Scallops in Orange Beurre Blanc

Seared sea scallops with an easy and pure orange beurre blanc sauce brighten up January.  The sauce sets up in the time it takes to sear your scallops.   Steamed shrimp, mild white fish and even chicken breasts also like this sauce.  For chicken, try a variation with sliced green olives.

Scallops in Orange Beurre Blanc
Serves 2, recipe can be doubled

For scallops:
10-12  sea scallops
Salt, pepper, paprika or red pepper, flour for dusting scallops
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

For sauce:
zest of half on orange
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 cup COLD unsalted butter (1 stick)
salt and pepper

Method

1. Prepare scallops by seasoning with salt, pepper, paprika and/or red pepper.  Dust lightly with flour.
2. Heat over medium-high heat a wide skillet with a heavy bottom to sear scallops.
3. While skillet heats, place zest, orange juice and wine in small pot and simmer until liquid is reduced to 1/3 original quantity.
4. When skillet is hot, add oil.  Allow 30 seconds for oil to heat then add scallops.  Do not move scallops for at least 2 minutes.
5. Cut butter into large chunks and drop into pot with reduced juice mixture.  With pot on lowest heat, stir cold butter into liquid.  Keep stirring to create a thick sauce.  Set aside (off heat).
6. Turn scallops when they are seared well enough to come off skillet easily.  Cook another 2 minutes on the flip side.  Scallops will have a golden brown color on each side and be opaque through centers.
7. Drain scallops on paper towel then serve with sauce.  

Happy January!

Smokey White Beans

Walking through Zabar's food market in New York City recently, I noticed the the smoked fish counter was being swarmed by customers picking up freshly smoked mussels from Maine.  I joined the fray for this seasonal treat.

Smoked mussels come preserved in cans but these need to be refrigerated and eaten soon.  They are great on a plain cracker or chopped and mixed with cream cheese and sour cream or yogurt for a quick dip. Soma sites recommend tossing them with hot pasta.  I found one more way to use them -- stirred into white bean soup they lend the smokey touch that kielbasa or other smoked meats like bacon gives to beans.

No recipe just stir in your smoked mussels once the bean soup is nice and hot. This works for freshly made or soup made from canned beans.  If you miss the dish during the winter, open a can of smoked mussels, drain most of the oil and add to hot beans.

Shrimp & Pesto Romaine Boats

Here is a simple do-it-yourself appetizer or buffet item for Spring parties like graduations, engagements, weddings and bon voyage parties.

Shrimp & Pesto Romaine Boats can even be made from fresh and pure store bought ingredients.

Shrimp & Pesto Romaine Boats
Serves 8

Ingredients
1 pound shrimp
1 8 oz container pesto (any variety)
2 heads romaine, large out leaves removed

Method:

1. If you are using raw shrimp, steam and peel. Chill in refrigerator at least one hour. If you purchased cooked shrimp, begin at next step.
2. Place shrimp on a pretty serving dish and be sure shrimp stays well chilled.  Set the serving dish over a larger platter filled with ice and some water.
3. Tear individual leaves from romaine lettuce heads and place on a platter next to our surrounding a dish of pesto
4. Let guests serve themselves by scooping some pesto onto a leaf then  garnishing with shrimp.

Variations on the theme:

• Tuna or chicken salad with crunchy toppings like chopped celery and pickles, red bell pepper
• Replace pesto with hummus and top with slices of grilled chicken
• Replace pesto with homemade Russian dressing and top with crabmeat

Weeknight Paella

Is Paella possible on a weeknight?  Yes, if you just think of it as enhanced chicken & rice and don't worry about cooking it in the traditional wide paella pan over an open flame.

Basic chicken and rice (or Arroz con Pollo) is simple.  In a large pot, cook two cups of uncooked rice in 4 1/2 cups of liquid seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano and paprika. I like short grain brown rice but regular rice is acceptable and also faster cooking.  Use water, chicken broth or a combination of both as your liquid. Sometimes I add a little tomato paste or chopped tomatoes, especially if they are very ripe and need a good home.  During the last fifteen minutes add cut up boneless chicken pieces and a cup of frozen peas. Cover and cook until the chicken is done.

Turn this into weeknight paella with the following enhancements (complete recipe is below). If you have saffron, add a few threads to your rice.  If not, try a combination of smoked paprika and turmeric instead.  Add bottled clam juice to your rice liquids.  Substitute clam juice for all or most of the water.  I use half chicken broth; half clam juice. 

While the rice cooks, sauté an onion, some red bell pepper and celery in a separate skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil.  I also add chopped carrots and sliced green beans.  Add these ingredients to the rice when the rice is halfway cooked.

When your rice is almost tender and has about 10 minutes left to cook, add cut up boneless chicken pieces, peeled raw shrimp and slices of chorizo sausage.  Now is the time to add frozen artichoke hearts and frozen peas.  Check the liquid.  Add more broth, clam juice or water.  At this stage I usually add about 1/2 cup more liquid and carefully bury the new ingredients in the hot rice mixture. 

When the chicken and shrimp are completely cooked, garnish your paella with some black olives and fresh chopped parsley and dish into wide bowls. 

Here is the recipe.  The ingredient list is longer than I usually use for weeknights but you can mix and match vegetables to keep it easy. To me the key flavors in paella are saffron, red bell pepper, poultry, seafood and garlicky chorizo.  Most vegetables work well so pick some your favorites from the group listed. 

