Posts Tagged ‘oregano’

Unrecipe Of The Week: Shrimp + Watermelon

July 25, 2016

Watermelon Shrimp

Last weekend, we went to a Mediteranean restaurant in the Village, and shared a few small plates and a bottle of rosé. The standout dish of the evening was grilled shrimp and watermelon. The combination was refreshing on a hot summer’s night, and completely delicious. The shrimp were grilled with fresh lemon and herbs, and drizzled with a little feta cheese. Each one was served atop a perfectly cut cube of watermelon, making the dish as visually exciting as it was flavorful.

We couldn’t wait to try to whip up our own version at home. We thought this was good enough to be put on a pedestal, so we perched our shrimp atop a column of watermelon. If you want to speed up the process and serve it as a main course, go ahead and cube the watermelon in a bowl, drizzle it with aged balsamic vinegar, and crumble some feta on it. Serve the shrimp on the side.

Watermelon Shrimp

Grilled Shrimp + Watermelon:
For the shrimp: Peel and devein the shrimp. Rinse and pat dry.

Mix together the juice of one lemon, a large “glug” of olive oil,  a clove or two of  finely minced garlic, some dried oregano and fresh thyme leaves. Add the shrimp, and let them marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The shrimp will start to “cook” a bit from the acid in the lemon. Don’t over marinate, or they will become mushy.

Remove the shrimp and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Grill (we used a grill pan on the stove top) for a couple of minutes on each side until the shrimp are pink and opaque. Do not overcook!

Assembling the dish: Drizzle a bit of aged balsamic vinegar* onto a serving plate. Line up the watermelon cubes on the plate and perch a shrimp on top of each one. Squeeze a little more lemon on them if desired. Crumble a bit of feta cheese over the top, and enjoy!

* aged balsamic vinegar is usually sold in a smaller bottle than the regular type, and has been aged for a much longer period of time. The result is a sweeter vinegar, and an almost syrup-like consistency.

Photo: Glasshouse Images

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Unrecipe of the Week: Socca Pizza

March 25, 2013
The finished product

The finished product

I have already posted our recipe for Socca, a chickpea flour flatbread that is gluten free, high in protein and delicious. Tonight, I was looking for something low in carbs, crispy and full of vegetables. After a little thinking, I decided to use the Socca as a pizza crust, and top it with a hearty blend of tomatoes, artichokes and mushrooms. The result was a beautiful flatbread, brimming with flavor and surprisingly filling. As with any unrecipe, top it with whatever you are craving. Consider adding goat cheese, parmesan or a little shredded mozzarella. Toss on some finely sliced pepperoni or bacon if you are a meat lover. Use zucchini instead of artichokes, or even both. The possibilities are endless!

For the crust:

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Whisk together 1 cup of garbanzo flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 cups water. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or up to a few hours.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat the bottom of a 12″ skillet with olive oil. Add a chopped shallot, and place in the hot oven until sizzling. You can also add the herbs of your choice at this stage.

Pour the batter over the shallots, and bake until the flatbread is crisp and brown, about 40 minutes. The flatbread will easily lift out of the pan when it is fully baked.

For the topping:

The topping

The topping

Saute 1 clove of garlic and about 6-8 sliced mushrooms until brown. Add a few chopped artichoke hearts ( canned or frozen) and lightly saute them. Season with salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Add 2 chopped plum tomatoes (or some crushed canned tomatoes) and cook until the tomatoes start to soften. If the mixture gets too dry, drizzle in a little more olive oil.

When the crust is done, spread the the mixture over it, leaving a rim all around. Sprinkle with chopped arugula, and enjoy!

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Unrecipe of the Week: Winter Comfort

February 15, 2013

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The weather in New York has been cold and miserable. Last night’s blizzard left us thankfully unscathed, but we are in the mood for hunkering down at home. What is more soothing on a lazy winter night than the all-American classic, tomato soup and grilled cheese?
This simple soup has few ingredients and lots of taste. The grilled cheese croutons offer an unexpected twist. It is quick enough for a weeknight meal tomorrow’s lunch, with a little Parmesan cheese, instead of the croutons.

For the Tomato Soup:

Saute a diced onion and a few diced cloves of garlic in olive oil until soft and transparent. Add about 52 oz. (2 tetra packs or large cans ) chopped tomatoes and about 36 oz.vegetable or chicken stock. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and herbs. I added a bay leaf, and some cayenne pepper for a little heat. Oregano and basil are also nice touches. It’s an unrecipe…use whatever flavors you like to season the soup. Simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Puree the soup at return it to the pot. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add a little cream to the soup if desired. Enjoy with grilled cheese croutons.

Grilled Cheese Croutons:

Butter the bread of your choice. Fill sandwiches with cheese. Gruyere adds a sophisticated jolt of flavor, but good old cheddar is fine too. A used a shredded 4 cheese blend that I had on hand. Grill the sandwiches on both sides until they are golden brown, and the cheese is melted inside. Cut into 6 or 8 squares and serve in the soup.

