Feast of the Three Fishes (Seafood Fettucini)

My dearest friend is Italian, so for Christmas this year I wanted to make a traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes. But that seemed like far too much food (and effort) for just two people. This pasta dish with crab, scallops, and shrimp was a wonderful compromise (half the fishes made for a perfect two-person feast).

Ingredients:

1 lb frozen medium size shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 lb lump crab meat, rinsed and patted dry
2 tbs unsalted butter
4 tsp minced garlic
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup half and half
3/4 cup shredded parmesan, divided in half
salt and pepper
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
8 oz fettucini, cooked

How I made it:

Thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter.  Saute the garlic for 2 minutes. Add the scallops and turn down the heat to medium.

Blanch the shrimp in boiling water for 2-3 minutes (it helps address the yucky grey color of the shrimp). Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and pat dry (carefully, they’ll be hot). Add the shrimp to the skillet, then the crab.  Turn the scallops and continue to cook until the seafood is heated through.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the heavy cream first, then the half and half. Stir to combine.  Sprinkle half of the shredded parmesan over the seafood mixture and stir again.  Salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat down to low, and stir occasionally so that a skin doesn’t form while you prepare the pasta.

Cook the fettucini according to the package directions, adding the frozen broccoli four minutes before the pasta is al dente. When done, drain and rinse the pasta and broccoli.

Combine the pasta, broccoli, and seafood mixture in a large bowl, using tongs to ensure that the pasta is thoroughly coated. This is a thin sauce, so it should combine easily. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and serve.

How it turned out:

Wonderful! Not only was it delicious the first night, the leftovers were even better.

(Makes 6 servings)

 

Best Invention Ever

How many of us take our laptops and tablets into the kitchen when we try out a new recipe from the internet? And then worry about getting smudges and spills on the computer?  Well, thanks to my favorite taste tester, I found under my Christmas tree the best invention ever!

The Prepara Cookook Stand is designed for a tablet!!  It’s adjustable and it swivels. My Kindle Fire fits perfectly behind the protective screen, allowing me to see the recipe AND cook with my usual reckless abandon without worrying about the health and safety of my technology. Oh — and it will hold a book or magazine, too.

 

Baked Crab Rangoon

This is my friend’s Shannon’s recipe. It’s an easy appetizer that can be kept light.

Ingredients:

won ton wrappers
1 8 oz container 1/3 less fat Philadelphia Onion and Chive Cream Cheese
1 cup crab meat (or krab meat)
2 tbs water

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Chop the crab/krab meat finely.  Mix it into the cream cheese, making sure to blend thoroughly.

Spoon a 1-2 tsp sized dollop of filling into the center of a won ton wrapper. Don’t over fill it. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water (a quick swipe of the finger is enough). Fold the corners together to create a purse, sealing the edges closed. Continue to make the rangoons until you are out of filling.

Place the rangoons on a non-stick baking sheet (or a sheet lined with non-stick foil).  Spray with olive oil in a mister or an olive oil cooking spray. Bake until the won tons are crispy and golden (about 10 minutes, but keep an eye on them).

How they turned out:

Good, and with less guilt than the fried version at your favorite Chinese restaurant. But — they are only good while hot.  Right out of the oven, they are too hot (you’ll melt your mouth).  After about 15-20 minutes, they get cold and gummy.  So only make as many as you will need, or make them in batches so that your guests get hot and yummy appetizers.

 

Easy Sweet Potato Side

With all the holiday hectic-nicity, I’m just now posting my Thanksgiving recipes. This is an easy peasy sweet potato dish, perfect for holiday feasts where you want to concentrate on a complicated main dish — and equally nice on a Tuesday night.

Ingredients:

2 cans Bruce’s Yams in syrup
2 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp nutmeg
marshmallows

How to make it:

In a sturdy bowl, mash the yams. Do this by hand, not with a mixer, so that they retain some structure (they should not be pureed).  Add the cream and butter and blend well. Finally, stir in the nutmeg.

Spread the sweet potato mixture into a greased casserole dish. Top with marshmallows. (I use the large ones and cut them in half, placing them cut side down on top of the casserole.)

