Friends Food Family

Seared Scallops with Pineapple-Pepper Salsa

A few weeks ago, we entertained family for the weekend as Jeff's niece's wedding shower was being held at our house. When we entertain, we love to have a few appetizers or small plate snacks before serving dinner.

In April, I gave Jeff the Stonewall Kitchen Appetizers Cookbook for his birthday. Not that we needed another cookbook BUT this have a nice variety of different appetizers from hot to cold to chicken, pasta and seafood. They also have great uses for fresh herbs and vegetables that are found in your garden. This recipe seemed perfect on a warm summer night, Seared Scallops with refreshing Pineapple-Pepper Salsa.

The recipe called for a green pepper but I love red peppers because they are a bit sweeter and they complement the pineapple in taste and color. We made the salsa a few hours in advance and refrigerated them until the scallops were cooked. The combination was amazing. There is something wonderful when you add fruit to seafood, especially when there is that hot and cold combination; hot juicy scallops with cold refreshing pineapple.

Our guests were delighted. With a few extra scallops and salsa left after the first serving, people moved quickly to get a few spare seconds. Everyone enjoyed the quick bite before we served dinner.

We are fortunate because we love to entertain and our guests are always excited at see what we will serve. Not because it is incredible but more that it is different. Finding a new recipe, allows you to become a bit more creative as well as let your guests taste something deliciously different. 

The Pineapple-Pepper Salsa

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped fresh pineapple
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped (white and green parts)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large lime, juiced
1-1/2 tablespoons of  chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 to 1 small red chile pepper or japaleno pepper, chopped, with or without seeds
salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, mix together, pineapple, bell pepper, scallions, oil, lime, cilantro and chile. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper. The salsa can be made 1 to 2 hours ahead of time; cover and refrigerate.

The Scallops

1 pound of sea scallops (dry scallops)
1 cup of all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preparation:

Pat the scallops dry. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour salt and pepper to taste. Lightly dredge the scallops in the seasoned flour; be sure to brush off any excess flour.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot (add a touch of flour and make sure it sizzles), add half the scallops in one layer, being sure not to crowd the skillet. Cook 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side, depending on the size of the scallop, or until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining scallops.

Place about 2-3 tablespoons of salsa in the middle of a small plate. Top with two to three scallops. Garnish with a lime wedge and cilantro sprig.

 

White Bean, Shrimp and Tomato Salad

 

As I had mentioned a few blogs back, we are going to be highlighting some great cold salads which can be used as an appetizer or side dish for your next function or event. As the weather gets warmer, we look for dishes that are easy and use as many fresh ingredients, from the garden, as possible.

This salad is a family and party favorite. We use it most times as an appetizer and whatever remains is usually used in a salad for lunch or a light snack the next day, but only if it is doubled. The recipe is part of our "recipe box" series, those recipes we started cutting out and saving 6-8 years ago. This box holds many of our favorite dishes.

We love this recipe for a number of reasons (but here are two):

1. Everybody raves about the dish, it's basic but very different tasting. If you think about it, have you ever had anything like this at a party?

2. It's easy and delicious...beans, shrimp, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil...on toasted french bread...to die for!

A few more weekends before the 4th of July cookouts begin. Try this recipe on your family and friends, we can guarantee that you will be making it for your next gathering. Be the hit with this appetizer, the white bean, shrimp and tomato salad.

Ingredients:

2 (14.5 ounce) cans of small white beans or cannellini beans, we use a can of each

2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 fresh sage leaf, finely chopped

1 pound of fresh small (or medium) shrimp, peeled

2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded and finely chopped

8 large basil leaves, cut into fine strips

1/3 cup of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Stone ground crackers, pita chips or french baguette slices, lightly toasted  

Preparation:

Rinse the two cans of beans in a colander and place into a bowl with the chopped tomatoes, and garlic.  

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for one minute or just until the shrimp turns bright pink. Add the shrimp to the bean mixture with the sage, basil and olive oil.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve slightly warm or cold with crackers, pita chips or toasted slices of french bread.

NOTE: If the mixture seems a little bland, add a little more olive oil.  

Shellfish and Chicken Paella with Saffron Rice, Chorizo and Green Peas

 

Over the weekend I ask our Facebook Fans, or should I say our "likers", what they were craving. Alison Moriarty, who works with me, said she was looking for a good paella recipe. Jeff and I had been talking about making a paella and this gave us reason to look for and make the request.

