Grilled Mint Marinated Lamb chops with Mashed Cauliflower

We can't quite explain why with as much as we both love lamb how few and far between our lamb based meals are made around here. 

Lamb is relatively easily to find for us. Costco, which is a weekly stop for us, actually has delicious and inexpensive racks of lamb chops that make the the best grilled lamb lollipops. We give up? We just don't know why we don't make lamb enough. But we do know that when we do make it we enjoy it greatly. 

This recipe was one where after several weeks of strict Paleo eating we were a bit ready to change it up in order to keep on track. And these lamb chops and some much needed blue sky helped us get out there and get them on the grill. (And grilled lamb chops is by far our most fav way of cooking lamb.)

We adapted an epicurious recipe for grilled lemongrass marinated lamb chops. Mint is one of our preferred herbs with lamb so we made adjustments to the recipe. Switching out mint for the lemongrass was one of the main tweaks.

The lamb chops were perfect. It's important to not overcook lamb chops are they are thin and just don't taste nearly as scrumptious when not cooked medium rare. 

As we were following strict Paleo while making this recipe we made some mashed cauliflower with coconut milk and grilled asparagus to round out the meal. It was a flavor filled and delightful change up to our 30 day Whole Menu plan whether we were following Paleo or not.

RECIPE:

Grilled Mint Marinate Lamb Chops with Mashed Cauliflower

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and cooled

1-2 Cups fresh mint leaves 

1 large shallots, chopped (or 1/2 cup)

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

3 tablespoons water

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 thin lamb chops cut into lollipops

1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 cup small fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup small fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Finely grind cumin seeds in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

Roughly chop fresh mint leaves. Purée mint, shallots, garlic, ginger, cumin, sugar, salt, turmeric, cayenne, and water in a food processor, scraping down side occasionally, until as smooth as possible, about 2 minutes. (Paste will not be completely smooth.)

Pat lamb chops dry and rub mint paste all over them, then arrange in 1 layer in a 13- by 9-inch dish. Marinate, covered and chilled, at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.

Prepare grill for cooking over direct heat with over gas or charcoal grill. Loosening lamb from grill with a metal spatula, turning over occasionally, and moving around on grill when flare-ups occur, 9 to 11 minutes total for medium-rare. (Some of mint paste will fall off.) Transfer chops to a platter and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes. 

Whisk together lime zest and juice, remaining 1/4 cup oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over chops and sprinkle with herbs.

Mashed Cauliflower:

Steam 1 head cauliflower until cooked. Transfer cauliflower to blender or food processor. Add 1/2 - 3/4 Cup coconut milk to blender. Generously season with salt & pepper. Blend until smooth. 

Caprese Style Turkey Burgers

When G & I first met if it wasn't a turkey or veggie burger I wasn't eating it. My how times change over almost 20 some years. As much as we both love a good beef burger now we do still enjoy a good turkey or veggie burger on occasion as well. But turkey tends to need some good seasoning to give it adequate flavor.

We are often trying to experiment with different burger flavors. This last summer we experimented with turkey and tried to mix it with one of our favorite summer treats, Caprese salad.

We added diced fresh mozzarella and chopped tomato and basil to our turkey burger. 

These burgers were nice for a good alternative to a rich beef burger but truly if we want a refreshing Caprese salad we will most likely continue to just make the salad.

We know a lot of people add binders to their burgers but we don't typically. They don't make for a beautiful burger but they don't get hindered with with unwanted flavors.

RECIPE:

Caprese Style Turkey Burgers:

1 lb. Ground turkey

1/2 Cup diced fresh mozzarella

1/3 Cup chopped tomato

1/4 Cup chopped fresh basil 

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

To ground turkey gently mix the mozzarella, tomato, basil, garlic, salt & pepper. When mixed form 4-6 burgers depending on the size of your buns. Grill burgers until firm. Serve on onion rolls with lettuce. 

Squid and Fennel Pasta with Lemon & Herbs

Maybe because it's been raining for like 30 days straight here or because light and fresh food are calling our names, either way this Squid and Fennel Pasta with Lemon & Herbs that we made during this last summer has become worthy of sharing and is sounding pretty delicious right about now. 