Weeknight Paella
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups rice (short grain brown rice preferred)
5 cups liquid (chicken broth, clam juice and/or water)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
pinch saffron threads
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
optional: 2 carrots, peeled and chopped, 1 cup green beans, sliced, 1 medium zucchini sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless chicken— breasts or thighs, cut in bite sized pieces
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 box frozen artichoke hearts
1/2 pound Chorizo sausage*, sliced (about 12 slices)
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup black olives 
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Method

1. Combine rice, 5 cups liquid, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano and saffron in a large covered pot.  
2. Bring rice to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook covered. (Brown rices will take 45-50 minutes; white rices will take about 30 minutes.)
3. While rice cooks, sauté onion, red bell pepper, celery and any other fresh vegetables you like in two tablespoons olive oil.  
4. Add vegetables to rice when rice is abut halfway done.   
5. About ten minutes before the rice is finished, taste the rice to see if it is done.  It should be hard in the center but you will be able to bite through it.  At this point a bowl of paella is about 10 -15 minutes away! Add chicken, shrimp, chorizo, artichokes and peas.  Give the pot a good stir to bury the new ingredients and check your liquid to make sure the bottom of the pot is not dry.  If needed, add 1/2-1 cup extra liquid to ensure rice is wet enough to share a little steam with the chicken and shrimp.  
6. Cover and cook paella on low until chicken and shrimp are cooked through.  Taste the rice and adjust seasoning as needed with a little extra salt, pepper or paprika. Serve topped with black olives and parsley.

And… some of us add a little extra virgin olive oil from Spain and a squeeze of lemon to paella at the table.  

Elegant Life Leftovers: Weeknight Paella can be frozen for another easy night.  Cool completely in the refrigerator then pack into serving sized freezable containers or freezer bags.  Reheat in the microwave on a low setting or pop the serving out and into a pan with a few tablespoons of water.  Reheat over low heat. 

Lobster Seafood Pasta

New Year's calls for a special meal and Lobster Seafood Pasta is both impressive and easy.  Have it before you go out reveling or on New Year's Day to start the year off right.  Pure celebration food.

A little prep to cook the shrimp and lobster is needed beforehand and this can be done up to a day ahead.  If you have a great fishmonger, you can ask to have the lobster steamed and the shell cracked.  You can also buy pre-cooked and shelled shrimp.

I cook a large lobster in my biggest pot of boiling, well salted water.  When I say well salted I mean several tablespoons of salt.  Taste the water-- does it remind you of the sea?  Now we're cookin'.

A 2-pound lobster placed in boiling water will simmer, covered, on low heat for 8 minutes.  Check to be sure the water is bubbling not boiling.  Once I fish out the lobster to cool on a rimmed tray I toss 1 pound of medium (shell on) shrimp into the hot water.  Cover but do not turn the heat back on.  The shrimp will be cooked in 6-8 minutes.

The recipe also calls for scallops.   Use fresh sea scallops if you can find them.  Otherwise defrost frozen sea or the smaller bay scallops.  You will butter sauté them when compiling the pasta dish.  No need to cook them ahead.  If you cannot find scallops, use a bit more shrimp.

The recipe serves 4 and I recommend making the full recipe since the leftovers are good gently heated in a skillet the following day.  Use a smaller lobster (1 1/2 pounds) and halve the rest of the ingredients if you only want two full servings.  

Lobster Seafood Pasta
Serves 4 as a main course, 6-8 as a first course

Ingredients
1 2-pound lobster, cooked and meat removed from shell (here's how)
1 pound shrimp, cooked and peeled
1/2 pound scallops
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup peas
1/4 cup dry white wine (or clam juice, chicken broth)
1/2 cup cream
1 lemon-- juiced and zest
1 pound fresh pasta (linguini recommended)
1/4 cup fresh, chopped parsley (or try dill, cilantro, tarragon or other favorite green herb)
As needed: salt and black pepper

Method

1. Place a large pot of salted water on high for the pasta.  Heat the water to boiling while you prepare the sauce.
2. Dry scallops using a paper towel.  In a large skillet sauté scallops in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  If using fresh scallops, leave them alone before turning so that they brown slightly.  Previously frozen scallops may not brown.  Do not over cook them.  Remove scallops to a plate when opaque.  
3.  Add the remaining butter and oil to the skillet.  Over low heat, warm the lobster and shrimp.  Leave the lobster claws whole if possible.  Spit the tail down the middle or chop in large pieces.  
4. Next add peas and wine.  Cook until most of the wine has cooked down, 2-3 minutes.
5. Time to cook the fresh pasta.  It only takes about 3 minutes so be ready to serve.
6. While pasta cooks, add cream, lemon juice and lemon zest to seafood mixture.  Gently heat.  
7. Drain pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of cooking water. 
8. Stir cooked pasta into the seafood sauce.  Add cooking liquid to help loosen the pasta strands.  
9. Cook just another minute more to allow flavors to meld.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. 
10. Add fresh herbs just before serving.  Reserve some herbs for garnish. 

Leftovers should be stored covered and refrigerated.  To reheat, add some liquid-- water or broth---to a skillet over medium heat.  When liquid simmers, lower heat and add leftovers.  Heat until just heated through, strring gently to break apart strands of pasta. 

Slow & Low Baked Salmon Fillets

Cooking slow and low is a controlled technique for protein.    Our salmon version uses a very low temperature oven (300˚F) to cook the fish to a delicate, silky texture.  The fish is lightly flavored with black pepper, scallions and lemon zest.

Season salmon or any other large fillet of fish with your favorite flavors and enjoy a perfectly cooked tender fish every time.  The key is to allow the fish to soak in the flavoring and some olive oil for 10-15 minutes before baking and to bake uncovered at a low oven temperature so the fish cooks evenly.

Slow and Low Salmon Fillets
Serves 4, recipe may be halved.

