It’s time to fire up the grill and throw some shrimp on the barbie! The lightly charred, smokey flavor from the grill provides the perfect contrast to the garlic, basil and lemon-marinaded shrimp. This recipe is almost too good to be true.
Before my dinner party last weekend, I tested out a few potential recipes. I felt that Wolfgang Puck’s chicken aioli sandwich had a lot of potential as an appetizer (if cut into small bites) for the party. The recipe turned out somewhat time-consuming, from marinating the chicken to chopping the vegetables and spices.
I was ecstatic, however, with the result. The garlic aioli stood out as the star of the sandwich for me—possibly because I applied a generous amount of the spread on the sandwich. The bite of the garlic in the aioli and the ginger-infused chicken worked wonderfully together. Toasting the ciabatta bread provided the perfect amount of crunch and served as an extra element to the sandwich, in addition to the onion, tomato and lettuce.
What I found most difficult about this recipe was making the aioli. I admit, my first attempt was an utter failure—rather than a mayonnaise texture, my aioli was a bowl full of green oil. I made the mistake of blending the ingredients for the aioli in a large food processor, which was too big of a space to properly blend the mixture.
I complained to my mom about the oil soup I created and as always, she came to my rescue. Instead of using a food processor, I used a small metal bowl and hand mixer for my second try. Before adding the oil to the garlic and egg yolk mixture, I whisked at high-speed (speed 7 or so) until the mixture was thoroughly combined and somewhat fluffy. Next, I began to SLOWLY pour in the oil, while still mixing at high-speed.
After about 5 minutes of mixing, with the oil incorporated, a beautiful creamy aioli stared up at me from within the bowl. I was so pleased that my second attempt was successful—all thanks to my mom. I can now say I know how to make homemade mayonnaise!
The only reason I decided against this sandwich for the party was because of the strong garlic taste from the aioli, which clings to the tongue for an entire night. I figured people wouldn’t want to worry about having garlic breath while socializing with other guests. Otherwise, I highly recommend this sandwich, as it offers a delicious marriage of flavors.
All aboard! Let’s take a little trip south of the equator. I guarantee you won’t regret it. With succulent rib-eye steak and garlic-infused chimichurri sauce, your palate will experience an explosion of flavor.
Simplicity seems key to this recipe—multiple condiments are unnecessary. Just pile the steak and drizzle the chimichurri sauce on top of grilled flat bread. Of course if you’re feeling adventurous, there’s no problem with adding a little Cotija cheese, tomatoes or avocado—I just prefer to make the flavorful sauce the star of the meal. I included photos of both options.
While my mom was in South Carolina, she decided to cook a Caribbean-themed dinner for some guests. She found a goat cheese and red pepper appetizer that is absolutely delicious. Once I dove into the dip, it was almost impossible to stop. From what my parents said, their guests couldn’t get enough of it either.
* Note: I doubled the recipe for the goat cheese filling.