1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deviened
1/2 pound scallops, cut in half if they are very large
1/4 cup of lemon-garlic infused olive oil (http://foodislove-judy.blogspot.com/2011/03/lemon-garlic-infused-garlic-oil.html)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Stir together and toss your shrimp and or scallops in this for about 1-2 hours at most. You don't want to over-power the delicate taste of the shellfish, nor do you want the lemon juice to "over-cook" the shrimp and scallops.
There are different options for cooking these -- either put them on bamboo skewers that you soak in water for at least 2-3 hours, and cook on a medium hot grill or cook them indoors on a grill pan also over medium heat.
Cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes on the first side until the edges start to turn pink, and then turn over for 1 more minute and remove. For scallops, cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes, and then turn over for 1-2 more, until they are white on the outside and just barely firm to the touch.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Lemon-Garlic infused garlic oil
This infused oil can be the base for delicious salad dressings, seafood and fowl marinades, or just for dipping bread -- you'll love it.
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
rind of 1 lemon -- peeled off in slices, not grated
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed, but not otherwise cut up
Put everything into a pot on the stove and turn the heat onto medium-low. Let it slowly come to a simmer, and turn down to low. Let the oil, garlic and lemon rind continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, being careful to not let the rind or garlic start to brown. If either start to develop an appreciable color, remove them from the oil.
When done, strain through a fine sieve to remove any remnants of garlic or lemon rind, and store in a bottle or container that you can close. It should last for 2-3 weeks on the counter, and can also be stored in the refrigerator indefinitely. Just remove whatever oil you need an hour before you'll need it, or put it in the microwave on medium heat just until it melts and becomes liquid again.
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
rind of 1 lemon -- peeled off in slices, not grated
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed, but not otherwise cut up
Put everything into a pot on the stove and turn the heat onto medium-low. Let it slowly come to a simmer, and turn down to low. Let the oil, garlic and lemon rind continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, being careful to not let the rind or garlic start to brown. If either start to develop an appreciable color, remove them from the oil.
When done, strain through a fine sieve to remove any remnants of garlic or lemon rind, and store in a bottle or container that you can close. It should last for 2-3 weeks on the counter, and can also be stored in the refrigerator indefinitely. Just remove whatever oil you need an hour before you'll need it, or put it in the microwave on medium heat just until it melts and becomes liquid again.
Trader Joe's products I love
So is there anyone who doesn't love Trader Joes? Great pre-prepped food, fabulous flash-frozen fish, the least expensive organic produce anywhere, and the only place I know where I can routinely get great bottles of wine for less than $5 a piece. And did you ever notice that all the people who work there seem so genuinely happy?
So as an ode to TJ's, here are some of my favorite things to buy there:
1. Basmati and wild rice pilaf -- it's got very reasonable sodium levels, enough flavor to make it interesting, but not enough to overpower the delicious taste of the basmati rice.
2. Caponata -- the TJ's brand of caponata is fabulous -- as good as any homemade I've ever had.
3. Roasted red pepper/eggplant dip -- it's got an amazing kick to it
4. Their bagged salad greens -- easily half the price of what you'll find at any other supermarket
5. Bite-sized pita chip crackers -- no better accompaniment to hummus, dips and spreads
6. TJ's white bean and basil hummus . . . luscious
7. TJ's smoked apple chardonnay chicken sausages (all of their chicken sausages are wonderful but this one is my absolute favorite!)
What are you favorites?
So as an ode to TJ's, here are some of my favorite things to buy there:
1. Basmati and wild rice pilaf -- it's got very reasonable sodium levels, enough flavor to make it interesting, but not enough to overpower the delicious taste of the basmati rice.
2. Caponata -- the TJ's brand of caponata is fabulous -- as good as any homemade I've ever had.
3. Roasted red pepper/eggplant dip -- it's got an amazing kick to it
4. Their bagged salad greens -- easily half the price of what you'll find at any other supermarket
5. Bite-sized pita chip crackers -- no better accompaniment to hummus, dips and spreads
6. TJ's white bean and basil hummus . . . luscious
7. TJ's smoked apple chardonnay chicken sausages (all of their chicken sausages are wonderful but this one is my absolute favorite!)
What are you favorites?
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Quickie Minestrone Soup
It's the perfect meal or first course . . . and when time is short, you can take shortcuts and have it ready in 30 minutes or less. Here is my secret to quick minestrone . . .
