scallops with lemon basil sauce

• 1 large lemon
• 1 1/2 pounds large sea scallops
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon butter, divided
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

How to Make It

1. Finely grate lemon rind, reserving 1/4 teaspoon. Squeeze lemon, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Pat scallops dry with paper towels.
2. Sprinkle scallops with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add scallops; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove scallops from pan; keep warm.
3. Add wine and reserved lemon juice to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of pan. Combine water and cornstarch; add to pan. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Add reserved lemon rind, remaining 1 teaspoon butter, remaining 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and basil. Remove from heat. Serve over scallops.
4. Serve with: Buttery Angel Hair Pasta with Parmesan Cheese

baked lemon artichoke chicken piccata

• 1.5 lbs chicken breast or thighs, boneless skinless
• 2 Lemons one sliced thin slices & one cut in half for squeezing.
• 4 to 5 Cloves garlic peeled and minced.
• 2 Tbsp Lemon juice from one lemon.
• 1 Can Artichoke or artichoke heart quarters ( not marinated), drained
• 2 Tbsp Capers (make sure only ingredients are: capers vinegar, sea salt, water).
• 3 Tbsp Butter or Coconut oil.
• 2/3 Cup organic chicken bone broth or broth
• 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt * optional.
• 1/2 Tsp Italian seasonings
• 1/4 Cup white cooking wine, *optional

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place butter or coconut oil in large casserole dish, and place in the preheating oven to melt.
3. Slice one lemon in thin slices, and mince garlic, then set both aside.
4. Take casserole dish out of oven once butter or oil is melted.
5. Line bottom of casserole dish with lemon slices.
6. Place chicken on top of lemon slices.
7. Sprinkle the top of chicken with: minced garlic, drained capers, sea salt, and Italian seasonings.
8. Drain artichokes of water in can, and dump all over the top of chicken.
9. Pour lemon juice over the artichokes.
10. Pour chicken broth over the top of the whole thing. Pour cooking wine over the dish.
11. Cover casserole dish with foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is not pink in center.
12. Remove, cool slightly, Remove foil and return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes to lightly brown chicken. Serve.

    
    

    
    

    I served with sautéed zucchini & onion

Up this week:

Monday: Taco salad - lettuce topped with corn, organic refried black beans, ground beef cooked with homemade taco seasoning (see recipe below), sprinkling of shredded cheese, lots of avocado.

Taco Seasoning:
1 T. chili powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. paprika
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. sea salt
1 t. pepper

Store in airtight container. Use whatever amount you want and cook with ground beef.

Tuesday: Brown rice pasta topped with homemade marina and turkey italian sausage. I've been craving spaghetti lately which I haven't had in probably a year.

Wednesday: Shrimp fajitas

You’ll need (for two not super hungry people):

For Fajitas

• 0.75 lb small shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon chili powder
• 0.5 teaspoon cayenne
• 0.5 teaspoon paprika
• 6 soft taco shells
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 large green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small orange bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced

Optional:

• Guacamole
• Cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Cojita/Feta Cheese
• Yogurt Sauce (see below)

Cilantro-Lime Yogurt Sauce

• 0.5 cup greek yogurt
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 0.5 teaspoon salt

To Make:

1. For Fajitas: combine lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, paprika and shrimp in a plastic bag. Give it a good shake and let marinate in fridge for 20 minutes.
2. While shrimp marinates make cilantro-lime yogurt sauce. Combine all ingredients and set in fridge until time to eat.
3. Heat cast iron skillet over high heat, add shrimp and sauté until cooked- this only takes a few minutes so keep an eye on them. Using tongs, transfer to bowl and cover with a kitchen towel.
4. Add onion/pepper mixture to same cast iron skillet. Sauté until cooked, it will only take a handful of minutes.  Add shrimp back in with onions/peppers and toss.  Remove from heat.
5. My assembling advice: shmear a little guac on bottom of tortilla, top with shrimp (remove tales) and some onion/peppers. Spoon some yogurt sauce on top, garnish with cilantro, lime juice and feta.

It's a cold, damp day today so thought I'd give this one a try. I had to doctor it up quite a bit but turned out ok. I've noted my additions.

Slow Cooker Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Soup

1 T. olive oil

1 package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced on the diagonal

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

3 or 4 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

½ t. dried oregano

*1 t. basil

*1 can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

6 cups chicken stock

*Parmesan rind

S & P

3 + cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Parmesan cheese for topping

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Cook sausage until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.