Enjoy!

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Unrecipe of the Week: Ratatouille

October 22, 2012

My family was hankering for pasta with Bolognese sauce, and the meat and pasta part of the dish just wasn’t doing it for me. However,the idea of a slow cooked flavorful dish held some appeal.  I had an eggplant laying around waiting to be converted into something, and I realized I hadn’t made ratatouille in many years.

Ratatouille is an ultimate “unrecipe” since the ingredients and flavors are flexible, as is the cooking time.

Indigo Jones’ Ratatouille

Sauté diced garlic and onions in olive oil until transparent.

Working in batches, sauté sliced mushrooms, diced red and/ or green peppers, cubed eggplant, and zucchini until browned. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and basil to taste.

Add diced tomatoes and pitted Calamata olives.

Transfer to an ovenproof casserole and bake for about an hour, until the vegetables are cooked through, and the flavors meld together. Sprinkle with Parmesan

cheese and enjoy!

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Herbal Essence

July 18, 2012

Did you know that you could freeze and preserve fresh herbs in olive oil?

The oil not only reduces the browning and freezer burn that can affect delicate herbs, but it also creates a delicious herb infusion that can be used anytime.

According to The Kitchn, it is best to use stronger herbs, such as rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano.

The herbs can be chopped, or left in larger sprigs.

Pack the wells of an ice cube tray about 2/3 full of herbs.

Pour extra virgin olive oil over the herbs.

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

Remove the herb infused cubes from the tray and store in containers or plastic bags.

Use the cubes as you would olive oil, for sautéing garlic and onions, and enjoy the taste of fresh herbs as they spread throughout your dish.

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Unrecipe of the Week

May 23, 2012

Are you looking for a healthy, tasty salad that packs a ton of flavor? Look no further.

This Kale Salad has edamame and chickpeas for protein, and dried cranberries for a sweet touch. The zesty lemon dressing ties it all together beautifully.

Cleaning the kale takes a bit of work, but one bunch yields a lot.

Lemony Kale Salad:

For the salad:

Cut the ribs out of a bunch of kale, and chiffonade* it into small, narrow pieces.

Add a handful each of fresh mint leaves and fresh basil leaves, also chiffonade cut.

Toss in about 1/2 cup each of chickpeas and steamed, shelled edamame.

Add several cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, and a large handful of dried cranberries.

For the dressing:

Mix the juice of 1 lemon with several tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt, pepper, and about 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried basil. Mix in a garlic clove that has been pressed but not chopped. Whisk the dressing well and allow it to sit to let the flavors develop.

Toss the salad with the dressing and enjoy!

*To chiffonade: stack the leaves on top of one another and roll them up. Slice the roll into thin pieces. Gently separate the strips.

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Unrecipe of the Week

April 24, 2012

Cauliflower is an amazing vegetable. It tastes great roasted, and can masquerade as mashed potatoes. I recently started hearing about cauliflower pizza crust, and became intrigued. A little searching led to me a few recipes. This one is taken from “Eat, Drink, Smile” and adapted a bit. It is low calorie, and wheat and gluten free. It yields a soft, almost quiche-like crust that requires a fork to eat. It’s not a traditional pizza, but it is an interesting, tasty and healthy one.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Cut one head of cauliflower into florets and put them into the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until it is the consistency of grain.

Place the cauliflower in a glass bowl and microwave it without adding water for about 7-8 minutes, depending on your microwave. Allow it to cool.

In a medium sized bowl, mix about 2 cups of the cauliflower with 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 eggs beaten, a finely minced clove of garlic and about ½ tablespoon each of dried oregano and dried basil and some sea salt to taste.

Cut parchment paper into circles (about 8-9”) to use as a guide to create the crusts. Place them on a cookie sheet, and spray with cooking spray. Spread the mixture onto the parchment rounds in a fairly thin, even manner. Bake the crusts for about 15 minutes or longer, taking them out before the edges get too brown.

Add the toppings of you choice. I used a chunky tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese, and added pepperoni for those who desired it,and sprinkled it with chopped arugula when it was done.

Put it back into the oven under the broiler for a few minutes, until the toppings are hot and bubbling.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Photo: Spencer Jones/ Glasshouse Images exclusively for Indigo Jones

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Unrecipe of the Week

June 28, 2011

This simple and delicious chicken recipe yields flavorful, juicy meat with a crispy outside. The lemony flavor is perfect for hot summer nights.

Roasted Lemon Chicken

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Saute a several cloves of minced garlic (8-10) in a little olive oil until just soft.

Add about ½ cup dry white wine, the juice of one lemon, and the zest of 2 lemons. Mix in several sprigs of oregano and thyme, and pour into a large roasting pan or oven proof  baking dish.

Place the chicken parts skin side up in the sauce, and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Cut a lemon into wedges and intersperse them among the chicken parts.

Bake for about 40 minutes until chicken is nicely browned and cooked through.

Serve with the hot pan juices.

Enjoy!

photo: Glasshouse Images

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