Friendsgiving Recap

As you may remember from last year, I host a “Friendsgiving” party for my friends and I in our apartment.  This year’s featured a lot of excitement, from issues with my oven early in the day(cue panic, thank you God it finally kicked in and worked!), to our first close couple friends to announce a pregnancy!

Today, I’m sharing this year’s menu, for anyone who may need a little last minute inspiration.

A friend of mine recently started an invitation business, and is learning calligraphy, so I had her do the menu. Amazing job, right?

As you may remember from last year (LINK), I host a “Friendsgiving” party for my friends and I in our apartment.  This year’s featured a lot of excitement, from issues with my oven early in the day(cue panic, thank you God it finally kicked in and worked!), to our first close couple friends to announce a pregnancy!

Today, I’m sharing this year’s menu, for anyone who may need a little last minute inspiration.

PIC

A friend of mine recently started an invitation business, and is learning calligraphy, so I had her do the menu. Amazing job, right?

Our Menu:

Antipasto: assorted cheeses, crackers, prosciutto, salami, soppressata, olives, and marinated artichoke hearts.

Roast Turkey: this year, I used Rachael Ray’s dry-brined turkey recipe. You salt the bird a day ahead and rub it down with a butter and herb mixture. Day of, all you need to do is let it sit out for an hour at room temp, and then roast away, 15 mins per pound.

Stuffing: I used my classic sausage stuffing recipe from last year.

Spinach Gratin: absolutely love this make-ahead from Food52. This was the big hit side dish this year.

Quinoa with Roasted Squash and Walnuts: Another great make-ahead. Cut a butternut squash into 1 inch cubes, roast with olive oil, salt, and pepper at 425 for 35 minutes, or until tender and browned. Meanwhile, cook up a batch of quinoa. Combine the two and refrigerate a day or two ahead. Just before serving, toast walnuts and combine with quinoa. Delicious.

Roasted Cauliflower: another make ahead. I roast the cauliflower the day before, and just reheat before serving. I like to dressing mine with a lemon/caper/parsley dressing.

Kale Salad: I modified Marcus Samuelsson’s kale salad from the November issue of Food and Wine. I used his dressing and curly kale, and added fennel, carrots, and  radishes. You can dress it ahead, which is rare and convenient for salads.

Cider Punch: this Saveur chilled cider punch recipe is AWESOME. Cold sweet cider, whiskey, and ginger beer (my favorite!) make the perfect large-batch drink.

And of course, we always have cornbread, regular bread, cranberry sauce, and gravy! I count on my friends to make those. 

Dessert this year was a fantastic selection of pies, tarts, and tiramisu from the Cake Boss’ shop in Hoboken, courtesy of my very generous friends Brett and Debbie. I have to admit, I expected them to be terrible. I figured with all Buddy’s fame, he’s gotta be slacking in his pastry shop, but he’s not. I was gobbling down that blueberry crumb pie for days. SO good. 

Entertaining Essentials

Inexpensive Charger Plates, $1.00

Charger plates instantly dress up dinner, and I love being able to buy multiple colors to go with different table settings. These were only $1 at Amazing Savings, so I stocked up on red, gold, and silver.  I’ve also seen them at the Christmas Tree Shop, if there’s no Amazing Savings in your neck of the woods.

Pottery Barn Caterer’s Box Collection, $15-$60 for 12

This dinnerware collection is perfect for entertaining.  White porcelain plates, bowls, and mugs, as well as glass drinkware, are sold in sets of 12 and inexpensively priced from $15-$60 for the dozen.  You can also pick up napkins, flatware, and table linens to match as well.  They’re perfect to keep on hand so you don’t have to resort to paper plates when entertaining.

The brand 10 Strawberry Street also sells similar plain white bulk entertaining dinnerware, at a slightly lower price point. You can find them often on One Kings Lane, and sometimes in Walmart.

World Market Galvanized Party Tub, $17 

When I host parties, the boys always bring truckloads of beer, and we run out of room in the fridge very quickly. Now, I fill this large tub with ice and leave it out, giving guests easy access to the booze without compromising the fridge space I need.

Walmart Inexpensive Serving Utensils, $2 

You can never have too many serving forks and spoons, and I really like these plain silver ones from, believe it or not, Walmart. They’re sold open stock, so you can buy as few or as many as you need. They look attractive and elegant, they hold up well, and you can’t go wrong at only $2 each.  

