Not So Fast but Definitely Fabulous: Grilled Shrimp & Avocado Panzanella!

The other day my husband approached me with a mischievous grin and a gleam in his eye. Yes, you guessed it, he had just found a recipe he was very excited to try!

This particular recipe featured mouth-watering, Summer-inspired ingredients including creamy avocados, fresh shrimp and ripe tomatoes. The fact that it involved the grill made it a shoe-in!

Panzanella is a Tuscan salad which traditionally includes tomatoes and chunks of soaked stale bread that's very popular during the Summer months. The tomatoes and bread are usually accompanied by onions, basil and a vinaigrette of olive oil and vinegar. I have to say the flavors of this dish were absolutely phenomenal but I tweaked the ratio of ingredients slightly to maximize the fabulous flavor and balance out the "carb factor."

This dish also lends itself well to cooking "a deux" which also cuts the prep time in half. Steve and I had alot of fun prepping our respective "components" although somewhere along the way I got roped into chopping all the garlic...hmmm. Anyway, a couple helpful hints for preparing this dish, be sure to make the tomato, avocado and onion salad last and shortly before serving or your avocado will turn brown. You also want to combine all of the ingredients shortly before serving - panzanella salads are prone to getting soggy. I do have to say though, this dish was surprisingly delicious the day after!

As for wine, a crisp, chilled Italian white would work nicely with this panzanella salad. If you're feeling a little adventurous, opt for a Vernaccia di San Gimignano from Tuscany or an unoaked Ribolla di Gialla from Italy's Friuli-Venezia Giulia region instead of a standard issue Pinot Grigio.

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as we did. It will definitely be on the rotation at our house for the rest of the Summer and beyond. Also, keep this dish in mind for entertaining - your guests will love it!

Cheers,

Grilled Shrimp & Avocado Panzanella

Vinaigrette:

2/3 cup good olive oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 gloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste 

Bread:

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

12 ounce loaf sourdough French bread 

Shrimp:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 lb. large or extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails off 

Salad:

2 large, ripe tomatoes cored and diced

2 ripe Haas avocados, peeled, pitted and diced

1/2 red onion, diced

Heat the grill to medium-high (in the event of inclement weather, you can also use your trusty indoor grill pan)

Vinaigrette: in a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve.

Bread: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano and salt. Cut the sourdough French bread into thick slices (approx. 1 1/4 inches thick). Brush both sides of each slice generously with the oil mixture. Set aside.

Shrimp: In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat evenly.

Now, you're ready to grill! Add bread slices to your pre-heated grill and toast for about 2 minutes per side. While bread is toasting, arrange the shrimp on the other side of the frill. Cook the shrimp until just pink and firm, about 2 minutes per side.

Remove the bread to a cutting board and cut into bite sized cubes. Transfer the bread and cooked shrimp to a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, avocados and onion and toss gently. Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette then genly toss again to mix well. Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Fast & Fabulous: Chicken Breasts with Artichoke-Olive Sauce!

While I do love my recipes for entertaining, another passion of mine is finding dishes that can be prepared in a minimum of time and don't skimp on flavor. These are real gems indeed, and that's what the Fast & Fabulous segment is all about. 

For all you fans of Mediterranean cuisine, here is a delightful recipe that delivers all those mouth-watering flavors in thirty minutes or less. 

I came across this recipe for Chicken Breasts in Artichoke-Olive Sauce from Philadelphia Chef Marcie Turney in the September issue of Food & Wine Magazine. Turney and her business partner own three restaurants, each inspired by a different country including Mexico, the Mediterranean and India. The magazine featured recipes based on each and while I do love Mexican and Indian food, my love of Mediterranean-inspired cuisine prevailed and I just had to give this dish a try.

One thing I love about this recipe is you can take a bit of artistic license and add more or less of whatever ingredient you prefer without any major consequences - hello, feta! Envision the aromas of freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, fresh oregano and chopped kalamata olives along with the salty tang of Feta cheese and the delicious flavor of artichoke hearts being prepared in your very own kitchen! Although my husband, Steve is not the biggest fan of olives, I have been determined to convert him. It worked with capers, after all and I think I finally might have succeeded!

