Grape Focaccia

I usually make this focaccia in the fall months when the moscato grapes are in season and local. It's one of my favourite focaccia's to snack on. Great with a nice piece of parmesan cheese. But I couldn't resist making it today after I saw and bought moscato grapes at the grocery store. The moscato grape is a little sweeter than most grapes and that's why it also makes a nice dessert wine, which btw, I also love!

The dough for this focaccia is a little less dense than my pizza dough. It's a little softer and more tender. I find it produces a dough that is light and airy. I don't even knead it. I just mix with my hands until the flour and water are combined. It's a very forgiving dough recipe that my mom always made.You can definitely use this dough for pizza too.

I made my dough the night before and left it on the counter at room temperature until the next day when I was ready to stretch it out in my pan. You can also make it in the morning, the day of. I used a 12x17 jelly roll pan.

Moscato Grape Focaccia

For the Dough

2 teaspoon dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon honey
4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water
olive oil

For the Topping

Moscato grapes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped

Dissolve the yeast and honey in the warm water and let stand for 10 minutes. The yeast should become foamy. Place the flour in a large enough bowl that the dough can double in size. Mix in the salt. Pour the yeast in the flour and start pouring in the water a little at a time. You might not need all the water. Using your hands, mix until the dough is soft and sticky. Drizzle a little olive oil on the top and cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place in a warm place for at least 2 hours or overnight, until double in size.
When the dough is ready, use your fingers and stretch it out in a greased jelly roll pan. Let it sit for 45 minutes. In the meantime, make the topping.

Preheat oven to 400F. In a bowl, combine the grapes, olive oil, sugar and rosemary. Spread on dough and let it sit for 30 minutes. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour or until a nice golden colour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

m xo

Surprise! Chicken Skewers

This recipe simply came about because I found these cute little bamboo skewers in my cupboard that I completely forgot about. I tend to buy things based on what I MAY need. It's a running joke with my family. My thinking is, what if I decided to throw a cocktail party at the last minute and didn't have any bamboo skewers? Well that would be terrible! This way, I'm always prepared. The only problem with that is, I usually forget what I bought and if I do remember, I forget where I put it!

These chicken skewers were tasty not only because of the marinade but also because of the gremolata that I threw on after they came off the grill. Gremolata is typically what you would serve with osso bucco and it consists of parsley, lemon zest and garlic. I basically wanted to mimic the flavours of the marinade. It makes any dish taste fresh and vibrant. It's also really good on roasted potatoes.

BTW, I made these on my stove top cast iron grill. There was no way I was going to stand outside in this polar vortex!

A tip if you are using wooden/bamboo skewers. Soak them in water before threading on the chicken. I forgot and they caught on fire…a little bit. No biggie. I had it under control. Ha!

These would also be amazing to pass around as hors d'oeuvres if you only skewered 1-2 pieces of chicken.

Chicken Skewers

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4 pieces
zest and juice of a lemon
1 clove of garlic, minced or grated with a microplane
1 teaspoon herb de provence
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
10-12 skewers, wooden or metal

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

In the meantime, soak your wooden skewers in water and preheat outdoor bbq or indoor grill.
Thread 3-4 pieces on each skewer. At this point you can refrigerate for a few hours or overnight if you wanted to do ahead of time.


When your grill is hot, cook them for 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked. Sprinkle with the gremolata and serve.

Gremolata

1/2 cup of parsley
zest of a lemon
1 clove of garlic

Place the parsley on a cutting board and chop. Mince the garlic over it with a microplane grater, add the zest and run your knife over it to combine everything. Set aside.

m xo

Zucchini Butter

When I see recipes that have less than 5 ingredients, I'm intrigued! I don't why. Maybe I'm lazy, hahaha! No seriously, I figure it has to be really good because there aren't a lot of ingredients to mask the taste.
This comes from food52, a site that has some amazing recipes that people share and contribute to. It's a wonderful site that I would definitely recommend.
It suggested to make this in the summer, when there is an abundance of zucchini, but I couldn't resist. I used baby zucchini. I feel they have more flavour when not in season. I also added ground coriander seed to brighten it up a bit.
Really nice on crunchy, toasted bread. It makes a nice appetizer or snack.

Jennie Cook's Zucchini Butter
(adapted from food52.com)

2 lbs zucchini, about 5-6 baby zucchini
1/4 olive oil or butter, I used a combination of both
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
salt and pepper

Grate the zucchini and place in a colander for a few minutes. Saute the shallots and garlic in the oil/butter until soft. Wring out as much liquid as you can from the zucchini and add to the pan. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. You want to caramelize the zucchini until soft. The original recipe says 15 minutes but I cooked it for 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on toast.

m xo

Devils on Horseback

I always have Medjool dates on my kitchen counter. Here's why. I have a sweet tooth, especially after dinner. I figure I will eat the dates instead of a cookie or candy. Right? Umm, no. My intentions are good but that doesn't happen all the time (ok, most the time). So last night I decided to make Devils on Horseback with my dates. I love these little appetizers because they are sweet and salty, my favorite combination. I'm sure you've seen this recipe everywhere. It's all over Pinterest. I made them once before without the cheese, just dates wrapped in bacon. I found them a little too sweet. This time I added parmesan cheese and almonds. They were de-lish!

Devils on Horseback

Medjool dates, pitted
Parmesan cheese, pieces
Almonds, sliced
Bacon, cut lengthwise
Toothpicks


Preheat oven to 400F.
Place a little piece of cheese and a couple slices of almonds in the centre of each date. Carefully wrap each one with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy. Carefully remove toothpicks and serve.

Now I have to replace the dates that I used for these so that I have something sweet to eat after dinner. ;-)
m xo

Guacamole

I came home from work last night and really didn't feel like cooking anything so I decided to make guacamole because I had some really nice, ripe avocados sitting on my counter. 

This isn't a recipe per se. I just wanted to share it with you. 

Guacamole 2-3 ripe but firm avocados 1 small red onion, chopped handful cilantro, chopped 1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped juice of 2 limes salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in a bowl and mix. I like pretty chunky so I don't mash it too much but you can mash it to the consistency you prefer. Serve with tortillas chips.


Enjoy!
m xo