Mediterranean Crêpes

Tags

artichoke hearts, capers, chicken, crêpes, dinner, feta, hearts of palm, kalamata olives, postaday2011, recipe, scallops, shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes

Last week started with me having a small medical procedure (don’t worry, nothing is wrong), Hubster hosting a stomach bug and Pumpkin with a fever. I only cooked two actual meals last week! Half-way through the week, Hubster and I both have both been extra busy with the extra-curricular activities we advisor. So last week my posts were sparse, hopefully this week I’ll be back on track…

The only meat we both eat is chicken and I’m sick of it. I’ve really been enjoying keeping fresh shrimp in my freezer. I made Mediterranean Seafood Crêpes for myself and Mediterranean Chicken Crêpes for Hubster. I made my basic savory crêpes recipe and substituted garlic powder for the nutmeg.

Mediterranean Crêpes

Ingredients:
6 crêpes, olive oil, shrimp, scallops, 1 Tbsp. minced onions, 1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 quartered artichoke hearts, 1/4 c. sliced hearts of palm, 1/2 c. kalamata olives, 1/8 c. capers, 1 tsp. oregano, Feta cheese, 1 c. heavy cream, fresh cracked pepper (I used a four peppercorn blend)

Directions:
Warm olive oil and add onions. Saute shrimp and scallops until almost cooked. Add cream and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Add artichokes, hearts of palm, olives and capers and simmer. Remove food from sauce and keep warm. Add Feta and pepper to cream, stirring constantly until well combined. Allow sauce to thicken. Add filling to crêpes and pour sauce over top. Serve immediately.

*For Mediterranean Chicken Crêpes, substitute chicken breast for shrimp and scallops. You could marinate chicken breast in Italian or Greek dressing before hand.

What’s for dinner tonight?

Fav’ House Salad

Tags

artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoe, cherry tomatoes, dinner salad, entree salad, food, foodie, fresh tomatoes, hearts of palm, kalamata olives, light fare, light lunch, lighter fare, mozzarella, olives, postaday2011, recipe, salad, side dishes, spring mix, vinaigrette

Yes, I am a judgmental person when it comes to food. I believe the house salad sets the tone and taste for the expected meal. First of all, I do not like blasé iceberg lettuce. And adding shredded carrots, cucumbers and sliced tomatoes does not make the salad interesting either. And croutons? Please! They are only admissible when made fresh for a crock french onion soup. However, there is one restaurant I enjoy dining at that makes a fantastic house salad!

Fav' House Salad

Ingredients:
spring mix (no romaine, no iceberg), kalamata olives, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella

Directions:
Assemble ingredients on a chilled salad plate and serve with dressing.

Of course you can get any dressing you desire, however their house dressing is a perfect complement to the salad. Their tangy vinaigrette is simple and cleansing to the palette. They serve their house salad with fresh brick-oven focaccia. Double the salad size to make it an entrée salad.

Do you have a restaurant favorite?

Artichoke Three Cheese Bake

Tags

artichoke, artichoke hearts, artichokes, bacon, carb free entree, dinner, entree, food, gourmet, Gruyère, Jarlsberg, low carb recipe, pecorino, pecorino romano, recipe, red-neck, romano, side dish

I had a similar dish as a side at a restaurant once. I asked for the recipe from the chef and was excited to try it. I got home and it was all wrong, nothing like the made at the restaurant. I know many chefs don’t give out their exact recipes, so I needed to recreate it on my one. During that process, I became happier with my end product then the one I remember from my dining experience.

When I prepare a meal and Hubster deems to gourmet, he’s a little reluctant to try it (even though he’s always pleased with the outcome). I decided to star tailoring my “gourmet” recipes to his palette a little, by (what I call) “Rednecking it up”. That’s just my teasing way of saying that I added (turkey) bacon for him. Hubster hates shrimp and never will eat it, until you wrap a piece of bacon around it. Potato soup is “alright”, until you sprinkle on the bacon. You get the picture. So here is my Redneck Artichoke Three Cheese Bake.

Artichoke Three Cheese Bake

Ingredients:
8 fresh artichoke hearts (quartered), 1 shallot minced, 1/2 c. heavy cream broth, 3 Tbs. olive oil, 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley, 6 large basil leaves, 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese, 1/2 cup shredded Jarlsberg cheese , 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange artichoke hearts in a single layer on the bottom of a casserole dish. Spread shallots over artichokes. Add heavy cream to dish. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with parsley and basil. Cover evenly with the cheeses, ending with the Pecorino-Romano. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake until artichokes are tender and cheeses are melted, 15 minutes. Uncover, and bake until cheese is lightly golden and slightly crusty, about 25 minutes more. Remove from oven, and cool. Serve warm.

Chicken Vesuvius

Tags

artichoke hearts, asparagus, chicken, crab meat, Entertaining, hollandaise, risotto, zucchini

Chicken Vesuvius has been one of my favorite dishes at Georgine’s (restaurant) for a long time. Many restaurants have their own variations with not only the dish, but also the name. I’ve been wanting to make my own variation based on my favorite flavor combinations. One of my friends was joining us for dinner and what better time to try a new dish then for company?

My Chicken Vesuvius is a chicken breast topped with jumbo lump crab meat, asparagus, artichoke hearts, and hollandaise sauce. I served this with an Italian risotto (the first time I ever made it) and steamed zucchini. *Next time I would like to add sautéed grape tomatoes and Kalamata olives.

I made my hollandaise sauce by whisking 4 eggs yolks over low heat and adding hot water one spoonful at a time. When the sauce thickened I added warm lemon juice and removed from the heat as I continued whisking. Then, I added about a 1/2 cup of melted butter. I kept the sauce warm until ready to plate the meal.

Starting the Risotto

Risotto on the Way…

I cooked the chicken by dipping the breasts into eggs, then flour, and frying it in olive oil. The finished dish is layered upon the plate, so I can omit any ingredients the diner does not wish.

I started the risotto by sautéing fresh chopped basil and minced onions in the olive oil. Once the flavors were married, I added the short grain rice into the olive oil and sautéed until the rice was opaque in color. Then, I stirred in Italian blend seasoning and added chicken broth (Next time, I will start with a cup of white wine before adding the broth). I brought the risotto to a boil and then simmered it low, adding chicken broth as needed. Once the dish was almost done, I stirred in Parmesan and Romano cheeses. *Something I remember seeing the chef (where I used to wait) do, is add a bit of heavy cream at the end of the cooking time; next time I’d like to try that. Once plated, I topped with chopped parsley and fresh grated Gruyère.

Steaming Veggies

*I used my crinkle cutter to slice the zucchini before steaming. I love using the tool for an unexpected touch of added texture.

I forgot to take a picture until after we had started to dig into the dish.

One saucepan, one frying pan, a pasta pot, two steamers and two pots later. Voilà! My Chicken Vesuvius (and sides) looked beautiful! Everything tasted really great! I definitely want to add the cream to the risotto next time. A multilevel bamboo steamer might also help cut down on the amount of pots & burners being used.

Half-Polished Off Dish

XOXO,
Young Wifey