Recipe #317: Broiled Salmon with Bleu Cheese, Lemon, & Dill

I don't remember where I linked to this recipe from, but I knew I had to make it the second I saw it.  It was awhile before I finally planned it out, for whatever reason- I regret waiting so long.  FANTASTIC!!  So much flavor!!  I adjusted the amounts for 2 fillets that were about a half pound each, but I'm leaving measurements here how the recipe originally had them.  Adjust according to your needs.

INGREDIENTS:

One 4 1/2-pound wild salmon fillet with skin
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper (I only had black)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped dill
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS;

Preheat the oven to 450°. Lay the salmon skin side down on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season the salmon with salt and white pepper and dot with the butter. Roast the salmon in the upper third of the oven for 8 minutes, until just starting to brown on top.

Remove the salmon from the oven and preheat the broiler. Set the rack 6 inches from the heat. In a medium bowl, using a fork, blend the cheese with the dill, shallot, wine and lemon juice. Dot the mixture evenly over the salmon fillet and broil for 10 to 12 minutes, until the salmon is golden brown on top and just cooked through.

Recipe #307: Summer Corn and Lobster French Onion Chowder with Gruyere Toastets

I wanted to make something fantastic to celebrate (or lament) the end of a nice long vacation, so I went to foodgawker.com to see what looked interesting.  I saw this recipe and was smitten.  Super easy to make but tastes fancy.  Heavy, flavorful, perfect for cold weather.  If you don't want to spend the money on lobster, crab meat or shrimp would be fine substitutes.

(copied from http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/)

• 3-4 (8 ounce) lobster tails (optional and interchangeable)
• 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups white wine or beer (12 ounces)
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
• 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
• 1/2 a lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil or parsley, chopped (I used basil)
• 1 french baguette, sliced
• 4 ounce gruyere cheese, shredded

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Once boiling drop in your lobster tails. Boil for 5-10 minutes or until your tails turn bright red. Drain the water and allow the tails to cool.

Heat a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon from the pan and set aside on a paper towel to drain.

To the pot add the butter, onions, thyme and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Continue cooking and scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan frequently, until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Once the onions are caramelized, add the flour and garlic. Stir the flour with the onions to make a roux, cook about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the wine and chicken broth. Add the corn.

Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile cut down the back and front of the lobster and pull the meat away from the shell. Dice or shred the lobster meat.

After the soup has simmered about 10 minutes add the cream and simmer another 5 minutes. Squeeze half a lemon over the soup, season with salt and pepper. Stir in the lobster and fresh basil. Preheat the the broiler to high.

Ladle the soup into oven safe soup crocks. Top with a slice or two from the french baguette and a handful of shredded gruyere cheese. Place under the broiler until browned.  Garnish with bacon. Eat hot. Enjoy!!

Recipe #293: Singapore Noodles

Well, of the month of June, I was home one week out of them all between vacation (Florida!) and work (Illinois and Kansas!) and even if I had time to cook, was too tired to try anything new or fancy.  This is my first post in almost a month.  Hopefully it inspires some more.

This one is from the latest issue of Cooks Illustrated (and copied from their site) and I'm happy with the results.  Spicy, plenty of curry, and the fresh shrimp is delicious.  Light enough for summer but still hearty.

INGREDIENTS

• 4tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2tablespoons curry powder
• 1/8teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 6ounces rice vermicelli
• 2tablespoons soy sauce
• 1teaspoon sugar
• 12ounces large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled, deveined, tails removed, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4large eggs, lightly beaten
• Salt
• 3garlic cloves, minced to paste
• 1teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
• 2large shallots, sliced thin
• 2/3cup chicken broth
• 4ounces (2 cups) bean sprouts
• 4scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil, curry powder, and cayenne, if using, in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

   2. Bring 1 1/2 quarts water to boil. Place noodles in large bowl. Pour boiling water over noodles and stir briefly. Soak noodles until flexible, but not soft, about 2 1/2 minutes, stirring once halfway through soaking. Drain noodles briefly. Transfer noodles to cutting board. Using chef’s knife, cut pile of noodles roughly into thirds. Return noodles to bowl, add curry mixture, soy sauce, and sugar; using tongs, toss until well combined. Set aside.

