shrimp and orzo salads

In an effort to break through my mayo-hating barrier, and further, forget about its certain qualities that I love to detest, I gave in to Ina Garten's recipe for shrimp salad, which I had been feverishly eyeing for a long time. Too long. 

Throwing caution to the wind, I whipped it up on one 

of those sunny summer days which have become such a rarity. And I don't think whipped would be the right word, seeing as it took me hours to peel, devein, and wash every shrimp- each of which added to the growing doubt of my ill-fated taste buds. But I was determined to put myself out there, into a whole new world of condiments. In the end, though, the salad was delicious. The shrimp were moist and flavorful, and the hints of orange and dill added fresh and unique flavors. I'll admit, I'm slowly inching towards that mayo jar again. One step at a time. 

To add the "cherry on top" of my self-discovering experience, the orzo salad that I paired with the shrimp, from Giada De Laurentiis, was also great. Being chock full of fresh herbs, it tasted just like summer! Yes, it tasted like a season indeed. 

You can find the recipes here-

Orzo Salad

Roasted Shrimp Salad

year-round paninis

While reading the newspaper (or, uh, my AOL homepage news) a month ago, I came across an article about how people on average only eat about 10 different meals per year. Of course, as a likely decision of a foodie, I was determined to prove that I was different, and so I created a food table. It was perfect timing- January 1st. So, for the past month, I've recorded each dinner I had eaten every night. I hardly have any "staple" recipes in my house- I like to try new things, see. But a few years ago I came across Giada Di Laurentiis' grilled vegetable paninis. The recipe itself really served as more of an inspiration for further experimenting as opposed to being followed to a T, and is very versatile. I usually substitute whatever vegetables I have on hand, and just used sliced whole wheat bread instead of a baguette, but to each his own. This is a must.

Though Giada doesn't grill her paninis, I insist that you do. Whether it be with a panini pan, press, or a George Foreman grill, grill them; the cheese melts and the bread gets warm and crusty- YUM. 

Grilled Vegetable Paninis

Adapted from Giada Di Laurentiis

1/4 cup olive oil

2 small japanese eggplants or 1 medium to large regular eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices

2 zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices

1 yellow onion, chopped (not finely)

Salt and ground black pepper

2 baguettes (I usually use presliced whole-wheat bread- BreadAlone's Whole Wheat Sourdough is my favorite)

1/2 cup Basil Pesto

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

2 tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup roasted red peppers

8 large basil leaves, optional

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil over the eggplant, zucchini, and onion slices, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill the eggplant, zucchini, and onions until they are tender and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Cool completely.

Cut each baguette into 6 pieces. Working with one baguette piece at a time, slice in half and spread both sides with pesto. Working with the bottom slice of the baguette, stack 2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices zucchini, 1 slice onion, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice mozzarella, and 1 slice of roasted pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place top half of baguette on top and continue with remaining baguette. **Place in a panini press or pan, and grill until flattened and cheesy!**

simple stuffed mushrooms

A while ago, I presumed that after my tests were over, I could have a bit of fun trying out complex recipes while my family, very encouragingly, keeps telling me to just go out and buy whatever it is that I have a hankering for instead of befouling the kitchen with dirty dishes yet again. So, and I can see how this would be rather anticlimactic, I decided to relax with a book, and go with simple meals. 
 I normally only eat stuffed mushrooms at my relative's house on holiday, and I always had thought that they seemed rather complex to make. However, I stumbled on this recipe which turned out to be incredibly easy, and I conveniently had all of the ingredients on hand. Between my lack of enough mushrooms for the recipe, and the moist, delicious flavor of the stuffing, each cap was irresistibly stuffed over an inch above its surface. 

This recipe is great side to make for an easy dinner, and is sure to impress. 

Artichoke-Stuffed Mushrooms

From Cooking Light

1 1/2 pounds large fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup soft bread crumbs (I toasted whole wheat bread, and then ground it into crumbs)

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (I used a package of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed)

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Rinse and pat mushrooms dry. Remove stems, and chop; reserve mushroom caps

Sauté mushroom stems, onion, and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until onion is tender

Add wine, and cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Stir in breadcrumbs. Remove from heat, and let cool.

Combine onion mixture, artichoke, and next 5 ingredients. Spoon 1 teaspoonful into each mushroom cap. Place on a lightly greased rack in a roasting pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. 

herb stuffed artichokes

Have you ever flipped through a magazine, eyed recipes hungrily, but never actually made them? I find it a habit of mine to mark off every other page in La Cucina Italiana, but I've only ever made one recipe from the magazine itself. It's like me and my Ina Garten craze.

I had a feeling that it was a reliable magazine- in my defense, the pictures just looked so darn good. They're enough to make me cry with hunger after eating two large helpings of baked ziti. That being said, I think my attempt at this recipe was justified.

This recipe was, well, it just was. It wasn't good, but wasn't awful. Ok, I'm being nice- it wasn't abysmal. I followed the recipe to a T and was left with, on top of my downtrodden excitement, tough, chewy, plain, and unpleasant artichokes. My picture didn't bear a slight resemblance to the one in the magazine. I have not, tragically, opened it since.

Would I recommend this recipe? I think it's safe to say you can pass.

Spicy Soba Noodles With Shiitake and Cabbage

I discovered this recipe on SmittenKitchen and also on Epicurious a little while ago, and ever since, it has intrigued me. After holding out for a while (my dad insisted that "the combination of flavors just don't go"), I ran him down. And boy, I have been wanting to post it for ever, but I have been so incredibly busy. Anyway, this recipe is fantastic, in my opinion. It is incredibly versatile- you can add any vegetable you'd like, and it will still be delicious. It has just the right amount of flavor, a perfect amount of mushrooms in every bite, and it's irresistibly moist. With a perfect crunch to top it off. 

 

Spicy Soba Noodles With Shiitake and Cabbage

From epicurious.com

For sauce

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 to 3 teaspoons Korean hot-pepper paste (sometimes labeled "gochujang")

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

For noodles

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1o oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

1 1/4 pound Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (8 cups)

6 scallions

8 to 9 ounces soba (buckwheat noodles)

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

*Tip from SmittenKitchen blog....add a splash of sesame oil (I added it to the sauce)

Stir together all sauce ingredients until brown sugar is dissolved, then set aside. 

Toast sesame seeds in a dry 12- inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat, stirring, until pale golden, then transfer to a small bowl.

Heat oil in skillet over medium- high heat until it shimmers, then sauté ginger and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, Add shiitakes and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then add cabbage and most of scallions (reserve about a tablespoon for garnish) and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Add sauce and simmer 2 minutes.

While cabbage is cooking, cook soba and edamame together in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until noodles are just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cool water to stop cooking and remove excess starch, then drain well again. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with sesame seeds and vegetable mixture. Serve sprinkled with reserved scallions.

Cooks' note: If you aren't able to find Korean hot-pepper paste, substitute 3/4 teaspoon Chinese chile paste and reduce the amount of soy sauce to 1/4 cup.