The other night, for a birthday dinner for Kelly (#2 by the way) Don made this dish. Let me tell you from the start, you could just sit down and eat the corn sauce, it is that great. but it takes all of it to really be special.
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 2 ears of whole sweet corn, kernels removed (about 1 1/2 cups of kernels)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- pinch of salt and white pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 12 large sea scallops
- few drops of black truffle oil
- 1 tbsp. chopped chives
- Angel hair pasta
- butter
In a pan, heat the butter and saute the corn for about 2 -3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Now add the cream and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook a further 2-3 minutes until the cream thickens.
In a fresh pan, heat the olive oil, Add the scallops and sear for about 2-3 minutes until they have a nice sear on each side.
Cook the angel hair pasta and fold in a bit of butter. Place the pasta equally into 3 bowls, add the corn sauce on top and place the scallops over the top. Garnish with a few chopped chives.
Serve with a glass of chilled white wine and treasure each bite. OMGoodness!
Grilled Shrimp Salad
The nice weather has finally arrived and this is a great way to enjoy a lunch on the deck or a starter for dinner. Your choice…but maybe you’ll want both. A salad with a protein is always welcomed.
Soak wooden skewers in water for about an hour.
- uncooked pineapple wedges cut into 1 inch chunks 12-15
- 20-30 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4-5 cups mixed greens
- add your favourites such as: green seedless grapes, halved,
- 4-5 strawberries- hulled, baby tomatoes, toasted pecans or salad toppings, raw mushroom slices
- The above ingredients will serve 4-5 people.
Marinade
- 1/2 cup Pear juice
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 5 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp. sugar
- pinch of salt
In a blender, puree all the ingredients until really smooth.
In a small bowl briskly drizzle the olive oil and whisk into all the ingredients to form a dressing type of marinade. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade. Add the shrimp and toss to coat well. Set aside for 30 minutes.
In a separate large bowl, prepare the salad and your toppings.
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup of the reserved marinade
- 2 tbsp. wine vinegar
- 3 tbsps. pear juice
- 1/2 tsp, Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- pinch of salt and pepper
Preheat your grill to a high heat. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and thread them onto the soaked skewers. Cook each side for 1-1 1/2 minutes until they are opaque throughout.
On separate skewers, thread the pineapple cubes and cook a few minutes longer than the shrimp so the centers become soft.
Serve the salad onto individual plates, add the shrimp and pineapple cubes and drizzle the Vinaigrette over the top. Here you get to use as much as you want on your plate.
Warm rolls and you have a wonderful meal.
Our version of a Shrimp Tarragon Po’ Boy
Don wanted to make a shrimp salad tonight for dinner but Kelly and I changed it to a Po’ Boy. It was soooo delicious. Try it and I know you will love it as well. Beats a heavy dinner and could also make a super lunch.
- 2 lbs. peeled and deveined shrimp
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 cup finely diced celery
- 2 thinly sliced scallions
- 2 tbsp. freshly minced tarragon leaves
- 2/3 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
- 4-6 Brioche buns, warmed in the oven
In a large saucepan add 7 cups of water and turn the heat to medium. Cook the shrimp for about 8-9 minutes, stirring them gently occasionally until they turn pink and are firm to the touch. Drain off the water.
Cut the shrimp in half in the middle and place in a bowl to cool down. Tamp with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
When cool, add the lime juice, generous pinch of salt and half that of pepper. Add the celery, scallions, tarragon and mayonnaise mixing well to combine then place in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Place the brioche buns in the oven to get warm (not toasted), and butter each side. Fill each bun with as much shrimp as the bun could possibly hold. Cut the sandwich in half, set on a pretty plate add several napkins, a glass of wine and my, oh, my, you will think you hear angelic music.
These are so awesome.
The Most Awesome Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms
Don made these and my goodness, they are truly awesome. If you make them once, you will definitely make them many more times.
- 20 very large white mushrooms, stems removed
- 12 medium shrimp, tails on
- 1/2 cup softened cream cheese
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- pinch of garlic powder
- 3/4 cup s grated Parmesan Cheese
Steam the shrimp for about 60 seconds, remove and let cool enough to remove the shell and tail. Lightly chop.
Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Fill a saucepan with water and simmer the mushrooms caps over a medium heat for 2 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, drain and let cool, gill side down on paper towels for about 15 minutes.
While the caps are cooling down, combine the shrimp, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder in a bowl and blend well. Spoon about 2 -3 tsp. of the mixture in each mushroom cavity in the baking dish and cover, placing in the refrigerator for about 3 hours to blend the flavours and firm up the stuffing.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Uncover the dish and bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
Serve with a glass of chilled white wine, and a couple of other nibblers for a great start to Friday night.
Absolutely divine.
