ChezCindy: Butterflied Shrimp Oreganata

 

This shrimp appetizer takes a bit of time to arrange the ingredients but cooks up quickly once you have it put together.  Added bonus is that it is delicious served hot straight from the oven, but also delicious at room temperature.  You could also serve this with a salad for a light summer dinner.  

Butterflied Shrimp Oreganata

1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided  
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, divided
2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds large shrimp, 12 per pound, peeled & deveined, butterflied*
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, 3 tablespoons cut into small pieces
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Serves 6 (2 shrimp per person) as an appetizer

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the wine, olive oil, 1 tablespoon parsley, 2 minced garlic cloves, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Add the shrimp, tossing to coat.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Add the remaining 2 minced garlic cloves.  Cook and stir for 1 minute.  Remove from the heat, stirring in the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon parsley, remaining teaspoon lemon zest, and remaining teaspoon oregano.  Set aside.

Drain and discard the marinade from the shrimp.  Arrange the shrimp onto a large sheet pan or large skillet, oven-safe and broiler-proof.  Evenly divide the breadcrumb mixture onto each butterflied shrimp.  Dot each shrimp with the diced butter.  Place into the hot oven, cooking for about 5-6 minutes.  Switch the oven to broil, broiling the shrimp for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly.  Serve hot or at room temperature.  

*To butterfly the shrimp, use a sharp paring knife to carefully slit along the vein side of the shrimp stopping at the tail without cutting through.  Lightly press the 2 sides to open like a butterfly.  

ChezCindy: Grilled Cheese Tomato Tartine

 

Try this upgraded grilled cheese open-faced sandwich for a quick snack or as an appetizer for a dinner party.  A Tartine is a French term for an open-faced sandwich.  The bread is often toasted, then the toppings are added in an artful manner.  For this tartine, I have used use 2 different cheeses, Gruyere and Parmesan.  But the true treasure ingredient is the gorgeous yellow heirloom tomato.  Use what you have, ranging from left-over slices of cooked chicken breast, fresh fruit such as cherries or plums, hummus or even nut butter as the base instead of cheese.  All delicious in a variety of combinations.  

Use the links to lead you to other tartines posted earlier, tartine and toast.

Grilled Cheese Tomato Tartine

6-8 small slices of baguette or sourdough sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

6-8 thick slices of heirloom tomatoes

6-8 leaves of fresh herbs, such as parsley, or basil

Lightly toast the bread slices under the broiler in in a toaster oven.  Set aside.

Top each bread slice with the grated Gruyere, evenly dividing among each piece.  Place the cheese-topped breads into the oven to melt the cheese.  Remove from the oven, topping each with a tomato slice.  Scatter a small amount of grated Parmesan over each tomato, returning to the broiler to lightly melt the cheese and warm the tomato.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  

ChezCindy: Whipped Ricotta with Feta and Honey

 

This easy recipe for Whipped Ricotta comes together in just minutes.  It can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature.  Making it perfect for a go-to appetizer for a gathering with friends or for a simple Friday night.   Store-bought ricotta is used here.  Or consider making your own as shown in this post when you are feeling adventurous.  

Whipped Ricotta, Feta & Honey
1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons honey
1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Add ricotta, feta, olive oil, and salt to the bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth and fully combined, about 2 minutes.  Spoon the whipped ricotta into a serving bowl.  Drizzle with honey, olive oil, top with a few thyme leaves.  Serve with olive oil toasted crostini.  

Olive Oil Toasted Crostini
1 medium loaf ciabatta or baguette
7-8 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Slice the bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Brush each slice with olive oil on both sides, placing each onto a large sheet pan.  Place the sheet pan into the hot oven, toasting the crostini until golden brown on each side.  This should take 8-10 minutes.  Rotate the sheet pan as needed for even toasting.

ChezCindy: "Angel" Eggs Topped with Smoked Salmon

 

Creamy yolk filled hard boiled eggs deserve to be upgraded to Angel Eggs for their heavenly deliciousness.  I topped them with smoked salmon, but they would also be fantastic topped with beef brisket, thick slabs of crisp bacon, or crisp cucumber.  

Angel Eggs Topped with Smoked Salmon

6 large, hard-boiled eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon sour cream

2 teaspoons mustard

paprika for garnish

2 ounces hot smoked salmon, chilled

micro-greens or chopped chives for garnish

Makes 12 halves

Prepare the eggs for hard-boiling or purchase eggs ready-made from the store.  Halve the eggs lengthwise.  Carefully remove the yolks to a medium bowl.  Place the whites onto a serving plate, set aside.  Thoroughly mash the yolks with a fork.  Stir in the mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard until creamy.  Use a spoon to evenly fill each half.  Lightly sprinkle a bit of paprika over each half egg.  Top with a small piece of smoked salmon and a bit of green for garnish.  Chill until ready to serve.  

