Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Greek Grilled Shrimp Orzo
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Greek Grilled Shrimp Orzo

This is a wonderful dish to serve at a summer party. I am hosting a wedding party for friends in 2 weeks and plan on serving this as party of the menu. It is easy to double (or more) for a big party. I served this warm but it was really good as a cold salad the next day. It would also be a good vegetarian side dish just omit the shrimp. This recipe was inspired by prouditaliancook.com.

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INGREDIENTS

Grilled shrimp
Smoked Paprika
Olive oil
Cooked orzo pasta
English cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 medium sweet onion, diced
Red onion, diced
Crumbled feta
Grape tomatoes, halved and roasted
Kalamata olives
Lemon zest
Mint, parsley, oregano

Marinate the shrimp in lemon peel, lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and grill.

Heat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with foil. Place halved grape tomatoes on the sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Roast for about 20 minutes.

Heat about 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat until soft and getting golden, add red onion and cook until just warmed and a bit soft. Add the roasted tomatoes using all the juices left after roasting.

Make a vinaigrette by whisking 3 parts good olive oil to 1 part fresh squeezed lemon juice, add 1 crushed garlic clove, salt and pepper.

Taste it to your liking, either adding more or less. Place all ingredients in a bowl, adding all the herbs, more feta, (make sure it’s in small crumbles) pour the vinaigrette over all the ingredients, taste it and make sure you have enough of everything!

Note: I used 8 oz of cooked orzo and about 20 medium shrimp, the rest of the ingredients I just judged until I thought I had enough.

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CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS
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CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS

I adapted this super recipe from the New York Times; if you like the combination of chicken, caramelized shallots, mustard and tomatoes, this is for you! This serves about 4-5 and makes great leftovers the next day.

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INGREDIENTS

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 whole medium shallots, peeled
1 large onion, quartered
2 cups white wine
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 sprigs tarragon

2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Rinse chicken thighs in water, and pat them very dry with paper towels. Sprinkle them with flour, salt and pepper. I used a sieve to do this or you could dredge them in the flour

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or skillet set over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, cook the chicken, in batches if necessary, until well browned and crisp on all sides. Set aside.

Add the whole shallots and onions to the pot and sauté them in the oil and chicken fat until they begin to soften and caramelize, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze the pot, stir with a large spoon, then add the mustard and tarragon, then the chicken thighs. Cover the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid, and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken, 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. While chicken is cooking put sliced tomatoes on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Roast for about 20 minutes or until tomatoes are nice and juicy and getting caramelized. You can skip this step and just add them to the pot before serving but I love the added flavor of the roasted tomatoes.

Creole Shrimp and Creamed Corn “Grits”
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Creole Shrimp and Creamed Corn “Grits”

This is one of the best things I have made all year!!! It is summer in a bowl and full of all of my favorite things. This is Shrimp and Grits but with fresh corn instead of the grits. You can use all 1% milk but the cream really adds to the flavor. This was adapted from a Cooking Light recipe. 

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Ingredients

7 ears fresh shucked corn
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tbsp butter
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup halved grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 Onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup dry white wine (or chicken stock)

Directions

Heat oven to 400. Place the grape tomatoes on a baking sheet and line with foil. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with corse sea salt. Roast for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place into a bowl until ready to use

Cut kernels from corn. Set aside 1/4 cup kernels. Pulse remaining kernels in a food processor until almost creamy, 7 or 8 times. In a medium saucepan add the processed kernels, milk, cream, and cornstarch to pan. Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring often. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm.

In a large skillet heat olive oil and cook onions and garlic over medium heat, stirring often. Cook about 20 minutes until golden and caramelized. Combine with roasted grape tomatoes.

Combine shrimp, Creole seasoning, paprika, and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add remaining olive oil to skillet. Add shrimp; cook about 3 minutes until opaque. Add onions, tomatoes, thyme, and garlic, stir to combine. Remove shrimp mixture with a slotted spoon and  place in a bowl. Add wine to the skillet; cook, stirring and scraping pan to loosen browned bits, 30 seconds. Serve shrimp mixture over the creamed corn. sprinkle each bowl with the reserved fresh corn kernels.