Broiled Herb-Shrimp with a Goat Cheese-Artichoke Dinner Strata

Stratas, bread-based dishes, are most typically seen at brunch. In fact, think of a strata as a savory bread pudding, usually filled with cheese and then possibly vegetables or meat, tossed in a bit of egg, and eaten in the late morning or early afternoon on a Sunday. However, this one takes that concept, lightens it up considerably, and produces a delicious, savory dish that could easily serve as the main feature of a vegetarian dinner. The artichokes and goat cheese blend perfectly together and the bread means a small serving goes a long way.

In this case, while the strata was probably the main feature, I also prepared some shrimp. As the weather gets warmer, I couldn't resist pulling out some skewers. I marinated the shrimp in fresh herbs and then broiled them to perfection. They only go into the broiler for about 4 minutes total, searing them with high heat that keeps the shrimp rich and juicy yet locking in all of the delicious, fresh flavor imparted by the herbs.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 1 hr 40 min
Cost: $27.44



Goat Cheese-Artichoke Dinner Strata
Time: 1 hr 40 min

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 c shallots, diced
1 package (10 oz) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed before using
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence
1 3/4 c skim milk
3/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 c egg beaters (equivalent to two eggs)
2 eggs
1/3 c low-fat Parmesan, grated
1/2 loaf Italian bread, cubed (1")
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Get a pan heating over medium heat. Add the olive oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots. Saute for about 3 minutes, stirring just often enough to keep from burning. Then, add the thawed artichoke hearts and the garlic. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. At that point the artichokes should be lightly browned in spots. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the Herbes de Provence. Let it sit and cool slightly.

As the artichokes are cooling, mix the skim milk, black pepper, egg beaters, and eggs. Whisk until combined. Then add the Parmesan and whisk again. Add the slightly cooled artichokes and the cubed bread. Stir or whisk until everything is evenly mixed and then set aside. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes for the bread to soak up the milk and other flavors.

When the bread mixture still has about 10 minutes to sit, preheat your oven to 375.

After it's fully finished sitting, grease a 9x9 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Put half of the bread mixture into the pan. Sprinkle half of the goat cheese over it. Put the rest of the bread mixture on, and sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese over that. Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is browned.

Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Broiled Herb-Shrimp
Time: 45 min

Ingredients:
1/2 c fresh cilantro
1/2 c fresh basil
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined if not purchased that way)

Put the cilantro, basil, olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, black pepper, and garlic cloves in a food processor. Process until finely chopped and evenly mixed. Scrape the herb marinade into a bowl.

Add the shrimp to the bowl and toss to coat. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate.

When the shrimp are done marinating, get your broiler pre-heating to high. Thread the shrimp onto skewers and put on a greased broiler pan. Broil for 2 minutes and then flip and boil for another two. Broil additionally if needed, but they are most likely done at this point if near the heat.

Serve immediately.