We love calamari and/or squid, but mostly at a restaurant. Of course deep fried is always great at happy hour or sauteed as an appetizer before a great Italian meal but it's rare that we cook it at home. Mostly because the odor is fairly strong and it's so delicate to make well. 

So on this late summer night we agreed we'd make this fresh squid recipe that we found in Bon Appetit magazine but that we'd make it outside on the grill. 

We sauteed the fennel and veggies on the side burner but we grilled the squid on the grill separately and added it to the pasta. Squid is very delicate you have to cook it so carefully to not over cook it and keep it tender and flavorful. We've all had rubbery calamari, really is there nothing worse? Well maybe overcooked clams or any type of seafood actually.

This was a great summer pasta dish enjoyed out on the patio with a great Pacific Northwest Sauvignon Blanc. Both the lemon and herb flavors gave it a fresh and delicate flavor that a hot late summer day calls for. Looking forward to one of those warm DRY days to come soon.

RECIPE:

Squid and Fennel Pasta with Lemon & Herbs (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound squid (bodies and tentacles), bodies sliced ¼ inch thick

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthwise, plus 2 tablespoons fronds

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ lemon, seeds removed, very thinly sliced, divided

12 ounces linguine or fettuccine

½ cup parsley leaves with tender stems

Preparation

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over high. Working in 2 batches, season squid with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 3 minutes (don’t overcook or it’ll get rubbery). Transfer to a small bowl.

Reduce heat to medium-high and heat 2 Tbsp. oil in skillet (no need to wipe out). Add fennel slices, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and soft, 10–12 minutes (some nicely browned bits should be stuck to skillet). Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and half of lemon slices; cook, tossing occasionally, until garlic and lemon are soft, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 ½ cups pasta cooking liquid.

Add pasta to skillet along with 1 cup cooking liquid. Toss, scraping up any browned bits; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing and adding more cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Add squid and give it all another toss to combine.

Toss parsley, fennel fronds, remaining lemon slices, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Serve pasta topped with salad.

Squash Fritter Beef Sliders with Sriracha Mayo

One of the many benefits of Paleo eating is the motive to get creative with our tried and true recipes. 

Beef sliders on small brioche buns are one of our favorite treats. So we've had beef slider lettuce wraps several times since going over to our 80% Paleo lifestyle. But we were looking for a way to get a little creative with our sliders for a change. I came across this recipe for Spaghetti Squash Fritters with Sriracha Mayonnaise in a recent Sunset Magazine. 

And I started thinking if we used butternut squash in place of the spaghetti squash we could possibly use it as a bun for some beef sliders. And we just happened to have a butternut squash waiting to used. So we tweaked the recipe a bit but not too much. 

We pretty much followed the recipe for the fritters as directed with exception of swapping butternut for spaghetti squash. We cooked the split squash in the microwave as directed but it took much longer than stated. But overall it worked fairly slick. We scrapped the soft squash out and mixed it with the other ingredients.

We essentially made open face beef sliders, with some romaine, sliced tomato and avocado on top of the squash fritter, served with the Sriracha mayo. Don't skip the Sriracha mayo it definitely was the icing on the cake.

This was a nice change up from our lettuce wrap sliders of late. To be honest maybe a little more work than we will usually want to go through for a quick beef slider kind of night but if we have the time they are worth the work.

RECIPE:

Squash Fritter Beef Sliders with Sriracha Mayo

Squash Fritters

• 1 (2-pound) butternut squash
• 1 (8-ounce) package baby spinach
• 1/2 cup panko 
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large egg whites 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds; discard. Place squash halves, cut sides up, in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave at HIGH 20 minutes or until tender. Let stand 10 minutes. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove cooked squash flesh to measure 4 cups.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Place squash and spinach on a clean dish towel; squeeze until barely moist. Coarsely chop squash mixture, and place in a large bowl. Add panko and next 3 ingredients (through baking powder), and toss well to combine. Place egg whites in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into squash mixture.
• Fill a 1/4-cup dry measuring cup with squash mixture. Invert onto work surface; gently pat into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture, forming 10 patties total. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add 5 patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove patties from pan; keep warm. Repeat the procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and squash patties.
•  Beef Sliders
• 1 lb. grass fed ground beef
• 1/2 Tblspn. natural burger seasoning ( we used Weber's)
• Salt & Pepper
• 
  
• Mix seasoning with beef. Form 8 small slider sized burgers. Grill until medium-rare ( or cook as desired.
• Sriracha Mayo
• 5 teaspoons Paleo Mayo
• 1 Tablespoon Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• Mix together.
• 
  
• Stack burgers on top of squash fritters, garnish with lettuce, tomato slices, avocado and Sriracha mayo.