   3. Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shrimp in even layer and cook without moving them until bottoms are browned, about 90 seconds. Stir and continue to cook until just cooked through, about 90 seconds longer. Push shrimp to 1 side of skillet. Add 1 teaspoon oil to cleared side of skillet. Add eggs to clearing and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using rubber spatula, stir eggs gently until set but still wet, about 1 minute. Stir eggs into shrimp and continue to cook, breaking up large pieces of egg, until eggs are fully cooked, about 30 seconds longer. Transfer shrimp-egg mixture to second large bowl.

   4. Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in now-empty skillet until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add bell pepper and shallots. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with shrimp.

   5. Return skillet to medium-high heat, add broth to skillet, and bring to simmer. Add noodles and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add noodles to bowl with shrimp and vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Add bean sprouts, scallions, and lime juice and toss to combine. Transfer to warmed platter and serve immediately, passing lime wedges separately.

Recipe #287: Broiled Teryaki Tuna

Be sure to use fresh ginger for this- it's simple and easy to make and really delicious.  I followed the directions to broil for four minutes per side, which left the tuna a little pink inside, which I prefer.

2 tuna steaks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon peeled finely chopped fresh ginger (or grated)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Using a zip-lock plastic bag, combine all ingredients except fish; shake to combine.
Place tuna steaks in bag with marinade; chill for at least 30 minutes.
Broil or grill until done-- brushing with marinade (medium-well done is 4 minutes per side for 3/4 to 1 inch steaks).

Recipe #285: Shrimp Etouffee

I've been so busy, and my blog is the first thing to suffer.  Luckily, today I had enough time to squeeze in a new recipe, and I'm glad I picked this one from allrecipes.com (yet again!).... a little spicy, really hearty, and fresh.  LOVE THIS!  Served it over whole grain rice.

Honestly, I'm too tired to even type up or copy/paste/format the recipe, so I'm just going to post the link.  I followed it exactly except for using a can of chili peppers instead of fresh.  So here ya go:  Delicious Shrimp Etouffee!

Recipe #282: Sesame-Crusted Salmon

For Christmas, my aunt gifted me with a subscription to a fabulous magazine, Cooks Illustrated.  Here's my first attempt at making one of their recipes, and it was perfect (although I modified amounts a little). The amounts listed below are how I made the dish.  So juicy and flavorful!

INGREDIENTS:

Salt
1/2 cup sesame seeds
2 6-8oz skinless salmon fillets (I used ones with skin and it turned out fine)
1-2 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice
4 teaspoons tahini
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.  Dissolve 5 tablespoons salt in 2 quarts of water (I put this in a 9x13 casserole dish).  Transfer 1 cup brine to bowl, stir in sesame seeds, and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.  Submerge fillets in remaining brine and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Drain seeds and place in 12-inch nonstick skillet.  Cook seeds over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 2-4 minutes.  Transfer seeds to a plate and wipe out skillet with paper towels.  Remove fillets from brine and pat dry.

Place scallion whites and lemon zest on cutting board and chop until whites and zest are finely minced and well combined.  Transfer scallion-zest mixture to bowl and stir in lemon juice, tahini, ginger, cayenne, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Evenly distribute half of paste over bottoms of fillets.  Press coated sides of fillets in seeds and transfer, seed side down, to a plate.  Evenly distribute remaining paste over tops of fillets and coat with remaining seeds.

Heat oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Place fillets in skillet, skin(ned) side up, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook until seeds begin to brown, about 2 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat and carefully flip fillets over.  Transfer skillet to oven.  Bake until center of fish is translucent, 10-15 minutes (15 for my 8 oz fillets worked well).  Transfer to serving platter and let rest for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with scallion greens and serve.

Recipe #274: Crab Canapés

This was supposed to be for a party, but Mother Nature had other ideas, so it became dinner at home.  I was skeptical about the fake crab, but it was delicious.  I'd try it with real crab too, to see if there's a difference, but it's great as-is.  The cucumber complements it perfectly, but little toasts are probably good too.  I'm not the biggest fan of parsley, but I definitely wouldn't leave it out here.  Fresh and yummy.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 package (8oz) imitation crabmeat
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 green onions, sliced
1-2 cucumbers, sliced
Fresh parsley for garnish (I used curly because it divides nicely and is "compact" for these little things)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine cream cheese, lemon juice, and hot pepper sauce in a bowl and mix well.

