Clam Boil

http://www.circulon.com/recipes/cuisine/american/clam-shrimp-boil/?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=social&utm_term=CC%20-%20Clam%20and%20Shrimp%20Boil&utm_campaign=sm-recipe

INGREDIENTS
24 littleneck clams, rinsed
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 quarts water
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 lemon, quartered
1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
1 pound petite red potatoes, (about 10)
1 onion, quartered
12 ounces kielbasa, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 ears of corn, cut into thirds
30 large shrimp, rinsed
1 loaf French bread
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, add littleneck clams, cornmeal and enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Mix well and let them sit for 30 minutes. This process will help remove the sand and grit from the clams. Rinse clams and set aside in fresh water until ready to add to the pot.
In a Circulon® Innovatum™ 6-quart stockpot, add 3 quarts of water. Add the peeled garlic cloves and squeeze the juice of the lemon into the pot. Place the actual lemons in the pot as well. Stir in the Old Bay seasoning. Bring the pot of seasoning to a boil.
Add the petite red potatoes, onion, and kielbasa. Cook on medium-high with lid on for 15 minutes. Then add in the corn and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Rinse and drain the clams and add them into the pot; boil for 5 minutes. Then add in the shrimp and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Drain water from the pot, and pour the contents of the pot on a newspaper lined table. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy.

Shrimp Penne Rosa

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!  I hope you have great plans for Game Day; we'll probably watch a little of the game with the boys but otherwise have no plans.

I'm feeling in a food rut.  This is particularly true for my own breakfasts and lunches, but it's applying to dinners around here too.  So I turned to some past recipe swaps for inspiration.  This recipe, shared by Becoming Pigzilla seemed rut breaking so I gave it a go.  I liked that it called for some different ingredients than I've been using lately (though it seems like nearly everything has been served with pasta lately), and it's fairly clean too.  

This was pretty good, but probably would have been kicked up a notch if I'd added more red pepper flakes (which I don't do for my boys' sake, but could have amped up the flavor here) and I also used two rather than three tomatoes; I definitely wish I'd used three.

Shrimp Penne Rosa as seen on Becoming Pigzilla

Ingredients:

12 oz whole wheat penne pasta
olive oil
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup dry white wine
9 oz fresh spinach, rinsed and dried
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook penne according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

2. In a large deep skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat.  Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften stirring frequently, about 5-8 minutes.  Add garlic, red pepper flakes and tomatoes and cook until garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.  Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Increase heat to medium and add shrimp.  Add white wine and cook until shrimp become bright pink and are almost cooked through (don’t worry, they’ll continue to cook), about 4 minutes.  Turn off heat.  Stir in spinach and cover.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together marinara sauce and Greek yogurt.  Once spinach has wilted, add sauce to pan and turn heat back on low.  Add in pasta and stir until well combined.  Stir in basil.  Serve and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Sausage and Clams with Kale

Our CSA this week included a bunch of kale.  In addition, my son, father, and I had gone clamming last weekend, and came home with about 2 dozen clams.  Intending to find ways to use up the CSA basket and clams this week, I chose this recipe to do both.

When I first mentioned "sausage and clams" together, my husband actually shriveled his nose and said that they did not sound like things that would go well together.  Awesome.

I went ahead and made the recipe anyway.  My boys LOVED the clams and the sausage.  Both were asking for more and more and more.  THIRDS on the clams, and still asking for more.  The little one also went to town on the spaghetti I served this over, while his brother really wouldn't touch it.  Neither would eat the kale.

My husband, on the other hand, also enjoyed the clams and sausage, but thought the pasta had no flavor and did not enjoy the kale.

I enjoyed it well enough, and wish I'd added some crushed red pepper to the mix (alas, the almost 5 year old would NEVER have gone for that!)

Give it a try; maybe your family will love it more than mine!

Sausage and Clams with Kale Source:  Cooking Light

Ingredients

• Cooking spray 
• 12 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage 
• 1/2 cup chopped onion 
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Madeira wine or dry sherry
• 8 cups chopped kale (about 10 ounces)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
• 16 littleneck clams

Preparation

1. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in chopped onion and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add Madeira; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates. Add kale, salt, and chicken broth; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in clams; cook, covered, 10 minutes or until shells open. Discard any unopened shells.

Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison, Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2008

Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta

The theme of a recent recipe swap was pasta, and I received this recipe from Real Simple.  Although the original recipe does not contain pasta, the sender puts it over pasta.  Despite this recommendation, I wanted a nice light meal for the brutal heat we've had the past few days, and instead served it with bread to sop up the yummy juices.

This was a pretty big hit, considering the 2 year old couldn't get enough shrimp--I think he ate more than I did--but my little tomato fan wouldn't even touch the roasted tomatoes.  My husband loved the juice with the bread, but wasn't over the moon about the shrimp and didn't really like the tomatoes.  The 4 year old was in a funk and wasn't much interested in eating, though he did say the shrimp was good.

As for me, I thought it was a great meal; the tomatoes were so sweet and a perfect complement to the shrimp.  I don't typically like feta, but it was a wonderful flavor choice here.  If I was making this for just my husband and I, I would probably add some spice next time with a dash or two of crushed red pepper.

In all, this is a nice and light, solidly good recipe!

Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta  Source:  Real Simple

Ingredients

• 5  large tomatoes, cut into eighths
• 3  tablespoons  olive oil
• 2  tablespoons  minced garlic
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2  pounds  medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2  cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 2  tablespoons  lemon juice
• 1  cup  Feta, crumbled
• crusty bread, for serving

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. Place the tomatoes in a large baking dish and spoon the olive oil and garlic over them.
2. Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon each salt and pepper and toss. Roast on top rack of oven for 20 minutes.
3. Remove baking dish from oven and stir in the shrimp, parsley, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the Feta.
4. Return the dish to oven until the shrimp are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with the bread.

Shrimp, Cherry Pepper, and Arugula Linguine

This caught my eye in this month's Woman's Day Magazine, perhaps as a Friday Lenten meal.  It wasn't made on a Friday, but you get the idea.  I had a bit of a hard time finding Peppadew peppers, so it was pushed off by a week.

I don't know if M or I have ever had arugula before, but he definitely didn't like it at all, and I wasn't over the moon about it.  I liked the Peppadew peppers, but he thought they were way too spicy for his liking (they were on the spicy side for me as well, but I kinda liked it.  That said, I can't believe the label suggests popping them as a snack.  Holy fire mouth!)

Shrimp, Cherry Pepper, and Arugula Linguine Source:  Woman's Day Magazine

Ingredients

12 ounce(s) linguine

• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 2 clove(s) garlic, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup(s) dry white wine
• 1 pound(s) peeled and deveined large shrimp
•  Kosher salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup(s) small sweet red cherry peppers (such as Peppadew), quartered
• 4 cup(s) baby arugula

Directions

1. Cook the linguine according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking liquid; drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until light golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a simmer.
3. Season the shrimp with ¼ tsp each salt and pepper, add to the skillet along with the cherry peppers, and cook, turning the shrimp once, until they are opaque throughout, about 2 minutes per side.
4. Toss the pasta with the shrimp mixture and arugula (add the reserved cooking liquid, 1 Tbsp at a time, if the pasta seems dry).

Read more: Shrimp, Cherry Pepper & Arugula Linguine – Pasta Recipes - Woman's Day 

Crab and Avocado Salad

I originally planned the very romantic Pulled Pork dinner for Valentine's Day, but had also added this to the week's menu.  Since this seemed like a much more sophisticated and classy meal, I made the quick switch.

This was an incredibly good and easy to make dinner.  I tried to cut costs a bit by using imitation crab, and my husband didn't notice anything different, so I guess it worked!  We both liked this quite a bit, and the boys of course weren't interested.  I was a bit nervous after reading tepid reviews of it on Food Network's page, but then noticed all those who reviewed it poorly left out anchovies from the dressing; I also noticed that those who rated highly said they definitely HAD used the anchovies, so I made sure to INCLUDE them!

I'm not typically a fan of Caesar salads, but this homemade salad dressing was delicious.

An excellent Friday Lenten meal for you!

Crab and Avocado Salad from Food Network Magazine via Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1/2 pound haricots verts or green beans, halved
• 2/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 anchovy fillets, chopped
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 pound lump or claw crabmeat
• 1 Hass avocado, halved, pitted and diced
• 3 romaine hearts, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat croutons
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the haricots verts and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.