• 
  

Fajita Lettuce Wraps with Chipotle Aioli

The cuisine or cooking style we probably cook the most has to be Mexican inspired. Our fav chefs being Rick Bayless and Bobby Flay. And then there is the spicy quotient that we love as well. G's fav breakfast to make is his version of Huevos Rancheros whether made here in the PNW or in Mexico. There is just something about these flavors that make us very happy & satisfied.

Most of the components of Mexican food fit into our Paleo lifestyle with exception of tortillas and cheese of course. And this recipe was a perfect adaptation of our non-Paleo cooking style with our most loved flavors.

Flank steak rubbed with great spices and grilled medium-rare. Served with a chipotle aioli and caramelized veggies. Now the one unsatisfying part of this dish was how the juices dripped down your arm because the iceberg lettuce just couldn't contain them. Yeah, that's an issue. Next time we will use romaine instead or just serve it all over greens and skip the whole wrap thing all together. 

But truly that's the only thing to complain about this recipe. This was by far the best meal we've had during our Whole 30 challenge and we're 14 days in. This will also become part of regular Paleo recipe rotation.

RECIPE:

Fajita Lettuce Wraps with Chipotle Aioli (adapted from the 30 Day Guide to Paleo Cooking)

1/2 Tblspn chipotle powder

1 Tblspn smoked paprika

1 Tblspn onion powder

1 Tblspn garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 Tblspns ghee (clarified butter)

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 cup white mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

1/2 lb. flank steak

Chipotle Aioli

1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise

1 chipotle with adobo sauce, minced

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 avocado

1. In small bowl combine dry spices, salt & pepper

2. Melt ghee in large skillet over medium-high heat. 

3. Add the red pepper, mushrooms, and onions to the skillet and saute' seasoning liberally with the spice mixture.

4. When the veggies are soft.

5. Season with flank steak with spices. Heat grill, cook flank steak to medium-rare.

6. Let steak rest. When rested slice thinly.

7. Mix mayo with chipotle. 

8. Place the steak and vegetables in a lettuce cup, and top with avocado and chipotle aioli.

Lamb Chops with Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

We are getting ready to take on the Whole 30 challenge again very shortly. In anticipation of this upcoming food restriction for 30 whole days we wanted to indulge in a few of the things that we know we will miss before it is too late.

One of those things being Thai flavored peanut sauce.  We grilled some lamb chops and made this super tasty recipe for Thai peanut sauce that we found from Food & Wine.

It was super simple and so satisfied our Thai Peanut sauce craving. The sauce was fairly thick but very well flavored.

RECIPE:

Lamb Chops with Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce (Adapted from Food & Wine)

2 large garlic cloves

1/3 cup cilantro leaves

1/3 cup unsalted natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

Eight 1-inch-thick loin lamb chops (about 2 pounds)

1. In a food processor, pulse the garlic and cilantro until finely chopped. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the lamb; pulse until a paste forms. Spread 1/4 cup of the paste over the lamb chops.
2. In a saucepan, whisk remaining paste with 1/3 cup of water. Warm the sauce over low heat; it should be pourable.
3. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Grill the chops over a medium-high fire for 4 minutes per side, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a chop registers 125° to 130° for medium rare. Transfer the chops to a platter. Spoon some warm peanut sauce over the lamb chops and serve, passing the extra sauce on the side

Grilled Pork Chops with Wild Mushroom Sauce

This week for Gutsy Cooks Club we choose Top Chef's Marcel Vigneron's recipe for Grilled Pork Chops with Wild Mushroom Sauce from Season 2. If you are a Top Chef fan you must remember Marcel and his arrogant smirk and demeanor. 

He may be both arrogant and smirky but let me tell you this recipe rocked! 

We started with some bone in pork chops I picked up at  one of only two local butcher shops we have close by.