Serve this dish with a crisp, racy white wine like a Greek Moschofilero (mo-sko-FEEL-ero). This is a white worth trying if you haven't had the chance already. It's characterized by a vibrant acidity, notes of citrus and spice with a hint of tropical fruit on the finish. Food & Wine recommends the 2010 Domaine Skouras Moschofilero but  for those of you who reside in Palm Beach County, the 2010 Boutari Moschofilero Mantinia is readily available at many local wine stores.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Chicken Breasts in Artichoke-Olive Sauce as much as we did! It's healthy, flavorful and very easy to make and I am definitely adding it to my regular rotation. I would love to hear what you think of it!

 Cheers,
 

Chicken Breasts with Artichoke-Olive Sauce
Total: 20 minutes - 4 Servings
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
One 10 ounce box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
8 pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/2 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the oil, lemon juice, zest , garlic and oregano. Fold in the artichokes, olives and feta; season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In an ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken, skinned side down, and cook over moderately high heat until browned, 3 minutes; turn and transfer the chicken in the skillet to the oven. Roast the chicken for 10 minutes until white throughout. Transfer the chicken to plates and spoon the sauce on top. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

Fast & Fabulous: Braised Escarole with Seared Bay Scallops and a Loire Valley White!

Looking for something deliciously quick to make for dinner tonight? Give this recipe for Braised Escarole with Seared Bay Scallops a try! I came across this gem in the Wall Street Journal in a feature on Chef Anita Lo of New York City's Annisa. Chef Lo is known for weaving multicultural flavors with classic French technique and draws inspiration from her extensive world travels. This recipe combines the delicious flavors of plump, sweet bay scallops with the slightly bitter flavor of escarole and lemon and a hint of red pepper flake. The result is a deliciously flavorful, yet healthy dish. Oh, and did I mention it takes under thirty minutes to make? Yay!

Beautiful Fresh Escarole

I started by purchasing beautiful, fresh scallops from Captain Clay's Fish Market here in Delray Beach. When selecting scallops, be sure they are translucent and firm with no milky fluid surrounding them which can indicate they have been "soaked" and treated with chemicals. When preparing the dish, be sure to taste your escarole when it's done to adjust the seasoning and make sure the pan you're cooking the scallops in is very hot before adding them to give those beauties a nice, good sear. In the article, Chef Lo recommends shaving bottarga di muggine over the finished dish. Bottarga is the roe pouch of a tuna or grey mullet that's been dried and cured in sea salt for a few weeks resulting in a dry hard slab. The final product can then be thinly sliced or grated but let me assure you, this dish is perfectly delicious without it. Also, although the recipe claims it serves four, I'm afraid it's more like 2-3 for a main course - well for 2 very hungry people anyway!

Pair this dish with a bright, citrusy wine like the Michel Redde Sancerre 'Les Tuilieres' 2009. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc from France's Loire Valley has flavors of lemon and green apple, a lovely minerality and zippy acidity that complemented the flavors of this dish beautifully. This wine is fermented entirely in stainless steel to preserve its crisp, fresh fruit flavors, making it a fabulous pairing for a variety of Spring and Summer fare. It's like adding a squeeze of lemon and is a natural match for seafood and shellfish.

I hope you enjoy this "Fast & Fabulous" dish as much as we did and I'd love to hear what you think if you decide to make it.  Also, what source(s) do you find you go to most often for new everyday recipes (cookbook, magazines, website)? I'd love to know. Thanks for stopping by and have a delicious day!

Cheers,

BRAISED ESCAROLE WITH SEARED BAY SCALLOPS

Serves 4

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
4 thin rounds of lemon, cut 1/8-inch thick, each slice cut into 6 triangles
2½ tablespoons butter
2 medium heads escarole (about 1 pound 6 ounces), washed and cut into 2-inch bands
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1 pound Bay scallops, cleaned

1. Set a large casserole over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir in pepper flakes, garlic and lemon slices. Cook until lemons are limp and sizzling, about 2 minutes.  

2. Stir in escarole, butter, sugar and salt. Cover the pot and lower the heat to medium. Stir occasionally and cook until wilted, about 6 minutes. Remove lid, turn the heat up to medium-high and continue to cook until the water evaporates, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

3. While the escarole finishes cooking, prepare scallops. Set a large sauté pan over high heat and season scallops on both sides with salt and pepper.

4. Swirl 2 tablespoons olive oil into the pan. Once oil is almost smoking, add scallops. If need be, cook scallops in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.

5. Cook scallops on high until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn and finish cooking the other side, about 1 additional minute.

6. Divide escarole onto four plates. Arrange scallops on top and spritz with extra lemon juice, if desired.