Ingredients
4 eight-ounce salmon fillets
zest of 1 lemon
black pepper
4 scallions, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil

 Method

1. Preheat oven to 300˚F.  Be sure to allow at least 15 minutes to preheat the oven for even cooking.  
2. Line a roasting pan or baking sheet with tin foil and coat with a thin film of olive oil.
3. Lay out the fillets and top with lemon zest, a good coating of freshly cracked black pepper and scallions.  Drizzle with remaining olive oil.
4. Let fillets sit 10-15 minutes.
5. Bake, uncovered for 18-20 minutes.  If cooking a whole fillet, bake for 25-30 minutes.

Serve immediately.  

When is fish done?  The flesh of the fish will turn from transluscent to opaque at its thickest section.  Use a fork to probe into the center of the fish.  Cooked fish will flake easily. 

Good Bye Winter Shrimp and Beer Curry

This simple shrimp curry will warm you up on early Spring nights when it's normal for the temperatures to dip but you’d prefer it to be a few degrees hotter. 

Look for a curry blend with some cinnamon, cardamom and coriander.  These spices go well with coconut milk-based curries.  You can add a few pinches of any of these ground spices to your favorite curry powder to approximate the flavor.

This is a mild curry and slightly sweet. If you like your curry with some extra heat, add dried red chili peppers or a tablespoon of sambal.

Give this curry plenty of time to cook and thicken.  At least 15 minutes on simmer in an uncovered pot is recommended (stir frequently). 

Good Bye Winter Shrimp and Beer Curry over Rice
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
2-4 tablespoons curry powder – look for a so-called Malaysian curry with cardamom and cinnamon
1 cup light coconut milk
1 cup beer
½ cup unsweetened applesauce (or 1 medium apple, peeled and chopped)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 tablespoon mango chutney or 2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 red pepper (or ½ red pepper + 1 jalepeño or Serrano pepper)
1 cup steamed green beans (briefly steam ahead of time or use any leftover green vegetable)
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt
Garnish: ¼ cup chopped cashews, chopped peanuts or sliced almonds

Method

1. Prepare curry sauce by melting butter in a medium, heavy bottomed pot (2-quart pot recommended).  Add flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes, until flour-butter mixture is light brown.  
2. Add curry powder and continue to stir and cook another minute to release the oils in the spice blend. If using dried hot chilies or cayenne powder, add at this stage.
3. Continue to stir and slowly add chicken broth, a few ounces at a time to create a smooth paste.  Now stir in reamining broth, beer, applesauce, ginger, ketchup and chutney (or honey).  If using a liquid hot sauce or hot chili paste like sambal or siracha, add at this stage.  
4. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes while preparing shrimp and vegetables.  Heat oil in a large skillet and sauté peppers and green beans over medium-low heat.  Add vegetables to curry sauce. Taste and add salt if needed.  
5. Continue to cook sauce until vegetables are tender.  Add raw shrimp and cream.  Lower heat and cook about 4 minutes, until shrimp are cooked through. Taste for salt.  Serve over hot rice.  Garnish with nuts.

Tip: Use the remaining coconut milk for the 14 ounce can to make coconut rice.   For 2 cups of cooked rice, use 2 cups of liquid, leftover coconut milk plus enough water to make up the 2 cups. 

Shrimp over Green Rice

Around this time every year, I post a recipe that is a nice foil to holiday meals and buffet party fare.   Even those of us who love the holiday food scene, from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day brunches, need a few light recipes during the season.  Shrimp over Green Rice is this year's entry.

There are only four main ingredients in the dish: Shrimp, rice, cilantro and jalepeños.  You can add a dollop of guacamole or simple and pure chopped avocado as a garnish. 

Most of us will have good frozen (or previously frozen) shrimp available at local markets.  Shrimp benefits from gentle handling and this recipe keeps it simple so that the shrimp can shine.

Buy the best quality medium shrimp you can afford.  Figure on 7-8 shrimp per person. Steam the shrimp in the shell directly out of the freezer.  As soon as the water boils I take it off the heat and keep the pot covered to 5-9 minutes depending on quantity in the pot.   Normally we cool the shrimp over ice after it is fully cooked but still very tender.  For this recipe we peel and devein it as soon as it is cool enough to handle then give it a flash saute in butter with lots of black pepper to finish it.   The result is perfectly cooked and flavored shrimp.

The rice could not be more simple.  Cooked rice can be reheated or make a batch of fresh rice.  You will want a little over 1.2 cup cooked rice person.

Toss in diced jalepeño to cook with the rice.  Cut the sides from a jalepeño, leaving the seeds and stem intact.  Slice 1-2 pieces into thin strips them finely dice.   This is a simple way to deal with a spicy little fresh pepper.  It will lose most of its heat when it cooks with the rice so that you will taste the pure jalepeño flavor in the finished rice. 

A big handful of fragrant, freshly chopped cilantro is stirred into the hot rice just before serving.

Shrimp over Green Rice is good cold too.  

Super Bowl Team Inspiration

My brother calls it devouring the enemy when he and friends plan tailgates around signature dishes of the visiting teams.

If you're in Denver like my brother, your menu choice is clear: Devour some Seattle classics like smoked or fresh salmon, Pacific oysters, Dungeness crabs, Washington State artisan cheeses and cured meats or Seattle's signature beef franks served with cream cheese and grilled onions.

Seattle has a great spice rub for fresh salmon.  There are many variations but the base is brown sugar, freshly cracked black pepper and a bit of salt.  Add spices you like including crushed, whole coriander, fennel or cumin, even star anise and orange peel.  Lightly coat a salmon fillet with the rub and let it sit about 15 minutes.  Roast the fish at 425˚F for 15-25 minutes (up to 30 minutes for a 3 pound fillet). Serve hot or make this ahead to serve at room temperature.