We made several adjustments to the original recipe. First, instead of the bacon and cabbage he has to be served as the side we switched to pancetta and kale. Cooked the exact same way. Second, we used baby portobello mushrooms (crimini) as I just am not a huge fan of portobellos for some reason. Third, we omitted the whipping cream and subbed a flavored creamy garlic and chive cheese for the called for cream cheese. Mostly because my goal was to pick up everything we needed for the meal at the butcher's and they didn't have cream cheese but they did have a flavored cheese, sort of like Boursin just a different brand. We just didn't feel the potatoes needed the whipping cream as well. 

At first we were concerned this was going to be a lot to take on after both of our 1st real day back to work and for our self made anniversary dinner. But really it was pretty quick. It did helped we made it together with a glass of Oregon sparkling wine in hand.

We layered our dish with the components of the recipe on the plate.

First,

 Then, 

Next, 

Finally,

We could tell immediately this was going to be pretty darn tasty given all of the components and how well they match together. 

We have to say the mushroom sauce was just weird. It was a strange texture and color, almost looked like a pate'. But the overall taste was good. We did additionally add a little heavy cream to mushrooms instead of just water to make them at least a little creamy. But it was not really a sauce.

We served the meal with a FANTASTIC 2007 Washington, Horse Heaven Hills Syrah from Robert Ramsey. It was a perfect syrah and truly perfectly paired with the meal.

Now that we enjoyed this recipe so much I guess I have to become a bit less of a Marcel hater I suppose.

Recipe:

Grilled Pork Chops with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

PORK CHOPS
4 medium pork chops
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

MASHED POTATOES:
6 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1 1/2 pints heavy whipping cream
2 sticks butter
2 ounces creme fraiche
4 ounces cream cheese
Grated nutmeg, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

MUSHROOM SAUCE:
6 portobello mushrooms
3 heads of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

CABBAGE AND BACON:
4 cups cabbage, cut as thinly as possibly
4-6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

PORK CHOPS:

Lightly brush each pork chop with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill pork chops to desired doneness.

MASHED POTATOES:

Peel and dice potatoes. Place in large pot and cover with cold water to the depth of one inch. Cook over low heat until potatoes are tender, being careful not to let the water boil. Remove from heat and drain. Let potatoes cool slightly. Process potatoes in a food mill, transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Combine cream and butter in a small pan and cook over medium low until cream is warm and butter has melted.

Mix cream mixture, crème fraîche, and cream cheese into potatoes. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

MUSHROOM SAUCE:

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Wrap garlic in foil and roast in oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until very soft.

Remove stems and gills from portobello mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Place portobellos on rimmed baking sheet and cover with foil. Roast in oven for 10 to 20 minutes, until tender. Squeeze garlic from skin. Combine with mushrooms in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process, adding 1 tablespoon water at a time, until mixture is smooth.

CABBAGE AND BACON:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cabbage and blanch until tender. Drain and transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water. Let sit until cool. Remove and drain well.

Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove from pan to a paper towel-lined plate.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cabbage and bacon and stir to combine. Cook until cabbage begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

© 2013 Marcel Vigneron

Chipotle Cherry Chicken Wings

One food we seem to enjoy year round is chicken wings. We enjoy them so many different ways but most often spicy and grilled. And this version fit those requirements as well.

We've made this Chipotle Cherry Barbecue Sauce recipe found on Epicurious lots of times now over the years. Most recently we whipped up a batch on 4th of July for my sister's pool party to be used on our smoked gouda stuffed turkey burgers that I forgot to get photos of unfortunately. 

Since we have always enjoyed this sauce I actually made a triple batch to share with friends but to also have some on hand for future summer grilling escapades such as this lazy, beautiful Wednesday evening. 

On this mid week evening we were both thinking wings were sounding pretty darn good. I found our jar of the chipotle cherry bbq sauce in the fridge and decided we'd give grilled wings with the sauce a try, served with a strawberry spinach salad.

G cleaned up the wings per his usual type A way (thank goodness). We grilled them simply at first with salt & pepper. 

After they were pretty well cooked we then brushed them lightly with the chipotle cherry sauce to give them a little bit of caramelizing that we love on grilled wings.

Once the wings were done we then tossed them in a little more sauce and served them with our strawberry spinach salad and a Washington 2012 Tempranillo from our Lake Chelan vacation that paired perfectly. 