Bake the casserole at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through and browned on top.  You might want to cover it with foil to heat it through and then brown the marhsmallows right at the end.  Otherwise, keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.

How it turns out:

Perfect every time. Pair with your Thanksgiving turkey, a holiday ham, or even fried chicken.

 

Maple Bourbon Turkey

This started out from a recipe from the Beekman Boys. As usual, there were unexpected (maybe by now they are to be expected?) deviations from the recipe. (The original recipe is available here.)

Ingredients:

1 14-16 pound organic free range turkey
1/4 cup  salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons chile powder
1 orange
1 lime
1 small yellow onion, halved
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3/4 cup good quality maple syrup
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups Jim Beam Black double aged bourbon

How I Made It:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and pat dry the turkey, removing the bag of giblets and the neck.  Place these (sans bag) in the bottom of the roasting pan.  Place the turkey, breast side up, in the rack in the roasting pan.

Combine the salt, sugar, and chili powder. Rub the seasoning all over the turkey, making sure to evenly spice the entire bird.

Quarter the orange, lime, and onion. Stuff these into the turkey, then follow with the garlic cloves and the bay leaves.

 

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine the molasses, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and 1 cup of bourbon. Heat over medium heat and stir continuously until blended and smooth.  (This is where I left the Beekman Boys behind — my recipe calls for bourbon in the basting sauce as well as the pan.)

With a silicone brush, thoroughly cover the turkey with the maple bourbon sauce. Make sure to get a few tablespoons into the cavity as well.  You should use at least half of the sauce, but make sure you have enough reserved for basting as it roasts.

Pour 1 cup of bourbon into the bottom of the roasting pan (not over the bird). Cover the wing tips with foil and  tie the drumsticks with kitchen twine.  Finally, tent the entire turkey with non-stick foil.

Roast covered for 90 minutes. Uncover, baste well with maple bourbon sauce, and continue roasting for 30 minutes.

Using a meat thermometer in the thigh, check the temperature.  If the turkey has reached 150 degrees or so, baste again and return uncovered to the oven. (If it hasn’t, keep roasting covered and check every 15 minutes until it reaches 150 degrees).

Roast the turkey uncovered for another 30 minutes, basting as needed (I’m a frequent baster because I like a moist turkey).  After 30 minutes, check to ensure that the turkey has reached 165 degrees. If it has, remove from the oven.

Let rest covered for 15 minutes before carving.

How It Turned Out:

Wonderful! Moist, flavorful, and if you have folks who like the  turkey skin — this will be their favorite turkey ever.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin is good for you.  Lots of vitamin A and fiber.  So, pumpkin muffins must be good for you, too, right?  Especially with the antioxidants in chocolate added to the mix.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup Splenda+sugar blend
1/2 tsp salt
1 can organic pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

How I Made Them:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the muffin tin(s) with festive liners.

Combine the dry ingredients, sifting together with a fork until well combined. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then add the pumpkin and canola oil and mix well. Combine the dry and wet mixtures until blended and smooth.  Add the chocolate chips.

Fill the muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

How They Turned Out:

Moist with a lovely texture, not too dense or too crumby, these are wonderful with a glass of cold milk. The taste is complex, with chocolate the primary impression at first and the pumpkin and spices coming through underneath.  I’m wondering if some cream cheese frosting wouldn’t be a nice addition, or if it would just be gilding a pumpkin.

 

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake

The usual taste of Halloween is super-sweet and sticky, so this cake is a refreshing change.

Ingredients:

2 cups organic flour
1 cup Splenda-sugar blend
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 organic or vegetarian-fed cage free eggs
1 can organic pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
6 tbs organic unsalted butter
1 package Pamela’s dark chocolate frosting mix
4 tbs water

How I Made It:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9 inch cake pans with Baker’s Secret or use nonstick pans.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Beat the eggs, adding the pumpkin and canola oil and mixing thoroughly.  Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix on medium-slow speed until completely combined and smooth.

Pour the batter into the cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool cakes completely. Using a serated knife, cut just enough off the top of one of the cakes to make it flat.