After laboring over a few recipes, we decided on Bobby Flay's Shellfish and Chicken Paella with Saffron Rice, Chorizo and Green Peas. It had everything we wanted to see in a paella...chicken, chorizo, and an assortment of seafood. It also called for arborio rice which is similar to Bomba rice, used in traditional Spanish paella.

Paella is definitely a mix of different meats, seafood and vegetables. Depending on your likes and dislikes, I'll leave it up to you on what you would like to add or subtract from this recipe. The recipe calls for lobster and we struggled with whether we wanted to include it, mostly for cost. There are quite a few ingredients in this dish and many comments suggested leaving the lobster out and including scallops. In the end, we did add both the lobster and scallops. We also used boneless chicken thighs rather than the whole chicken parts and they cooked up easily and were delicious in the paella. We did add more shrimp (16 versus 8). In total, for seafood, we had lobster, scallops, mussels, little neck clams (12), shrimp and squid.

We were joined by Brian and Sharon (good friends of ours...think Bitch Bags and Romex Construction - they created our kitchen), along with Jeff's parents and our daughters, Danielle and Kristen. It was a great evening of glasses of wine with an incredible paella. I was able to figure out why there was a lemon aioli added to the dish. As I was tasting the paella before the aioli, it was a little fishy tasting (which I didn't mind). With the aioli mixed in, it separated the flavors and removed that fishy taste. There was a clean taste when you ate the chicken, chorizo and seafood. Each had its own distinct flavor, making the dish absolutely DELICIOUS! Everyone had different reasons for loving the dish. "The chicken was moist and flavorful", "the chorizo was amazing", "the lobster was tender and flavorful", "the rice was delicious" and "I loved the peas in it!".

For all the work necessary for this dish, it was well worth it. Allow yourself a few hours for preparation which may include cooking some of the ingredients ahead of time. It's like every meal, dish or dessert we make...when we have an audience of people enjoying what we serve, it is worth every moment it takes to prepare, cook and deliver the dish.

Thank you, Alison, for making the suggestion. It puts another great recipe into our library of dishes! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Lemon Aioli:
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
*2 egg yolks
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3/4 cup olive oil
Freshly ground white pepper

Paella:
4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 cups chicken stock, divided
Large pinch saffron
12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 (2 1/2-pound) whole chicken, cut in 8 pieces or 4 legs and 4 thighs (dark meat)
1/2 pound chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/4 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio (paella) rice
12 mussels, debearded and scrubbed
8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail on (we used 16 shrimp)
1/2 pound of scallops 
4 baby squid, cleaned and sliced into rings, tentacles reserved
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 cooked lobsters (1 1/2 pounds each), tails in the shell, split lengthwise, claw meat in the shell or out, as desired
Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish
1/2 cup Lemon Aioli (we used all of it)

Preparation:

For the aioli:

Place the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Slowly add the oil, drop by drop at first, until thickened. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the paella:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish and drizzle with the honey, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and salt and pepper, and roast until soft. Set aside.

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan and add a large pinch of saffron. Put about 1/2 cup of the stock in another saucepan, add the clams, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook just until the clams open; remove the clams from the liquid and set aside, reserving the liquid.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a very large skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add to the heated pan. Cook until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. Add the chorizo, onion and garlic and saute until chorizo has browned and the onions are translucent.

Add the rice, about 7 1/2 cups of the chicken stock, the reserved clam liquid, and any juices from the chicken and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken in the rice and let cook, uncovered, until the rice is quite al dente, about 15 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer-the rice on the bottom of the pan should form a dark brown crispy crust by the end of the cooking time. If the stock is disappearing too quickly, just add a bit more of the remaining 2 cups.

Add the mussels, shrimp, scallop, squid, and peas. Cook until the shrimp are pink and the mussels open. Add the lobster, clams and roasted tomatoes and heat briefly. At this point, you should still be able to see liquid bubbling gently; it will settle when you turn off the heat. Fold in the parsley and lemon aioli and mix until combined, season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Dorie Greenspan's Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce

 

I have a confession to make...we own 100 cookbooks. At least in the quick count of one of our cabinets. Our newest addition arrived last week "around my french table" by Dorie Greenspan. Jeff loves to read some of the reviews on Amazon and said this one was phenominal. He especially liked it because it had some really great French recipes, not a style of cooking we normally use. We spent most of last week thumbing through the cookbook, marking off our favorite recipes. Both of us decided that since we hadn't had scallops in quite a while the Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce would be our first recipe.

The recipe was simple with a few ingredients and the process to get everything prepared took about 20 minutes. You could serve this dish as a meal as well as an appetizer. We enjoyed the scallops with couscous and broccoli. And I'll have to admit, after eating the scallops, I was running my broccoli and couscous through the remainder of the sauce.

