Shrimp with Tomatoes, Oregano, and Feta Cheese

Shrimp and Feta... can you argue with those two ingredients? Tonight I was gifted with a pound and a half of shrimp and asked to make something. As you all know, this is my dream! I found this simple, yet tasty, recipe in my cookbook from the Culinary Institute of America. As suggested in the cookbook, I decided to broil it before serving. It adds a nice color to the dish.

Shrimp with Tomatoes, Oregano, and Feta Cheese Makes 4 servings 1 1/2 lb. large shrimp (16/20 count), shelled and deveined Salt as needed Freshly ground black pepper as needed 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup chopped yellow onion 2 tsp. minced garlic 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne 2 Tbsp. chopped oregano 1 cup Tomato Sauce 1 tsp. sugar 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 4 slices crusty bread

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat until is shimmers. Add the shrimp and saute, turning as necessary until the shrimp are bright pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and keep warm.

Add the onion garlic, cayenne, and oregano to the pan and saute, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, reduce the heat to low, and bring to a simmer. Season the sauce to taste with sugar, salt, and pepper. Return the shrimp to the sauce and simmer very slowly until the shrimp is completely cooked, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the shrimp to a serving dish (or individual gratin dishes). Top the shrimp with the sauce and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Serve very hot, topped with the chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Poached Eggs with Baked Feta and Olives

I think feta cheese and kalamata olives is one of the best flavor combinations that exists. I was intrigued by baking the feta and also the use of egg. I can tell you that the egg added a richness to the texture but also cut the richness of the strong flavors. A perfect combination!

The recipe calls for focaccia but I just used some crusty artisan bread and it was perfect. Also, I had to go out and buy a gratin for this recipe. But it was just an excuse to get some more kitchen goodies.

Poached Eggs with Baked Feta and Olives 6 servings Six 3-inch squares of rosemary focaccia, halved horizontally 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing 10 ounces feta cheese, cut into 6 slabs Aleppo pepper or ancho chile powder, for sprinkling 6 large eggs Salt 18 pitted kalamata olives 1 tablespoon chopped sage

Preheat the broiler and position a rack 6 inches from the heat. Bring a large deep skillet of water to a simmer. Brush the focaccia with olive oil and broil until lightly toasted. Put a slap of feta into each of 6 individual gratin dishes. Drizzle each slap with 1 teaspoon of the oil. sprinkle lightly with Aleppo pepper and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned and sizzling.

Meanwhile, crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl, then slide them into the simmering water. Poach until the whites are set but the yuolks are sill runny, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to the gratin dishes and season with salt. Sprinkle with Aleppo pepper, the olives and sage. Serve with focaccia.

#83: Feta Cheesecake

This Feta Cheesecake always seemed to be one of the most interesting items on Food and Wine's 100 tastes to try in 2007. Coming in at #83, for deserts using pungent cheese, I went so far as to order French feta online while I lived in Florida. Something happened - maybe that was when my back went out - that caused me to not be able to make the cake.

It all worked out for the best though because I got to make it for a family dinner. It really did take about 5 hours from start to finish as I spent most of the day on it. This time I was lucky to find FRESH French Feta at my local Whole Foods Market. It is such a fabulous cheese I will buy it in the future just to munch on.

As you can see by the online recipe, it is not a traditional cheesecake. Instead, you stack a 3-inch square of cheese cake in between two layers of baked phyllo dough. It adds a wonderful flavor and crunch. Top it off with your desired amount of wine-poached date sauce and you are in for a fabulous dessert.