APPETIZER NIGHT

Oh how I love Friday. Friday is my favorite day of the week, it’s the end of the work week, beginning of the weekend and usually means HAPPY HOUR! My husband and I both have a soft spot for a good cocktail and some yummy munchies. So this Friday I decided to have Appetizer night at our house, I chilled a bottle of buttery Chardonnay and began deciding our menu.

After a long week of work, my goal is to have a nice glass of wine and good conversation, so limiting the time in the kitchen is key. As I scan our options I remembered I had some flat bread dough in the freezer (from a few nights back) and some frozen shrimp and so La Robertson Cucina dinner begins.....

FLAT BREAD PIZZA 

This is one of my favorite recipes because it is a yeast free dough, it is a great way to make homemade dough without much prep time. I love the flavor the grill offers the pizza and by placing it under the broiler the last few minutes of cooking I still get that golden brown cheesy topping I crave. Though I have tweaked the original recipe I must give credit where credit is due. I first saw this recipe in Giada De Laurentiis cook book, Giada at Home . Giada is one of my favorite chefs, I find her recipes refreshing and simplistic. We not only share in a love of our Italian heritage but she also believes in local, fresh ingredients.Thank you Giada!

3 ½ cups of flour (I prefer ½ all purpose and ½ wheat)

½ tsp of baking soda

1/3 cup of butter (unsalted, cut into small pieces, room temperature)

1 tsp of Italian Seasoning (optional)

1/3 tsp of Garlic Powder (optional)

1 tsp salt

Combine flour, baking soda, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl or standing mixer. Add the butter and mix until incorporated. Once everything is incorporated slowly add approx 2/3 cup of water, you are looking for the dough to form a ball. This is easiest in a stand up mixer though I have down it by hand when in a pinch. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Separate the dough into 4 equal balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for about 30 min.

Since there are just two of us in my household at this point I freeze two dough balls for later use. Just another bonus, I use the dough for just about anything…pita bread, flat buns, etc. Place dough back on your lightly floured surface and roll to desired thickness. Remember there is no yeast in this dough so it rises very little during cooking. Drizzle olive oil over the dough and place on hot grill, grill on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes or until grill marks appear.

Depending on what type of pizza you're craving and or what is in your fridge at the time this can vary. I made two white pies with a little Lightlife's Gimme Lean fake sausage to top.

PIZZA TOPPING

½ cup of Mozzarella Cheese Shredded

½ cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese Shredded

1 cup of Low Fat Ricotta Cheese

1 tsp of Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp of Red Pepper Flake

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 slices of Lightlife’s Gimme Lean Fake Sausage (grilled and cut into small pieces)

Mix salt and pepper, Italian Seasoning and Ricotta Cheese together. Lightly spread across the top of each pizza. Then sprinkle on the remaining cheeses and meat, place under the broiler until cheese has melted and  slightly browned.

CAJUN SHRIMP

Shrimp is one of my go to proteins; we almost always have a bag in our freezer. I prefer to let the professionals peel, clean and devein those little guys making the preparation of the meal that much easier. I love shrimp because of their versatility . Plus, what other protein can you throw a few spices on, throw them on a grill and voila it’s time to eat!

20 Med Shrimp (cleaned and deveined w/ tails on)

½ smoked paprika

½ ground cayenne red pepper

1 tbsp chili powder

2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

2 tbsp of olive oil

Salt and pepper

In a large bowl drizzle olive oil over shrimp, add garlic and spices over shrimp. Mix together, making sure each shrimp has been coated. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Pre-heat your grill or grill pan to a medium to high heat. Drizzle olive oil on your pan or use any type of grill spray, place the shrimp on the grill, turning after 3 to 4 minutes. Shrimp should only take about 6 to 8 minutes to cook. When the shrimp turn pink to orange, they are ready to be pulled off. This recipe is for frozen shrimp, if you are using fresh or thawed shrimp adjust the cooking time to 4 to 6 minutes.

I hope you enjoy these Friday night pleasers as much as we did
Salute!


*Please bear with me as I evolve my skills in food photography*

VEGETARIAN NIGHT

Growing up in the Midwest, dinner just wasn’t dinner without some type of meat. When I met my husband he was a Vegetarian and had been for 7 years. It was an interesting concept to me, I mean I love vegetables but never considered a meat free diet.  I dove into the task of creating veggie centered meals and two years later I found myself a vegetarian by circumstance.  As much as I enjoyed being a vegetarian and discovering new foods, I missed the many flavors that a great piece of protein had to offer. So, now as two reformed carnivores, we still incorporate meat free dinners three or four times a week. 

As I surveyed the options I decided on Chickpea burgers, though my husband knows them as Veggie Burgers due to his weird aversion of chickpeas. Call me sneaky but he loves these burgers and wouldn’t even give them a try if they were labeled “Chickpea”, so that can be our little secret. 

I love these burgers due to their versatility; I make 6 burgers at dinner and can have lunch or even a re-purposed dinner with the leftovers throughout the week. Enjoying them as a burger on the first night, on top of rice the next and possibly even in a soup or veggie stew. These little patties are packed with protein and are a great meat replacement.

Veggie “AKA Chickpea” Burgers

1 Can (15 ounces) of Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

1 ½ Carrot

2 cloves of Garlic

¼ of a large Onion

3 or 4 springs of Thyme (removed from stems)

1tsp of paprika

¼ cup of Bread Crumbs

½ cup of Flour (plus extra for forming patties)

¼ cup of fresh parsley or cilantro

1 Egg

Begin with heating up your grill pan, thinly slice carrots and onion and place on grill pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill for about 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and place in a food processor or blender. Add all remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and pulse. I prefer a rather chunky burger, so pulse is a better option for me but feel free to blend/process to your liking. If your mix seems too runny, add flour a tablespoon at a time until you reach your preferred consistency. Lightly flour your working space, form 6 burgers, lightly flouring each side. This makes it much easier to form as well as stay intact during cooking. Lightly drizzle your grill pan with olive oil or spray with a cooking spray. Cook on each side for 5 to 7 minutes at medium heat or until you have nice grill marks and the burger is warmed all the way through. Once you have flipped your burger you can add the cheese of your choice.

Before removing the burgers lightly toast your buns. I then top the burgers with our favorite Verde Salsa from Trader Joe's but the other options could be; avocado, lettuce, tomatoes. 

*This recipe is very adaptable, I often substitute the carrots with red peppers or any other vegetable I have on hand at that time. Keep your burgers on the thin side about ½ inch or the texture will be a little off.*

I hope you enjoy this light alternative to a heavy burger.