There were 20 ladies in all, which is the largest shower I've attended, no less hosted. This made for a fun opportunity to go against the "norm" for shower food and really try to serve some spectacular dishes. I served Grilled Lemon Chicken with Dipping Sauce, Moroccan couscous, Bruschetta with Feta and Balsamic Vinegar, fruit salad, banana chocolate chip muffins, Lime Curd Tart and pomegranate orange punch. I have to say my favorite recipe from this shower was the Grilled Lemon Chicken with Dipping Sauce, hands down. I found myself returning to the dipping sauce with a spoon throughout the afternoon, just to remind myself of how delicious it was. It's a Barefoot Contessa recipe, and a classic example of putting the most work and effort into a sauce that is served with something as simple as grilled lemon chicken. It is an absolutely incredible recipe. I think it would also be delicious served as a pasta dish, using the dipping sauce as the pasta sauce and serving the chicken with it, along with some Asian vegetables such as peapods, carrots and bean sprouts.
I want to thank my mom for all the help she put into the shower with me. I couldn't have done it without her! I also want to thank Stacy and Jewell for preparing the incredible fruit salad and Alyson and Rachel for the wonderful punch! It was such a help to have you all contribute to the special day and I know Steph appreciated it.
Bruschetta with Feta (or Gorgonzola Dolce) and Balsamic Vinegar
thanks to my head chef, Zach Sabri for showing me his mad bruschetta skills!
1 loaf baguette, sliced in 1" slices (slice at an angle for maximum topping space!)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered lengthwise (making small matchsticks)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
4 leaves basil, chopped in a chiffonade
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Lemon juice squeezed from one half of a lemon
A few ounces feta or Gorgonzola dolce cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp Grana Padano cheese, grated (optional)
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Combine cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, parsley, 3 Tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a small bowl.
Place slices of baguette on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until slightly crispy just starting to brown around edges.
Spoon tomato topping onto toasted baguette pieces. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Top with crumbled feta or Gorgonzola dolce cheese and grana padano cheese (if desired) and a small amount of cracked ground pepper.
Return to oven, and bake until cheese is melted and toast is light brown. Note that the feta cheese will not melt as much as Gorgonzola, so watch the toasts closely if using feta so the bruschetta does not burn.
Remove from oven, and give the bruschetta one more olive oil drizzle before serving hot.
Grilled Lemon Chicken Skewers with Satay Dip
this recipe is an adaptation of a recipe courtesy Barefoot Contessa
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
3/4 cup good olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, halved and skin removed
Satay Dip, recipe follows
Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
Heat a charcoal grill. Grill the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Cool slightly and cut diagonally in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Skewer with wooden sticks and serve with Satay Dip.
Satay Dip:
1 Tbsp good olive oil
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
2/3 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger root
1/4 tspcrushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp good red wine vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
Cook the olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, ginger root, and red pepper flakes in a small, heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat until the onion is transparent, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, ketchup and lime juice; cook for 1 more minute. Cool and use as a dip for Grilled Lemon Chicken skewers.
Lime Curd Tart
this recipe courtesy Barefoot Contessa
Tart Shell:
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
Filling:
4 limes at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.
Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Remove the zest of 4 limes with a vegetable peeler or zester, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the limes to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the zest is very finely minced. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lime zest. Add-- the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lime juice and salt. Mix until combined.
Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lime curd will thicken at about 175 degrees F, or just below a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Fill the tart shell with warm lime curd and allow to set at room temperature. Once set, serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
