Party Croutes

PARTY CROUTES (pronounced KROOT)

A croutes can be many things, but basically it translates to crusty bread and is mostly served with a pile of delicious ingredients on top or as an open-faced sandwich. Its open to interpretation. Here is how I like to prepare it.

1 small eggplant
1 large zucchini, thickly sliced
1 small bulb fennel
1 small red bell pepper
1 small yellow bell pepper
1 onion, cut into wedges

2 large clove garlic, crushed
2 tbl herbs de provence

juice of half lemon

2/3 cup olive oil
hearty loaf of olive bread (kalamata olive bread is best)
8 oz goat cheese

8 oz mozzarella (or other fresh, easily melting cheese)

handful of kalamata olives, drained and chopped
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, big enough to hold all of those vegetables and able to stir them up, beat the oil with the garlic, herbs, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the eggplant, zucchini, fennel, bell peppers, and onion into bite-size pieces. Add them all to the bowl with the oil and herbs and mix well to coat. Cover and leave to stand for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Spread the vegetable mixture on a broiler pan or cookie sheet with upturned edges. Cook under a preheated moderate broiler for about 15 minutes, turning over frequently, until the vegetables are tender and lightly charred around the edges. Stir in the kalamata olives. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, slice the olive bread into 1 inch slices and brush with olive oil. Toast lightly in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until just crisp and golden. Remove from oven and smear some goat cheese on each slice of bread. Then, top the slices with the vegetable mixture and a slice of mozzarella on top.

Return to the broiler and cook for a further 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve at once while they are still warm.

*I make this as an appetizer but it could definitely be served as a sandwich.

Birthday Nosh

To celebrate my 36th birthday I decided to cook for my friends. I had plans for a big sushi dinner but at the last minute thought it would be nice to invite my friends to my place, cook, eat, drink and gossip. An easy evening that would allow me to neither drive nor put on shoes. Perfect.

Because this was a last-minute plan, I decided not to try too many new recipes but stick to a few old favorites that I know my friends love. There are two things I make that always have them drooling (literally - what can I say? they are a special bunch). One is my GRILLED SHRIMP which is the simplest thing in the world to make and the other is EDAMAME HUMMUS. Again, both always elicit excitement from my friends so I thought I would share the 'recipes' here. The shrimp is marinated in garlic, olive oil, and whatever herbs I have on hand and grilled just long enough to cook through. The worst thing you can do with shrimp is over-cook it. The edamame hummus is a creamy, delicious dip that can be served with just about anything.

Another delicious creation I made is my variation of GREEK CROUTES. I have this lovely cookbook called 'The Complete Book of Vegetarian Cooking' which I rescued from a used book store in my neighborhood. Although the title is hyperbolic, it is a good book with nice photos and some great recipes. The Greek Croutes is an open-face, warm sandwhich with broiled vegetables and melted cheese. What's not to like? For my purposes I altered the recipe and turned in into an appetizer. It works. Instead of country white bread I use a black olive baguette, sliced and toasted, and cover it with vegetables and goat cheese. Honestly, I kinda took away the Greek. But it does have a Mediterranean lilt to it overall.

I must note, before I start throwing down recipes, that I rarely follow the exact recipe I am given. I make many adjustments, concessions, etc to get it to where I want it. So, these 'recipes' tend to be a bit free-form and do not always give exact measurements. For me, cooking is about experimenting and taking some chances. Also, I like to make things easy, uncomplicated. So, if I can substitute 4 ingredients for 1 (see prepared Tahini Sauce) I am going to do that.

The recipes follow in their own posts.

Grilled Shrimp

Ah, the GRILLED SHRIMP. Like I said, this is the simplest thing to make and I am always amazed and delighted that when my friends eat it they think it is the greatest shrimp ever made. The simple things...they are the best, right?

GRILLED SHRIMP

16-20 uncooked frozen shrimp, shell on

5-6 cloves of garlic (or more!), minced

2 tbl herbs de provence

salt and pepper

1/4 olive oil (extra virgin)

*I think the key to these shrimp are to thaw them in the refrigerator as long as possible, preferably overnight, while covered in the olive oil/garlic/herb mixture. The water that comes off the frozen shrimp creates a marinate that seeps into the shrimp and keeps them juicy. If you do not have time to completely thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator, keep them in there as long as possible them pull out and have them sit on the counter for a while.

Dump the frozen shrimp into a large bowl, big enough to stir them up every so often without them falling out and ending up on your kitchen floor. Douse the shrimp in olive oil, about 1/4 cup, add in the minced garlic, herbs de provence, salt and pepper. Stir it up. Place into the refrigerator to thaw.

Once the shrimp are thawed, let them sit out for a while to get closer to room temperature. Not warm - just to get the chill off from the refrigerator.

Grill the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes per side. Do NOT overcook!! This is the surest way to loose the soft and juicy consistency of the shrimp.

Server warm or at room temperature with anything your hear desires. Seriously, these shrimp go with anything: pasta, salad, as an appetizer, etc.

*A note about indoor grilling. I have a fantastic indoor grill that I have been using for 8 years. It is small enough to sit on my counter but big enough to cook 2 big steaks, 4 hamburgers, 20 shrimp, and so on.

Check it out:

http://www.ikitchen.com/31605a.html

Providence Chicken Salad

While I was in Texas, my cousin Amie had a house warming party to celebrate her new home in Providence. We decided to whip up a few hors d'oeuvres style dishes to serve. I do not remember how we decided on Chicken Salad but what resulted was a really good version. We served it as a 'dip' of sorts by putting it in a bowl and surrounding it with various crackers. It worked. And, as always, I improvised on a recipe found from somewhere on the web and am now giving it its own name in honor of the place where it was created - Providence. Sounds delightful, does it not?

PROVIDENCE CHICKEN SALAD

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, broiled and chopped or shredded

2/3 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise (we used fat free and it was actually good! I think any variation on mayo would work, including the non-dairy versions)

1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 celery rib, diced into small bits
2 or more tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 cup dried cranberries or cran-raisins
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or terragon or champagne vinegar)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or herb or your choice1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper1/8 (or less) teaspoon cinnamon *A dusting of cinnamon is good, do not overdo this or the cinnamon will over-power the salad.

Stir everything together, tasting as you go. You may need to add more seasoning or moisture depending on the outcome of your chicken.

This will make about 4-5 sandwiches or a generous bowl of salad that can be served with good crackers, crusty bread, or pieces of sturdy endive.