Traditional Chimichurri

Now that grilling seasons is happening, I wanted to post this great recipe for chimichurri. Chimichurri is such a versatile barbecue season condiment. I love grilling any kind of meat or fish and then topping it off with chimichurri. I sometimes event add dollops to my grilled veggies too. You can make a very basic dish exciting by serving this alongside it. It is so easy to make chimichurri at home and I love this authentic recipe.
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Jim Lahey's No-Knead Olive Bread

No-knead bread is my absolute favorite way to make bread. You need to plan ahead a bit in order to have enough time for the rise, but other than that I have found this bread making technique to be the leas disastrous (and I have had a fair few bread disasters in my time). I love this variety since it adds a bit more flavor to the traditional no-knead bread. I add a few fresh cut herbs to the bread as well sometime (thyme and rosemary work well) to give it an extra bit of flavor.

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Garlic and Parsley Butter Shrimp

I love recipes that can be thrown together quickly but still taste amazing  and look like more than 20 minutes of effort went in to them. I found this shrimp recipe that was originally intended to be an appetizer. It works wonderful as an appetizer, but can also be made a main course when serves with pasta. You can make the parsley butter ahead of time so the dish comes together quickly. The original recipe roasts the shrimp, but I found it quicker and easier to saute in  a pan. If serving this as an appetizer, using a larger, peeled and deveined shrimp with the tail on works well and looks more impressive.

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Sweet and Tangy Cocktail Meatballs

I usually like making a few heartier dishes when I invite friends over for drinks and appetizers. Cocktail meatballs tends to be a hit and I have tried a few different varieties over the years. I most recently tried these when looking for a quick recipe with ingredients I already had at home. The recipe link includes three sauce varieties but the recipe below is the only one I have tried so far. These are very easy to make, and if you're really in a pinch for time, you could even use 2 pounds of frozen cocktail meatballs.

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Homemade Ranch Dip

I have always loved ranch dip and dressing. I know it's not everyone's favorite, but I think it's a great way to eat some veggies. I decided to make a ranch dip from scratch and see if I'd still be a fan. The recipe below makes for a great, flavorful dip. Serve it with your favorite veggies for a quick and easy appetizer. You can use Greek yogurt, or you can use regular plain yogurt. If you use regular yogurt, line a strainer with a few paper towels or a cheesecloth and let the yogurt strain in there for about 2 hours before using. You can place the strained over a lipped dish or bowl and let it strain in the fridge. Use about 3/4 cup when doing this and it will loose some volume.
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