Table Runners

I like to use a plain ivory tablecloth and accessorize with a colorful runner. My favorite is Luxury Linen Loft’s Burlap Runner, which I picked up on Etsy for $10. It adds a great rustic element to a fall table. I also love the runners on World Market, my favorite being the Kavita runner in the picture above- so colorful!

 Sur La Table Napkins, $5.99 for 4

Sur La Table’s sale rack is one of the best places to find gorgeous table linens deeply discounted, which is how I scored the pretty ones above.

Pottery Barn Classic Glass Drink Dispenser, $59-$79

I tried very hard to find an inexpensive glass drinking dispenser, but all the ones I bought leaked. I finally bit the bullet and got this item from Pottery Barn, and I love it. Sixty bucks well spent- no leaking, easy to clean, and I was able to have it monogrammed to match my PB decanter. Awesome.

Disposable Condiment Bowls, $2.99 for 20 

Another great find from Amazing Savings. I like to use these for my mise en place during a dinner party- I’ll pre-chop my herbs or lemon zest and put them in these bowls in the fridge.  They take up less space than a bowl, and just before serving, I can sprinkle the garnish over my dish and toss them when done, saving dishwasher space as well.  They double as little ramekins too for dipping sauces, olives, or nuts. 

Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce

I was surprised at how much I liked this pasta drenched in a butternut squash puree. Its orangey color made me think of mac and cheese, and I figured that I’d bite into it and just wish that it was mac and cheese, and not some healthy impostor.  But this had so much flavor, and was so surprisingly creamy, that I didn’t miss the cheese at all. For a cheese lover like me, that’s saying a lot.

I made a few modifications to the original recipe, which came from an old issue of Bon Appetit. First and least importantly, I changed the name. They called it a “squash carbonara,” but as it contains no egg, I think that’s misleading. Secondly, they also used prosciutto, fried up and crisp, with the onions cooked in the prosciutto’s rendered fat. I skipped this step as I was trying to keep the meal a little healthier and a little cheaper (the best imported stuff goes for $26/pound where I am!)  The good news is, it was still delicious.

Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce, adapted from Bon Appetit
2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (about 3 cups)2 cloves garlic, smashed½ a small yellow onion, diced2 cups chicken stock1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves2 tbsp olive oil¼ cup grated ParmesanPinch red pepper flakesSalt and pepper1 box pasta (I used rotelle but think this would be great on linguini)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash, onion, garlic, pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper.  

Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.  Add broth, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Reserve skillet.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, until al dente. Drain, reserving one cup cooking liquid.

Combine pasta and squash puree in reserved skillet and cook over medium heat for two minutes. If it seems dry, add ¼ cup of reserved pasta cooking liquid. Mix in ¼ cup Parmesan.

Serve, with extra Parmesan for topping.

Make Ahead: Squash puree can be cooked up to three days ahead. Let cool, cover, and chill.

Mother's Day Menu

I’m not sure why Mother’s Day is always associated with brunch. I’m thinking of doing dinner for my mom this year, and here’s the menu I’ve got in mind:

Source

Antipasto Platter

I pretty much think anything in life is better when it starts with a cheese and salumi platter. I love combining taleggio, hunks of fresh parmesan, and crackers with olives and prosciutto. Yum.

Source

Giada’s Linguini with Clams and Pinot Grigio

This is a spectacular, and easy, recipe. The whole thing comes together in the time it takes to boil and cook the pasta. The clams make it a little special, the wine sauce is elegant, and the addition of arugula lends a fresh, peppery bite, perfect for springtime alfresco dining. This is a favorite.

 

Personal Pic (can't you tell?)

 

Almond Cake

My mom doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, and she’s always on a diet. This cake, made with almond flour and olive oil, is a bit of a healthier alternative to a butter cake, and it provides the perfect elegant but not too sweet end to a meal.

 

 

Easter Menu

Easter will be at my cousins’ this year, but that hasn’t stopped me from putting together my own little Easter brunch menu. Below, some of my favorite recipes from this blog that make a perfect Easter afternoon.

 

The Menu:

Frittata
Arugula, Orange, and Fennel Salad
Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Roast
Green Beans with Favas and Parmesan
Lemon Blueberry Tart

What's on your Easter menu?

Passover Coconut Macaroons

Today I have a last minute Passover classic for you- coconut macaroons. Perfect for throwing together at the last minute, since they take less than five minutes to put together and only 25 to bake. 