Cap it off with a cherry dessert- cherry hand pies or dried cherries mixed into your favorite chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie recipe perhaps. Include apples too- as a dessert or served with cheese.  Half of the U.S. supply of apples is grown in the state.

Washington state makes terrific wines. I especially like the whites.  The highest amount of acreage has been devoted to the Chardonnay varietal.  Lightly oaked (or unoaked) Washington Chardonnays really let the northwestern terroire shine through in a crisp and clear flavor profile that favors much if its seafood.  If you are serving oysters, be sure to sample some the state's other whites like Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc or Gewürztraminer.  After Chardonnay the state devotes the most space to Cabernet Suavignon.  That goes with beef franks, right?

For the other team, cook and then cut up a big Denver omelet (ham, green pepper, onion) to make Denver Sliders topped with ham and green chili sauce.  Sometimes its hard to find small rolls for sliders that do not overwhelm the other ingredients.  Try these easy Sweet Potato Rolls from my 8/31/2012 post which can be portioned into 16-20 mini-rolls.

My brother confirms that a green chili sauce can go over anything to make it local Denver fare and adds that beers from local breweries are a great match.  If you can get something from the state, enjoy.  Otherwise serve a beer local to you or the Colorado son, Coors.

Speaking of beer, try cooking in it for an easy Super Bowl buffet spread.  Tacos made with Chicken Cooked in Beer are easy to put together and can join a Denver/Southwest-inspired table with Chipotle Potato Salad and bison or buffalo meat burgers. Pass around Baked Jalepeno Poppers and Super Bowl Taquitoes.  Both of these can be made ahead and reheated before serving. 

Like Seattle, Denver knows its seafood too.  The state fish is Rainbow Trout.  And some say they have their own oysters as well. :)

If you have no affiliation to either team but need some menu inspiration, check these out these buffet friendly pure food blog posts:

• Crock Pot Spare Ribs
• Baked Potato Bar
• House-Flavored Potato Chips
• Party Bites (Hot Bruschetta Toppings and Pulled Pork Quesadillas)
• Dessert: Trifles in a Cup

Thanks brother Bill for being back up quarterback on this one!

Oyster Spinach Artichoke "Dip"

Oysters with a cracker crust bake on a bed of nontraditional spinach-artichoke "dip."  For two oyster lovers, this is a meal in itself served with crusty bread or buttered linguinni.  It is also an elegant hot buffet item that will serve several guests or a first course portion for four at a formal New Year's dinner.  

Oyster Spinach Artichoke "Dip"
Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a first course, 6-8 as a dip

Ingredients
2 bags fresh spinach
1 can quartered artichokes, drained
2 8-oz containers freshly chucked oysters
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
6 butter crackers (like Ritz brand)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
optional: 2-3 slices cooked bacon for garnish

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Lightly oil two pie plates or four oven proof dishes.
2. Steam spinach 2 minutes. (Use the microwave or a stove-top steaming basket over an inch of water.  Not water needed for the microwave.)  Remove spinach to a chopping board and chop.  Allow any excess water to drain.  
3. Mix spinach with mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, dill, salt and pepper.  Taste for seasoning. 
4. Drain liquid from canned artichokes and arrange over spinach.
5. Divide spinach among baking dishes.
6. Drain liquor from oysters (reserve or freeze for another use) and place each oyster alongside artichokes, alternating to create a nice pattern.  
7. Crush crackers finely and sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of ground crackers over each oyster.  Dot oysters with butter.  
8. Bake 12-15 minutes oat 375˚F until oysters are cooked through and crackers crumbs are lightly browned.  
9. Serve with more crackers, warm pita triangles or baguette slices.  Set out a serving spoon for guests to spoon "dip" onto bread. 

Do ahead notes: the recipe can be prepared through step 6 several hours ahead.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator.  Preheat oven while you take care of step 7.  Bake 5 minutes longer to ensure spinach and oysters heat through.

Scallops, White Beans and Fennel

Just about any pasta dish can transform into a bean-based dish.  Seafood like scallops go so well with white beans and get a mild lift from fennel in this simple, pure dinner.

The pure foods bonus is that this is so effortless to pull together using canned beans and frozen scallops. Just as easy as a pasta night.  A few fresh ingredients-- fennel and spinach-- add sophistication with no additional fuss.  You can even use frozen spinach and replace the fennel with celery if the cupboard is bare and a trip to the grocery store is not in the cards before dinner has to get on the table.

This is a good recipe to hold onto when holiday errands get a little hectic and eating properly becomes an afterthought.

Scallops, White Bean and Fennel Ragout
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound frozen bay scallops
2 cans low sodium white beans, drained
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, divided
1 can chicken broth (low sodium)
2 bulbs fennel, sliced
1 8-ounce package fresh baby spinach (use 2 if your family loves spinach)
salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Thaw scallops according to package directions. 
2. Place drained beans in a large pot with chicken broth.  Heat beans over medium heat. When they begin to bubble, lower heat to a simmer while you prepare remaining ingredients. Do not cover beans.  
3. Cook spinach and set aside.  If fresh,  microwave 2 minutes.  
4. Slice fennel and saute in a wide skillet over medium-high heat in 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil. Salt and pepper vegetables to taste.  Add cooked fennel to beans.  
5. In same skillet, quickly saute thawed scallops in remaining tablespoon butter or olive oil.  Add scallops to pot and turn off heat.  
6. Stir in spinach or use as a giant garnish.  

Serve ragout in wide bowls.  This meal is very happy alongside a simple salad or a slice of crusty bread to wipe up the juices.