Seafood Risotto-Best Yet
For me, Risotto is the ultimate comfort food. When you make this one, it will probably hit number 1 on your list as well.
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped small onion
- pinch of salt
- pinch each of white pepper and black pepper
- 6 cups seafood stock
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 2 lbs. shrimp and scallops
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, freshly grated
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley leaves
In a large frypan, heat the oil on a medium heat and add the onions. Season with salt and peppers, cooking until the onions are soft. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
Add the stock and garlic, bring this to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
Reduce the heat and add the rice, stirring constantly, cook for about 12 minutes.
Lightly season the seafood and continue cooking for 6 minutes. Stir in the butter, cream, cheese and simmer a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, spoon the risotto into a serving dish and garnish with parsley.
In a word: YUM, YUM and YUM. So delicious.
Lobster Ravioli Cream
Finally! This is the missing part of the recipe for Lobster Ravioli. Here we go. It makes a ton, so use what you need and freeze the rest or, have a family reunion. They will love it.
- 4 lbs. butter
- 17 oz. Grana Pandano, pre-grated cheese
- 20 oz. lobster base
- 12 oz. Dijon mustard
Put butter in mix master with paddle attachment and whip on medium speed until the butter becomes smooth and malleable. Do not add too much air or you will have a whipped butter.
Mix all ingredients in a stainless steel bowl until well incorporated. Place in appropriate container,cover, label and refrigerate.
Finished butter must be well mixed and homogeneous.
Simple Fish “Tagine”
The title shouldn’t scare you. It really means if you don’t have a tagine (who does?) make sure you have an oven-proof large fry pan with a tight fitting lid. There…simple.
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp. Hungarian paprika
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- pinch of salt and black pepper
- 1/8 tsp. saffron
- 4 x 4 oz. halibut or cod, skinless (4 servings)
- 1 Vidalia onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, cored and julienned
- 1/3 cup colossal green olives
- 3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fish stock (vegetable will also work)
- 1/2 lb. raw prawns, cleaned, tails on
- 1/2 lb. mussels, scrubbed
- lemon wedges for garnish
- crusty bread (for dipping)
In a food processor whirl 1/4 cup of the olive oil, garlic, cilantro, turmeric, paprika, salt, pepper and saffron until almost smooth. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Add the fish pieces and turn in the mixture to coat well. Set aside.
In a large oven proof fry pan heat 1 tbsp. olive oil. Add the onion and saute until almost soft. Add the orange pepper and olives and saute for a further 2 minutes.
Fold in the tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Snuggle the fish pieces into the vegetable mixture and scrape the remaining marinade over the top. Cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes of a medium low temperature. Remove the lid and tuck the prawns and mussels into the mix and continue cooking for another 5 – 10 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with lemon wedges and slices of crusty bread for dipping into the liquid gold sauce.
If you want to take this one over the top, serve with a really chilled Chardonnay. Just sayin’.
Seafood Risotto In One Pot
Well, after two days off …not really, transplanting some pot-bound indoor plants and watching them sigh a big sigh of relief, here it is..Monday morning. So..I absolutely love risotto and this is for the hard-core seafood diner. Trust me!
- 2 tbsp. virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 bulb fennel, cored and chopped
- 3 tbsp. tomato paste
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth
- 1/2 tsp. saffron
- 1 pound orzo
- 2 cups clam juice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 12 mussels
- 16-18 shrimp. deveined
- 1/2 lb. squid rings
- 1 lb. small clams
- 1 lb. meaty white fish, cut into chunks
- flat leaf parsley leaves for garnish
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and fennel, stirring until just starting to brown. (3 minutes), add the tomato paste and season with a little salt and pepper and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 2 more minutes. Stir in the vermouth and saffron and cook for 1 minute.
Add the orzo and now, using a large ladle, add the clam juice and broth, stirring constantly until the orzo is el dente and the liquid is almost all absorbed. Add the shrimp, squid and baby clams into the pot, stirring under to cover the seafood. Stir gently for about 5 minutes until the seafood is cooked through. Season the fish with salt and pepper and gently tuck under the orzo and cook about 5 minutes more. Let stand for five minutes before serving and sprinkle some of the smaller parsley leaves over.
In warm bowls, ladle out the orzo. If you wish put a few wedges of lemon/lime on the table and let everyone help themselves.
You may need a whip to hold the guests back and stop the neighbours from breaking down your door just to taste this. Enjoy!
Fall Boil With Shrimp And Stuff
October has arrived and while the weather is still super nice, this would be a fun thing to do for a last hurrah, if you will. No real fussing, no real cleanup. It is messy, delicious and pure fun!