The sauce was sweet but not overpowering, just delicious...incredible...amazing. I love this style of sauce with seafood. It never takes away from the wonderful taste of the scallops.

The best description of this recipe : quick, easy, sweet and delicious. This is a keeper!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of white sugar
1/2 cup of dry white wine
Juice of 1 large orange - generous 1/3 cup (we used a blood red orange)
1 pound of sea scallops (we used dry scallops)
1/2 to 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, for taste
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into 3 pieces

Candied Orange Zest (recipe below)

Preparation:

Sprinkle the sugar into a small sauce pan. Place the pan over medium-high heat and warm the sugar until it starts to melt and color. As soon as you see it turn brown, begin to gently swirl the pan. When the sugar has turned a deep caramel color (you can put  a drop of sugar on a white plate to test the color), about 3 minutes, stand back and add the white wine and orange juice. It may bubble and spatter, so watch out. Turn the heat up to high, stir with a wooden spoon, and boil the sauce until it is reduced by half — you should have about 1/3 cup. Pull the pan from the heat and set it aside. (You can make the sauce up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.)

Pat the scallops dry between two paper towels. Slice or pull off the little muscle attached to the sides of the scallops. Have a warm serving platter and a small strainer at the ready.

Put the sauce pan with the caramel sauce over very low heat so that it can warm while you cook the scallops.

Put a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the scallops, season them with salt and pepper, add a little more oil if needed, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the scallops are firm on the outside and just barely opaque in the center — nick one to test. Transfer the scallops to the serving platter.

Check that the caramel sauce is hot — give it more heat if necessary. Pull the pan from the heat and toss in the butter, bit by bit, swirling the pan until the butter is melted and the sauce is glistening. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then pour through the strainer into a sauce boat or pitcher. Drizzle some of the sauce over the scallops and pass the rest at the table.

Before you squeeze the juice from the orange, cut off the zest using a zester, a vegetable peel or a knife, avoiding the cottony, white pith. Bring a small sauce pan of water to a boil, toss in the zest and boil for one minute, then drain in a strainer and rinse under cold water. Put 3/4 cup of water and 1/2 cup of white sugar in the pan and cook, stirring until dissolved and the syrup is boiling. Add the zest, reduce the heat to as low as possible and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the zest is soft. At serving time, remove the zest with chopsticks or a slotted spoon and strew it over the caramel-sauced scallops.

Shrimp with Tomatoes, Red Onions, Spinach and Feta Cheese

 

About a month ago, Jeff and I took his parents out to dinner. They came to live with us back in August and we try to take them out to dinner once a month. We decided to venture over to the Chateau Restaurant in Norton since the consensus was Italian food.

I ended up ordering a special that had shrimp, tomatoes, red onions and feta cheese. It was delicious. As I continued to eat, my head was spinning on how I could re-create this dish.  After a few attempts at the dish, I think I have come up with something similar with a little twist.

As I tried to re-create this dish, it kept falling a bit flat until I added some BAM!...Emeril style! I have made Emeril's Creole Seasoning and keep a container of it in my cabinet for when I make Emeril's Chicken Marsala.  I used a few tablespoons of the seasoning and it pulled the dish together.

The shrimp was juicy and the flavors of garlic, red onion and diced tomatoes really complimented the shrimp. We served it over a fusilli pasta and it was perfect. I loved the fact that it was light and nutritious with the fresh spinach and had a little heat from the Creole seasoning.

If you are looking for a quick and easy dish that is light but could still be considered a nice comfort food on a cold night, try this. You will be pleasingly delighted!

 Emeril's Creole Essence (Seasoning)

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Mix and place into an airtight container. This lasts for 6+ months.

Ingredients:

1 pound of large shrimp, fresh or frozen, peeled and de-veined

4 tablespoons of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 small red onion, cut into 1/2 inches strips

1/2 cup of white wine

1 (28 ounce) can of diced tomatoes with the juice

1 tablespoon of creole seasoning

4 cups of fresh spinach or 1 package of frozen spinach (defrosted and drained)

1 cup of feta cheese, crumbled

1 pound of fusilli pasta

Preparation:

1. Begin making the pasta according to instructions. The meal should be completed in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.

 2. Place a saute pan on the stove and set to medium heat. Once the pan in hot, add two tablespoons of olive oil and then the onions and garlic. Saute for 6-8 minutes or until the red onions become slightly soft and translucent.

