Scallops with Linguini and Cream Sauce

Scallops with Linguini and Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 pound bay scallops

1/2 cup butter

3 garlic cloves; minced

juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon

1/4 cup white wine

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup Parmesan cheese; finely shredded

parsley; chopped

1 pound linguini

salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

Prepare pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile melt butter in large, heavy skillet on medium heat. Add 1/2 lemon juice, white wine and scallops and sauté for about 4 minutes. Add chopped parsley, cream and cheese; stir until sauce becomes thick; about 5-6 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Drain pasta and toss into cream sauce  drizzle with lemon juice and toss again. Serve immediately.

Scallops and Linguini with Cream Sauce

Shrimp & Avocado Salads

Shrimp & Avocado Salad      Makes: 4 Servings

(Simple & Delicious)

1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 small garlic clove, minced

½ tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. olive oil

5 cups Hearts of Romaine salad mix

1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed

½ cup chopped sweet red pepper

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced

 

Cilantro Vinaigrette

7 Tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup minced fresh cilantro

¼ cup lime juice

1 ½ tsp. sugar

1 small garlic clove, minced

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, cook the shrimp, garlic, chili powder, salt and cumin in oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turns pink; set aside.

In large bowl, combine the romaine, corn, peas and red pepper; divide among four serving plates. Top each with shrimp and avocado.

In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients; drizzle over salads.

Easy Fish Tacos

A few years back; I saw a commercial on television for “Fish Tacos” from Long John Silver’s and I thought to myself, “That sounds disgusting!” I love fish and I love tacos, but never in my life would I have paired the two.

My husband decided to try one for lunch one day and returned home to tell me how great they were. He finally talked me into trying it.

That first bite was delicious, the second bite was even better! The flavors of the sauce were…HOT! My mouth and my tongue were on fire! But once a month; I continued to put my mouth through the terror just so that I could have something delicious.

Today, having fish for dinner, having leftover flour tortilla shells that needed using; I thought I would jump in and make my own. The problem was the sauce. How did LJS make their sauce? I couldn’t find a recipe and every recipe I found online was going to be white or be SPICY! I needed to come up with a sauce that would be tasty, yet not so much heat that my tongue would need a vacation in Alaska when I finished eating.

I brought out the mayo (I knew I wanted this as my base), I brought out the taco sauce….nope, not it. I searched my fridge, my pantry, my seasoning cupboard, and my fridge again and I found it! I would use mayo and Maggi® Sweet Chili Sauce. The sauce has a bit of a kick but not a lot for baby like me. The combination of sweet and spicy, paired with the mayo was perfect!

I added some finely shredded lettuce, Colby-Jack cheese and I was eating a great Fish Taco!

Easy Fish Tacos

4 Breaded fish, baked at directed until crispy

4 Flour tortilla shells, warmed

Finely shredded lettuce

Finely shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Real mayo (I used Hellmanns)

Maggi brand Sweet chili sauce

The sauce is to taste:

Mix mayo and chili sauce together. Spoon over warmed tortilla.

Lay fish on one side of shell, top fish with lettuce, cheese and drizzle additional sauce over cheese. Fold shell over fish and enjoy!

 

Low-Country Boil

Low-Country Boil

This recipe was taken from Food Network June 2013 magazine. I altered a couple of things to make it work with what I had and what I found at the market.
It wasn’t bad; needed salt before service and could have used some crab or mussels for added flavor.

Note that I cut the recipe down by .75

Below is the actual recipe and what I altered is in bold and italics.

 

½ cup concentrated Louisiana-style shrimp and crab boil seasoning (I used a 4oz. sachet of shrimp boil seasoning)

4 pounds medium red potatoes (All I had were large so I did cut them in to halves)

2-3 medium sweet onions; peeled and quartered

2 ½ pounds cured, smoked pork sausage links, cut into 3 inch pieces (I used smoked sausage like polish sausage)

8 ears of corn, cut in half (I cut my corn into thirds)

4 pounds of medium raw shrimp

 

1. Fill a 7-gallon stockpot halfway with water (or use 2 pots and divide ingredients equally). Add the seasoning and bring to a rolling boil. Add the whole potatoes to the pot. Allow water to return to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the onions and sausage. Bring  to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Add the corn, return to a boil and cook or 10 minutes or until potatoes are done.
2. Add the shrimp, bring the water back to a boil and cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 3-5 minutes. Drain through a colander; discard the liquid. Serve on newspapers or platter.

 

Inner Chef Notes: This makes quite a bit; I divided the recipe by ¾ and still had so much food. I used 1 pound of medium shrimp in my recipe and that was plenty…maybe too much.

Don’t forget to peel your shrimp before you eat them….I should have told Don this earlier…

Photo: Food Network

Seared Scallops and Baby Spinach with Spiced Pomegranate Glaze

Seared Scallops and Baby Spinach with Spiced Pomegranate Glaze

(BHG.com)

Ingredients

12 large fresh or frozen sea scallops (about 1 1/4 pounds total)

¾ cup 100% pomegranate juice

2 tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¾ teaspoon cornstarch

3 teaspoons vegetable oil

¼ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

1 (10 ounce) package fresh baby spinach

Pinch salt

¼ cup pomegranate seeds*

Directions

1. Thaw scallops, if frozen. Rinse scallops; pat very dry with paper towels. Remove the small muscles if still attached. Set aside.

