Monthly Archives: August 2014

Corn, Peach, and Tomato Salad With Burrata & Basil Oil

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This is my 100th recipe since I started my little food blog about two years ago! I can’t believe I’ve been able to keep this up for as long as I have. It’s been really fun and I have definitely learned a lot in the kitchen since first starting. Super grateful for my lovely CSA and their support of my weekly recipes! Here’s to 100 more!

To celebrate, my best friend Meghan and I made dinner together (and shared a few bottles of wine!) We made a summery salad with sweet peaches and tomatoes – which you wouldn’t think go together but they actually compliment one another quite well! We also added some creamy burrata cheese and homemade basil oil, which is very easy to make. As a little side dish we seared some scallops with a little balsamic vinegar. A great meal- thanks for celebrating with me Meghan!

Ingredients:
1 ear of corn, boiled and cut off the cob
1 large peach, sliced
1 large heirloom tomato, sliced
1 cup packed fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Water, as needed to smooth out the basil oil
4 jumbo scallops
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Boil (or roast) the corn and cut it off the cob. To make the basil oil, place the basil, olive oil, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Add bits of water as needed until smooth. Plate the corn, peaches, and tomatoes. Top with pieces of burrata cheese and drizzle with the basil oil and fresh pepper.

For the scallops, start by removing and discarding any muscle tabs still attached to the scallops (if they have any) then pat dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet on high heat and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add the scallops and let cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they have a nice caramelized sear, but careful not to overcook them!

Summery Shrimp & Mango Kebobs

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My friend had a great idea to make some summery kebobs for dinner. I had some peaches and oranges from my CSA this week and we thought the citrus would go great with shrimp. We threw everything onto the skewers and made a simple orange dressing to drizzle over the kebobs when they were done cooking. We both get Bon Appetit magazine every month and had seen this salad which we really wanted to make with the squash blossoms we got at the farmers market the day before. I also used some of zucchini from my CSA for that as well.

Ingredients: Serves 2
10 jumbo shrimp, peeled
1 large peach, cut into medium sized chunks
1 large bell pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 onion, but into chunks
1/2 orange, juiced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
Small pinch of cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste

Do ahead: if using wooden skewers, place them in water for about an hour before using them. This will help them from burning or catching fire!

Thread the shrimp, peaches, onions, and peppers onto the skewers. Head a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet and cook the kabobs, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through (and the other items have a some char to them as well) Alternatively, you can cook these on the grill if you’re not working out of a NYC apartment!

While those cook, make the dressing by simply whisking the orange, white wine vinegar, ginger, cumin, salt and pepper. Set aside. Also make the cous cous per the box instructions. I like to add some chopped nuts and fresh herbs to mine.

If you would like to make the Bon Appetite corn, zucchini, and squash blossom salad, you can find the recipe here! It was very simple to make and really delicious.

Shishito Pepper Crostini With Ricotta & Spiced Honey

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I LOVE shishito peppers. They’re so delicious when simply browned in a pan with some sea salt. I wanted to do something a little more special with them though, so this time I made a crostini with some fresh ricotta cheese and spiced honey. I ate so many of them I could hardly eat my main meal afterward!

Ingredients:
1 pound shishito peppers
1 baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces
Fresh ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons honey
Pinch of cayanne pepper
Pinch of paprika
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle the baguette slices with a little olive oil and cook in oven until slightly toasted.

In the meantime, add the shishito peppers to a pan with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook them for about 7-10 minutes or until they are browned a bit. Next, in a small bowl mix together the honey, cayenne, and paprika.

To assemble, spread a good amount of ricotta cheese onto the bread, top with shishito peppers, and drizzle with the spiced honey!

 

Artichoke & Spinach Stuffed Shells

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Last night was one of those nights when you go through everything you have in the kitchen and try to come up with something creative just so you don’t have to go to the store. I looked around and had an onion, spinach, a can of artichokes, and some leftover pasta shells. Done…stuffed shells it is! This could not have been easier, and it was pretty good for an experimental dinner!

Ingredients: Serves 3
1/2 box jumbo pasta shells
1 cup ricotta cheese
(half) 14oz can whole artichokes, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can tomato sauce (if no herbs, add a big pinch of dried basil, oregano, salt and pepper)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Small handful fresh chopped basil, for serving (optional)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Get a large pot of salted water boiling and cook the pasta shells as directed. Make sure not to overcook them as they will continue to cook in the oven.

Head some olive in a large pan, add the garlic, onion, and a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, then toss in the chopped spinach and artichokes and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Let cool slightly. In a large bowl mix together the ricotta, cooked vegetables, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pour some of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, then fill each pasta shell with some of the filling and place in a single layer. Cover the shells with some more pasta sauce, and top with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 5 minutes. Top with some fresh chopped basil and serve.