Tapas Night

Someone couldn't make up their mind on what to cook for dinner. The start of grilling season introduced itself to us this weekend, but since I live my life sans grill (I do have a grill pan, worry not), it's difficult. So as we perused the aisles of Whole Foods, I made some schizophrenic decisions driven by the dreams of a grill. Grilled shrimp, steamed mussels, roasted potatoes and artichoke. Why not? Let's just go ahead and call these random small dishes tapas night, and call it quits. All, might I add, turned out super fantastic.

Grilled Shrimp with Spicy Tomatillo Poblano Sauce

For the grilled shrimp:
1 lb peeled and de-veined shrimp
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 lemon (juice)
salt and pepper
olive oil

For the sauce:
6-8 tomatillos (risked and husks removed)
1 poblano
1 jalapeno
1 yellow onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 lime (juice)
1 handful cilantro leaves (rough chop)
3/4 cup water
salt and pepper

Get the shrimp marinading first, then make the sauce. Marinade the shrimp in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and minced garlic. When the sauce is ready, throw onto a hot grill or grill pan for about 3 minutes per side. Serve with the yummy, spicy sauce below!

Now for the sauce. Char poblano and jalapeno peppers in the broiler or open flame. Keep the skin on, remove the stem and give it a rough chop.

Add the tomatillos to a pot full of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-5 minutes. Drain and quarter when cooled.

In a large mixing bowl, combine tomatillos, poblano and jalapeno peppers, onion, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, 3/4 cup water and salt and pepper. Using an immersion blender, or in a blender, process until smooth.

Transfer back to a sauce pan on the stove top. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and let simmer for about 15 minutes. 

Roasted Artichoke

1 large artichoke
5 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 lemon (juice)
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Start by trimming your artichoke. If you have a man in your life, make him help you. Or just buy a really, really sharp knife. Or start doing cross fit or something. Trim the stem off the bottom so it can sit on its own. That's not the hard part. Next, trim about 1/2 - 1 inch of the top of the leaves off. You want to make sure you remove all the pointy, unedible edges of the leaves. It's really tough and thick.

Next, cut a square of foil and set the trimmed artichoke in it. Wedge your garlic cloves in between some leaves. Next, squeeze your lemon over the artichoke, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Cover the whole thing in foil. Place on a baking sheet and pop into the oven for 1 hour. 

Mix together the mayo and Dijon mustard. When the artichoke is ready, pull off the leaves and dip into the mustard dip. Yum!

Spanish Fingerling Potatoes

1 lb fingerling potatoes (halved)
1/2 tbsp Hungarian paprika
1/2 tbsp turmeric
salt and pepper
olive oil

Easy and delicious. In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper. Mix to coat the potatoes in oil and spices. Transfer to a foil lined baking sheet and pop into a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. We served them with some of the mayo/Dijon dipping sauce, and it was mighty delicious!

We also cooked up one of our all time favorite recipes, which came from our trip to France last year. Katie's Moules Provençale Mussels in a white wine, tomato and garlic sauce. Served with a loaf of bread, and lots of wine. For some more veggies that could be served, make my roasted brussels sprout recipe. 

That's all folks! Make your tapas night however you want, but I hope this gives you a little inspiration.