2. For sauce, in a medium saucepan combine pomegranate juice, honey, coriander, and cinnamon; bring to boiling over medium-high heat. In a small bowl combine lemon juice and cornstarch; stir into boiling juice mixture. Gently boil, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until reduced and slightly syrupy. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in an extra-large nonstick skillet heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium-high heat, brushing to coat the skillet. Sprinkle scallops with the sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. When skillet is very hot, add scallops; cook for 2 minutes without stirring or turning (the scallops should be well seared). Turn scallops; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or just until scallops are opaque in the center. Transfer to a plate.

4. Wipe skillet clean; add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add spinach in batches; toss for 1 to 2 minutes or just until slightly wilted. Season with the pinch of salt and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

5. Arrange scallops and spinach on four serving plates; drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

From the test kitchen

Health Tip: Antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice has been linked to heart health, and may help prevent the formation of fatty deposits on artery walls.

Tip *Tip: Look for packages of fresh pomegranate seeds in your grocer’s produce or freezer section.

 

Scallop Seviche

Scallop Seviche                                                Portions: 6

(Professional Cooking, 7^th Edition)

Ingredients

1 lb. Sea scallops (Bay scallops can be used and leave them whole)

4 fl. oz. Lime juice

2 oz. Red onion, chopped fine

½ Jalapeño, seeded and chopped fine

3 Tbsp. Chopped cilantro

1 Avocado, medium dice

4 oz. Tomato, peeled and seeded, small dice

Salt to taste

2 fl. oz. Olive oil

Lettuce leaves as needed

Procedure

1. Cut the scallops into quarters vertically, then slice crosswise ¼ inch thick (unless using bay scallops).
2. In a non-reactive container, mix together the scallops, lime juice, and onion.
3. Refrigerate about 12 hours or until the scallops have the texture of cooked scallops.
4. Drain the scallops and onions, discarding the lime juice.
5. Gently toss the scallops with the jalapeño, cilantro, avocado, and tomato.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Mix in the olive oil.
8. To serve, line small bowls or cups with lettuce leaves and spoon in the seviche.

 

 

Puffballs with Scallops and Broccoli

Puffballs with Scallops and Broccoli        Serves 4 as a main course

–Shea Moss, from If You Can’t Eat Your Mushroom Take It Dancing 

Any shellfish or white-fleshed fish may be used in this dish. Serve over hot rice.

One 4-inch puffball

1 cup mild vegetable oil

Pinch of salt

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 pound broccoli

3/4 pound scallops

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream

Peel the puffball and cut it into large pieces. In a sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil to almost smoking (400º). Dip the puffballs a handful at a time for 15 seconds in a large amount of water with a pinch of salt added. Shake the water off the puffballs and toss them into the hot oil. Fry on all sides until golden brown. Remove the puffballs and drain on paper towels.

In a large saucepan, mix the chicken broth and wine. Reduce the liquid to half the volume by boiling rapidly. Remove and set aside.

Pour out all but 1 teaspoon of the oil from the pan used to fry the puffballs. Chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and stir-fry in the pan for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Dust the scallops with the flour. In a sauté pan or skillet, sauté the scallops in the butter and lemon juice until lightly browned. Add the broth and wine mixture and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the cream and simmer to thicken. Add the puffballs and the broccoli. Cook 1 minute more to warm the dish. Season to taste and serve immediately.

ALTERNATE MUSHROOMS: Common Store Mushroom, Oyster Mushroom

 

Mussels Marinara

Mussels Marinara                                                           Servings: 4-6

(Chef Robert Irvine)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons light oil or olive oil

1 small white onion, finely chopped

4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup white wine

2 to 3 cans chopped plum tomatoes (32 to 48 ounces total)

1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano leaves

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley leaves

4 pounds fresh mussels, de-bearded, scrubbed and rinsed

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil leaves

Pasta, as an accompaniment or bruschetta for dipping

Directions

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until cooked. Add the wine and reduce it by half, then add the plum tomatoes, oregano and parsley. Add the mussels to the pan and allow to cook for about 10 minutes until all the mussels are open. Transfer mussels to a platter. (Discard any mussels that do not open.)

You can mound some pasta in the center of the plate surrounded by the mussels or have some bruschetta handy for dipping into the sauce.

Adjust the seasoning for the sauce with salt and pepper, as necessary. Coat the mussels with the sauce and sprinkle with fresh chopped basil just before serving.

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus (Meals for 2)

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus                      Serves: 2

8 unpeeled jumbo fresh shrimp

4 oz. Angel hair pasta, uncooked

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. chopped shallots

6 stalks asparagus, cut into 2-in. pieces

¼ cup peeled, seeded, diced tomato

½ cup sliced mixed mushrooms

Salt to taste

1/8 tsp. dried crushed red pepper or to taste

½ cup dry white wine

1 Tbsp. each of chopped fresh basil, oregano, thyme and parsley

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 

1. Peel and devein shrimp; set aside.  (Save time and purchased shrimp already peeled and deveined)
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
3. Heat a 9-in. skillet over high heat 1 minute; add oil, and heat 10 seconds. Add shrimp, garlic, and shallots; cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.
4. Add asparagus and next 4 ingredients; stir in wine, scraping bottom of skillet to loosen any particles, if necessary.
5. Add pasta, basil, and the remaining ingredients. Toss gently.

Serve immediately.

 

 

Garlic Shrimp (Foiled Foods)

Garlic Shrimp

½ stick butter, softened

1 cup chopped parsley

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Salt and Pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

1 lb. unpeeled large shrimp

Big pinch of red pepper flakes

1. Mix butter, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss with the lemon juice, shrimp and red pepper flakes. Divide between 2 foil packets.
2. Grill over high heat, 8 minutes.