Coconut Macaroons, from Food Network Magazine

3 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 14oz bag sweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted 

Preheat your oven to 325 and line two aluminum baking sheets with parchment paper. (I used a Silpat, which I do not recommend, as the macaroons stuck a bit).

In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, salt, and almond extract until combined. Fold in coconut until evenly coated with egg white mixture.

Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop heaping tablespoons of mixture onto baking sheet. Push together with your hands if necessary to keep it neat. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until browned.  Let cool fully on baking sheet. 

To decorate, melt chocolate chips in microwave. Once macaroons are completely cooled, use a fork to drizzle melted chocolate over macaroons. Let set until dry and serve. 

Spring Sides: Green Beans and Favas with Parmesan

This is an example of a dish born on the spur of the moment. My family was coming for dinner and I planned to make a side of roasted broccoli, only I completely forgot to pick up the broccoli at Shoprite. 

 

Not inclined to go back there, I rummaged around the fridge and found some fresh green beans, and frozen favas. I decided to combine the two in the simplest way possible: a simple sauté with garlic, topped with Parmesan. 

 

The result was bright and springy, and the Parmesan was a great touch. I shaved it over the dish with a vegetable peeler, and it melted deliciously into the hot beans.  I think we all fought over the pieces with the most cheese! 

 

One note- I used a bag of frozen shelled favas from Trader Joe’s, but I prefer favas shelled twice, so after blanching I went through the ridiculous step of secondary peeling. I’m a perfectionist, I wanted to see the bright green!

 

This makes a perfect Easter side dish.

 

Green Beans and Favas with Parmesan, by me

Serves 6 as a side dish

 

1 lb skinny green beans

1 cup frozen pre-shelled fava beans

Parmesan cheese, to taste

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 big cloves garlic, smashed

Pinch red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl filled with cold water and ice. 

 

Drop in your green beans, and boil for 1-2 minutes, until they just lose their vegetal taste but remain crisp. Lift out using a skimmer and immerse immediately into ice water.  Keep water boiling. 

 

Add fava beans to boiling water, and cook about 3 minutes. Remove to ice water and let cool completely.  Peel second shell, if desired. 

 

At this point, beans can be prepared a day ahead. (I like to store them in the skillet I’m going to cook them in, so when my guests are over I can just pull out the whole thing and go).

 

When ready to cook, combine olive oil butter in skillet and melt over medium high heat. Add pepper flakes and garlic, and sauté until garlic is golden brown. Add green beans and sauté 5 minutes, until warmed through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Place in a serving bowl, and using a vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan cheese over the beans. (Alternately, use grated cheese). Add as much as you want, and enjoy!

Baked Rigatoni with Broccoli, Pancetta, and Olives

My husband is not really that into food. It’s rare that he makes dinner requests, and when he does, it’s always something simple like “chicken. And salad.”  

So I was very surprised the other day when he saw me flipping through the latest Food and Wine, and pointed out a recipe. 

“You should make that” he said, pointing to a recipe for a baked rigatoni with broccoli, tomato, olives, pancetta and ricotta.  

Didn’t seem like Mr. B’s usual eating habits, but I thought it looked delicious, so I jumped on the opportunity and really liked it. It was a nice change of pace from usual red sauce baked pastas, and if you happen to have leftover roasted vegetables, it would be a great way to use them up. 

Baked Rigatoni with Broccoli, Green Olives, and Pancetta, adapted from Food and Wine

Serves 6

2 tbsp unsalted butter, and more for greasing

1 ½ lbs plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise (I used yellow cherry tomatoes, as I had them)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Pepper

1 ½ lbs broccoli, cut into florets

4 oz pancetta, diced

¼ cup chopped onion

1 cup pitted green olives (I used kalamatas)

1 lb rigatoni

2 cups fresh ricotta

¾ cup good Parmesan

Preheat oven to 425 and butter a 9x13 baking dish. 

On a rimmed baking sheet, combine tomatoes, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Roast for 20 minutes. 

On another sheet, combine broccoli with 1 tbsp olive oil, more salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes. 

In a large, deep skillet, combine pancetta and last tbsp olive oil. Cook until crispy, about 5 minutes, then add onion and cook until softened, 5 more minutes. Add olives, then stir in the roasted tomato and garlic mixture, including juices, and add 2 tbsp butter. Keep warm. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add rigatoni. Cook until al dente, then drain and reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid.  Add pasta to skillet, then add ricotta and broccoli, plus ½ cup Parmesan, and mix well.  Transfer to baking dish, sprinkle with last ¼ cup Parmesan, and bake for 15 minutes, until golden. 