Stir in crabmeat, bell pepper and green onions; cover.  Chil about an hour or more until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mixture onto each cucumber slice and garnish with parsley.

Recipe #273: Singapore Mai Fun

It's been awhile since I've posted, but work travel makes meal planning difficult!  In between work trips, I'm able to squeeze in this new recipe from food.com, which I adapted a little.  Next time, I think I would use all shrimp and no chicken simply because the shrimp created a nice difference in texture where the chicken sort of blended in, and I would also use two eggs.

Ingredients:

1 (6 ounce) package skinny rice noodles (py mai fun)  (I used an 8oz package)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
cooking spray
1 tablespoon peanut oil, divided
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut in strips
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger  (The store didn't have fresh, so I used 1 tsp ground)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 -5 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced (I used 8 more oz of shrimp, you could also use cubed tofu)  (I used almost a full pound)
1 tablespoon curry powder
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup sliced green onion (1-inch slices)
1/2 lb snow peas, sliced thinly
1/2 lb mung bean sprouts

Directions:

Cook rice noodles according to package directions, leaving out any fat or salt that may be called for.

Combine broth, soy sauce, sugar and salt, and stir together till sugar dissolves.

Heat large nonstick skillet over med-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray.

Add 1 tsp oil.

Add egg; stir-fry 30 seconds or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly.

Remove from pan, and set aside.

Wipe down pan with cloth or paper towel.

Heat remaining oil (about 2 tsp) in pan over med-high heat.

Brown chicken thoroughly.

Add bell pepper, ginger, red pepper, and garlic; stir-fry 15 seconds.

Add snow peas, bean sprouts, curry, and shrimp; stir fry two or three minutes, until shrimp is nearly done.

Stir in egg, noodles and broth mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Sprinkle with green onions.

Recipe #268: Thon À La Provenҫale (Child)

My favorite French recipes so far involve chicken and my French pot, but if I'm going to keep learning, I need to branch out past chicken and beef.  Here's a seafood one that doesn't involve the pot at all.  There are still several steps that involve the mixing of flavors and re-use of cookware... my favorite!  Behold, tuna steaks with an amazing tomato topping.  I changed the recipe some (amounts, not ingredients) since I was only feeding two of us, so there was a little more sauce per tuna steak, I'm guessing, plus some leftovers (which I will be delighted to mix into rice for lunch!)

From page 219 of volume one, here's my not-very-photogenic result.  If you do a Google image search, though, those pics aren't much better- you just have to trust me that this was delicious.  The asparagus was a little overcooked because I was too busy paying attention to the sauce, but that was still yummy too.  

Recipe #254: Dilled Salmon En Papillote

I found this one in one of my neglected cookbooks.  It's similar to other recipes I've posted for salmon using dill, and packet baking..... but still different enough to be its own unique post.  Very flavorful.  I served it with basmati rice.

The recipe is as printed in the cookbook, with my changes in red.

INGREDIENTS:

1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out.  (EW!  I used half a bag of fresh, coarsely chopped)
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 salmon fillets (4oz each), skin removed (I used 2 6-oz fillets and left the skin on)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons drained capers (I used less since I only had 2 fillets)
4 teaspoons light butter (I used regular butter, for the skillet and then 1 tsp for each fillet)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees 4.  Coat 4 sheets aluminum foil 12"x20" with cooking spray ((I used 2 sheets of non-stick foil and didn't have to coat them.)

Coat a medium skilled with cooking spray (I melted butter instead) and heat over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes.  Add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and cook for 30 seconds, stirring.  Remove from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of the dill.

In a small bowl, combine the mustard and remaining 1 tablespoon dill and 2 teaspoons lemon juice.

Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Divide of the spinach mixture on half of each sheet.  Top each mound of spinach with 1 salmon fillet.  Spread the mustard mixture over the tops and sides of each fillet.  Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the capers over each fillet.  Top each fillet with 1 teaspoon of the butter.  Fold the foil over the salmon and crimp the edges of the foil together to make a tight seal.

Transfer the foil packets to a large baking sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the packets are puffed, although they may not puff.  Cut open at the table.

Recipe #251: Lobster Bisque

The other day, I saw some frozen lobster tails for a good price at the store, so I grabbed them without knowing what recipe I might use them for.  With the weather getting colder, though, I was inspired to make a lobster bisque.  This is a very easy recipe that could be the base for some changes, or fine on its own.  Except for the onion, I halved the recipe and used two lobster tails, and it worked out to be two big bowls of soup.  Here's another one from allrecipes.com....

INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoons butter 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon celery salt 4 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups chicken stock 3 tablespoons minced onion 3 cups cooked lobster meat, shredded 1 tablespoon paprika 1/2 cup light cream

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper and celery salt until well blended. Gradually stir in the milk so that no lumps form, and then stir in the chicken stock. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the soup begins to thicken. Add the onion and lobster; season with paprika. Cook and stir for 10 more minutes. Stir in the cream, heat through and serve.

Recipe #245: Thai Shrimp Wonton Soup

I had lots of leftover wonton wraps from my mini taco recipe, so today I searched for a way to use them.  This was the winning recipe, and as a result, I also found a new website to try recipes from:  asiansupper.com!  Expect plenty of postings from there in the future.

This was simple and tastes like what you'd get from a restaurant, I think.  BE SURE to use unsalted broth and low sodium soy sauce, because it still comes out salty.  It would be too much if there was more.  I bought some frozen egg rolls to make on the side.  Some day I'll try making those fresh too.

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ pound of shrimp, minced into small pieces
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 scallion stalked, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp soy sauce  (LOW SODIUM!!)
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 3 tbs cilantro
• 1 egg yolk
• 12 wonton skins
• 4 cups chicken broth  (UNSALTED!!)
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp sweet rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

DIRECTIONS:

• In a large bowl, combine shrimp, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, fish sauce, cilantro. Blend well, and let stand for 15 minutes.
• Place about one teaspoon of the filling at the center of each wonton skin. Moisten all 4 edges of wonton wrapper with egg yolk, then pull the top corner down to the bottom, folding the wrapper over the filling to make a triangle. Press edges firmly to make a seal. Bring left and right corners together above the filling. Overlap the tips of these corners, moisten with egg yolk and press together. Continue until all wrappers are used.
• Bring the chicken broth, fish sauce and sweet rice wine vinegar to a rolling boil. Gently drop the wontons into the broth. The wontons are cooked once they float to the top and you boil the dumplings for an additional 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped scallions, and serve.  (I added the scallions to the soup while cooking)

Recipe #227: Grilled Romaine and Shrimp with Vinaigrette Dressing

This meal, although not photogenic, is fresh and delicious.  I adapted the shrimp and romaine part from a recipe I found via Google search, and the vinaigrette dressing recipe is from a fellow foodie and friend.  My hair smells like grill smoke and my stomach is happy!

Salad Ingredients:

Shrimp (I used 8 jumbo scampi for 2 of us)
Whole romaine hearts (1 per 2 people)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Small onion, sliced into rings

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

8 tbs olive oil per person (OR split half and half olive oil and lemon juice, which I did here)
4 tbs balsamic vinegar per person
1 tbs Dijon mustard (I used 2)
1/2 tbs hot chili sauce (I used 1)
Salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Ingredients...

Directions:

Thread shrimp onto oiled skewers.  Brush or spray shrimp with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Cut romaine lengthwise in half.  Brush or spray lettuce with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Brush onion rings with oil.

Prepped....

Place onions and shrimp on preheated grill and cook about 4 minutes for one side.  Turn over, and grill the other side.  Put the romaine middle-side down on the grill while the second side of the shrimp cooks, and grill until it wilts slightly.

