Roasted Shrimp for One

I call this "Dinner for One" because, quite honestly, it is my favorite thing to eat when I have a weeknight home alone. The shrimp in this recipe are marinated briefly in lemon and garlic and flash-roasted to utter succulence. The red peppers seem to complement the dish nicely, and the crusty rustic bread is essential for sopping up all of the wonderful juices that are released from the peppers and the shrimp marinade. The shrimp and vegetables are all prepared in a single pan, requiring very minimal cleanup. By all means, feel free to "scale up" this recipe for a crowd. The shrimp, served alone, make a wonderful appetizer that really sing when paired with a dry, white sparkling wine.

This evening I picked up a bottle of Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007 from New Zealand to drink with the shrimp. The bracing acidity and flavors of grass, minerals and citrus are just right with the shellfish - a wonderful weeknight indulgence in just under 30 minutes!

Roasted Red Peppers

1 red bell pepper

2 t olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Core and seed the bell pepper and cut into long strips. Toss the peppers strips with the oil, salt and pepper on the baking sheet and roast for approximately 20 minutes. Peel away pepper skin, if desired.

Serves 2

Roasted Garlic and Lemon Shrimp

6 to 8 large peeled and deveined shrimp (thawed if frozen)

1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of half a lemon

1 T olive oil

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss all ingredients in a bowl and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dump the shrimp and the marinade on a foil-lined baking sheet and spread out to create a single layer. Roast the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes, until just barely cooked and still tender. Serve immediately.

Serves 1

Serve the shrimp with roasted red peppers and plenty of crusty, rustic bread to soak up the juices from the shrimp.

Slowing Down Dinner

Slow down dinner...is he kidding? Shouldn't we be trying to speed things up? Yes, it is true, there are some days during the work week when nothing but the quickest, most efficient dinner preparations will due. However, on weekends and other days when we aren't as pressed for time, we can and should slow things down and enjoy the pleasures of a leisurely paced meal with our family. One of the best ways to do this is by preparing and sharing an appetizer and enjoying a glass of wine before even giving a thought to making the main course.

Appetizers, hors d'oeuvres, nibbles or whatever you like to call them need not be complicated or overly fussy. The days of trays of hot canapes passed by tuxedo-clad waitstaff are over. Modern appetizers tend to be more rustic and simple - small foods designed to whet the appetite and allow good conversation. A chilled glass of white wine is optional, but highly recommended!

The delicious plate of foods in the photo features a tasty spread of pureed edamame on slices of rustic bread. This appetizer sounds complicated, but it's a breeze to make. Here is the recipe, loosely adapted from a feature in Williams Sonoma's Wine and Food:

Edamame Crostini

1 c thawed and shelled frozen edamame (soybeans)
1/4 c olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T fresh orange juice
1/2 t kosher salt
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
3 T chopped mint
About 20 Crostini (slices of toasted rustic bread brushed with olive oil)

Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan on medium and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant but not brown, no more than one minute. Add the edamame and saute for five minutes, until the beans begin to soften. Dump the contents of the pan into a food processor and add the orange juice, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Process until smooth, adding a bit more water or olive oil to make a cohesive paste, if required. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and stir in 2 T of the mint.

Spread the edamame puree onto the crostini and garnish with the remaining mint leaves.

Serves 4

Wine: We like to have these crostini with a glass of well-chilled Sauvignon Blanc. The grassy, herbal flavors of the wine are delicious with the garlic and mint.