Let stand 5 minutes and serve. Can be made ahead and reheated.

Lazy Girl's Guide to a Great Brunch

Recently, some friends in town invited a few people over for brunch, and it was a great way to spend a Saturday morning.  I loved lazily showing up in comfy clothes, munching on delicious food, and spending time with friends yet still having lots of time left in the day for other things.  

It got me thinking that I should really do brunch with friends at home more- it’s a nice change of pace from typical boozy brunches out. Though I also love those, I get tired of the same places and the no-reservations wait.  Opening your home to friends is a great way to switch it up, and all you really need to do is put out a bagel spread to make people happy.  And that’s no effort, so it will make you happy too.

Below, my recipe for a no-fail, stress-free brunch:

The Must-Haves:
Bagels and Lox Spread: 
 

Run out in the morning to pick up bagels, and set out a few flavored cream cheeses, lox, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers. (See this post for tips on arranging).

You can also add whitefish or tuna salad, though I usually skip those. 

Something Sweet:

Some people like sweet breakfast, and some like savory, so you should always provide options in both categories. I pick up muffins wherever I get my bagels, and ask a guest to bring fruit.  My mother-in-law always provides her “berry bowl,” a yummy and color-coordinated mix of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. 



Drinks:
Coffee, tea, water, and mimosas, of course. 

Not Necessary but Nice:
Something Hot:

I always do my go-to frittata, which I posted about last week.  But you could make scrambled or baked eggs (like my Shakshuka recipe). Baked French toast or cinnamon buns are nice too, but definitely not a lazy way out. 

Or hey, take it really easy and just heat up the bagels. You can slice them in half, put the halves back together, and put in the oven for a few minutes. They’ll steam inside and have that still-warm-from-the-bagel-shop taste.  The point is to enjoy your company, not spend hours getting ready. 

What are your tips for an easy but fun brunch?

The Best Breakfast Dish

Frittats are my favorite thing to serve for a group brunch.  I’m never satisfied with a weekend breakfast that doesn’t include eggs, but they’re not exactly easy to prepare for a group. I mean, what would Ina say if you stood there and made individual omelets?  A frittata makes things simple, allows for endless combinations of fillings, and is great at room temperature, so you can make it in advance.

I toss all my ingredients in a pie dish and just bake it, skipping the stovetop step- so this is a good recipe if you don’t own an oven-safe pan.  I like the nine inch white pie dish from Wilton, which is under $10.

My favorite frittata is the potato, bacon, and feta frittata from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. I roast the potatoes the night before so I can assemble everything quickly in the morning. Sometimes, I also add fresh arugula.

 

Potato, Bacon, Feta Frittata, from Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman
Serves 6 as part of a brunch buffet, 4 if serving alone
 

5 large Yukon Gold potatoes

2/3 cup crumbled feta

8 large eggs

2 scallions, sliced

5 strips bacon , crumbled (I actually use the precooked kind that you can just microwave)

2 tbsp milk or cream

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.
 

Peel potatoes and slice very thinly on a mandolin. Arrange in a single layer (fine if a few overlap) on a baking sheet, and coat with olive oil, and a generous amount of salt and pepper.  Roast for 30 mins, until crispy around edges.  You can do this step the night before, or boil the slices for 7 minutes if you are pressed for time.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, and a little more salt and pepper.

Spray a 9 inch pie dish evenly with nonstick spray, and arrange the potatoes in the bottom.  Top with the bacon, then feta, then scallions, and pour egg mixture over. 

Cover dish with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Then, remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until puffed and set in center. Sometimes, I will also carefully broil it for just a minute or so to give it a nice golden look. Be careful- don't overdo that!

**If you want to make this (or any frittata) for a larger group, up to 12 as part of a brunch buffet, use 12 eggs and plan to bake it for 55 minutes at 375.  You’ll need a bigger pie dish- I use a 12" from Emile Henry.  

Sunday Dinner: Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Roast

A large part of cooking success depends upon choosing a good recipe.  People will often complain a recipe came out badly, and then I’ll find out they typed something into Google and used any old recipe that came up.

If I’m trying a new recipe, I prefer to use bloggers I trust (Stacey Snacks always, and Smitten Kitchen) or Ina Garten. I trust Ina enough to make her recipes without test driving them first.

