Summer time to me means lots of fresh seafood! I’m lucky enough to live fairly close to the coast & fresh seafood is abundant right now. (Well at least in my part of the world it is & if it’s not in your part of the world, fear not, there is always frozen to fall back on in a pinch.) It’s the perfect time to experiment with flavor combinations.
Scallops are delectable. So buttery & delicious & completely versatile. They take on flavors beautifully. You can use this recipe as an appetizer or fill up the plate & use it as your entree. Either way it’s simply scrumptious. The secret ingredient here is the Panko!
I have been craving scallops for a while now! Since the weather has started to warm up it was the perfect time to come up with a new recipe!
Typically you’ll either find a butter, garlic & wine reduction recipe or a fried recipe for your scallops. This one is neither & I’m really pleased with how it turned out & know you will be too!
The pineapple and mango reduction fuses beautifully with the scallops! Sweet, sweet harmony with a little kick thrown in at the end (cayenne)! You’ll look like a rock star in the kitchen when you serve this dish up!
We’ve officially skipped spring and dived directly into summer. Now that it’s scorching hot outside already, it’s time to get outside and utilize the grill. Have I mentioned how much I like eggplant? It’s such a meaty vegetable & surprisingly inexpensive. One really does go a long way. I like to hit my local farmer’s market this time of year to get the freshest ingredients possible. Plus, it’s always nice to see where your food comes from & I like to support my local farmers!
This is a quick and easy recipe that can be done almost completely on the grill. It’s perfect as an appetizer or even as a side dish. If you want to change it up a bit, simply add a toasted bun and it becomes a scrumptious eggplant burger!
I adore mussels. They are simply scrumptious. Some people tend to shy away from Mussels, because they’re not quite sure what to do with them. But, they really couldn’t be easier to fix and they’re quite a chameleon when it comes to absorbing flavors.
If you’re squeamish about cleaning them, feel free to ask your fishmonger to do it for you (they’re quite happy to). Otherwise, it just entails placing your mussels into a colander, running cold water over them, and removing the “beard” - the greyish little hair attached to them. Voila.
They take minutes to cook, depending on the size, and they’ll turn this beautiful shade of orange. Careful not to overcook them; as with most seafood, they will become tough & chewy. Not something you want to associate with your mussels.
We LOVE guacamole at our house. It’s so easy to make & so much better for you than the pre-made versions that you find at the grocery (at least at mine anyway). If you are having a big to do & want this as an easy appetizer, it’s easy to double. Plus it’s incredibly colorful & smells scrumptious. If you’d like to add a kick to your guacamole, feel free to add in a minced jalapeno (with or without seeds depending on how brave you are). We like to eat our guacamole with pita chips, tortilla chips or carrot sticks. Or for a real change try putting it inside of mushroom caps & serving it that way!
So next time you’re in the mood for some guacamole, pick up the ingredients from your local farmers market or grocery & give it a go. You’ll be AMAZED how deliciously simple it is! The only thing I normally have to pick up are the avocados. The rest are pantry staples in my house! Ah, the importance of a well stocked pantry, perhaps this should be a topic for an upcoming blog entry!
Guacamole
4 Haas Avocados
1 small onion - minced
1 clove of garlic - minced
1 roma tomato - diced
squeeze of fresh lime juice
cilantro - chopped roughly
s/p
Remove the avocado from skin & discard pitt. In a bowl add your avocado, onion & garlic & mix together to your desired level of consistency. Add a squeeze of lime juice & season with salt & pepper. Taste & check for seasoning (add more if necessary) Mix together. Add in your tomatoes & cilantro & give a final stir.
This is a perfect appetizer dish! It’s quick, easy to make & is a crowd pleaser. My friend Lainie introduced me to this artichoke dip years ago & it has been a favorite of mine ever since. So a big thank you to Lainie!
I’ve switched up the original recipe just a tad by adding roasted garlic instead of minced garlic & some lemon juice for a little pizazz. You can easily use minced garlic if you don’t have any roasted on hand! In my garlic loving opinion, you CAN’T have enough garlic in this recipe so add to your hearts content. You can also control the level of heat by adding as much or as little hot sauce as you like, or should I say dare! Taste as you go. Remember, as always, much easier to add than to try & take away. You can make this ahead of time and then just reheat before you’re ready to serve. Also would be great served in a bread bowl! It’s a great go to appetizer!
I love these dumplings! The combination of ginger, garlic, scallions, and pork is simply scrumptious. Not to mention, they are so much fun to make. They are a little time consuming but if you have a helper it goes quickly!
Remember when making your dumplings that less pork mixture is better. If you put too much the dumplings will tear during steaming and come apart. You’ll know if you put too much. If you have never made dumplings before don’t be afraid, the first few will be a little awkward but once you get the feel of them, it will go smoothly. Practice makes perfect. Read the rest of this entry »
I must admit, I am normally not a fan of the plain tomato, unlesss it is cooked in a sauce or chopped finely on bruschetta ~ then, bring it on. I wondered how they would taste roasted and to the delight of my tastebuds they’re delish! This is such a quick & simple recipe. You can do it in advance of your entrée preparation, they taste even better the longer the flavors marry together. Notice that the garlic is sliced in this recipe. Minced garlic would tend to burn so slicing is best here. When you’re placing them into your serving bowl, don’t forget the drippings. They are amazing to dip your bread into (great as an appetizer this way). Simply delectable.
Herb Roasted Tomatoes
8-12 Roma tomatoes - quartered
3 cloves garlic - sliced
s/p
extra virgin olive oil
1/2-1 tbsp dried basil (1/2 for less tomatoes, whole for more tomatoes)
Preheat oven to 375. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place your quartered tomatoes into a bowl. Drizzle enough olive oil to coat well. Add your sliced garlic. Season with salt & pepper & basil. Toss together until seasoning and oil covers tomatoes. Place tomatoes onto a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
These are perfect as an appetizer or an entrée. If you want to make it an entrée, I recommend serving it over a bed of yellow rice & arrange your shrimp on top, almost like a shrimp cocktail-but with rice! LOL Or if you prefer, you can place the shrimp onto a skewer when they’re finished cooking if you want to shake things up! Either way you serve them they are scrumptious!
The flavors are spectacular in this dish. The way the sugar/pepper mixture gives you that sweet & spicy at the same time is fab. You can’t just eat one, they’re addictive! I have found the easiest way to make these is to create a little assembly line: shrimp, pineapple, bacon, toothpicks & then season mix! Makes things go smoothly.
Quick tip: Be sure to NOT touch your hands to your face after you have handled the cayenne pepper! Trust me on this one. Wash your hands subito (immediately)! Read the rest of this entry »
This is a wonderful, quick, & easy dish to make. It is usually served as a snack or appetizer. Pronounced brus-ket-a, this can be served with a number of different toppings. This is the version that I make most often. The crunch of the freshly toasted bread, along with the flavors of garlic & tomatoes is simply a feast for your senses, both smell & taste. Always a crowd pleaser.
Tip: If you find that fresh chopped garlic is a little too overpowering for you, try taking a large garlic clove, cut it in half & rub the cut side directly onto the piece of toast, then add your tomato & olive oil mixture. Just as tasty!
