Christmas Cioppino

Living on the coast is a blessing, we have access to the freshest seafood. This Christmas, we decided to take advantage of the bounty of the sea and make the delicious seafood stew from San Francisco. I found this recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchens, and modified it a bit to our tastes and the seafood available.

Cioppino
STEW BASE
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 red bell pepper, trimmed, seeded, and diced
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 cup bottled clam broth mixed with 2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
SEAFOOD
1 pound mussels
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound cleaned squid, cut into rings, and tentacles halved
1/2 pound sea scallops

Make the stew base. Heat a large stew pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed hot pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits in the pot. Simmer the wine until reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes, peppers, parsley, and thyme and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broths; bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the base, with a cover slightly ajar, for 30 minutes.

Finish the Cioppino. Add the basil and cook covered, over high heat, for 5 minutes. Add the crab and cook for 1 minute. Add the mussels, shrimp, squid, and scallops. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mussels open, the shrimp curl, and squid and scallops are just firm, about 3 minutes.

Simply Awesome

There is this restaurant in San Leon... Gilhooley's is it's name. We love going there for the freshest oysters and shrimp. In the summer time they make the best shrimp ceviche that we have ever tasted. I found this recipe, and altered it a bit... I would have to say it is awesome!

Shrimp Ceviche
1 pounds headless shrimp, peeled and deviened, cooked 1 minute in 2 cups of boiling water (Set aside 1 cup of cooking water)
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt for curing onion
1 red onion, chopped; cured*
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice for curing onions
1 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons catsup
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon cilantro (fresh coriander), minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In large, flat, non-reactive container, mix lime juice and salt. Marinate shrimp with juice in refrigerator for one hour or more; stir occasionally. Add onions, jalapenos and tomatoes to marinated shrimp. Drain; mix in reserved cooking water, orange juice, catsup, olive oil and cilantro. Chill thoroughly. Serve in small bowls with a teaspoon. Garnish with lime wedges.

*To cure onions, rub salt on the onions and let stand for 10 minutes, rinse and squeeze all the water out of them. Marinade in lime juice.

Yet... another great pasta salad

For our first dinner in our new house, we went to the local fish market and picked up dinner. Mark smoked some grouper, flounder and colossal shrimp. A friend brought coleslaw and I made this fabulous pasta salad.

Greek Pasta Salad

8 oz mini bowtie pasta, cooked to al dente and drained
12 kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1 can artichoke hearts in water, drained and cut into quarters
1 roasted red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup smoked sun dried tomatoes, julienned
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup wishbone bountifuls hearty italian dressing
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
2 tsp dried oregano

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

For leftovers, I chopped up some of the smoked shrimp and added.

Super Quick and Easy

The other day, I had absolutely no time to cook, but still needed to eat. I came up with this variation of a favorite dish to cook in a hurry.

Black Beans and Rice
1 bag Uncle Ben's precooked brown rice
1/2 can black beans, rinsed
1/2 can diced tomatoes with jalapenos
1/2 cup shredded co jack cheese
1 TSB chili powder
1/2 TSB cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Salsa to taste

Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Nuke on high power for 2 minutes. Serve with salsa on top.

Super Refreshing!

We made this for our last garage party... it was quite good! We saved what fruit was left over and used for our mimosas the next day.

Super White Sangria
1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1/2 cup light rum
1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur, such as a triple sec
1 (15.25-ounce) can pineapple tidbits packed in natural juices
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 (20-ounce) bottle or 2 cups chilled sierra mist

In a 1-gallon pitcher, combine wine, frozen lemonade concentrate, rum, orange liqueur and pineapple with the juice. Stir well and refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours.

Snap out of it!

I've been in a real cooking funk lately. Not sure if it is from not wanting to heat up the kitchen in the summer or just not feeling like cooking. I'm guessing is it the former, because as we have gotten a reprieve from the oppressive heat, I have cooked more. Last weekend alone I made Monster Spaghetti, Hungry Man Chili, Banana Bread and Brownies. Tonight, Mark requested Chicken Cordon Bleu. I had my own recipe that I used deli ham and deli swiss, and rolled it up securing with toothpicks. I recently saw an episode of Tyler's Ultimate where he had showcased the Ultimate Chicken Cordon Bleu. I followed his recipe (except for the breading) and technique, with wonderful results... I'm doing it this way from now on ! I did have to cook longer than the 25 minutes the recipe suggests, it was still uncooked in the very middle. I would suggest 45 minutes at 350.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-cordon-bleu-recipe2/index.html

Happy 4th of July!
We are celebrating with yet another "garage party". Mark is smoking chicken and I made another pasta salad that is just to die for!