This will serve 8
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tbsp. seasoning salt, like “Joe’s Stuff” or Cajun-type seasoning
- coarse salt
- 3 lemons, 1 halved, 2 cut in thick wedges
- 2 1/2 lbs. new baby potatoes
- 5 ears of corn, cut in 1 inch pieces
- butter for brushing
- 3 lbs. jumbo shrimp, shells on, deveined
- Sheets of packing paper (clean and by the roll, if possible)
Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, until melted. Add the garlic and simmer for only 1 minute. Stir in the seasoning and salt. Squeeze the juice from the halved lemon (reserve the halves) and add to the butter. Remove from the heat but covered to keep warm.
In a large saucepan with water, boil the potatoes for about 12-15 minutes until tender when poked with a knife. Add the corn and the lemon halves. Return to the boil, then drain.
Preheat the barbecue and brush the grates with oil. Take 2 tbsp. of butter mixture and toss the potatoes, corn, shrimp and sliced lemons until coated.
Put it all on the grill, cooking only until the shrimp have turned pink and there are grill marks on the corn and potatoes.
You can add mussels and clams as well, making sure they all open.
Throw out the paper to cover the table, have a pile of paper napkins handy and toss it all on the table. The trick here is to help yourself and eat away. Serve the remaining butter in a couple of bowls and just have fun.
Cold beer in a bucket or a bottle or two of chilled wine is all you need.
Shrimp With Cabbage and Ginger
Due to a small incident with the whisk attachment of my Kitchen Aid, this is being posted a few days later than anticipated. Sorry. All is well now and here we go.
This is really a Chinese recipe but if you make the Thai Trout Salad, you could get away with the two together. Who’s to know?
- 2 shallots, sliced thin
- 20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tbsp. dry Sherry
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- pinch of white pepper and salt
- 1 head Napa cabbage, quartered lengthwise, cored and cut into 1 1/2″ pieces to make 10 cups
- 3 tbsp. coconut oil (looks like lard in a jar)
- 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger (peeled)
- 1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
Stir together the shrimp, 1 tbsp. sherry, cornstarch, pepper and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Rinse the cabbage in a colander, tapping to remove some of the water. Transfer to a large bowl with some of the excess water sticking to the leaves.
Heat a large wok or 12 inch heavy skillet over high heat until beginning to smoke. Add 2 tbsp. coconut oil and stir fry the shrimp until golden and almost cooked through. (3-4 minutes). Transfer to a clean bowl. Add the remaining oil to the wok and stir-fry the ginger and shallots for 2 minutes then add the bell pepper and cook a further 2 minutes.
Stir in the remaining Sherry and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the cabbage with remaining water to the wok, the soy sauce and remaining pinch of salt and now cook until the cabbage has become tender. This should take 5 minutes.
Stir in the shrimp and any juices, simmering until cooked through. (1 minute longer), and the shallots and toss to combine.
What can be said? Yum!
Crawfish Etouffee
As mentioned before, we attended a cooking class in New Orleans. Sondra gave us this recipe and I wanted to share it with you.
I have to be honest. Don loved it, but I don’t care for the taste of crawfish (poor man’s lobster or in the South they are known as ‘mud bugs’ ). In Canada, at least at this end of the country, you can’t buy crawfish as far as I am aware. In this case, use large shrimp.
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup oil
- 4 cups finely chopped onions
- 2 cups celery, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup green pepper, chopped
- 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 lbs (2 1/2 lbs) large shrimp crawfish)
- 2 tsp. Joe’s Stuff seasoning blend (salt, pepper and paprika) to taste
- a touch of crab boil (if you can find it)
- Enough white rice for each person served (this will serve 8 or dinner twice)
Add flour to hot oil to make a dark chocolate coloured roux, stirring constantly. (remember, turn off the tv, unplug the phone type of concentration). Add seasoning to the mix to blend, along with the onions, celery, green pepper and garlic.
In another pot with piping hot chicken stock, stir in the roux GRADUALLY, until well blended. Cook for 20 minutes over medium heat.
Add the shrimp and cook an additional 5 minutes, if desired, add chopped parsley before serving.
This is always served over plain white rice. Try it….With shrimp, it is delicious. Honest!
Shrimp Stuffed Avocado
You have to read this one to the end. Don has made this a few times and I LOVE it. You will see why. I never knew why, but this is what love is all about.
- 2 ripe avocados , cut in half
- 1/4 red onion (NEVER IN BONNIE’S)
- 1 1/2 cups shrimp, cooked
- 3 tbsp. mayo
- 1 ts. white vinegar
- pinch of dry mustard
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- pinch of sugar
- 1/8 tsp. worchestershire sauce
- pinch of salt and pepper
Remove the flesh from the avocado and cube, reserving the skin for filling later.
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients and then carefully stuff the skins.
OMG! This is so yummy. I did not know he had written this about the onion. It must have been done up 25 years ago, when we were first dating. I was going through our recipe box and thought this would be a good one to share. Gotta love this man, I know I sure do.