Options: Frozen or canned artichokes, peas, freshly steamed asparagus or wilted kale are all good additions to this simple repast.  Any of these vegetables can be roasted instead of sauteed.  In fact, this meal was made for leftover roasted veggies like fennel, onions, carrots, etc.

Shrimp & Corn Quesadilla

Restaurants inspire the home cook this month.

I often look to restaurant menus for inspiration.  It is helpful to see how chefs are combining ingredients and sometimes, you encounter a great dish and think, if I do this at home I can enjoy this all the time.

Mamajuana on the Upper West Side in New York City has a lovely lobster and corn quesadilla to go with their perfectly mixed mojitoes.  Priced right, it has a really good lobster flavor despite a modest amount of meat and a trio of fun dipping sauces.  Even as I ate it, I knew I'd be recreating a seafood quesadilla at home.

Mine uses large grilled shrimp instead of steamed lobster, fresh corn from the farmers market and smoked gouda instead of the Oaxcan cheese Mamajauna uses.  For garnish, a simple mango-avocado salsa steeped in lime juice and a dash of honey replaced the trio of sauces. 

It is colorful and brimming with pure flavors.  Any seafood, cooked lobster, scallops or crab meat can be used instead of shrimp.  Make the salsa a least an hour ahead.

Shrimp & Corn Quesadillas
3 quesadillas (cut in fourths, serves 4 as an appetizer)

Ingredients
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined and split in half lengthwise
1/2 lime
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper
3 large flour tortillas
2 ears corn, cooked and kernals cut from the cob (about 1 cup corn)
6 ounces grated cheese- smoked gouda, smoked mozzarella*
1/2 cup fresh cilantro- unchopped
grape seed or canola oil

*If you prefer an un-smoked cheese, try fontina, fresh mozzarella or jack cheese.

Method

1. Toss the shrimp in lime juice, oi and salt and pepper.  
2. Over a medium-high heat in a cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet, grill the shrimp 1-2 minutes per side until a nice char develops.  
3. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.  Wipe out pan and coat with a bit of vegetable oil.  
4. Assemble the quesadillas.  Lay shredded cheese over the entire tortilla.  
5. On one side only layer corn.  Place the  shrimp on top of the corn and a few sprigs of cilantro on the shrimp.  You can chop up the shrimp a bit to make it easy to cover the corn.  
6. Fold the other side of the tortilla (with cheese) over the shrimp-corn side.  
7. Heat the cleaned skillet over medium heat. Place a quesadilla on the skillet and cook until the cheese melts on the underside and the tortilla begins to brown.  
8. Flip the quesadilla and continue to cook until the second side is browned and the cheese has completely melted. By using medium rather than high heat, the cheese will melt and the shell with not burn.  Check your temperature and start with lower heat if your stove burners run hot.
9. Remove the finished quesdilla to a cutting board to set while you cook the remainders.  
10. To cut, use a very sharp knife or pizza cutter.  Cut quesadillas in quarters.  

 Pile Mango-Avocado Salsa on top and serve.

Mango-Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
1 mango, peeled and chopped (frozen thawed or canned is fine, about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
1/2-1 seeded jalepeno, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/3 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
1/2 avocado, chopped

At least one hour ahead or day before, combine all ingredients except the avocado.  Cover and let marinate.  Just before serving, add the avocado and a stir gently to incorporate. 

Vegetarian Version-- Skip the grilled shrimp and add in extra corn and some chopped red bell pepper.

Merluza, Spanish Style

In Spanish, this fish is known by the melodic name merluza.

Merluza is part of a big fish family that includes whiting, cod and pollack.  Here we call it hake.   While each fish is different based on its home waters, the various fillets can be prepared in a similar manner. 

Next time you see whiting or hake on sale here, enjoy this simple, pure recipe inspired by Spain’s distinct and balanced ingredients of olives, peppers and oranges.  For very little effort you can create a sophisticated yet approachable fish dish. 

As a bonus round, this cooked fish tastes wonderful in a taco for lunch the next day.  Just pile the hot leftovers into a warmed corn or flour tortillas with its accompanying olives, red peppers and scallions.  Fill in with lettuce and enjoy. 

Iberian Hake
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound hake fillet (cod or pollack may be substituted)
1 orange, scrubbed and quartered
1 lemon, scrubbed and quartered
3-4 scallions, sliced
¼ cup olives (mixed or your favorite)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup fresh parsley (or dill) chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F while you prepare vegetables and fruit. 
2. Coat bottom of a pie plate or small roasting pan with olive oil.  
3. Place fish fillet in pan and scatter orange lemon, scallions and olives over fish.  Finish with a dusting of red pepper flakes.  
4. Roast fish covered at 400˚F for 15 minutes.  Uncover and roast another 5-10 minutes, just until fish firms up and begins to flake.  Do not overcook.  
5. Garnish with parsley just before serving.

Scallop Soup

This is a model for almost any seafood you want to make into a soup.  The recipe has very few required ingredients and is darn fast to pull together.  Yes, it is a cream soup.  Your body likes dairy so don’t fret.  You can use a low fat version of milk here.  Also, the amount of butter used is minimal but if you are cutting back on that sort of thing, you can thicken the soup without a butter and flour-based roux.  I’ll show you how. 

Scallop Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients
Scant amount of butter or olive oil (enough to coat bottom of medium soup pot)
1 celery stalk, diced
½ medium onion, about ¼ cup diced
2 small baking (russet) potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 14-ounce can low sodium chicken broth
1 8-oz bottle clam juice
1 cup bay scallops, frozen is fine
¾-1 cup low fat milk
salt and pepper to taste, chopped parsley, dill or chives
Optional: ½ cup frozen or drained canned corn (cooked fresh corn is nice in season)

Roux
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour

Or substitute 1 tablespoon corn starch stirred into an ounce of cold liquid (water is fine).   Remember, the starch in the potato also helps thicken the soup.