Place sausage, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, beans, oregano and bay leaves, basil, tomatoes and parmesan rind into a 6 qt. slow cooker.  Stir in chicken broth until well blended.   Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and cook low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.  Stir in spinach until wilted and serve.

I'm trying out recipes for Emily's bridal shower. This was really good, but I'm looking for more of a quiche.                                                                                                     

Cremini Mushroom, Bacon and Shallot Crustless Quiche

*(kind of more of a casserole than quiche)

Serves 8

8 thin slices bacon, about 6 oz.

4 T. unsalted butter

1 lb. cremini mushrooms or kinds, thinly sliced

½ t. salt

2 medium shallots, finely chopped (about ½ c.)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. minced flat leaf parsley

2 T. grated parmesan cheese

2 c. half and half

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

Pepper

Generous pinch of nutmeg

4 oz. Gruyere or Swiss

2 T. snipped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook bacon in medium skillet until crisp.  Drain on paper towels. Discard all but 2 T. of the bacon fat.  Add 2 T butter, mushrooms and ½ t. salt.  Cook, stirring over medium heat, until the mushroom juices evaporate, about 7-10 minutes.  Add shallots and cook until tender and mushrooms are golden, about 3 minutes more.  Add the garlic and parsley.  Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Brush a 9” glass pie pan with butter and sprinkle evenly with the grated parmesan.  Place pan on a baking sheet.  Scatter half the Gruyere or swiss cheese into the pan and crumble the bacon on top.  Add ¾ of the mushrooms, then the remaining cheese.

Whisk the half and half, eggs and yolks in a large glass measuring cup.  Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Pour the custard over the fillings.  Top with remaining mushroom mixture and sprinkle with chives.

Bake until set in the center, about 40-50 minutes.  Cool.  

fall-apart roasted pork shoulder with rosemary, mustard and garlic

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

3 anchovies, rinsed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons coarse Dijon mustard

1 6-pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and tied

In a small food processor combine the garlic, anchovies, rosemary, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and process until it forms a paste, scraping down the sides. (If you don’t have a mini food processor, just mince the ingredients and then transfer them to a bowl. Use a fork to mash them into the olive oil.) Remove the blade and use a fork or spoon to stir in the mustard. Rub the paste all over the pork shoulder, loosely cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate from 2 to 24 hours.

Bring the pork to room temperature, which will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, and toward the end preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the pork in a shallow roasting pan and roast, fat side down, for 30 minutes, until the top starts to brown. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees and continue to cook for 6 to 8 hours, until the middle of the roast registers 180 on an internal thermometer, and as you slide the thermometer in you can feel that the meat is very tender throughout. About a half-hour before you are ready to call it done, pour off most of the juices from the pan into a heatproof container, like a Pyrex measuring cup. Place this in the fridge, where the fat will rise to the top.

When the meat is cooked, if you think that the outside of the roast could use a bit more crust/brownness, turn the heat back up to 450 and let it cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, to give the outside a crunchier texture.

Remove from the oven and let sit for about 20 minutes, especially if you have raised the heat at the end. Spoon the fat off the reserved juices in the fridge and pour the cooking juices into a serving pitcher or bowl (warm it in the microwave or in a small pot if you like). Slice the pork as thinly or thickly as you like, knowing the meat will fall apart at least slightly. Sprinkle a bit of salt on the sliced meat before serving, and pass the pan juices on the side to drizzle. Makes 10-12 servings.

Sheet Pan Chicken and Mushrooms with Parsley Sauce

I'd cut the oil back on this..........tasted great but my oven is a mess!!!! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake and cremini, stemmed and halved if large

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, plus slices for garnish

• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 large garlic clove, minced


HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

1. Preheat the oven to 450° and place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven to heat. Season the chicken generously 
on both sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil onto the hot baking sheet. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the hot sheet and roast for about 5 minutes, until the chicken begins to brown. 

2. In a medium bowl, toss the mushrooms and lemon slices with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then carefully scatter 
evenly around the chicken in the oven. Roast for about 30 minutes, until the mushrooms 
and lemon are browned and the chicken is cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil with the 1/2 cup of parsley, the vinegar and garlic. Season the sauce with salt. 

4. Transfer the chicken, mushrooms and lemon slices to a platter. Drizzle with some of the sauce and garnish with lemon and parsley. Serve, passing the remaining sauce at the table. 

   
   
   http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sheet-pan-chicken-and-mushrooms-parsley-sauce