Shrimp and Avocado in Tamarind Sauce

Let's get something straight. This is the kind of dinner that is so good you'll eat until you're uncomfortable. It nails an Asian flavor so thoroughly you'll be amazed that you made it. And I had those thoughts about Shrimp and Avocado in Tamarind Sauce using a substitute for real tamarind paste. So tamarind paste is made from the prune-like pods of a tropical Asian tree. The paste is reconstituted in boiling water. After reading a bit about the product and possible substitutes online, I settled on a 1/4 cup of mixed dried fruit, including a few prunes, soaked in a 1/2 cup of boiling water and then poured the fruit and liquid through a sieve mashing the fruit to draw any liquid that I could get to pass through. This then was mixed with the sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, and when it was blended, I tasted it and knew that I was in for something special. Really the whole dish was out of sight; the shrimp, the avocado, the fried shallot rings, the dry-roasted peanuts... just killer. I served it over jasmine rice.

Sautéed Chicken Paillards with Artichoke Hearts

When I set out to make this recipe I had every intention of using fresh artichokes. Granted, they're a pain in the neck to prepare but the flavor is fantastic and they add a nice wow factor to the meal. Alas, none to be found in two supermarkets and when I looked and saw that my recipe for Sautéed Chicken Paillards with Artichoke Hearts came from the April, Bon Appetit I realized I was out of season and so settled on canned...and I mean settled. Not being sure what a Paillard is, I went searching and found out that it refers to a cut of meat pounded thin, in this case a chicken pounded to about 1/4 inch thickness. I like doing this although it sends our dog into the bathroom, her refuge from thunder, pounding chicken breasts, and pitting olives by whacking them with the side of a knife. The breasts were then dredged in flour and sauteed and since they were rendered of a uniform thickness, they cooked quickly and evenly. Some adjusting of the recipe had to occur since I was no longer cooking the artichokes, and it all came together nicely. I served it with Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa) that I cooked in a mix of vegetable and chicken stock, both on hand I was introduced to Quinoa on one of my favorite cooking blogs called 101 Cookbooks and I've cooked it a few times. We think of it as a grain but it is actually a grass and I love to inform people that it was cultivated in South America 6,000 years ago. I recommend that you use it as a component in a recipe (such as this one for Double Broccoli Quinoa which I've tried and loved) and not just as a side.

Sea Scallops alla Caprese

Still in Mario Batali's Italian Grill, I had planned an entire week of outdoor cooking but the weather didn't cooperate and in fact it got down right cold so this one I moved indoors with no ill effect. Sea Scallops Caprese was the menu. "Caprese" means, in the style of Capri, an island in the Gulf of Naples. What you can expect from something "Caprese" is that it will have tomatoes and basil as in this recipe. For much of the grilling in Italian Grill, Batali uses a piastra which is a flat griddle over a hot fire. Sometimes I take a ridged iron griddle out to the grill and use that to toss around peppers and potatoes. For this recipe I heated the griddle up indoors and used it for the onions and the scallops. So all your doing here is making a tomato, basil and grilled onion salad and tossing it with olive oil, salt and pepper. Next, set the seared scallops on top and serve. Classic, simple Italian food that will knock your socks off!
I did serve this with a Chickpea Salad with Provencal Herbs and Olives. Nicoise Olives, red onion and chickpeas; great combination. It ended up being a salad and a salad but we survived.

Cornish Game Hens with Artichoke Hearts Vinaigrette

I have Mario Batali's, Italian Grill home from the library and I've really connected with it. This strikes me as a cookbook well worth owning. Since there have been nice artichokes in the supermarket I gave his Quail with Artichoke Hearts Vinaigrette a try only instead of quail, I made the recipe with Cornish game hens, my new favorite poultry for the grill. The hens marinated all day in a zip-lock bag the result was stunning. There they are on the grill looking like two plump sunbathers.

The artichoke's presented a bit of a challenge and I was thrown off by the photo of the recipe which seemed to show 4-5 leaves of thickness on the artichoke quarters. Those outer leaves were really to tough to eat and you had to cut them off to get to the 1-2 leaves that were tender. The heart and stem were tender and tasty nonetheless.

A little color was added to this monochromatic meal with a Cabbage and Beet Salad from Mark Bittman's, The Best Recipes in the World. This consisted of grated cabbage, carrots and raw beets mixed with a mustard vinaigrette. A burst of color and flavor.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Rosemary-Orange Dressing

And another from Bon Appetit's Ultimate Summer Menu Guide. I really like olives so I gave Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Rosemary-Orange Dressing a try. Didn't know what to make of the combination of olive and orange and was happy to see that it all worked out quite nicely. The recipe calls for boneless breast of chicken, skin-on. The chicken breast was to be "stuffed" under the skin. Never seen that cut of chicken in my supermarket so opted for boneless, skinless breast. I made a deep cut into the thickest part of the breast and stuffed it. The thin layer of stuffing required nothing to secure the breast, it all stayed put. This all looked great on the grill; especially the orange sections which grilled up beautifully and provided a nice burst of color but little else.
As a side I prepared the Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad, also from BA. My supermarket sells a small bag of tri-colored baby potatoes that were perfect for this salad. The mustard vinaigrette dressing and hard-boiled egg made for a nice rich flavor.

Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Skewers

I've gotten my money's worth in the last Bon Appetit. I'm still working my way through The Ultimate Summer Menu Guide and tonight's dinner was a good example of what you can find in there. For the main course I did the Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Skewers with Smoky Paprika Glaze. Very easy prep using frozen shrimp. I like the 21-25/lb, peeled de-veined, tail on. I thaw them under running water and then take off the tail for convenience. I used a smoked chicken sausage instead of pork. It was an Aidell's product and I can't remember which one; in cases like this if I can't find Andouille I'll look for something a little spicy. The glaze has a great, truly smoky flavor and I coated the skewers liberally. The recipe says to soak bamboo skewers, I didn't and never do. They burn a bit at the ends but no big deal. I did serve with the extra glaze but nobody bothered with it; the skewers were flavorful enough.
I served the shrimp and sausage with Arugula, Fennel, and Apricot Salad, also from The Ultimate Summer Menu Guide. I used four small apricots and that was too much. Slices from 2 large would be fine or even 2-3 small. I also used dry roasted, salted pistachios and that was decadent.

Jerked Chicken

OK, I did it again, I cooked out of Boy Meets Grill with mixed results. This time it was Jerked Chicken with Mango Cilantro Relish. So jerk chicken sounds like a fun thing to prepare and the recipe for the marinade is a pretty incredible concoction. I did mine with two Cornish game hens and let it marinade for 24 hours, something I've never done before. As I was making the marinade I was struck by the number (16) and variety of ingredients and I remember thinking, "if this doesn't impart a flavor, nothing will." So, into a zip-lock bag and into the fridge. Not having a clear idea of what to serve with this I went somewhat caribbean and I decided on a Black Bean and Yellow Rice Salad. The salad came together easily and I liked the turmeric and cumin flavoring and color. The Mango Cilantro relish is a keeper. That combination is killer. The hens cooked up nicely but the marinade left little to no flavor on the chicken. I don't know what to say, I'm determined to try a few more jerk recipes to see if I can get something that pops. As for Bobby Flay, I'm putting this cookbook away.