Method

1. In a medium-large lidded pot, sauté celery and onion until limp in a little olive oil or butter.   
2. If you are using the roux method to thicken, add the tablespoon of butter and melt.  Once melted, stir in the flour so that it coats the vegetables.   
3. Stir in potatoes, broth and clam juice. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer covered until potatoes are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.  
4. Add scallops or other uncooked fish.  It is OK to add the scallops frozen.  Bring to a simmer again, then add milk.  
5. If using cornstarch to thicken your soup, stir a tablespoon of cornstarch into the milk- be sure it is dissolved, before adding to the soup.  (If you forget this step, just dissolve the cornstarch into a small amount of cold liquid and add to soup).  Cornstarch needs a few minutes to simmer in liquid to do its job as a thickener.  
6. Stir occasionally while the soup simmers for another 3-5 minutes and seafood gently cooks.  
7. At this point you can add any extra cooked vegetables (corn, asparagus, peas, etc) and/or additional fish (see below).  
8. Taste your soup and add salt and pepper.  Be aware that clam juice adds some salty flavor. 

Variations
Just about any seafood can be used in this soup base instead of scallops.  Try chunks of cod or other white fish, bi-valves like mussels or clams, leftover cooked fish, like the broiled salmon in my fridge from last night, or canned fish like tuna or salmon. If the protein you are adding is already cooked, stir it in last and heat gently just before serving.  Adjust the seasoning to bring out the best of what you have on hand.  For whitefish, dill is nice.  Canned tuna can get perk-up form a little tarragon or thyme and mussels will flourish with some paprika (or a pinch of saffron).

Clam-Stuffed Mushrooms

Sometimes you want stuffed clams but the amount of breading holds you back.  This recipe for clams stuffed in mushroom caps with garlic, oregano and red pepper can satisfy your craving.  And if you want to add a few breadcrumbs sprinkled on top with the Parmesan cheese, you’ll hear no argument from this household.  Either way the dish is fit for company.

Clam Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
12 mushroom caps (baby bella or button)
1 can clams, drained (reserve juice)
2 T cream cheese
2 T diced red pepper
2 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F while you prepare the mushrooms.  Line a small baking sheet with tin foil.  
2. Clean off any dirt from the mushrooms using a light touch with a paper towel or a mushroom brush.  
3. Chop the clams a bit more finely that they come from the can so that they pack well into the mushrooms.  
4. In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese with red pepper, green onions, garlic and herbs.  Stir in the clams. Moisten with clam juice as needed.  The mixture should hold together.  
5. Divide clam mixture among mushroom, mounding each cap with filling.  Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over each stuffed cap.  
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until mushrooms are cooked and cheese is melted.  Serve hot. 

Your Own Dried Parsley
Drying your own herbs is no big deal. Next time you buy a big bunch of fresh parsley for a specific dish, take half and dry it.  You will notice right away that it is greener than what you normally purchase.  
Here’s how:
Wash the parsley and pick out any dead leaves or damaged stems.  Roll in a paper towel to dry.
When dry, tie stems together with kitchen twine (cotton) leaving one long end so that you will be able to hang the herb with the leaves facing downwards.  Hang the herbs out of direct sunlight in a dry spot that gets a little ventilation. 
If you do not have a convenient rafter or empty closet rod, tie the long end of the string to a dowel (or ruler) and place the stick on a shelf, nestled between a few books in a little traveled area of the house. 
Check the herbs as they dry (a few days depending on room temperature) and when leaves are dry store the bundle in a paper bag or pull dried leaves from the stem and store in a small airtight bottle. 

When using dried herbs, always allow time for the herb to absorb moisture to develop fullest flavor.  Use dried parsley in pasta sauces, potato salad, egg dishes, meatloaf and even cottage cheese. 


Note: This is the first blog post following Sandy, the storm that hit the east coast at the close of October, 2012.  This entry was planned a few weeks ago and today it seems odd to write about the joys of a simple appetizer while we wait to have power restored to all affected areas and hope for viable recovery for the most hard hit among us.  This blog's purpose is to make suggestions on how to eat more pure foods within our fast paced food environment.  The ability to prepare healthy food as well as to obtain it is part of the solution to feeding our country better. During the power outage we were grateful to have healthy fresh food on hand, a well-stocked pantry and the skills to cook on a camp stove.  Helping out a nearby shelter last week, we met people who were not so lucky.  At these times, we are reminded that to sit with one another at the table is warming and nourishing as well.

Corn-Water Poached Salmon

 On hot nights one pot of simmering water is all that can or should be mustered for a simple summer meal.  Try this one: salmon quickly poached in the water fresh of ears of corn have just exited. The corn taste is not strong.  You will feel efficient. The kitchen will stay cool.  So will the cook.

This serves two and is easily doubled:

• Simmer four ears of corn in a deep skillet until done.  Remove corn and set aside on a platter. Cover to keep warm.  
• Turn down the heat, add the juice of one lemon and a few fresh sprigs of dill to the corn water.  When the water is barely moving, lay down a pound of salmon.  
• The salmon should be about 1 inch thick.  Fold over thin edges and skewer or tie it in a roll to create pieces of even thickness. 
• Poach (water barely bubbling) salmon for 2 1/2 minutes on each side.  By the time the salmon is ready, your corn will be cool enough to handle and serve alongside the salmon.  
• Serve this dinner with a side salad of goat cheese, roasted beet and sliced apple decorated with more fresh dill. 

