These lightly breaded herby shrimp are so versatile. Want an easy appetizer? Check. A main dish for a vaguely Mediterranean dinner? You got it. These broil fast, so pay attention.
Ingredients:
2 pounds shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt
Pepper
Put the olive and avocado oils in a large bowl and add the shrimp, mixing them to coat. Add the bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp to give them an even coating of bread crumbs. Cover and let marinate for at least one hour.
Thread the shrimp onto skewers, curling them as you do so that the tail is skewered in the middle. Arrange the skewered shrimp on a baking sheet fitted with a grill.
Preheat the broiler. Place the baking sheet with the shrimp about six inches from the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until shrimp are cooked through.
This pasta screams summertime. Tossed in a light salsa rossa made with fresh tomatoes, this garlicky spaghetti is full of buttery eggplant, piquillo peppers, and loads of basil.
Ingredients:
For the salsa rossa:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
10 basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
For the spaghetti:
2 medium eggplants, skins on, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil, divided
4 cups diced fresh tomatoes
10 canned piquillo peppers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 pound spaghetti
Grated Parmesan cheese
Make the salsa rossa: Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and saute until tomatoes are soft. Stir in fresh basil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Puree or leave chunky.
Make the spaghetti: Place the eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let rest for one hour.
Pat eggplant dry. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 cup oil on high. Add one layer of eggplant and cook until crispy on one side. Do not stir. Turn to crisp the other side. Eggplant will shrink and crisp. Repeat until all the eggplant is crispy.
In a wide pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil, add diced tomatoes and peppers, and cook on high, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Lower heat, add garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add eggplant and salsa rossa, and cook, stirring gently. Add basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, and parsley.
In a large pot, bring salted water to boil and cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups cooking water. Add pasta to sauce and cook over high heat 2 to 3 minutes, adding a little pasta water if needed. Serve with grated Parmesan.
Who doesn’t love deviled eggs? Not I. Here’s a super easy appetizer that’s perfect for the holiday season (or anytime, really). Roasted red peppers and smoky gouda give these a unique and savory twist.
Ingredients:
1 dozen eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons jarred roasted red peppers, drained
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes preserved in oil, drained
1 tablespoon aged gouda, plus 1 teaspoon, for garnish
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon good-quality olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chopped anchovies
1/2 teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish
Salt
24 capers, for garnish
1. Boil eggs, cool in an ice bath, and peel.
2. Neatly slice cooked eggs in half. Remove yolks and place in a food processor. Add mayonnaise, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon gouda, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, anchovies, paprika, and salt to the food processor. Pulse yolk mix until creamy.
3. Fill a clean ziploc bag with the yolk mix and snip a tiny hole in the corner of the bag for piping. Pipe filling into plated and reserved egg whites. Garnish with capers, remaining 1 teaspoon gouda, and a dusting of paprika.
Even though it’s March, I’m still making this mixed salad of hearty winter greens spiked with savory Parmesan and crunchy seeds and apples. Adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe, this salad gets better after sitting in fridge for an hour or two. I’ll be eating this well through springtime.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1/2 small shallot
1 Meyer lemon
1 small garlic clove
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 bunch Tuscan kale (about ¾ pound)
5 or 6 ounces Brussels sprouts
2 ounces Parmesan, finely grated
1/2 apple, halved and thinly sliced
1. Make the vinaigrette: Finely chop shallot half and transfer to medium bowl. Juice lemon over bowl. You should have about 2 tablespoons juice. Using a microplane, finely rate garlic clove into bowl. Whisk in 2 Dijon mustard and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Wash and dry kale, then pat leaves dry. Strip leaves from thick stems, discarding stems, then thinly slice leaves. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Trim knobby end of Brussels sprouts. Cut sprouts in half lengthwise, then arrange halves cut side down on board and very thinly slice. Add to bowl with kale.
4. Drizzle dressing over kale mixture; season with salt and pepper. Lightly massage and toss with your hands to coat.
5. Add cheese, apples, and sunflower seeds and toss lightly to incorporate.
It’s truffle season! Here’s an indulgent main dish that’s perfect for the (post) holidays: carby pasta, earthy truffles, and a healthy hunk of butter. Any kind of pasta will do but I prefer something a little unique here: casarecce, gemelli, or even tagliatelle are all fine options. Serve this with a simple green salad on the side and you’re all set.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 teaspoons black truffle paste or finely grated black truffle
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound mixed fresh wild mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (about 6 cups)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound pasta
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 4 tablespoons), divided
1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Stir together butter, truffle paste, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in small bowl until combined. Set aside.
2. Toss together mushrooms, 2 tablespoons oil, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until coated. Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven until tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through cook time. Let cool to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. In the meantime, cook garlic and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high, stirring constantly, until garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and cooled mushrooms.
4. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Add pasta and truffle butter to mushroom mixture in skillet over medium-high; toss to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is emulsified, about 1 minute, adding reserved cooking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time until desired sauce consistency is reached. Remove from heat. Add parsley and 2 tablespoons cheese; toss to combine. Transfer pasta to a serving platter; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese.