I also trust highly reviewed recipes from well-regarded sites, such as Epicurious or the Food Network. I usually find that for the most part, a large number of reviews can be trusted.  Three five-star reviews are not very compelling, but 300 4 and a half star reviews are usually a good indicator of a quality recipe. There’s enough people who tried it and reviewed to account for mistakes, different tastes, etc. 

One other thing to keep in mind is the site’s audience- AllRecipes tends to attract more “middle America” tastes and home cooks (think chicken marinated in Italian dressing), whereas something like Food and Wine's website will bring in cooks and recipes that are a little more gourmet (think chicken banh mis with homemade kimchi).  Use sources that fall where you do in the homestyle to gourmet spectrum.

This past Sunday dinner was an example of a recipe well chosen.  My family was over and I wanted to make a pork roast, so I selected an old recipe of Giada’s de Laurentiis’ with 228 great reviews. 

The recipe called for a boneless pork loin, wrapped in pancetta (I used prosciutto), and then roasted in a mix of chicken stock and wine for an hour. It was quite delicious, and definitely an elegant and easy main course. 

I made a few changes to alter it to my family’s taste, so the recipe below is my version, with the link to the original provided as always.

Prosciutto wrapped Pork Roast, adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
Serves 6
3.5-4 lb boneless pork loin roast, tied
¼ lb prosciutto or pancetta
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, very finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp garlic salt
Generous amount salt and pepper
1 ½ cups white wine
1 ½ cups chicken stock

Place your pork roast in a roasting pan or large baking dish. Drizzle over with oil, then rub generously all over with salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic salt. Drape prosciutto or pancetta over the roast. Let sit for at least one hour, or overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Add ½ cup of wine and ½ cup of stock to the pan with the pork. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, adding an additional ½ cup each wine and stock every 20 minutes. Cook for an hour, or longer until desired temperature. Giada advises 145, my parents prefer their pork done to 160, so that’s what I did. It took about 1 hr and 10 minutes. 

I served this with roasted potatoes. Recipe, if you can call it that, is below.

Roasted Potatoes
1 ½ lbs baby red potatoes
Generous amount olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400. While oven preheats, line a large aluminum baking sheet with foil and quarter the red potatoes (or cut into sixths if bigger).  

Place potatoes on baking sheet and drizzle with lots of olive oil (I probably use three tablespoons or so), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Roast for about an hour, until browned and crispy, turning once or twice during baking.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve alongside roast.

Winter Slaw

I know we're all ready for spring, but the truth is there's still no spring vegetables or anything out there. It might feel warmer today, but I'm still in winter eating mode. 

I saw this on a recent rerun of Barefoot Contessa and thought it looked delicious, although it’s possible I was confusing the salad with its creator, Tyler Florence. 
 

Either way, it was simple, not too heavy on the ingredients, and the perfect accompaniment to a light Monday night dinner after boozing and hitting restaurants all weekend. 

 

 

Winter Slaw, from Tyler Florence

Serves 6-8

 

6 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, cored

6 large kale leaves, rib removed

½ small head radicchio, cored

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup good olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 cup dried cranberries

1 6-oz chunk of good Parmesan cheese*

 

Cut the Brussels sprouts, kale, and radicchio into very thin strips and combine in a bowl. 

 

Whisk together lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Pour on the dressing and add cranberries.

 

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the chunk of Parmesan into thin shards.

 

Toss, and serve relatively soon. This can’t be made in advance as the lemon juice will change the color of the greens.   

 

 

*If it comes in a green can it is NOT good!!! Buy a real chunk of Locatelli, imported from Italy, and grind that shit yourself. Don’t get me started on Parmesan.

Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus with Homemade Mayo

There are certain friends you can do anything with. That’s how it is with me and Jenn- she can always text me with some random suggestion and I’m always up for it, and vice versa. We’ve taken cake decorating classes together, done crafts, and both find it helpful to plot out stores to visit in malls before we actually go shopping. 

One afternoon where we were both off from work, she decided we needed to try making mayo from scratch. Not something I had ever considered before, and definitely not a phone call I’d get from everyone, but sure, why not? 

We used the food processor and after wasting 2 cups of oil, gave up. But Jenn got it right later on, and raved about how good it was. 

Months later, I decided to finally try it out on my own. It was so simple- 1 egg yolk, 1 cup of oil, salt, and a whisk-induced arm workout.  The mayo was delicious, with a lighter texture than the bottled stuff and a more delicate flavor from the olive oil.