3. Add the white wine and cook until the liquid has been absorbed.

4. Add the tomatoes and one tablespoon of creole seasoning. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and reduce to a simmer over low heat.

5. Using a medium-sized frying pan, set the heat to medium high. Once the pan is hot, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Pat the shrimp dry and sprinkle both sides of the shrimp with a pinch of the creole seasoning. Working in two batches, saute the shrimp until slightly done (no longer translucent), 2 minutes on each side. As the shrimp is cooked, add to the tomato mixture. Use the other tablespoon of olive oil for the second batch.

6. Add the spinach to the tomato mixture. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

7. Serve the shrimp over the pasta and sprinkle with feta cheese. This meal feed 4 hungry people.

Boston Globe's Fish Chowder with Proscuitto - The BEST!

 
 

Here is part two of our Boston Globe article, "Hake goes from trash fish to treasure". This Fish Chowder with Proscuitto is the wonderful results of last night's meal Hake Wrapped in Proscuitto.

I think I will just start by saying this is the BEST fish chowder I have ever tasted. Hands down, better than clam chowder, too.

Take out those three servings of fish and potatoes from our last blog article, Hake Wrapped in Proscuitto. Take the proscuitto off the fish and chop coarsely. Do the same for the fish and potatoes. 

Note that we did things a little differently: 

1. We used scrod as the white fish since we couldn't find hake.

2. We used seafood broth, which we found in the broth section at the supermarket.

3. Ours didn't look as golden as theirs so we added a few threads of saffron.

This recipe took us about fifteen minutes to put together. It was a nice hearty chowder with rich flavors. It wasn't thick but it was creamy and the fish and potatoes gave it body. It happened to be rainy and cold the night we served it, so it hit the spot for warming you up.

We were so impressed with the taste of the chowder, we are going to make a pot of the chowder the next time since this recipe only feeds 4. We will take the time to cook the fish and potatoes the night before and then quickly make the chowder the following day.

If you want to impress your friends and family, cook the Hake Wrapped in Proscuitto next weekend and serve this chowder as a meal or appetizer at your next gathering. You will mark this recipe as a favorite under "The BEST fish chowder...EVA!" 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of butter

6 scallions, chopped using both green and white pieces

Proscuitto from pieces of fish, chopped coarsely

Sliced potatoes from fish, chopped coarsely

2 cups of clam or fish broth

2 cups of heavy cream

3 pieces of cooked fish, flaked into large pieces

2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley

Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

1. In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

2. Add the prosciutto and continue cooking, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

3. Add the potatoes, clam or fish broth, cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 3 minutes.

4. Add the fish and cook 2 minutes or until the fish is heated through. Taste the chowder for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.

5. Ladle the chowder into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley.

Boston Globe's Hake Wrapped in Proscuitto

 

This past Wednesday, the Boston Globe ran an article called "Hake goes from trash fish to treasure". The article highlighted two meals made with hake. Hake is a salt water fish or stock fish that is similar to cod. Not having had fish in a few weeks, Jeff decided to take on these recipes knowing we would make the Hake Wrapped Proscuitto the first night and the remainder would make a great chowder.

Jeff went to the store and couldn't find Hake but decided to use scrod. The recipe recommends Hake or a white flaky fish. He started the recipe by thinly slicing the yukon potatoes and layering them with olive oil, salt and pepper in a roasting pan. He placed the potatoes in the oven and prepared the fish. Jeff wrapped each of the fish pieces in two slices of proscuitto. After 30 minutes, he placed the fish on the potatoes and allowed the rest of the dish to finish cooking.

We had enough people for dinner to save the remainder for the fish chowder, which is definitely a must! The fish was very good. It was flaky and flavorful and the potatoes complemented the fish perfectly. My only suggestion would be to brush olive oil on the proscuitto before cooking the fish. My proscuitto was a little dry, but still tasty. As much as the fish was delicious, the potatoes were amazing. Between the olive oil, fish juices and proscuitto, the potatoes were what everyone fought over.

Please continue to the next blog article Boston Globe's Fish Chowder with Proscuitto where we will highlight, what we consider, the best fish chowder we have ever eaten! If you would like to make the fish chowder, save three servings of fish and potatoes from this meal.

Ingredients:

4 large yukon golden or Yellow Finn potatoes

2 1/2 pounds of skinless, boneless hake or other white fish (pollock, scrod), cut into 8 pieces

16 slices of proscuitto

2 scallions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

1. Set the oven at 450 degrees. Oil a 13- to 14-inch baking dish large enough to hold the fish in one layer.

2. Using a mandoline or another hand-held slicing tool, cut the potatoes into very thin slices. Arrange them in the baking dish, sprinkling the layers with oil, salt, and pepper.