Put romaine on a plate and top with shrimp and onions.  Spoon or pour over the vinaigrette.  Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe #223: Lobster Mac and Cheese

The other day, Nick went to lunch with some of his coworkers to a restaurant he'd been to before.  He was looking forward to having their lobster mac and cheese but found out they'd since taken it off their menu.  That inspired me to look for a recipe and attempt to make it myself.  If you want to splurge on something expensive, unhealthy and definitely delicious, this is the recipe to try.  I found this on Food Network's website and it had great reviews, for good reason.  My minor changes are in red.  This makes about 6 servings.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing dish (I used olive oil spray to grease the dish)
Kosher salt
1 pound penne pasta
2 small shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white wine (I used about double because the flour mixture soaked it up immediately)
4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar
2 cups shredded Gruyere
2 (8-ounce) raw lobster tails, defrosted if frozen, meat removed from shell, chopped
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves (I used dried)


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and adjust racks to the middle. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with butter.

In a large pot of boiling salted water over medium heat, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve.

Add 4 tablespoons butter to a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter shimmers, add the shallots and garlic and saute until translucent. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the tomato paste and flour and stir to toast, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce, by half, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the cream, whisking well to remove any lumps. Add the paprika, cayenne, and bay leaf. Bring the cream up to a simmer and turn the heat to low. Let reduce until the cream is thick and can coat a spoon, about 5 to 10 minutes. When thickened, remove the bay leaves.

Stir in the grated cheeses, a handful at a time, combining well after each addition. Add the chopped lobster meat to the sauce and stir well. Add the pasta and stir. Add to the greased baking dish and sprinkle with the panko crumbs and parsley. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle individual servings with parsley.

Recipe #217: Paella

I want to go to Spain, eat their food and drink their wine.  That won't happen any time in the very near future, so I just cooked their food and found a bottle of their wine in the grocery store instead.  Where there's a will, there's a way.  PAELLA!  This turned out great although I wish I had cooked the mussels just a little bit longer.  It made a TON and there's a lot of leftovers.  Allrecipes.com provided yet another recipe- my comments/changes are in red.

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 red bell pepper, chopped 4 ounces chorize sausage, cut into pieces (I used 8oz) 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes 1 (12 ounce) package uncooked Arborio rice (I used 8oz package of saffron yellow rice, then arborio) 5 cups chicken broth (I only needed the 3.5 cups) 1/2 cup white wine 1 sprig fresh thyme

1 pinch saffron salt to taste ground black pepper to taste 2 squid, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1/2 cup frozen green peas 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (or, you know, 15...) 1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded (dont forget the shaving cream and razors) 1/4 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley 8 slices lemon, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat olive oil in paella pan over medium heat. Add in onion, garlic and pepper; cook and stir for a few minutes. Add chorizo sausage, diced chicken, and rice; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 3 1/2 cups stock, wine, thyme leaves, and saffron. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 15 minutes; stir occasionally.
2.	Taste the rice, and check to see if it is cooked. If the rice is uncooked, stir in 1/2 cup more stock. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Stir in additional stock if necessary, up to 2 cups additional stock, 5 cups total. Cook until rice is done.
3.	Stir in squid, tomatoes, and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Arrange prawns and mussels on top. Cover with foil, and leave for 3 to 5 minutes.  (BE SURE to leave the heat on.  Mussels are done when they open.  Poke to test their "squishiness" for desired doneness)
4.	Remove the foil, and scatter parsley over the food. Serve in paella pan, garnished with lemon wedges.

The wine I chose to go with dinner.... and lots of leftovers!

Recipe #197: Crab Legs

I guess this isn't really a recipe.... it's more of a method.  I almost didn't post it, actually, because it's THAT EASY.  I absolutely love crab legs (especially snow and dungeness) but was always leery about making them myself, mostly because of the cost.  If I messed them up, it would be a sort of expensive screw up.  I don't know why I was so worried, because this was really simple, and I already want to try new ways to prepare them (mostly involving Old Bay seasoning...........)

I bought a 2lb box of frozen snow crab legs.  Today, I moved them from the freezer to the fridge in the morning.  I took them out about a half hour before I wanted to cook them, and I let them sit on the counter a little to let the rest of the ice melt more.  I rinsed them in the sink in tepid water.  I put a vegetable steamer (yeah I had to improvise) in a large pot, which had about 1-2" of water in the bottom.  I also put some ground ginger and garlic powder in the water for a little flavoring.  I got the water boiling, then added the crab legs and covered the pot.