Make the frosting according to the directions on the package.  Spread a layer of frosting on the top of the flat cake.  Add the next cake layer and frost completely.  There will be just enough frosting for the cake, so frost carefully (don’t sneak too many tastes).

How It Turned Out:

The ginger gives the cake just a little bite, balancing the dark sweet frosting.  It’s dense, moist and full of vitamins.  Add a little homemade whipped cream if you want.

 

Applesauce Spice Cake

Fall inspires me to make all sorts of apple and pumpkin yummies laced with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. In honor of tonight’s first pumpkin carving (of the season and of my favorite toddler’s life), I made this apple cake.  I was going to use fresh apples in the batter, but decided to save those for the decoration.

Ingredients:

2 cup organic all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup organic butter
1 1/4 cup organic maple syrup
3 large eggs (cage free vegetarian fed or organic)
1/2 cup organic 2% milk
1 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

How I made it:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

Cream the butter in the mixer.  Add the maple syrup in a steady stream. It should combine easily — but if it looks all weird and separated, that’s okay. Add the eggs one at a time, keeping the mixer on medium-low speed.

Once it’s all mixed, slowly add the dry mixture in batches. Once that’s mixed in, add the milk. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and mix any remaining bits of flour, butter, etc.  Add the applesauce and stir it in with the spatula, then do the same with the walnuts.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Let cool completely.

Garnish with slices of granny smith apple (leave the peel on for color) and homemade whipped cream.

How it turned out:

Dense, rich, and autumnal — the cake was wonderful with coffee and homemade whipped cream. It will taste even better in the morning for breakfast!!

 

Adventures in Spices ~ Steak Za’atar

While I am fearless when experimenting with flour, sugar, butter and vanilla, spices scare me. Amchur powder, nigella seed, aleppo pepper, grains of paradise — whatever are these for?  Contributing to my nervousness is the fact that most of my forays with fennel and five spice have ended badly.

And yet, despite these fears, I was inspired. Exploring the Summit Spice and Tea Shop in Anchorage, I was astounded by all the different colors and textures. Herbs and spices, solos and blends — teaspoon adventures from places only National Geographic has ever heard of. How could anyone fail to be inspired by such treasures?

Tonight’s teaspoon adventure is to North Africa and the Middle East, courtesy of an herb blend called za’atar.  Za’atar can refer to a single herb from the oregano, basil, thyme, and savory families — or to a blend of herbs and spices.  The Summit Spice and Tea za’atar blends white sesame seed, ground sumac, marjoram, and thyme. I used it to make a marinade for a lovely bit of steak.

Ingredients:

1 small boneless ribeye steak
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs high quality balsamic vinegar
1 tbs za’atar herb blend

How I made it:

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, and herbs.  Place the steak in a ziploc bag and pour the marinade into the bag.  Zip it up and then work the steak in the bag until it is fully covered by marinade.  Place the bag in the refrigerator and let sit for an hour, turning over half way through.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the steak on a broiler pan (non-stick or sprayed with olive oil) and cook for about 45 minutes, turning over once at 30 minutes or so.  Cook to desired doneness.  Serve with roasted potatoes.

How it turned out:

The za’atar gave the meat a bright, lemony aroma out of the oven. The steak was tender and juicy, with a complex taste.  Oregano, butter, lemon all at once.  Which is funny, since the recipe didn’t include any of those.

It was good, but not superb. I think next time I’ll try it with salmon.

 

Autumn Acorn Squash

Nothing is easier than this.

Ingredients:         

1 organic acorn squash
2 tbs butter
2 tbs brown sugar

How I made it:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Wash the squash. Cut it in half and clean out the guts.  Place the halves face down on a non-stick or foil lined baking sheet. Bake the squash for 30 minutes.

Turn the halves face up and, on each one, brush with 1 tbs butter mixed with 1 tbs brown sugar.  Bake for another 15 minutes or until soft (but not smushy).

How they turned out:

I asked and the words were “succulent,” “savory,” and “mmm-mmmm.”

(1 squash makes 2 servings)