3. Roast the potatoes for 35 minutes or until they are tender and browning at the edges.

4. Meanwhile, sprinkle each piece of fish lightly with oil. Wrap each one with 2 overlapping pieces of prosciutto, tucking them under the fish. Set the fish on the potatoes in one layer. Sprinkle the prosciutto with oil.

5. Roast the fish for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is firm to the touch and cooked through. Set aside 3 pieces of fish and 1/4 of the potatoes for the chowder.

6. Use a wide metal spatula to serve each person fish and potatoes. Sprinkle with scallions and parsley.

 

Proscuitto wrapped scrod with layered potatoes and yellow summer squash.

Seared Tuna with a Sesame Crust

 

A while back I wrote about a great sesame seed crust for salmon, Black Dog Tavern's Sesame Crusted Salmon Fillet. The recipe came from The Black Dog - Summer on the Vineyard - Cook Book by Joe Hall and Elaine Sullivan. It is one of the most popular entrees at The Black Dog Tavern.

One night we decided to try the recipe on our tuna and it was absolutely delicious. The combination of sesame seeds and sesame oil brought an incredible flavor to the fish. I know this may look quite rare to some, but this is the best way to enjoy tuna.

The first time I had tuna was at Rialto Restaurant in Boston. I ordered it because I knew it tasted similar to swordfish. When it arrived, I wasn't sure I would be able to eat it, it looked so rare. As it stands, it was the best tuna I have ever eaten, outside of our house, of course.

I'm so glad I did because I truly enjoy tuna, especially when we make it with this crust. Try this on your next piece of tuna, you'll love the results.

Ingredients

3/4 cups of plain bread crumbs

1/2 cup of raw hulled sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons of Spanish paprika

2 teaspoons of chopped fresh parley

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon dark (toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 pounds of boneless, skinless salmon fillets about 1 inch thick

Preparation

1. Mix together the bread crumbs, sesame seeds, white pepper, salt, paprika, parsley and 1/4 cup of sesame oil.

2. Place a saute pan over medium high heat and add the canola oil. (We used our LeCruset grill pan)

3. Rub tuna tops with the remaining sesame oil and then press oiled tops into the bread crumb mixture and coat well.

4. Place the breaded tuna, bread crumb side down, in the hot pan and sear for about 2 minutes or until evenly browned. (2 minutes was what we seared for our pictured results, if you like your tuna less rare, please cook longer)

5. Turn the tuna over and continue to cook on the other side for about 2 minutes more.

6. Before we remove the tuna from the pan, we will sear the sides slightly, holding the tuna for about 30 seconds on each side.

7. Slice and enjoy!

  

Saveur's Shrimp and Grits

 

Last year, Jeff and I traveled to Charleston, South Carolina and enjoyed the best shrimp and grits dinner at Carolina's. Since that time, we have been in search of a shrimp and grits recipe. Carolina's shrimp and grits was made with andouille sausage, which brought an amazing flavor to the dish. We found a recipe with the andouille sausage but it just didn't taste the same. We weren't sure if it was the recipe or the grits. We just couldn't get it right. 

A few weeks ago, Jeff found another shrimp and grits recipe which looked pretty good. The ingredients were basic and it had bacon instead of sausage. This Shrimp and Grits recipe was from Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; it was highlighted in Saveur Magazine.

We loved this recipe for two reasons. Not only did it taste great, but we have served it both as a main course as well as an appetizer when we recently entertained friends. We still have a little bit of difficulty with grits. We found the instant grits were easy and tasty. The next time we make it, we will attempt stone-ground grits, and will probably take the hint from the restaurant and let the grits soak overnight.

Like the cooks at Crook's Corner, the celebrated restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, we recommend using stone-ground grits. They take more time to cook, but their flavor and texture are richer than instant grits. For quicker cooking, let the grits soak in water in the refrigerator overnight.

Ingredients:

1 cup white or yellow stone-ground grits
3/4 cup grated cheddar
1/4 cup parmesan
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Kosher salt
2 tbsp. canola oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 lb. medium shrimp (about 30), peeled
   Freshly ground black pepper
6 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus 4 lemon wedges
1/2 tsp. hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Preparation:

1. In a 2-qt. saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and whisk in grits. Cook, whisking frequently, until grits are tender and creamy, 30–40 minutes. (Whisk in more water for thinner grits.) Whisk in cheddar, parmesan, and 1 tbsp. butter and season with salt; cover and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate; set aside. Reserve cooking fat in skillet.

3. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Over medium-high heat, add shrimp to skillet and cook, turning once, until bright pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate with a slotted spoon. Lower heat to medium; add mushrooms to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until golden, 1 minute. Raise heat to high, add chicken broth, and scrape bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon. Cook until broth reduces by half, 3 minutes. Return shrimp to skillet along with the lemon juice, remaining butter, and hot sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Divide grits between 4 bowls; top each with shrimp and its sauce. Garnish each bowl with bacon, scallions, and lemon wedges.

SERVES 4

Cioppino-Style Seafood - Shrimp and Mussels

 
Last week we had some friends for dinner. Actual term is Guinea Pig Dinner - no idea of what we are serving, hence, they become the guinea pigs for dinner. We decided we would have seafood so we went to New Bedford to get some mussels, shrimp and swordfish from Kyler's Catch Seafood and some golden yukon fingerlings at Sid Wainer & Son. Jeff had found a recipe for mussels and shrimp and we were eager to try it. What we liked about the recipe was that it had some citrus in the broth and it peaked our culinary interest. The only downside to this recipe is that we don't know where we got it. It was in a magazine under a special advertising special. I love to give credit to the author or chef.

The prep time was pretty quick once we got the shrimp peeled and deveined. The house smelled heavenly as the mixture was simmering and the final product was delicious. The shrimp and mussels were tender and nicely flavored. The broth was light and flavorful (with that little bit of lemon and orange zest and hot pepper kick!) and the bread was perfect for sopping up the remains after the shrimp and mussels were gone. 

We're looking forward to trying this again, especially as we begin to hit the warmer weather and we can sit outside enjoying this like a mini clambake.

Basic Description: Tender mussels and shrimp are cooked in a golden saffron tomato broth, which is enhanced with fresh citrus flavor.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

2 (14.5 oz) cans of Hunt's Petite Diced Tomatoes - undrained

1 cup of water

1 tablespoon drained capers

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon red hot pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound jumbo shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined

2 1/2 pounds of mussels, scrubbed well and beards removed (if attached)

1 loaf artisan Italian bread cut into slices

Heat oil in a large skillet of dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add saffron, undrained tomatoes, water, capers, lemon zest, orange zest, lemon juice, orange juice, hot red pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.

Add shrimp, return to a simmer and simmer until shrimp is just cooked through, stirring occasionally about 3-4 minutes. Transfer shrimp with slotted spoon to bowl and set aside. Add mussels to skillet and return liquid to simmer, cook and cover, just until mussels open wide, about 4-6 minutes. (Discard any mussels that remain unopened after 8 minutes.) Return shrimp to the skillet.

Serve the stew in shallow soup bowls with bread on the side for dipping.

Linguica and Steamers for Two

  

I am fortunate to work with some great people. One of them is Tammi Jacobsen. We are blog partners. When I started Friends Food Family about 6 months ago, Tammi started Gracie's Bark. Starting a blog wasn't easy and it was nice to have someone working on the same blogging system as you. We have been able to work through many successes and frustrations. Tammi has talked about this recipe for a while and I bug her every time she makes it. I asked her to be a guest blogger and she was kind enough to send this recipe.

 

Read on...

 

Rob and I are always looking to spice up our cooking in different ways. The weather this weekend hasn’t exactly felt like spring time, so we were looking to cook a summer meal to keep our spirits up. We stopped at the new Fisherman’s Market in New Bedford and picked up some steamers. We decided to make a smaller version of a clam boil for dinner and it was delicious! We wanted to share this recipe with Trish and Jeff at Friends Food Family.

 

Ingredients:

 

1-½ pounds of Steamers

1 pound of spicy (hot) Linguica (slice into 1 inch sections)

1-2 tablespoons of butter

2 -3 cups of water (depending on size of steamers)

 

Spices:

 

Weber Grill Creations Zesty Lemon Seasoning (sprinkle to your desire)

Paprika (about 1 tablespoon)

Minced Garlic (about 1 tablespoon)

Crushed Red Pepper to taste

 

Preparation:

 

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil; add Linguica, butter and spices. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes, and then add the steamers. Once steamers have been added, you may need to add the 3^rd cup of water. You want to be able to boil the steamers, but not have them all completely submerged in the water.  Boil until steamers shells open up (about 10-15 minutes).  Turn off heat and let the pot sit for about 5 minutes with the cover on to absorb all the flavors.

It was an easy tasty dish that reminded us of summer. We really enjoyed it.