Note: A total of 5 minutes poaching time results in silky medium rare interior and gently flakable outer flesh of the salmon.  If you prefer your salmon poached to a firmer light texture, light pink through to the center, poach an additional 30-60 seconds longer.

Lobster Lettuce Rolls

This lobster salad is traditional but uses the roll as a crouton so that you get the right mouth feel without a lot of bread.  Use 1/2 a lightly toasted and torn roll for a cup of lobster salad.

It makes sense to lighten up the recipe by serving it in lettuce cups but without the New England style hot dog bun with the slit at the top, toasted with a dab of butter, it never feels like home to me.  This summer my inland supermarket stocked the New England rolls and I snapped up packages for the freezer anticipating both lobster rolls and hot dogs on the grill. 

Lobster Lettuce Rolls
Serves 2, easily doubled

Ingredients
2 cups cooked lobster meat (claw, joint and tail from about two 1 1/3 lobsters)
1/4 cup good quality mayonnaise
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 stalk celery, chopped
salt, black pepper, paprika
1 hot dog roll, New England style if available
1/3 head iceburg lettuce (or other old school lettuce of your choice)

Method

1. Place torn roll on a baking sheet and lightly toast for 5-7 minutes in a 300˚F oven.  Do not brown the bread.  
2. Meanwhile cut lobster meat into bite sized chunks, leaving pieces large enough to recognize as real lobster.  
3. Place lobster in a medium mixing bowl and add mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery and seasonings.  Finally, toss in hot dog roll croutons.  
4. Serve in lettuce cups.

How to Cook a Lobster
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add 1/4 cup salt.  Lower heat to simmer and add lobsters, head first.  Simmer 5 minutes for 1st pound and an additional 3 minutes for each pound more. (2 lobsters would take about 10-11 minutes.) Remove lobsters with tongs and allow to cool in a shallow dish or roasting pan,  When cool enough to handle use kitchen sheers, lobster (nut) crackers and seafood forks to remove meat.  Be patient. Play nice music. 

Seafood Stew

Seafood Stew is within your grasp this summer even if you are far from the shore.  This recipe has easy to put together, flavorful ingredients, hardly any “stewing” time and uses either freshly caught or frozen seafood.  Don't wait for vacation to enjoy. 

My recipe combines something from all the coasts I love—a little fennel and tarragon from the south of France, some saffron notes from Spain’s peninsula and our Atlantic coast's bounty of cod, clams and scallops.  Seafood Stew is a world wide thing so once you know the basics of this tomato-based soup you can swap in your local fish, garden favorites and the herbs that make you happiest.  

Seafood Stew
Serves 3, doubles well
Ingredients

1/4 sweet onion
1/2 fennel bulb
1/4 cup celery leaves
2-3 garlic cloves (plus extra for garlic bread to dunk)
Olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup tomato based vegetable juice
1 cup clam broth
1/2 cup water
6-8 threads saffron
Red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 6-oz fillet of cod, haddock or other firm white fish
1 cup bay scallops
1 cup fresh clams or shrimp (out of shell)
Salt and pepper
Fresh herb garnish: dill, tarragon, parsley

Method

1. In a large wide heavy-bottomed pot, sauté vegetables in olive oil over medium heat.   
2. When vegetables have softened, add garlic and cook stirring another minute. 
3. Add wine and stir to scrape up any caramelized pieces sticking to the bottom of the pot.  
4. Lower heat to medium-low and add tomato juice, clam broth and water.  Sprinkle in saffron and red pepper flakes. Simmer 5 minutes.  
5. Add fish and simmer 5 minutes more.  Add remaining seafood and simmer until cooked through, 2-3 minutes.  
6. Serve immediately garnished with chopped fresh herbs.  

Pass around toasts rubbed with olive oil, garlic and a smear of anchovy paste. 

Freezer Fish Chowders

Far away from the seashore or in the middle of a snowy winter that frosts over the sea and brings fisherman to shore, it’s nice to know that a warming seafood meal can be created quickly with pure ingredients from you freezer and pantry. The first recipe for fish chowder is made with any firm fish like cod, flounder or orange roughy.  The second is a recipe for shellfish bisque that you can make with frozen shrimp.  Neither of these takes as long as meat based stocks and soups so they are viable weeknight meals. 

Make the bisque if you usually have frozen shrimp, V-8 or tomato juice and canned clam juice on hand.  (Brandy and water can stand in for clam juice in a pinch) If you keep potatoes, frozen fish, potatoes and chicken or clam juice in the house, you can make the chowder. 

Frozen Fish Chowder
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 six-ounce frozen fish steaks or filets (cod, orange roughy, flounder, even salmon)
1 large onion
4 medium sized potatoes
1-2 celery stalks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon flour
14 ounces clam juice, chicken broth or water or a combination. 
6 ounces milk
optional:
1 cup frozen corn or other frozen vegetable (spinach is good)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Method

1. Thaw fish while you are preparing the chowder base.  Lay filets or steaks out side by side.  If wrapped in plastic, fish may be placed in a shallow bath of tepid water to thaw quickly.  
2. Peel and slice onion no wider than 1/4 inch thick.  Peal and thinly slice or dice potatoes. Finely chop celery.  
3. Heat olive oil in a 3-quart heavy bottomed pot over a medium heat and lightly sauté onion.  When onions begin to sweat (sending off a bit of steam) add the potatoes and celery.  Stir to coat potatoes and celery in oil. 
4. Sprinkle flour over vegetables.  Continue to cook a minute longer, stirring to prevent potatoes from sticking.  
5. Add juice or broth. If adding water instead, add a little salt at this stage. Scrape up any potato or flour from the bottom of the pan and mix it into the broth. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat and cook on low for 15 minutes, until potatoes are quite soft.  
6. While soup cooks, cut fish into bite-sized pieces.  
7. Once potatoes are cooked, add milk to soup.  Soup may be partially pureed with an immersion blender at this stage to thicken it.  You can also use a potato masher to break down some of the potatoes and thicken the soup leaving nice chunks.  
8. If using any frozen vegetables, like corn, add at this stage.  Cream can be added at this stage also.  Cook until soup is very hot and frozen vegetables are heated through, about two-three minutes longer on medium-low heat.  
9. Lower heat and stir in fish.  Cover and let fish cook gently in hot soup, about 4-5 minutes depending on size of fish pieces.  Serve soup hot garnished with fresh parsley or dried chives. 

