Mashed Avocado Toasts with Shrimp and Bacon

I've had this several times this week in different variations.

1 ripe avocado

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Sea salt

2 slices whole-grain bread, toasted

Red pepper flakes

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

6 sautéed shrimp with garlic

2 slices of panfried Canadian bacon

 

Cut the avocado in half, remove pit, and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and sea salt, to taste. Mash the ingredients together with a fork, keeping the texture slightly chunky.

Spread half the mash onto each piece of toast and garnish with some red pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil.

Add the bacon and shrimp.

Herbs de Provence Chicken

New York Times recipe that's so simple to make on a weeknight!  I added in a few more ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken legs or 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ to ¾ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Herbes de Provence (Frontier brand)
1 lemon, quartered
8 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled
4 to 6 medium-sized shallots, peeled and halved
⅓ cup dry vermouth
4 sprigs of thyme, for serving
10 Kalamata olives

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow pan, and lightly dredge the chicken in it, shaking the pieces to remove excess flour.

Swirl the oil in a large roasting pan, and place the floured chicken in it. Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence. Arrange the lemon, garlic cloves and shallots around the chicken, then add the vermouth to the pan.

Put the pan in the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then baste it with the pan juices. Continue roasting for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very crisp and the meat cooked through.

Serve in the pan or on a warmed platter, garnished with the thyme.

Buttermilk Roast Chicken

Thought this recipe was neat to make.  It's something i wouldn't think of.  Buttermilk and chicken!  Who knew.

INGREDIENTS

1 4-pound chicken
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
1 tablespoon Maldon or other sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves,    roughly chopped
1 tablespoon honey

PREPARATION

Butterfly chicken by placing breast side down and using heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut along both sides of backbone. Discard backbone, turn chicken over and open it like a book. Press gently to flatten it.

Place chicken in a large freezer bag. Add buttermilk, 1/4 cup oil, garlic, peppercorns, salt, rosemary and honey. Seal bag securely and refrigerate overnight or up to two days.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.Remove chicken from marinade and place on a rack so excess can drip off. Line a roasting pan with foil and place chicken in pan. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Roast for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees. Continue roasting until well browned and until juices run clear when chicken is pierced where leg joins thigh,about another 20 minutes.

Place chicken on a carving board and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. Place a portion on each of four plates, and drizzle each serving with pan juices.

Roasted Feta With Honey and Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes

I made this dish as a accompaniment to the roasted buttermilk chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce slab Greek feta, blotted dry
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Greek thyme honey, or other honey
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Greek-style pita bread, toasted and cut into wedges
• Heirloom tomatoes, roasted beets, nuts or pickled vegetables (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Select a small oven-to-table earthenware dish or a small ovenproof sauté pan lined with aluminum foil to help transfer the cheese to a plate after roasting. Place the feta in the dish and cover with the olive oil. Bake until the cheese is soft and springy to the touch but not melted, about 8 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Heat the honey in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water until it is fluid enough to be spread with a pastry brush and then paint the surface of the feta with it. Broil until the top of the cheese browns and just starts to bubble. Season to taste with black pepper. Serve immediately with pita wedges and, if desired, sliced heirloom tomatoes, roasted beets, nuts or pickled vegetables.

Tomatoes:

Slice in half, brush with olive oil,  salt and pepper.  Roast them for 3 hours at 225°F.

 

Rosemary Focaccia with Cheese

To go along with the French onion soup that Mike made.

Ingredients:

1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup mixed Italian cheese (mozzarella, provolone, asiago, parmesan, romano, and fontina)

Preparation:

Stir together 1 2/3 cups lukewarm (105 to 115°F) water and yeast in bowl of mixer and let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 5 cups flour, 1/4 cup oil, and 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until a dough forms.

Replace paddle with dough hook and knead dough at high speed until soft, smooth, and sticky, 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour. Knead dough 1 minute (it will still be slightly sticky), then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil.

Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, at warm room temperature, until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Press dough evenly into a generously oiled 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan. Let dough rise, covered completely with a kitchen towel, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Stir together rosemary and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Make shallow indentations all over dough with your fingertips, then brush with rosemary oil, letting it pool in indentations. Sprinkle sea salt evenly over focaccia and cheeses.  Bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.  Immediately invert a rack over pan and flip focaccia onto rack, then turn right side up.  Serve warm or at room temperature.