ChezCindy: Roasted Salmon Filled with Cheese & Pesto

 

I love an easy but elegant sheet pan dish for dinner.  This recipe is easy to make for a mid-week dinner and elegant enough to serve guests on the weekend.  The versatility of the recipe allows for a variety of cheese you have or prefer, such as goat, feta, or mozzarella.  You could also skip the pesto and simply fill the pocket with chopped fresh herbs.  The process remains the same for any filling ideas you may have such as canned, drained black beans, shredded cheddar cheese, and green onions.  

Roasted Salmon Filled with Cheese & Pesto
6 6-ounce salmon filets, center cut with skin
3 ounces cheese, crumbled (goat cheese, feta, or mozzarella)
2 tablespoons basil pesto sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped herbs, parsley and/or basil

Serves 6 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare a large sheet pan by lining it with foil. Set aside.  

Pat the salmon dry with paper towels.  Using a small sharp knife, cut a slit down the thick center of each salmon filet, not cutting through to the skin and stopping where the salmon thins, creating a pocket.  

Fill each salmon pocket with the crumbled cheese, placing each filled piece onto the prepared sheet pan, skin-side down.  Spoon about 1 teaspoon of pesto over the cheese.  Drizzle the oil over the salmon.  Evenly sprinkle the salmon with the salt.  Place the sheet pan into the hot oven, roasting the salmon for 8-10 minutes.  The salmon should be firm to the touch, an internal temperature of 125 degrees. 

Remove the sheet pan from the oven.  Slide a metal spatula between the salmon filet and the skin to lift and remove each piece of salmon onto a serving plate.  Top each fillet with the chopped tomatoes and herbs.    

ChezCindy: Mixed Berry Tart

 

This Mixed Berry Tart looks impressive, but it is actually quite easy to make.  I used my favorite pie dough recipe, but the rest is made with store bought ingredients.  

I most always have frozen discs of homemade pie dough in my freezer, making this tart come together very quickly one afternoon when I was craving a sweet treat.  The pie crust is baked and cooled.  Then fill it with your favorite jarred jam and add a mix of fresh berries.  Use the leftover pie dough when rolling out the crust to make cutouts for topping the berries.  A light sprinkle of powdered sugar and the tart is ready to serve!  

Mixed Berry Tart

1 pie dough for 12-inch crust, homemade or store bought

1 13-ounce jar of berry jam

2 pints blackberries, raspberries, and/or blueberries 

2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Recipe for Favorite Pie Dough  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out the pie dough to 12 inches.  Place the dough into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removeable bottom, fitting in the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Cut off the excess dough saving the scraps to roll out for cut outs to top the finished pie.  Use a fork to prick the bottom of the dough.  Line the tart shell with a large sheet of foil, filling the pan with pie weights/beans.  Place the tart onto a sheet pan, placing it onto the bottom rack of the oven, baking the shell for 15 minutes.  Remove the sheet pan from the oven, carefully removing the foil along with the pie weights/beans.  Return to the oven baking for another 5 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.  Meanwhile roll out the scraps.  Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes of different sizes.  Place the cut outs onto a separate sheet pan and bake on the middle rack until lightly golden brown.  Set aside to cool.  

Once the baked pie crust is cool, spoon the berry jam evenly over the crust filling the tart.  Place the fresh mixed berries into the jam evenly spacing them as desired, lightly pressing into the jam.  Place the cooled cut out shapes over the jam and berries.  Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Serve at room temperature.  

 

ChezCindy: Roasted Broccoli with Lemon & Parmesan

 

This delicious side dish is welcome on most dinner tables, and it is easy to prepare.  It pairs well with most proteins or pasta and can be serve hot from the oven or at room temperature.  You will find versions of this recipe in the cookbooks for both Ina Garten and Bobby Flay with slightly different additions.  Ina’s recipe adds toasted pine nuts and fresh basil.  While Bobby adds Calabrian chiles, of course.

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon & Parmesan

2 large heads of broccoli

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided  

2 large lemons, cut in half

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup toasted nuts, chopped (cashews, hazelnuts, or pine nuts)

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Cut the broccoli into florets, leaving 1 inch of stalk in place.  For the remaining stalks, peel and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.   On a large, rimmed sheet pan, toss the broccoli with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper.  Evenly spread out the broccoli.  Place the halved lemons, cut side up, at each end of the sheet pan brushing the tops with the remaining tablespoon of oil.  Roast in the hot oven for about 20 minutes, turning the broccoli about half-way through the cooking time, until the broccoli is crisp-tender and slightly browned.  

Remove from the oven.  Carefully squeeze the juice from each lemon half over the broccoli.  Sprinkle the chopped nuts, and grated Parmesan cheese over the broccoli.  Return the pan to the oven roasting for an additional 4-5 minutes.  Serve hot or at room temperature.