Puree the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, basil and anchovies in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss the crabmeat, half of the avocado and about 1 tablespoon of the yogurt dressing in a small bowl. Toss the romaine, croutons, haricots verts and the remaining avocado with the remaining dressing in a large bowl.
Divide the romaine salad among plates, top with the tomatoes and place some of the crab mixture in the center.

Creamy Shrimp Rolls

If you were to ask my husband what food he'd like for his last meal, he wouldn't reply a steak dinner (he hates beef of pretty much all kinds) or even his well loved Crab Legs.  No, this man would ask for a sandwich.

When Lisa shared this recipe from Woman's Day magazine, I knew I'd be making it that week, because it sounded pretty tasty, easy, and most importantly, no cook (aka, no heat!).

I was glad I did; we all really liked this, and my doesn't want to eat anything I put in front of him child asked for seconds and also wanted it for lunch the next day.  (Hallelujah, Woman's Day magazine and Lisa!)  I didn't have any tarragon, though I thought I had some in the cupboard, so instead used dried oregano.  Also, like Lisa, I couldn't find cornichons.  I took her advice to get the smallest pickle you can find, and used these.

So give this baby a try for a ladies' lunch, Lenten dinner, or just because it's too darn hot!  I served with sweet potato fries and regular fries!

Creamy Shrimp Rolls Woman's Day
(Link is currently broken as of August 10, 2011.)
Recipe taken from Yahoo! Shine
Recipe Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
• 1/4 cup cornichons, chopped, plus 1 Tbsp brine Black pepper
• 1 lb cooked, peeled and deveined large shrimp, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 4 hot dog buns
• 4 pieces romaine or green-leaf lettuce
• Potato chips, for serving

Recipe Preparation
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise mustard, brine and 1/4 tsp pepper.

2. Add the shrimp, cornichons and tarragon and toss to combine.

3. Line the buns with the lettuce and top with the shrimp mixture. Serve with chips, if desired.

Crab, Corn, and Tomato Salad

With the heat wave we're having round here, I turned to the internet looking for no cook meals.  This came up from Cooking Light,  in my searching, and it looked so fresh and delicious plus uses a lot of in season produce.  I thought it was really tasty, light, and had great texture too, and it's great that it can easily be adapted to what's in your fridge, on sale, your tastes.  You could easily take out the crab, or substitute shrimp. 


I love the lemon dressing that goes along with this, though I have to admit I probably went a little heavy on the lemon here.  I'd have to say that it's really important to use fresh lemon here because it is so forward in the salad.

Crab, Corn, and Tomato Salad, Cooking Light, June 2008
Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
• 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices ripe beefsteak tomato
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  
• 1. Combine zest, 3 tablespoons juice, and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons juice mixture. Add remaining 2 tablespoons juice, corn, and next 4 ingredients (through crab) to remaining juice mixture; toss gently to coat.
• 2. Arrange 2 tomato slices and 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes on each of 4 plates. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon reserved juice mixture over each serving. Top each serving with 1 cup corn and crab mixture.

Popcorn Shrimp

I grew up in a fishing household.  Summer flounder, aka: "fluke" was the most common catch.  Mom would batter and fry the fish, and kid that I was, I would refuse to eat it.

The smell of deep frying (and I've done quite a bit in the past few weeks) just brings me right back to that time and place; I could practically taste the battered fluke as I was cooking these shrimp.

As these were coming out of the oil, M started grabbing some of the cooked batter and proclaimed it good.  He then tasted the cooked shrimp and exclaimed that it was delicious and a keeper.  The only thing really missing was that I forgot to make cocktail sauce; we used lemon wedges and it was quite good with that, but we knew it would be even better with the cocktail sauce.

As for the little guys, the bigger one couldn't get enough.  He kept grabbing more off the platter, which is practically unheard of around here.  The littler one kept crying for dinner, so he had his meal while I cooked, and STILL ate two or three shrimp.

So, here's another major win for Cook's Country magazine.