32 ounces low sodium chicken broth (vegetarians can substitute vegetable broth)
8 ounces of crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tbs. dried oregano
2 cloves of garlic, minced
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
And LOTS of veggies -- this is the time to clean out your fridge if you want -- here are some of my favorites:
escarole or spinach leaves
string beans cut into bite-sized pieces
zucchini or summer squash, cut into small cubes
sliced scallions or leeks
carrots, cut into small cubes
Basil leaves
Other add-ins are chick peas, white or red kidney beans, and pasta (cook it first and then add so it doesn't absorb all the broth) but if you are eating low-carb, you can skip all of these.
Bring the broth to a boil, cover and turn to relatively low heat -- the broth should continue to boil, but only just barely. Once everything is cooked through and tender, ladle into a bowl, sprinkle with grated parmigiana cheese if desired, and enjoy with or without a nice piece of crusty Italian bread.
32 ounces low sodium chicken broth (vegetarians can substitute vegetable broth)
8 ounces of crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tbs. dried oregano
2 cloves of garlic, minced
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
And LOTS of veggies -- this is the time to clean out your fridge if you want -- here are some of my favorites:
escarole or spinach leaves
string beans cut into bite-sized pieces
zucchini or summer squash, cut into small cubes
sliced scallions or leeks
carrots, cut into small cubes
Basil leaves
Other add-ins are chick peas, white or red kidney beans, and pasta (cook it first and then add so it doesn't absorb all the broth) but if you are eating low-carb, you can skip all of these.
Bring the broth to a boil, cover and turn to relatively low heat -- the broth should continue to boil, but only just barely. Once everything is cooked through and tender, ladle into a bowl, sprinkle with grated parmigiana cheese if desired, and enjoy with or without a nice piece of crusty Italian bread.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Kale Chips
Have you resolved to eat healthier this year? Well, you can cut out greasy, overly-salty chips and crackers and replace them with kale chips. These easy-to-make snacks practically melt in your mouth and appeal even to those who HATE kale. My 2 year old eats them like candy.
Fill a large bowl with washed and well-dried kale leaves. Remove the thick stems from the kale. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a few dashes of salt, garlic salt, or any other seasoning blend you like. (I have a "Taste of India" seasoning salt from Tastefully Simple that is AMAZING on these chips.) Toss these really well until each leaf is coated with oil and seasoning and spread on a sheet pan.
Place the pan in a 300 degree oven and let them sit there for 10 minutes. Then shake them around to expose the moister leaves, and keep doing this every 5 to 10 minutes until they are all dried. It should take no more than 25 minutes total, probably even less. Let them cool for just a few minutes, and then put in a bowl.
DO NOT put these into a baggie or tupperware of any sort -- they will get soggy. They'll stay fresh and delicious for at least 2 days without being covered. Can be served as a snack or side-dish.
Enjoy!
Fill a large bowl with washed and well-dried kale leaves. Remove the thick stems from the kale. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a few dashes of salt, garlic salt, or any other seasoning blend you like. (I have a "Taste of India" seasoning salt from Tastefully Simple that is AMAZING on these chips.) Toss these really well until each leaf is coated with oil and seasoning and spread on a sheet pan.
Place the pan in a 300 degree oven and let them sit there for 10 minutes. Then shake them around to expose the moister leaves, and keep doing this every 5 to 10 minutes until they are all dried. It should take no more than 25 minutes total, probably even less. Let them cool for just a few minutes, and then put in a bowl.
DO NOT put these into a baggie or tupperware of any sort -- they will get soggy. They'll stay fresh and delicious for at least 2 days without being covered. Can be served as a snack or side-dish.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Christmas Eve Seafood Pasta
It's a grand Italian tradition to have the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. (For more information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Seven_Fishes.) Many still keep this tradition alive and make seven distinct seafood dishes on Christmas Eve like my Grandmother used to do. I've never had the time and bandwith to go all out and prepare the seven dishes, though I hold out hope of doing so someday, but I've improvised in the past with a delicious pasta dish made with a light tomato sauce with seven different types of fish/seafood in it. It's an easy meal to make, and doesn't need to be saved for simply Christmas Eve. Proportions below are for 6 people
Ingredients:
1/4 pound of small shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 pound mussels
1/2 pound small clams
1/4 pound small scallops
1/4 pound of calimari (rings and tentacles)
1/4 pound salmon
1/4 pound firm white fish like halibut or sea bass
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbs. each of fresh Italian parsely and basil, minced
1 cup dry white wine 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of pasta
Before making the sauce, steam open the clams and mussels and remove the meat from them. If any of the shells do not open after being steamed for 5 minutes, throw them out. Also, have all your seafood pre-prepped -- it should all be cut into bite sized pieces if it's not already small enough to eat in one bite.
Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet or sauce pan, and saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Turn up the heat and immediately add the white wine and let it boil and reduce by one half. Once that happens, add the crushed tomatoes, pepper and 1/2 of the herbs and once it starts to boil, reduce it to low heat.
Once this is done, bring the pasta water to a boil and add your pasta. 5 minutes before the pasta is done, add the fish to the sauce (which should still be on low heat). After another minute, add the scallops. One minute later add the shrimp. and then one minute later add the calimari.
Before draining the pasta, take 1 cup of pasta water from the pot and hold it aside. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and then pour the sauce over it, adding the already cooked mussels and clams to it. Toss this all together for about a minute, adding some pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce a bit.
Place it all in a large serving bowl and garnish with the remaining 1/2 of fresh herbs.
Buon appetito and Buon Natale!
Ingredients:
1/4 pound of small shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 pound mussels
1/2 pound small clams
1/4 pound small scallops
1/4 pound of calimari (rings and tentacles)
1/4 pound salmon
1/4 pound firm white fish like halibut or sea bass
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbs. each of fresh Italian parsely and basil, minced
1 cup dry white wine 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of pasta
Before making the sauce, steam open the clams and mussels and remove the meat from them. If any of the shells do not open after being steamed for 5 minutes, throw them out. Also, have all your seafood pre-prepped -- it should all be cut into bite sized pieces if it's not already small enough to eat in one bite.
Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet or sauce pan, and saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Turn up the heat and immediately add the white wine and let it boil and reduce by one half. Once that happens, add the crushed tomatoes, pepper and 1/2 of the herbs and once it starts to boil, reduce it to low heat.
Once this is done, bring the pasta water to a boil and add your pasta. 5 minutes before the pasta is done, add the fish to the sauce (which should still be on low heat). After another minute, add the scallops. One minute later add the shrimp. and then one minute later add the calimari.
Before draining the pasta, take 1 cup of pasta water from the pot and hold it aside. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and then pour the sauce over it, adding the already cooked mussels and clams to it. Toss this all together for about a minute, adding some pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce a bit.
Place it all in a large serving bowl and garnish with the remaining 1/2 of fresh herbs.
Buon appetito and Buon Natale!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tapenade
Tapenade is a fancy name for what is essentially olive puree, used as a dip. But you can be really creative with these and not limit yourselves to just olives. Below are my two favorites.
Olive tapenade
1 10 ounce jar of Manzanilla olives, with pimento centers, with liquid drained off *
2 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of fresh basil or flat leaf parsley leaves (or a combo of both)
olive oil
Put everything into a food processor with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and turn it on. As the mixture purees, add enough extra olive oil so that the mixture comes together in a smooth paste. You won't need a lot as there is already a lot of oil and moisture in the olives.
Serve with bruschetta, crackers, pita, or crudite and enjoy!
* In my humble opinion, tapenade is one of the few places where more expensive, exotic, or flavorful olives is NOT preferable. I think the flavor then gets too overwhelming, and judging from the raves I get about this tapenade whenever I serve it, there's no need to spend the extra money on fancier olives.
Artichoke Heart Tapenade
1 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, liquid drained off
2 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of fresh basil or flat leaf parsley leaves (or a combo of both)
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
olive oil
Put everything into a food processor with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and turn it on. As the mixture purees, add enough extra olive oil so that the mixture comes together in a smooth paste. You won't need a lot as there is already a lot of moisture in the artichoke hearts.
Serve with bruschetta, crackers, pita, or crudite and enjoy!
Olive tapenade
1 10 ounce jar of Manzanilla olives, with pimento centers, with liquid drained off *
2 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of fresh basil or flat leaf parsley leaves (or a combo of both)
olive oil
Put everything into a food processor with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and turn it on. As the mixture purees, add enough extra olive oil so that the mixture comes together in a smooth paste. You won't need a lot as there is already a lot of oil and moisture in the olives.
Serve with bruschetta, crackers, pita, or crudite and enjoy!
* In my humble opinion, tapenade is one of the few places where more expensive, exotic, or flavorful olives is NOT preferable. I think the flavor then gets too overwhelming, and judging from the raves I get about this tapenade whenever I serve it, there's no need to spend the extra money on fancier olives.
Artichoke Heart Tapenade
1 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, liquid drained off
2 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of fresh basil or flat leaf parsley leaves (or a combo of both)
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
olive oil
Put everything into a food processor with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and turn it on. As the mixture purees, add enough extra olive oil so that the mixture comes together in a smooth paste. You won't need a lot as there is already a lot of moisture in the artichoke hearts.
Serve with bruschetta, crackers, pita, or crudite and enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)