remember that Ann (Thibeault's Table) will be hosting again next week. Today I'm featuring a recipe I've been wanting to try for quite some time now from Linda of How to Cook A Wolf.  Her pictures of this lovely appetizer have always left me salivating, and so I couldn't wait to try it for myself.  I don't know why I waited so long!  It's delicious, easy, and unique.  The goat cheese gets a little warmed from the infused olive oil and the flatbread is the perfect accompaniment.  Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe, Linda.  I'll be making it again and again!

Goat Cheese with Olives, Lemon & Thyme

1/2 cup assorted olives
3 fresh thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 (4- to 5-ounces) fresh goat-cheese medallion or 2 (2-ounces) goat-cheese buttons

Accompaniment: crisp rosemary flatbread (recipe follows)

Heat olives, thyme, oil, zest, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small skillet or saucepan over low heat until fragrant (do not simmer). Cool to room temperature.

Serve olive mixture over goat cheese.

Cooks' note: This dish can be prepared 2 hours ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

Rosemary Flatbread

1-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary plus 2 (6-inch) sprigs
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon

Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.

Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

Lightly brush top with additional oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary leaves on top, pressing in slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break into pieces.

Cooks’ note: Flatbread can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Source:  Maggie Ruggerio via Linda/ How to Cook A Wolf 

For Printable Recipe, Click Here

* * * * * * * * * *
To participate in Saturday Blog Showcase, remember:

1. Make a recipe from another blog on any day of the week. Create a link to that blog in your post.
   
   
2. Add the Saturday Blog Showcase logo to your post.
   
   
3. On Saturday, link your post to Mr. Linky.

Ann and I look forward to everyone's contributions. Happy Saturday Blog Showcase!

Artichoke Fritters

While channel surfing late-night television a few weeks ago, I came across a Food Network show featuring a couple of guys who own a catering business and had won the channel's Next Food Network Star competition. I believe the duo is known as The Hearty Boys. I've seen a few of their shows, and while I won't make all of their recipes, they do have some interesting ideas for entertaining. This is one of those interesting ideas.

The most laborious part of the recipe is chopping up the canned artichoke hearts, a couple cloves of garlic, and a few green onions. Seriously, that didn't take long at all. The "batter" came together very quickly, and they fried up in just a few minutes. I used a small disher to measure out the batter into the fryer. These only took 3 minutes to cook through in contrast to the 5 minutes the recipe suggests. I didn't make the sauce - I thought it might be a bit much for these nibbles. A little sea salt as soon as they came out of the fryer and a squeeze of lemon just before serving was all they needed. Not difficult to make, very tasty, and great as a side dish, appetizer, or snack.

By the way, a reviewer on the Food Network website did say that she reheated leftovers in a 350 F. oven the next day, and they tasted nearly as fresh as when just made. Good to know!

Artichoke Fritters

vegetable oil
1 (18-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lemon, to squeeze over fritters
Kosher salt, to sprinkle

Lemon Cream, recipe follows, optional

Pour 3 inches of vegetable oil into a heavy bottomed pot and place over medium heat until a bread cube placed in the oil browns within 1 minute.

Coarsely chop the artichokes (or alternatively crush by hand) and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic and scallions, milk, egg, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a separate bowl and quickly mix the dry ingredients into the artichoke mix.

Drop the fritters by the heaping tablespoonful into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Work in batches until all the batter is used. Keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve. Immediately before serving, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over all and hit with a bit of kosher salt. Serve with a dollop of Lemon Cream on top, if desired.

Lemon Cream:

1 cup sour cream
1 lemon, juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: Party Line with the Hearty Boys

Roasted Pepper Salad

This is an adaptation of a dish I saw Giada deLaurentiis make on her show one day. I think she adds chopped kalamata olives, but I love lots of capers and toasted pine nuts in my version. It's wonderful to use bell peppers of different colors - I used red and yellow here. (I wouldn't use green bell pepper - I don't think it would be sweet enough.) You can roast them on a baking pan in a hot oven, turning them occasionally with a pair of tongs to make sure they get blackened on all sides. Or cook them all on a grill. I have a gas stove and often roast them right on the burners. Whichever option you choose, roast about 5 or 6 peppers. Once blackened, put them in a paper bag, close, and set aside to cool. Once cool, peel and seed the peppers, and thinly slice. Add 1 - 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 -2 tablespoons chopped basil, 2 - 3 tablespoons of capers, 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, salt & pepper, all to taste. Add about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and stir. Serve over crostini.

I had made homemade Italian bread and sliced the loaf thinly on an angle. Drizzle sliced bread with olive oil and toast under the broiler. Yum!

Snack in Style - Artichoke Spread

I'm a bit laid up for a day or two - I had viscosupplementation injections in both knees this morning. I'm keeping my feet up and icing my knees to help with the "discomfort" (don't you love when doctors call it that??). But in an attempt not to be a slacker-blogger, I decided to pull something from my personal "archives". The first time I had this artichoke spread was last summer. It whizzes up easily in the food processor and is a wonderful combination of flavors. It makes a great hors d'ourve or anytime snack. This time, I rounded out the plate with tomatoes, basil, mini bocconcini, and olives seasoned with a little fresh, minced rosemary, crushed garlic, extra virgin olive oil and grated orange zest. A glass of Riesling complemented my little dinner perfectly!

Artichoke and Goat Cheese Spread with French Bread Crostini

1 can artichoke hearts, well drained
1 pound mild soft goat cheese, such as Montrachet
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 roasted red bell pepper or pimiento
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
French Bread Crostini, recipe follows

In a food processor, add the artichoke hearts, goat cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, roasted bell pepper, parsley, chives, basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and process until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Place in a nonreactive bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 days in advance. Serve with French Bread Crostini.

French Bread Crostini:
1 (18-inch) loaf French baguette or ficelle
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325°F.Cut bread into 1/4-inch round or oval slices and place on 1 large or 2 small baking sheets. Brush 1 side of each slice lightly with the olive oil, and lightly season with the salt and pepper. Bake until crisp and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool before serving. Yield: 20 to 30 crostinis

Source: Emeril LaGasse