Tammi & Rob

 

Thanks, Tammi and Rob. We are looking forward to making this ourselves!

 

Also, look for their new blog, EyePictured showcasing Rob's photography.

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Giada's Salmon in Lemon Brodetto with Pea Puree

  

As promised, here is the last of the recipes from Giada DeLaurentiis' Giada's Kitchen, New Italian Favorites...this week. The best part of Giada's recipes is that they are easy to prepare and many of the ingredients can be found in your cabinets or pantry.

We love salmon and when I came across this recipe I figured it would be another variation to try. Peas, mint and salmon always compliment each other, and adding it to a lemony broth sounded delicious.

We started by mixing the brodetto together and allowing that to simmer as we got the pea puree ingredients into the food processor. Cooking the salmon was quick and before we knew it, dinner was served.

We are still trying to figure out if we put too much broth in the dish because as you begin to eat it, you'll find that the pea puree and lemon brodetto become mixed like a thick soup. I found myself running the salmon pieces through the broth. It really was a delicious dish, just a little odd to figure it out. We finished it with a side dish of pearl couscous, which ended up in the broth, too.

Overall, a great dish, just a little different in presentation and consumption! 

Ingredients:

Lemon Brodetto:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

Pea Puree:

• 2 cups frozen peas, thawed (about 10 ounces)
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Salmon:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 (4 to 6-ounce) pieces salmon
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

To make the Lemon Brodetto, warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the lemon juice, zest, and broth. Bring to a simmer, and keep warm, covered, over low heat.

To make the Pea Puree, combine the peas, mint, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor and puree. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a steady drizzle. Transfer the pea puree to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan. Set aside.

To make the Salmon, warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Season the salmon pieces with salt and pepper. Sear the salmon until a golden crust forms, about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. Flip the fish and continue cooking until medium-rare, about 2 minutes more depending on the thickness of the fish.

To assemble the dish, add the tablespoon chopped mint to the Lemon Brodetto and divide between 4 shallow dishes. Place a large spoonful of Pea Puree into the center of each bowl. Place a salmon piece atop each mound of Pea Puree. Serve immediately.

Quito's Baked Scrod with Lemon-Garlic Crumbs

  
At least twice a week our family enjoys seafood. It can be anything from shrimp to salmon to scrod. When we are at a loss for how to prepare the seafood, we have been grabbing The New England Clam Shack Cookbook. Written by Brooke Dojny, she highlights restaurants around New England whose specialty is seafood. The Baked Scrod with Lemon-Garlic Crumbs is a recipe from Quito's Restaurant in Bristol, Rhode Island.

We love this recipe because of the unique flavors. There is creamed sherry in the base which is a wonderful blend with the buttery crackers. It is quick to make and compliments the dish without being overpowering. My son, who doesn't care for fish, sat down and finished off the last few pieces. I always believe that more people would enjoy fish if it was prepared with ingredients that create balance.

Try this recipe, you'll end up with a group of fish lovers!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of fresh scrod, cod or haddock

12 tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup creamed sherry

Juice of one lemon

3 cups of finely crushed Ritz Crackers (2 sleeves)

3 tablespoons of chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Lemon wedges

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a baking dish large enough to hold fish in a single layer and arrange the fish in dish.

2. In a medium sauce pan combine the butter, sherry and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until butter is melts.

3. In a bowl, toss the cracker crumbs with the parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne. Add the melted butter mixture and mix well. Sprinkle the crumbs thickly over the fish.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes until the fish tests done and crumbs are golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4-6.

Food & Wine's Ginger-Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce

 
Last night my cousins and sister, along with their spouses, came to our house for an evening of food and fun. We had gotten together during the summer and had promised to set another date during the year. Jeff and I had found some new recipes and what better an audience to try them on. We had a little bit of everything, cheeses, dips and breads, a vegetable tart, fish cakes, risotto and ended with Texas sheet cake.

As food was coming out of the oven or off the grill, they had a chance to taste a wide variety of dishes. Hands down, the top two choices were Carrot Top and Toasted Walnut Pesto and Saveur's Fish Cakes. They found the pesto delicious since it wasn't the traditional basil pesto. They liked the garlic and red pepper flake bite. The fish cakes were also a hit because they were light and the cod was fresh (that morning we went to Kyler's Seafood in New Bedford). They liked the taste of the fish cakes without it being fishy tasting.