In the meanwhile, I melted down sticks (yes, plural... sure, it was a little overkill...) in another little pot.

Everything took about 5 minutes, and I let the legs sit in the covered pot while I finished prepping everything.

I served them with a side of corn (meh, not too impressive) and some long grain and wild rice (I cheated- Uncle Ben's 90 second bags in the microwave...), but it all came together alright.  The rice and corn weren't all that interesting compared to the legs anyway.

You can't see it in the pic here, but I put aluminum foil over the platter to keep them as warm as I could.  I LOVE crab but they get cold so fast.  By the end, I was heating them up in the microwave again at about 30 seconds... not sure if that did anything to the flavor, as I was done with them at that point, and Nick was eating the rest, but it didn't seem to bother him.

This is a simple method for what to do with the frozen crab you can buy at the grocery store, but it made me long for fresh seafood in Maine, Hawaii, California, Greece, Spain......   Maybe it's best that this is as good as I can get right now, so I don't know what I'm missing!

Recipe #193: Coquilles St. Jacques

I was interested in this dish that I found in a cookbook thanks to the picture... And it something new to do with scallops instead of just sauteing them.  Because of the wine and mushrooms, this reminded me of a sort of scallops-version of chicken Marsala   The flavor is very rich thanks to the wine and cheese, and it was a hit with Nick, who particularly loves scallops.

I got distracted and burned the bread crumbs in the 

broiler a little, but nothing was ruined, thankfully!

The goods!

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp butter

1/2 c fresh breadcrumbs 

1 medium yellow onion, sliced then halved

1 lb large sea scallops (NOTE:  The store didn't have these, so I had to settle for the much-smaller bay ones)

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

3 tbs all-purpose flour

1/2 c dry white wine

1/2 c water

3/4 c half-and-half

2 oz Swiss or Jarlsberg (which is what I used) cheese, coarsely grated

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the broiler.  Grease four individual 8-10oz broiler-safe baking dishes (I used 2 larger ramekin dishes).  In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over moderate heat.  Pour the butter into a small bowl; stir in bread crumbs.  Set the buttered crumbs aside.

In the skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat.  Add onion; saute until soft, 5 minutes.  Increase the heat to moderate.  Stir in scallops and mushrooms; saute for 5 minutes.

Add flour to the scallops and mix well.  Gradually stir in wine and water.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes.  Stir in half-and-half; heat the mixture until it is hot but not boiling.  Remove the skillet from the heat.

Divide the scallop mixture among the baking dishes.  Sprinkle each serving with an equal amount of cheese and top the cheese with the buttered bread crumbs.  Broil 4 inches from heat until lightly browned on top, 1-2 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Recipe #169, 170, 171: Seared Scallops & Herb Butter Sauce, with Orzo, and Roasted Green Beans

Deliciousness from Cooking Light magazine.  My scallops aren't very browned because I used more oil than I needed to and not a cast iron skillet, but they were still very tasty.  While I made the sauce, I kept the cooked beans in the oven (turned off) and the cooked orzo covered, and everything stayed hot.  I LOVED the shallots with the beans- they took on the flavor of the fried onions you can buy in cans at the store.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives divided
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 
  
• 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 
  
• 1 1/2 pounds large sea scallops
• 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 3/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided 
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup dry white wine 
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chilled butter, cubed 
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

1. 1. Prepare orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Return to pan; stir in 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon chives, olive oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Keep warm.
2. 2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; coat scallops with cooking spray. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan; keep warm.
3. 3. Combine wine, shallots, and vinegar in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until liquid reduces to 1 tablespoon. Reduce heat to low. Add butter cubes, 1 at a time, whisking after each addition until butter is fully incorporated. Stir in 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon chives, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Serve scallops with sauce and orzo.
4. For beans:   Preheat oven to 450°. Combine beans, shallots, olive oil, and kosher salt on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast at 450° for 10 minutes or until crisp-tender.