Awesome Pasta Salad VII
8 oz whole wheat rotini pasta
2 cups shredded spinach
1 cup mandarin orange sections, drained
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
Asian vinaigrette dressing, enough to coat

Combine ingredients and enjoy!

Grilled Veggie Salad

Tonight we had some friends over for bbq dinner in the garage. I created another one of my famous pasta salads.

Awesome Pasta Salad VI

2 cups grilled vegetables - chopped (I used zucchini, red pepper, yellow onions and portabello mushrooms)
8 oz bowtie pasta, cooked and drained
Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing, enough to coat

Another Awesome Salad

For Mark's birthday we cooked out. On my way home from work I dreamed up this salad. It was quite good!

Awesome Pasta Salad VI
8 oz whole wheat corkscrew pasta, cooked and drained
1 cup asparagus, cut into 1" pieces and steamed
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped if the pieces are large
1/4 cup red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
Asian vinaigrette

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

Darn Good Shrimp

We barbecued all weekend. Tired of eating only salad, I decided to cook up some shrimp.

BBQ Shrimp
2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deviened
Baja Chipotle marinade

Marinate shrimp for 30 minutes. Thread on skewers. Place over hot coals for 3-4 minutes per side.

Pasta Salad

We often bar-b-que and have friends over... since I don't partake in the meat, my main contribution is the side dishes. I am known for my pasta salad creations. This is one I created recently when our friends Kai and Renee came over... it got rave reviews!

Awesome Pasta Salad V
8 oz baby bowties, cooked, drained
1/2 cup shredded mozzerella
1 cup broccoli florettes
1 red pepper, diced
6 sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), julianned 6oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and patted dry
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
Kraft pesto viniagrette - as much as desired
Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

Southwestern Pesto

I love pasta and I enjoy finding different sauces to serve with it. This is a twist on traditional pesto. You can make it as spicy or mild as you want by switching up the heat of the salsa.

Southwestern Pesto
2 cups spinach
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup pecans
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup oil
3 garlic cloves

Process in food processor until comes to a pesto-like consistency. Toss with hot pasta.

Simple... Easy... Pasta... Yum

Lately, I've been craving nothing but pasta. I simply love pasta. I usually make it with a load of veggies, so that I can cut the amount of pasta that I eat in half. Sometimes dinner is a challenge with working a full time job and trying to make it into the gym after work. I came up with this quick and easy gem the other night.

Pasta with mushrooms
8 oz bowtie pasta, cooked and drained
olive oil for pan
1/2 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz mushrooms sliced thick1/4 cup white wine


Coat a skillet with olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Saute until tender. Add oregano, basil and red pepper flake, saute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their juices. Add the wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add the bowtie pasta and toss. Serve immediately. Add Parmesan or Asiago cheese to taste.

Fruit Salad

A few of Mark's favorite things are cool whip and marshmallows. Combined with fruit it makes a fruit salad he always asks for.

Fruit Salad
1 small tub cool whip
1 bag frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained
1 bag frozen peach slices, thawed and drained
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup coconut

Combine all ingredients and fold to mix well

Comfort Food

One dish that shouts out comfort and home cooked goodness is Tuna Casserole. Although, I had never been a fan of the dish growing up, I recently tried it again. I make it without baking for a quick weeknight meal.

Tuna Noodle Casserole
1 7 oz package tuna, packed in water
1 cup Velveeta
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 cup frozen peas
12 oz whole wheat wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

Combine all ingredients except for noodles and cook until Velveeta is melted and peas are cooked. Add noodles and thoroughly mix. Delicious sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Happy New Year

For as long as I can remember, my family has had a tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Years day. Not particularly one of my favorite foods... but I still indulge in black-eyed peas every New Years, with my own twist. Today we had black-eyed peas and greens with mexican cornbread and finished up with a delightful blackberry cobbler.

Black-eyed Peas and Greens
1/4 cup barley
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with jalapenos
12 oz bag fresh black-eyed peas
1 tsp oregano
fresh cracked black pepper
Collard greens, torn

Combine all ingredients in a soup pot, except oregano, pepper and greens. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes or until the peas are soft. Add seasonings, stir. Place the greens in soup bowls and ladle the soup on top of them. Enjoy!