Everyone then began to have individual favorites. Over the next week, we will be featuring all the food we served. We'd like to start with Food & Wine's Ginger-Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce because we have served this appetizer to rave reviews over the past year. They do take some time to prepare but the results are worth it. The shrimp is cooked on the grill and it always tastes moist and flavorful with some garlic and ginger heat. The tomato dipping sauce is a wonderful compliment. I can't remember what disappears first the shrimp or the sauce. Hold on to this recipe for your next outdoor event, your guests will love you.

Note: I apologize for not being able to show the sauce, trying to take pictures during a party can be a challenge! Enjoy!

Ingredients

SHRIMP

1. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2. 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
3. 2 tablespoons minced garlic
4. 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
5. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
6. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
7. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
8. 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
9. 2 1/2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined

DIPPING SAUCE

1. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3. 1 large garlic clove, minced
4. 3 stalks of fresh lemongrass, tender inner bulb only, minced
5. 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes—peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
6. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
7. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
8. Kosher salt

Directions

1. Marinate the shrimp: In a large bowl, mix the vegetable oil with the parsley, garlic, basil, ginger, lemon juice, salt and crushed red pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Stir in the ginger, garlic and lemongrass and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt. Transfer the sauce to ramekins.
3. Light a grill. Loosely thread the shrimp onto 10 skewers. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to plates and serve with the tomato sauce.

 

Me, cousin Andria, cousin Sue, cousin Jane, cousin Terri, sister Karen.

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

  

So often we come home after a long day and wonder what we can make for dinner. When our window of opportunity for dinner is one hour, finding a recipe that finishes in 30 to 40 minutes is wonderful.

Here is an easy recipe that tastes great and makes up in the amount of time it takes you to cook your pasta. This Shrimp Scampi Pasta recipe came from a site called Group Recipes. This dish was a nice flavor with a little bit of heat and a glass of white wine doesn't hurt either!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp (raw; 20 to 25 per lb)

4 large garlic cloves, left unpeeled and forced through a garlic press

1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 lb capellini (angel-hair pasta)

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:

1. Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes, and transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
3. Add garlic to oil remaining in skillet along with red pepper flakes, wine, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute.
4. Add butter to skillet, stirring until melted, and stir in shrimp.
5. Remove skillet from heat.
6. Cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 3 minutes.
7. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.
8. Toss pasta well with shrimp mixture and parsley in large bowl, adding some of reserved cooking water if necessary to keep moist.

 

Saveur's Fish Cakes

 
We have always been fans of cooking magazines. If we aren't looking at a new cookbook, we are purchasing Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Fine Cooking, Gourmet and one of our new favorites Saveur. Jeff came across a recipe for Fish Cakes in Saveur magazine and thought this could be a great appetizer for our next gathering.

Having recently received a tip on a fresh seafood market in New Bedford, Jeff headed to Kyler Seafood and returned with tuna, swordfish and cod. It was the freshest seafood we had purchased in a while. Over the next few hours we proceeded to cook and enjoy our seafood creations. After everything was cooked and eaten, the results were in...the Fish Cakes were incredible. They were light and fluffy. The softness of the potatoes and chunkiness of the cod, pulled together with fresh dill allowed all the flavors to come through. Eating the Fish Cakes on one of the coldest night's this year made me long for summer and a chair by the pool!

It's definitely a New England classic and we look forward to adding this to our growing list of great appetizers.

Ingredients

6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 russet potatoes (about 1 lb.), peeled and cut into 1⁄4" cubes
Kosher salt, to taste
1 lb. boneless skinless cod filets
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1⁄2 cup dried bread crumbs
1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. unsalted butter

Preparation

1. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add celery, onions, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Transfer celery–onion mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

2. Put potatoes into a 4-qt. saucepan and cover with salted water by 1". Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; transfer half the potatoes to a plate. Set aside to let cool. Transfer remaining potatoes to a bowl and mash with a fork. Transfer mashed potatoes to reserved bowl of onion mixture; set aside to let cool.

3. Season cod with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cod and cook, turning once with a metal spatula, until cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Transfer cod to a plate and let cool. Break cod into 1" chunks and set aside.

4. Add bread crumbs, mayonnaise, herbs, egg yolk, and lemon juice to the potato–onion mixture and stir vigorously to combine. Add the reserved cubed potatoes and the cod and mix gently to combine. Using your hands, divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and form into 3"-wide cakes (use a 3" ring mold if you have one). Transfer cakes to a wax paper–lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm.

Working in 2 batches, heat 1 tbsp. oil and 2 tbsp. butter in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add cod cakes and cook, flipping once, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer cakes to a serving platter; serve with chowchow, if you like.

SERVES 4 (or 8 if an appetizer)