Heavenly Herbed Cheese Spread

Heavenly Herbed Cheese Spread


The Tease

This dish is influenced by Italian, French and Greek culinary cultures. You can make it a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Soft cheeses such as feta, goat cheeses, fresh herbs, thyme, garlic. Serve it cold or at room temperature.

Time To Cook:
• Novice cook: 30-40 minutes
• Experienced cook: 15-20 minutes

Factoid

Ricotta cheese is a wet, creamy, mild, fresh cheese that is soft in texture and has a slightly sweet flavor. Traditional Italian cheese-makers originally produced ricotta from the whey that remained after making mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Ricotta literally means "re-cooked."


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

• 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic

• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

• 1 cup of crumbled feta or goat cheese

• 1 cup of ricotta cheese

• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme

• 1/2 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley

• 1/2 tablespoon of chives

• 1/2 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil

• 1 tablespoon of fresh ground pepper

• Juice of half a lemon

Equipment

• Large bowl

• Small saucepan

• Hand blender, blender or food processor

Preparation (Do it!)

1) In a small frying pan, heat the butter over medium heat and let it melt. Add the garlic and cook the garlic until tender, about 1 minute. Don't let the garlic turn brown.

2) Transfer butter and garlic mixture to a food processor or hand blender and add the rest of the ingredients.

3) Salt and pepper to taste. If the flavor is too strong, you can add more ricotta cheese.


Source: http://www.culinaryseductions.com/

Sassy Spinach and Shrimp Salad

Sassy Spinach and Shrimp Salad

The Tease

I had her at the salad. This was course one of a special two-course dinner I made for Valentine's day. It's unique, tasty and healthy. What makes this salad unique are the zucchini chips. I got the idea to fry up thinly sliced seasoned chips while working out on the treadmill an hour before cooking. Damn yummy. Serve with a glass of Champagne and let the games begin.

Time To Cook:
• Novice cook: 35 minutes
• Experienced cook: 20 minutes

Factoid

Shrimp pack a powerful protein punch - a four ounce serving of shrimp supplies 23.7 grams of protein (that's 47.4% of the daily value for protein.) At 112 calories and less than a gram of fat, this makes them a super-efficient protein provider. Shrimp are also a very good source of vitamin D, selenium and vitamin B12. While they are found throughout almost the entire world (and many countries farm-raise shrimp,) much of the world's supply comes from the United States, South and Central America, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan." Source http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=107


Ingredients

• 3/4 pound of small, cleaned and shelled shrimp

• 1 small bag of organic baby spinach

• 3 medium green squash or zucchini, thinly sliced

• 1-2 tablespoons of steak seasoning, such as Lawry's

• 1/4 cup of canola or vegetable oil (used for frying the zucchini)

• 3-4 teeth of garlic, minced

• Zest of one lemon

• Juice of half a lemon

• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

• 3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon of sea salt

• Pepper to taste

Equipment

• Frying pan

• Large bowl

• Citrus zester (hint you can use the fine teeth of a cheese grater if you don't have a zester)

• Food processer

• Mandolin (it's a French cutting contraption that makes perfect sized and cuts every time)

Don't forget your measuring cups and spoons and cutting board!

Preparation (Do it!)

1) Wash your spinach thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel. You can also use pre-packaged, pre-washed, organic spinach and put that in a bowl after washing and drying.

2) Shell and clean the shrimp (de-vein) or (my suggestion) get shrimp that are already cleaned. Set aside.

3) Use a mandolin (a great chef's tool), food processor, or a knife to thinly slice the zucchini and season with steak/meat seasoning.

4) Fry the chips in the canola oil until brown. Set aside and pat dry with paper towel.

5) Heat up the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the shrimp and cook for approximately one minute on each side. Add the zest, lemon juice and garlic and cook for another minute.

5) Add the balsamic vinegar, toss the mixture with the spinach and season the salad with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Source: http://www.culinaryseductions.com/

Love Me Long Thyme Chicken Salad

Love Me Long Thyme Chicken Salad

The Tease

This is a Lebanese style chopped chicken salad, with thyme, garlic, paprika, lemon, and olive oil.

Time To Cook:
• Novice cook: 30 minutes (not including overnight marinade time)
• Experienced cook: 15 minutes (not including overnight marinade time)

Factoid
The ancient Egyptians used thyme to preserve their dead pharaohs. They believed it was a symbol of great courage. The Greeks used to burn thyme as incense at sacred temples.

Thyme is a versatile healer. It's high on the list of anti-oxidant foods and is a traditional, natural medicine used to help with chest and respiratory problems such as bronchitis and coughs.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of boneless chicken breast - cut into one inch pieces

• 5 cloves of crushed garlic

• 2 teaspoons of minced fresh thyme

• 1 teaspoon of paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (omit if you don�t like spicy food)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice

• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

• 1 heart of romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped

• Balsamic vinegar

• 1 small red onion chopped

• 2 tomatoes chopped

Equipment

• Bowl to mix and marinade the chicken

• Cast-iron pan or grill

Don't forget your measuring cups and spoons and cutting board!

Preparation (Do it!)

1) Combine the chicken, garlic, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate overnight.

2) The next day, combine the lettuce, onion and tomato. Add a splash of oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then set aside.

3) If you are grilling, you can put the pieces on metal or wooden skewers or rosemary twigs. Cook for 5-10 minutes on high turning every 3 minutes, or

4) If you are sauteing, cook over medium high heat until chicken is brown on each side. 5) Serve chicken hot over the cold salad.


Source: http://www.culinaryseductions.com/