Marinated Cucumbers

From allrecipes.com – Mary Helen Hinson

The original recipe makes 12 servings. I halved the number of cucumbers and only used 1/2 an onion. However, I kept the original measurements for the marinade.

Ingredients:
6 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Directions:
1.In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers and onion. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; cover and shake well. Pour over cucumber mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Grilled Shrimp Marinated in Paprika, Garlic, and Thyme with White Wine Sauce

Recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com
Bobby Flay – Grill it! with Bobby Flay

Ingredients:

White Wine Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Shrimp:
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped to a paste
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
16 extra colossal shrimp (4 to 6 per pound size), peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Basil Oil, for drizzling

Directions:

For the white wine sauce:
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and the garlic and cook until soft, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, add the wine, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half. Add the cream and slowly start whisking in the cold butter, piece by piece and continue to whisk until the sauce is emulsified. Strain into a bowl and stir in the chives. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.

For the shrimp:
Whisk together the oil, paprika, garlic and thyme in a large bowl; add the shrimp and toss to coat the shrimp in the mixture. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Heat the grill to high.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and grill until slightly charred and just cooked through, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Put some of the sauce on a large platter, drizzle with Basil Oil and top with the shrimp. Drizzle with more of the sauce; garnish with chives and serve.

Marinated Zucchini in the Style of Naples: Zucchine Marinate

Recipe courtesy of Foodnetworktv.com
Mario Batali – Molto Mario

I used a mixture of zucchini and yellow squash.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds zucchini
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 pinch red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
Wash and dry the zucchini. Cut lengthwise into slices 1/3-inch thick. Place the zucchini slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt and set aside to drain for 2 hours.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Place the drained zucchini slices in the pan and cook gently until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side, being careful not to burn the slices. Set aside.

In another saucepan, bring the vinegar and sugar to a boil over high heat. Add a pinch of pepper flakes and a pinch of salt.

Place the zucchini slices flat in a shallow bowl, with the garlic slices, basil and parsley scattered throughout. Pour the vinegar over the zucchini slices and let marinate, covered, for at least 24 hours before serving.