I took the liberty of flavoring my mayo with lemon, parsley, and capers, and I used it as a topping for roasted potatoes and asparagus. It was sooo good. This is perfect dinner party fare, or would make a delicious side for a spring holiday meal. 

Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus with Homemade Caper Mayo

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

2 lbs fingerling potatoes (I used a mixed color variety bag)

1 bundle fresh asparagus

Olive oil

Flaky sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 and line an aluminum sheet pan with foil. 

Slice potatoes in half or in quarters if very large. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste.  Place on sheet pan and roast for 35 minutes.

While potatoes cook, prepare asparagus. Snap them at the ends to remove the woody part of the stems, and then cut the spears into 2 inch lengths.

At 35 minutes, add asparagus to pan with potatoes and roast another 10 minutes. 

Place on serving platter and dollop with mayo, recipe follows. 

For the mayo, basic recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters:

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp water

1 cup mild olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice 
Pinch of salt

Caper Parsley Flavoring:
1 tbsp capers

¼ cup flat leaf parsley leaves

½ tsp grated garlic (you can use more, I just don’t love an intense garlic flavor)

Additional lemon juice to taste

Flaky sea salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Add the oil in tiny drips, whisking constantly. You have to add it very, very slowly in order to create the emulsion. It is annoying, but go drop by drop at first.  After a minute or two, you will see everything start to thicken up and an emulsion form. Once that happens, you can add the oil a little faster, in a slow stream.  Keep whisking constantly; the process will take about 5 minutes. (Not actually that long, but it feels long!)

Once your mayo’s done, you can add the flavors. Chop together your parsley and capers. Add to mayo along with garlic. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice as desired. Can be made ahead. Flavors will intensify as it sits; mayo will last about a week in fridge.

Experiment with this- try adding different herbs, spices, etc. You can create chipotle mayos, smoky mayos, arugula mayos- have fun!

Shrimp and Israeli Couscous Salad with Basil Oil

I am one of those people who look at a picture or title in a cookbook, and then decide what the recipe is without actually reading it. I am the polar opposite of my mother, who will line up every last teaspoon of ingredients in little bowls before proceeding. The only time I ever really follow a recipe is with baking. 

I really shouldn’t do this, since I could be missing out on great recipes, but a lot of times I invent something pretty damn good. 

This is one of those recipes. I was flipping through a Mario Batali cookbook when I came upon a recipe for shrimp with white beans and mint oil.  I wanted to make it for dinner, but inspection of my pantry revealed I was missing some key ingredients, namely, the white beans and mint, as well as some rosemary called for in the recipe.  

So I subbed couscous, and oregano, and basil, and came up with this, a quick and easy weeknight dinner. (Seriously. I know it has three parts and that basil oil sounds like a project, but this whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes). 

Shrimp and Israeli Couscous Salad with Basil Oil
12 jumbo shrimp
1 ½ cups Israeli couscous
1 ¾ cups chicken stock
4 cups arugula
Zest of one lemon
¼ cup kalamata olives, chopped

For the vinaigrette:
Juice of one lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp dried oregano
Splash red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your broiler to high.  

Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients and set aside. Adjust according to your taste, I like mine a bit on the tangy side, but if you don’t, just use more oil and less lemon. 

Combine couscous and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer 8-10 minutes until done. 

While couscous cooks, combine arugula, lemon zest, and olives in a serving bowl and line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange shrimp on it, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Broil for a minute or two on each side, until pink. 

When couscous is done, pile in the center of serving bowl. Drizzle couscous and arugula mix with lemon vinaigrette, then top with the broiled shrimp. Drizzle shrimp with basil oil, recipe follows.

Serve immediately.

To serve as a cold salad, refrigerate and cool everything separately so that arugula doesn’t wilt, and combine before serving.  

Basil Oil, from Epicurious:
½ cup basil leaves
¾ cup olive oil
Flaky sea salt

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. While it boils, fill a bowl with ice water. 

When boiling, drop your basil leaves in for 30 seconds or so, just until they turn bright green. Lift them out and drop immediately into ice water to stop the cooking, then drain and arrange on paper towels to dry. 

In a blender or food processor, combine basil and oil and puree. Remove to a small bowl, add sea salt to taste, and set aside. Will last 3 days in fridge. 

You can adapt this method for most leafy herbs- parsley, mint, tarragon, etc.