Popcorn Shrimp Cook's Country Feb/Mar 2011

1.5lb medium/large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
3 qt canola oil
1t grated lemon zest
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2T Old Bay, divided
1-1/2c AP flour
1/2c cornstarch
2t black pepper
1t baking powder
1-1/2c bottled clam juice (I used 8 oz clam juice and 1/2 c water)

1.  Combine shrimp, 1T oil, lemon zest, garlic, and 1/2t Old Bay in a large bowl.  Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
2.  Heat remaining oil over medium-high heat to 375 degrees in a Dutch oven.  In a large bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, Old Bay, pepper, and baking powder; add clam juice and mix until smooth and no flour clumps remain.  Add in shrimp and carefully stir until evenly coated.

3.  Add 1/4 of the shrimp to the oil, one at a time.  Stir frequently, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate, then move to wire rack set inside a baking sheet.  Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining shrimp.  Serve with cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, or lemon wedges.

Baked Scallops

I haven't been feeling well today, so asked hubby to cook dinner. We were going to make Scallops fra Diavolo, but didn't have brandy/cognac or diced tomatoes, so looked for something else. This came up, and we had all the ingredients.

We weren't big fans of this; I said there was way too much bread crumb. He then told me that the original recipe called for 1.5lb of scallops, and that he had 1lb but didn't cut the other ingredients. So it's worth another try for sure.

It was definitely an easy recipe; it only took him about 15 minutes to put together. If you're looking for a fast, easy meal with ingredients you likely have on hand, it's worth a try, but just make sure you scale back on the other ingredients if you don't have the right amount of scallops.

I wonder how this would be with shrimp......

Baked Scallops from allrecipes

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 pounds bay scallops, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Pour melted butter into a 2 quart oval casserole dish. Distribute butter and scallops evenly inside the dish.
Combine the bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, parsley, minced garlic and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle this mixture over the scallops.
Bake in pre-heated oven until scallops are firm, about 20 minutes.

Shrimp with Artichokes and Mushrooms

Made and shot by hubby, who claimed, "My pictures are better than yours!" 

I can't speak to the recipe itself, but really enjoyed this meal.  I believe I recall him saying he blended with his Spicy Shrimp recipe, so didn't follow the recipe exactly.  I do wish he had made rice to go along with it, or even pasta, but it was quite filling even without. 

I forgot to defrost the artichokes before he started cooking, and he said that caused him a lot of problems.  So his suggestion is to make sure they are defrosted (as indicated in the recipe).

So, since this is from Cook's Country, and since I didn't make it myself, I don't think I can post the recipe.  I guess that means I have to make, photograph, and post it again!

Spicy Shrimp

 

One thing every girl needs is a meal she can make without a recipe.  I don't have one, however, this is my husband's memorized recipe.  It came from a cookbook I picked up from the clearance aisle at Barnes and Noble when we first started living together, and for one reason or another, it became his signature dish.

We learned early on that this meal needs to be served over pasta, typically spaghetti, and that we love the garlic sauce so much, that garlic bread is necessary as well.  It's a super quick meal that's ready in about the time it takes to make the pasta.




1lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4c your favorite oil
heaping of minced garlic
1/4t crushed red pepper
1/4c white wine

Mix the shrimp, oil, garlic, and red pepper in a medium bowl and marinate at least 15 minutes.  Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until shrimp curl and are pink.  Remove from pan, add white wine to deglaze pan over medium-low heat.  Pour over shrimp.

Serve with pasta and garlic bread.

"Best Ever" Shrimp Salad

I've been participating in an online recipe swap; each participant submits a recipe and in exchange, gets another to make and share her thoughts on.  I got this recipe, and with Lent coming soon, I was very happy to have a fish dish to add to the repertoire.  I was particularly happy to exchange recipes for lunch; typically, lunch around here is a sandwich, almost always turkey or ham with American cheese or maybe I'll shake things up with some leftovers.

I had some problems with this one.  See, I typically only use yellow mustard on my sandwiches.  So, I don't keep up with the status of the Dijon mustard.  As such, I didn't have enough for the recipe.  I then turned to spicy brown, thinking this would be a good substitute.  Alas, I also don't keep up on the status of our spicy brown.  So, now I have about 4.5T of Dijon, about .5T of spicy brown, and then turned to the yellow.  Perhaps as a result of all this, the recipe was much too mustardy.

I also used apple cider vinegar instead of white distilled plus sugar.

Other than the slight over mustard-i-zation, this was a pretty good (though very messy) lunch.  From the moment I first saw the recipe, I thought it would be awesome with some chopped pineapple; I will definitely make that addition the next time I make this.

Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar  (I used apple cider vinegar)
• 3 tablespoons sugar (I omitted)
• 6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 kirby cucumbers, peeled and diced (I used half a regular cucumber)
• 1 large mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1 pound cooked medium shrimp, cut into small bites
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• Salt

Directions

1. Mix vinegar and sugar until sugar dissolves.
2. Add mustard and mayonnaise to the vinegar and whisk until smooth.
3. Combine cucumbers, mango, shrimp, and dill in large bowl. Pour dressing over and toss to coat.
4. Season with salt.
5. Chill in fridge for about an hour before serving.

Mini Crab Cakes

When I'm looking to make something that will be a home run and impress guests, I turn to Annie's Eats.  This was no exception.

These little cuties are delicious, and pretty easy to make too.  They're not super cheap (the crab cost about $14 for a pound), but are a great little appetizer.

I had two mini muffin pans; one silicone and one metal.  This made me realize that silicone is definitely the way to go, and I might even replace my metal pans with another silicone one.  The crab cakes in the metal stuck to the pan, even with my spraying with Pam, while the cakes in the silicone slid right out.  I also lost some of the bottom layer in the metal pans that was saved in the silicone.

I found whole wheat Panko bread crumbs in my local grocery store, and used them here.  It was great, and ever so slightly more healthful!  In addition, the crab filling turned out more than was needed to fill the two mini muffin pans, so it could probably have made a whole nother pan (is nother a word?  Because whole another doesn't sound right?)

So, the next time you're having a gathering, try these mini muffin crab cakes.  They're a real treat.  While they are delicious, they are way too rich and decadent to have as a crab cake meal.

Mini Crab Cakes
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Yield: about 24 mini crab cakes
Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg
¼ cup sour cream
½ tsp. lemon zest
3 tbsp. minced fresh chives, divided
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 oz. fresh lump crabmeat, patted dry and coarsely chopped
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Additional fresh chives, for garnish

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, and the egg; beat with an electric mixer to blend.  Beat in the sour cream, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the chives, salt and cayenne pepper.  Gently fold in the crabmeat.  (This mixture can be made up to 1 day in advance.)

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Spray a 24-well mini muffin pan with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, combine the panko, remaining ½ cup of the Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of the minced chives.  Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and toss with a fork until evenly blended and moistened.  Place 1 tablespoon of the panko mixture in each muffin well and press down to form a crust.  Spoon 1 generous tablespoon of the crab mixture over the crumb mixture in each well.  Sprinkle a rounded teaspoon of the panko mixture over the top of each.

Bake until golden and set, about 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.  Allow to cool in the pans 5 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of each cake and gently lift it out of the pan.  (These can be baked 2 hours in advance.  Rewarm at 350˚ F for 6-8 minutes just before serving.)  Garnish with additional fresh chives, if desired.

Source: barely adapted from Bon Appétit, April 2009

Scallops Provencal

Julie Powell commented in Julie and Julia that she shared with Julia Child a love of butter, and attributed the amount of butter she consumed during her project for her weight gain. It's true, butter makes everything delicious and delightful (says the girl who was raised on margerine...) This dish is no exception; the addition of 4T of butter makes an amazing sauce to accompany the lightness of the scallops. This was heavenly and creamy.

After his first bite of scallop, A said "Mmmmmm" (as in yummy), but wouldn't eat it after that. Dunno.

I served this over whole wheat thin spaghetti, which was a great choice. I didn't have much in the freezer for veggies (I think broccoli would work perfectly), so went with corn.

Definite keeper! I could definitely have gone back for seconds, thirds, if I wasn't concerned about all that butter!

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 pound fresh bay or sea scallops
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 lemon, cut in 1/2

Directions

If you're using bay scallops, keep them whole. If you're using sea scallops, cut each 1 in half horizontally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.

In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, total. Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the seasonings with the scallops. Add the wine, cook for 1 minute, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Shrimp Pomodoro Over Angel Hair

Sorry for the worse than normal photography... having flash issues on my camera!

Another win from Robin Miller's Robin Rescues Dinner. Best of all, we ALL enjoyed this one--I really didn't expect my almost 3 year old to eat the shrimp, but he loved it. The sauce is very sweet, which could account for his enjoyment of it. It was fairly easy to put together, and it's a keeper in this house.

