Orange-and-Thyme Grilled Shrimp

Yet another dinner party recipe! I didn't get many pictures of this one either - because I skewered the shrimp and they were grilled when our guests were here. It was a fairly simple marinade to put together - I would recommend all fresh ingredients for this so that the flavors really pop.

The original recipe called for some of the orange juice to be mixed with the mayonnaise for dipping sauce. I was a little hesitant about that but tried it anyway and got the results I thought I was going to get - the mayo curdled. So that has been left out! I also get nervous about letting the shrimp sit so long in the orange juice marinade so I only made it about 4 hours before grilling.

We have metal skewers that we always use for the grill, but if you are using wooden/bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water 30 minutes before grilling so they don't catch fire!

Orange-and-Thyme Grilled Shrimp
adapted from Everyday Food, July/August 2008 issue
Makes 4 servings

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest, plus 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grates
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
coarse salt and ground pepper
1/3 cup light mayonnaise

In a shallow dish, combine shrimp, 1 teaspoon zest, juice, garlic, oil, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, remaining 1/2 teaspoon zest, and 1 teaspoon thyme; season dipping sauce with salt and pepper.

Heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Thread shrimp onto skewers and grill, turning once, until shrimp are opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve shrimp with dipping sauce.

Zucchini Pie

Amy, over at Dinners for a Year and Beyond, is a personal chef and basically has my dream job. She is able to spend her days cooking for others and then comes home and cooks more amazing meals for her own family. I asked her about what it takes to become a personal chef and received some great advice back from her. Maybe one day!

Her blog is one that I often save recipes from, and this recipe for Zucchini Pie looked delicious so I couldn't wait to try it. It comes together fairly quickly and is a great blend of vegetables and cheeses. I apologize for the horrific picture of the fully baked pie, but my guests were waiting to eat and I only had a second to get a photo!

Zucchini Pie
Dinners for a Year and Beyond
Makes 8 servings

1 pie crust, unbaked
Dijon mustard
1/4 cup butter
4 cups sliced zucchini (about 3 medium zucchini)
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese, I used a combination of mild cheddar and mozzarella
2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line a pie plate with the pie crust and brush with Dijon mustard. Set aside.

Melt butter in a large saute pan and add zucchini and onion. Saute for about 8 minutes. Add the parsley, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic salt. Toss to coat.

Cool slightly and then add cheese and eggs and mix. Pour into the prepared pie crust and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes. Cool slightly before serving

Before

After...and in a hurry to eat!

Tri-Colore Orzo

It is a rare occasion that I don't use a Giada De Laurentiis recipe when serving dinner to a crowd. Her recipes are almost always a sure bet for a delicious dish.

I first heard of this recipe from a family friend who makes this pasta salad to rave reviews every time. It truly is delicious with so many different flavors and fresh ingredients. The peppery arugula is offset by the sweet cranberries and the crumbly feta. Again, a good quality olive oil is important because you are not heating it. You won't be sorry you tried this!

Tri-Colore Orzo
Giada De Laurentiis
Makes 6-8 servings

1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
2 cups fresh arugula (about 3 ounces)
3/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese (or feta cheese)
1/2 cup dried cherries (I used dried cranberries)
12 fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and put the pasta on a large cookie sheet. Drizzle the pasta with 3 tablespoons olive oil, toss, spread out, and set aside to cool.

Once the orzo is cool, transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine. Serve.

Simple Sangria

While in the bookstore the other day (in the cookbook section of course!) I was browsing through Williams-Sonoma Entertaining: Cocktail Parties and saw the recipe below for sangria.

A lot of recipes I have seen and tried for sangria involve making a simple syrup or soaking the fruit overnight; so the simplicity of this recipe made me want to try it immediately. I made it for the dinner party and neglected to get any pictures of it, sorry!

While my guests were drinking it there were commenting on how you could not taste any alcohol in it, that was how well the flavors blended together. If you are making this in advance, I would recommend not adding the ginger ale until right before serving so it doesn't go flat. Enjoy!

Simple Sangria

1 750mL bottle dry red wine (I like to use Chianti)
1 cup ginger ale
1 cup brandy
1 cup triple sec
3 cups orange juice
1 lemon, sliced
1 orange, sliced

Combine first 5 ingredients. Add fruit slices and ice, mix together. Chill until serving.

Lemon Artichoke Pesto

This appetizer is so fresh and light and easy to make; it is definitely one of my new go-to recipes! Neither the artichoke nor the lemon is overpowering, and you can choose the texture based on how many times you pulse the food processor. Make sure to use a good quality olive oil because you will really taste the fruitiness of it in the pesto.

I attended an appetizer class this past winter and took home a whole stack of recipes that I have used again and again. I have no idea where the original idea for this came from, so I apologize in advance for the lack of citation!

I like to serve this with untoasted baguette slices; but it would also be great with crostini or water crackers.

Lemon Artichoke Pesto
Makes about 2 cups

1 can artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Quarter the artichoke hearts. Place in food processor and pulse a few times. Add remaining ingredients and pulse a few more times. You want the consistency to be small enough to use as a spread for dipping, but not pureed.

This can be made up to a day in advance.

Goat Cheese Truffles

I was looking for an easy and light appetizer to serve at our dinner party this past weekend. My Recipes is a great place to go and browse around if you are looking for ideas. The goat cheese truffles jumped out at me because who doesn't love goat cheese? It is a creamy, soft, delicious cheese that tastes good with just about everything (have I sold you on it yet?).

I served these with mixed marinated olives instead of the figs and apricots the recipe suggests. Toasting the pecans gives them more flavor and takes only a few minutes on the stove top.

Goat Cheese Truffles
Southern Living
Makes 6 appetizer servings

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans
Dried figs
Dried apricots

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days).

Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in pecans. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. Serve with dried figs and apricots.

Tipsy Chocolate-Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Well, ladies and gentlemen (well, the male readers of this blog probably consist of my father), today I conquered one of my fears - to ADAPT a BAKING recipe. Baking is such a precise skill that requires a lot of patience (something I don't often have a lot of) and knowledge of ingredients (working on it). BUT, I decided that I wanted to make a chocolate-raspberry thumbprint cookie and I wanted to make it up myself.

This recipe here is one I have made several times and really enjoyed; so I decided to work off of that one. I did a little more research on how to turn the cookie chocolate and voila, I had a new recipe. You can really use any flavor jam or preserves you want, just match your alcohol flavor accordingly. Also, I never just use two baking sheets when I am baking. I always have the next one or two ready; so as I write 2 baking sheets, know that the cookies will fill at least three, so prepare them as you wish.

I was really very pleased with how these turned out. They taste like a chocolate butter cookie and the thick jam really plays off the flavor nicely. Hope you enjoy them!

Tipsy Chocolate-Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

from Colleen's kitchen
Makes about 40 cookies

1/2 cup raspberry jam or preserves
1 tablespoon raspberry or black-cherry flavored vodka
2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the racks in oven so that one is in the top third and one is in the bottom third.

In small bowl, mix together jam and vodka. Set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

In large bowl of electric mixer (if you don't have one just use a hand mixer), cream together butter and sugar until well-blended.

Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing on low until just combined.

Pinch off about 1 T. of dough and roll in your hands to form a ball. Place on cookie sheets. Use your thumb to create a well in the center of each ball. Fill indentation with about 1/2 t. of jam mixture.

Bake until the bottom edges are just about turning darker brown, about 15-20 minutes. If there are two cookie sheets in the oven, switch racks halfway through baking time.

Transfer to wire rack to cool. When storing cookies, make sure you put a piece of wax paper between each layer of cookies - that jam is sticky!