This soup reheats well on a low flame.  If storing for more than one day, freeze in individual servings. 

Frozen Shrimp Bisque
Serves 3

The key to a bisque is to “cook” the shells before placing them in the stock water. This imparts a deeper crustacean flavor.  It is reported that this is how bisque got its name, not as is often thought, from the Bay of Biscay.  (In French, “bis cuites” refers to twice-cooked, like a biscuit or biscotti.) This is a smooth, creamy soup but it does not always require cream for its smooth and silky consistency. Here I use cooked, pureed rice and some cornstarch to thicken the broth. Though we think of bisques as elegant and expensive soups, if you are using only the shells, as older recipes direct, you are making the most of your food supplies to make an inexpensive meal.  Cooks stretched their food budgets by getting every bit of flavor from all parts of their seafood then garnishing with a bit of seafood rather than stocking the pot full of expensive shellfish.  In fact, the shells were often crushed to extract as much flavor as possible from them before straining.  This recipe also works really well with leftover lobster shells, crab and crayfish. 

Ingredients
2 cups shrimp shells plus 1/3 pound shelled thawed shrimp or 1 pound frozen shrimp, peeled and thawed
1 tablespoon olive oil and/or butter
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot , chopped or grated
1 small onion, chopped or grated
5.5 ounce can low sodium V-8 or tomato juice
1-2 cups water
1 cup clam juice or vegetable broth
Salt and black pepper
cooked rice, cornstarch as thickeners
garnishes: heavy cream, hot pepper paste or crushed red pepper, lemon, sherry

Special equipment: cheese cloth or a very fine strainer

Note: Instead of discarding shrimp shells from frozen shrimp, place them in a Ziploc bag and add to them until you have enough for a chowder.  You can also use one pound of frozen shrimp, peeled and thawed for this recipe. 

Method

1. Heat oil/butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet.  Add shrimp shells and sauté until shells turn pink and begin to brown.  
2. Add vegetables and sauté a few minutes, until lightly browned.  
3. Transfer shells and vegetables to a stockpot.  Add juice and enough water to cover shells and vegetables.  If using smaller shells, use your judgment here and add more water or broth.  
4. Bring stock to a boil them lower heat, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes. 
5. Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth and strain soup.  
6. Taste and add seasonings as required.  Add more broth, clam juice or water as needed.  
7. Thicken soup with either or both of the following methods.  Add 1/2-1 cup cooked rice and puree.  Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 ounces cold water.  Stir cornstarch slurry into soup and cook on a low simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
8. To serve, add raw shrimp or other shellfish to hot soup and heat on low until seafood is cooked through. 

Bonus: Bisque makes a great sauce base for seafood pasta.  In a large skillet combine a cup of bisque with a bit of cream, sherry and a squeeze of lemon.  Then add cooked pasta, cooked shellfish and steamed vegetables like asparagus, broccoli or even peas. Other nice additions are chopped tomato, parsley and/or basil.  Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Mostly Spinach, Some Tuna

Heat wave food should be easy to prepare, light and tasty and ---keep the kitchen cool.  This Tuna Spinach Salad wrap is all that and made from ingredients in the pantry and in most refrigerators right now so it keeps life simple.  If you don’t have all the ingredients below, there is a list of other things that taste good with a base of spinach and tuna.  Mix all the ingredients together and roll it into whole wheat tortilla with lettuce, tomato and avocado.  Or serve it as a salad with pita bread or a roll.

Tuna Spinach Salad Wrap
 Serves 2

Ingredients
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 3.5 oz can water packed tuna
8 black olives, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced thinly
1/4 roasted red pepper, chopped
1/2 Bermuda onion, chopped*
Juice of 1/2 lemon (or 1 tablespoon rice vinegar)
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon each dill and thyme (use more if you have fresh herbs)
2 whole wheat flour tortillas, lettuce, tomato, avocado, etc.

Method

• In a medium bowl, combine spinach, tuna, olives, celery and onion with a fork until nicely blended.  
• Add lemon juice, olive oil and herbs and remix.  
• Lay out tortillas and lay lettuce and other add-ins onto bottom third.  Scoop half of spinach-tuna mixture on top and roll bottom up and over filling.  
• Bring in both sides and continue rolling to form the wrap.  Slice in half to serve.   Optional: add toothpicks to keep wrap closed.   

*You can use a freshly chopped red Bermuda onion or try marinating sliced or chopped onion in 1 part apple cider vinegar/3 parts cold water for a few hours.  The water-vinegar soak will cut any sharpness from this mild onion and infuse it with a slightly pickled taste that adds depth to this salad.  The marinated onion keeps well in its bath for up to a week, refrigerated.  Use it as a condiment on hot dogs and hamburgers or in a Greek salad, 

Extras
Artichoke hearts
White beans
Chopped hard boiled egg
Pine nuts
Sliced mushrooms
Chopped water chestnuts
Parsley, cilantro, basil, oregano

Here's a variation on the sweeter side:
Tuna-spinach- raisins-apple chunks-lemon juice-mayonnaise or plain yogurt