If you haven't checked out Robin Rescues Dinner, you should! It's got great recipes and best of all, she shows you how to make just a little bit extra of this or that to use in another meal.

Christmas Dinner

Well, the whirlwind that is hosting Christmas is over. We can relax, clean the house (boy oh boy has our "office" fallen into disarray as I have stashed clutter, mail, and crap in there for the past few months), prepare for our New Year's party. WTF am I thinking? Oh yeah, that I love doing this!

Our Christmas menu, in actuality, went like this:
Appetizers:
Spinach Dip (from the Knorr's box, an S family recipe)
Cheese and crackers
Bruschetta (my "famous" Ali's Amazing Bruschetta from allrecipes)

Dinner:
Shrimp Scampi with spaghetti
Corn, broccoli, red pepper mix
Chopped Layer Salad
Pillsbury Grands

Dessert:
Canoli
Fruit
Better than Sex Cake

I have to say, I was VERY impressed with the way the shrimp scampi turned out. Everyone I spoke with (especially my husband) thought it very strange that scampi would have Dijon mustard, but it was a nice hint of flavor. The aforementioned husband told me today he was really impressed with it and that it was REALLY good. We had a little bit of leftovers (7 adults, planning for 8), and they were pretty good reheated too! Definitely will be making that again. Oh, and no communication meant that someone used up the last of our Dijon mustard on a sandwich the day before Christmas, and I learned that no supermarkets are open on Christmas day. Soooo, to the trusty internet I turned, and made homemade Dijon... SO EASY, will definitely do that again too!
Recipe for homemade Dijon mustard:
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar -- (or 1/2 white wine, 1/2 white vinegar
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
pinch sugar

Mix all ingredients.

Yield: "2 tablespoons"


The Better than Sex cake was made by my husband. I was very glad he made it, since our dessert bringer didn't end up coming, and the backup frozen cheesecake I had in the freezer didn't defrost in time. He didn't quite follow the directions, so the cake would have been way better if served hot and had the toffee on top, but it was pretty tasty anyway.

Everyone seemed happy with the meal, even those picky folks who joke at every holiday about stopping at White Castle on the way home (yes, you read that correctly; it drives me BATTY).

No pictures, alas. Despite cooking the meal and hosting and being pregnant, I was told that I was responsible for taking the pictures for the day. I'm not bitter, but I just didn't get to do the things I might have otherwise as a result.

Hope your December 25 was merry, whether it was spent with family or with Chinese and a movie!!

Crab Casserole

This is a recipe I received at my bridal shower. I don't know if it's a secret recipe or anything like that, so I won't post it here, but if you really want it let me know!

Shrimp Newburg

Another from Rachael Ray's December 09 issue.

• 4 Servings
• 
• Prep 15 min
• 
• Cook 20 min

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp—cleaned and cut into thirds, shells reserved
• 1 1/3 cups 2 percent milk
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup sherry wine
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup finely chopped chives

Slash sodium by serving the shrimp over brown rice instead of buttered toast.

Keep the flavor but lose the fat by replacing heavy cream and egg yolks with fresh shrimp broth and milk.

Shrimp is a good source of low-calorie protein—and it's more affordable than the traditional lobster.

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the rice with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes; fluff with a fork. Cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt 2 teaspoons butter over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells and cook, stirring, until crisp, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the milk with the cornstarch, then whisk into the shrimp shells. Bring to a simmer, whisking, then cook for 1 minute. Strain the mixture into a bowl, pressing the shrimp shells to get all the liquid; discard the shells. Wash and dry the saucepan.
3. In the saucepan, melt the remaining 2 teaspoons butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk mixture and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the shrimp and sherry and cook, stirring, until the shrimp is firm, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chives. Serve over the rice.

BAJ thought this was REALLY good and said he wants to have this again. I wasn't as convinced, however, partially because of a mental thing I had that perhaps the shrimp wasn't fully cooked.
It was easy, but I can't imagine it took the amount of time it said it did; I felt like it took me much longer.

Linguine with Scallops, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Pine Nuts

From my Food and Wine cookbook, but you can find the recipe here!

This was somewhat dissatisfying. It was really sort of bland and flavorless. Easy, yeah, sure, but make it again good? Not so much.

Made it on April 3.