shrimp & avocado ceviche

So ceviche. I've heard a lot about. Never tried it...until now. It's good! It's also more of an appetizer, which Dan and I learned the hard way. Still, yummy. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 pound shrimp - peeled, deveined and chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

Place the shrimp and lime juice into a large bowl, and stir to coat. Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque (they seriously change color). The lime juice will "cook" them. Mix in the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro until coated with lime juice as well, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove from the refrigerator, and mix in the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, salt and pepper.

That's it. So friggin' simple. Really delicious though. Went great with Saltines. Also note: this probably made enough for 4-8 people.

Bon chappétit!

bacon-wrapped dates w/ manchego & mint

Yes, that's one heck of a title! This past Sunday, Dan and I skipped our usual dinner to attend a wine and cheese party at Susan's (hey Susan!). We still wanted to cook something, so we tried out hand at appetizers. I'd also had a request from Jes (hey Jes!) a few weeks back to make something with manchego cheese. This one seemed to fit the bill. Here's what you'll need:

• 32 dates
• 16 strips of bacon
• 1 block of manchego cheese
• 1 bunch of mint

Begin by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Make a hole in the smallest end of each date. Using a pair of needle nose pliers or tweezers (washed first, of course), remove the pits.  Set aside.

Next, slice the cheese into 32 strips that are a bit shorter than the length of the dates, and small enough to fit in the hole left by the pits. These are roughly 1"x1/4"x1/4"...ish. Wash the mint bunch and pluck off 32 leaves. The last step of prep is to take the bacon and slice all of them in half lengthwise.

Now for the assembly. Place a mint leaf of the hole of each date. Using one slice of cheese, push the leaf and cheese into the cavity, and pinch the end shut with your fingers. Wrap each date in a 1/2 slice of bacon, and secure with a toothpick.

Place all of the assembled dates on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove them from the oven, flip, and then return for another 10 minutes, or until the bacon appears done. Let cool slightly before serving.

This was a truly awesome appetizer. Really different, really tasty - we got quite a few compliments. Try it out sometime.

Bon chappétit!

bruschetta w/ asparagus pesto

Last weekend I made a special trip up to my friend Ben's place (pictured below). He'd spotted a recipe for an asparagus pesto in The Times that he wanted to try. They recommended using it over fish, chicken or pasta. However, we decided to make a great little appetizer out of it by using it on traditional bruschetta.  Here's what you'll need:


For the Pesto:

• 1 lb. asparagus
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup parmesan, grated
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Bruschetta:

• 1 loaf Italian bread
• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
• Chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 giant ball of bufala mozzarella (or any other variety, if you want to be lame), sliced

Begin by combining the tomatoes, basil and olive oil for the bruschetta in a bowl, along with a dash of salt and pepper. Set these aside to marinade.

Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a dash of salt.  Trim the asparagus ends and add to the boiling water, cooking until fully tender, about 6-8 minutes.  Drain, but be sure to reserve some of the cooking liquid.  Let the asparagus cool slightly.

Transfer the asparagus to a food processor and add the garlic, pine nuts, 2 tablespoons of oil, parmesan, and a couple tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Process the mixture, and gradually add the remaining oil.  Add the lemon juice and salt/pepper and pulse one last time. Set aside

Slice your bread 1/4-1/2" thick.  Place a spoonful of the tomatoes mixture on top of each slice, then cover with mozzarella. Arrange these on a cookie sheet and broil until the cheese begins to melt over the sides.  Remove and let cool.

Place a teaspoon of the asparagus mixture on top of each and serve. This was serious - not lying here - INCREDIBLE! We ate so much, we barely had room for the steaks we made later. Ben actually didn't eat much of his at all, which means I had 1.5 steaks.  In my eyes, that's an even GREATER testament to the awesomeness of these bruschette :)

Bon chappétit!