The wings and sauce were great. I think there are better ways we both enjoy our wings and the sauce separately but this worked for a mid week "Lets Eat" kind of meal. 

RECIPE:

Chipotle-Cherry Barbecue Sauce

From: Bon Appétit  | July 2010 by Steven Raichlen, Francine Maroukian, and the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup cherry preserves (We also added some canned whole cherries with juice to give a chunky texture)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can ( we used 3 to go spicy)
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Bring ketchup, cherry preserves, lemon juice, molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, lemon peel, chiles, adobo sauce, liquid smoke, onion powder, and cocoa powder to simmer in medium saucepan, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.

GCC: Grilled Shrimp Panzanella Salad

Sometimes experimenting with flavors pays off. This week for Gutsy Cooks Club Marie from Weekend Viands set us on a path for making Panzanella  Salad. We are fans of this salad especially during the summer months.

But to be honest we had just arrived home from a 5 day road trip with a pretty sick pup so we were feeling mostly just 'done' and in need for comfort. I had ran to the store to get rice and lean ground beef to start the bland diet for our pup that the vet recommended and I decided to pick up everything to make a grilled tomato shrimp spaghetti. Obviously I had forgot about this week's Gutsy Cooks Club assignment. Once I did remember I quickly went into "Gutsy" mode and started thinking how to merge my original pasta idea with the panzanella.

I decided to essentially go with a grilled version and add some shrimp. Hey, it's worth giving a shot. I knew the flavors would mesh well and one of the things I'm not a huge fan of in a panzanella salad is the mealy texture. So I thought grilling the bread might help with that. I know this makes it not so traditional and for panzanella purists it might even be sac-religious but hey that's what our Gutsy Cooks Club is all about.

I started by prepping all my flavors for the salad. Here's new tip I learned. To keep your wooden skewers from charring up on the grill it helps to soak them in water. I never seem to have a vessel long enough to soak them in. But a wine bottle is the perfect size. And we always happen to have an empty wine bottle or two laying around here.

 I filled one with water and put the skewers inside. I had to put a little weight on the top to hold them down but this is the best vessel I've found for this purpose thus far. I pulled some basil off my plant that was begging for water when we returned from our trip today.

I first wrapped my garlic in foil and got it onto the grill to get it good and soft to make the anchovy, caper, garlic paste that I used to flavor the dressing.

And hopefully later in the summer I might even get to pull a few tomatoes off our plant too. It was looking a bit sickly today but hopefully after some good watering soaks in it will look better tomorrow.

I got everything grilling and started my dressing following the paste technique from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, by Marcella Hazan  using anchovies, garlic and capers. 

I didn't use anchovy fillets but rather the paste we use often for making Cesar dressing. I also roasted the garlic to get the sweet flavor too. 

I ground it all together and made it a paste to add to the dressing. 

Once I started seeing how lovely and charred the tomatoes were getting I knew this grilling idea was going to work well. 

And look at those grill marks on the bread about this time G was digging the idea even better too. Marie recommended making the homemade Olive Oil Bread for the salad. There were about 100 reasons why that wasn't going to happen for our attempt this week. But it was a thought to ponder if I was making the salad in late September when baking in the oven might be more logical than it was today. I used Greg's favorite Artisan Asiago bread with a chewy crust and heavy structure since we were looking to avoid the mushy texture.

Once the shrimp and the dressing were done it was time to start layering the salad in my favorite panzanella salad bowl. I started with the grilled bread.

Followed by the slightly charred and almost caramelized red onions.

And then the most perfectly grilled tomatoes that just slid off the skewer and immediately made the salad smell fantastic.

Followed finally by the grilled shrimp and basil.

The last touch was slowly adding the dressing and tossing carefully.

It was immediately beautiful and so aromatic.

This was a huge hit, the bread perfectly absorbed the dressing and flavors but kept it's structure enough to not turn into mush.

And the grilled onions and tomatoes made the most luscious flavors together. And the shrimp just made it feel like more of a complete meal.

We really loved this salad, we wish it wouldn't of been so hot out so we would of had more of an appetite since the leftovers probably are not going to taste so hot tomorrow. But it was so good we just had to test it out. 

To go to Marie's blog to see her version go here.

To see the original recipe from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, by Marcella Hazan go here.