{Recipes of the Week: A Dinner Party}

Happy Wednesday all!

I wanted to share with you two recipes that I found that I thought would be perfect for an intimate dinner party. This baked feta dish looks absolutely delectable and end the meal with this gourmet pizza and your sure to impress!



Baked Feta with Tomatoes and Olives

Ingredients:

1 cup cherry tomatoes,
halved1/3 cup chopped
pitted Kalmata olives
1 clove garlic
minced1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (oops, I forgot this)
2 tablespoons finely-chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
divided1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 8- to 10-ounce block feta
Crackers, flatbread*, pita chips, or crostini, for dipping

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, olives, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, oregano, olive oil and a few grinds of pepper.

On a grill: Heat your grill to medium-high. Set the feta block in the middle of a piece of foil. Pile the tomato mixture on top of the feta. Fold up the edges of the foil so that it will hold in any liquid as it cooks. Place the packet straight on a grill for 15 minutes to warm it through. Remove from grill and transfer to plate 

or serving dish.

In the oven: Heat oven to 400°F. Check to see that your dish is oven-proof.

Place the block of feta in the middle of your dish. Pile the tomato mixture on top of the feta. Bake for 15 minutes.

Both methods: The feta will not melt, just warm and soften. Serve with crackers; eat immediately. As it cools, the feta will firm up again. We found that the dish could be returned to the oven to soften it again. We did this with leftovers, too.

This would be delicious paired with this main dish below!

Fresh Ricotta and Red Onion Marmalade Pizza

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups thinly sliced red onions
1 1/2 teaspoons golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
6 to 8 thin slices prosciutto (speck works as well)
Pizza dough for one pizza

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sugar. Cook until dark brown and tender, stirring frequently, about 16 minutes. Mix in vinegar and crushed pepper. Cook until mixture is thick, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Season marmalade generously to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500°F. Roll pizza dough out onto the back of a baking sheet, sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon of oil; sprinkle with salt. Spread onion marmalade over the crust, dollop ricotta all over the onion layer and top with slices of prosciutto. Bake until caramelized and crusty, about 10 to 12 minutes.

*Images and recipes via smittenkitchen.com