Seared Scallops
So easy and so delicious! Perfect for the Feast of the Seven Fishes!
INGREDIENTS
16 Sea Scallops
¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Cup Cold Unsalted Butter (Cut Into Small Pieces)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
½ Juiced Lemon
1 Tablespoon Flat Leaf Parsley
Season the scallops with the salt & pepper. In a large skillet warm up 1 tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the scallops. Make sure not to overcrowd them in the pan. Leave them alone until they form a crust on the bottom. Turn them over on the other side and cook them until the crust forms. Remove the scallops from the pan and place them in a baking dish. Place them in a preheated 450° F oven for 5 minutes. Melt the rest of the butter in a separate pan on the stove. Add the lemon juice and parsley. Stir. When the scallops are ready take them out of the oven and place on a serving platter. Add the butter sauce and serve. Serves 4
Spaghetti With Mussels
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 Thinly Sliced Garlic Cloves
1 Cup White Wine
2 Pounds Small Mussels (Scrubbed & Debearded)
1 Pound Spaghetti
¼ Cup Finely Chopped Italian Parsley
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 tablespoons of salt. In a 12 inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook until light golden brown (for about a minute). Add the wine and raise the heat. Bring to a boil and then add the mussels. Cook, stirring and tossing, until all of the mussels have opened up (about 4 minutes). Meanwhile, drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain well. Add the pasta to the pan with the mussels and cook over high heat for 1 minute. Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve immediately.
Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese
We are all super busy this holiday season. Here is a quick meal to rely on while wrapping those presents. Add a salad and some garlic bread and you’ve got a full dinner that everyone will enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cup Macaroni
¾ Ounces Cubed Provolone Cheese
¾ Ounces Cubed Cheddar Cheese
1 Cup Half & Half
½ Cup Coarsely Crushed Seasoned Croutons
Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the package. Remove from the stove and drain the pasta. Combine the cooked macaroni, half & half and the cheeses in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally. Spoon the macaroni into a serving dish and sprinkle with the crushed croutons. Serves 2
Spiced Apple Cider
INGREDIENTS
8 Cups Apple Cider or Apple Juice
1 Medium Sliced Apple
1 Vanilla Bean Split Lengthwise
¼ Cup Honey
¼ Cup Maple Syrup
3 Whole Allspice Berries
3 Whole Cloves
2 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Star Anise
Peel of 1 Orange
Peel of 1 Lemon
In a sachet bag or piece of cheesecloth, combine the allspice, cloves, cinnamon sticks, anise, lemon & orange peels. Tie the cheesecloth with kitchen twine. In a large cooking pot combine the apple cider, apple slices, vanilla bean, honey and maple syrup. Add the spice bag. Cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Make sure not to boil. Remove from the heat and throw away the spice bag. Serve immediately. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. Serves 6
Creamy Ranch Dressing
Who doesn’t love Ranch Dressing?! This dressing is great over mixed greens or used as a dip.
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Mayonnaise
1/3 Cup Buttermilk
1/3 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Chives
1 Minced Garlic Clove
1 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground White Pepper
½ Teaspoon Salt
In a small bowl whisk all of the ingredients together. Place in a covered container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. This dressing may be kept refrigerated for 1 week. Makes 1 ½ cups.
Cauliflower With Bread Crumbs
I absolutely LOVE this cauliflower side dish. Lots of butter and bread crumbs makes it so delicious! When I have leftovers I puree it in the food processor and spread it on sandwiches.
INGREDIENTS
1 Head Cauliflower
½ Cup Butter
½ Teaspoon Coarse Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Cup Bread Crumbs
Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and wash. Break apart into flowerets and cook uncovered, in a medium sized pot, in salted boiling water until tender but not mushy. Drain in a colander and set aside. Heat the pot over a medium heat and add the butter. Cook the butter until almost melted and then add the salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Stir until combined. Add the cauliflower and stir into the butter and bread crumbs. Cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and place in a serving dish. Serve warm. Serves 4
Root Beer Float
I remember many a Root Beer Float at the A&W Drive-In when I was young. I still love Root Beer Floats. They are so simple to make and are delicious!
INGREDIENTS
2 Quarts Chilled Good Quality Root Beer
8 Scoops French Vanilla Ice Cream
8 Ten Ounce Drinking Glasses or Float Glasses
Place 1 scoop of ice cream in each glass. Top with 8 ounces of Root Beer. Serve immediately with a straw and a long handled spoon. Serves 8
Tortilla Soup
I really like Tortilla Soup. I used to buy it from Fresh Direct and then decided to make it homemade. Super good!
INGREDIENTS
1 Chopped Onion
4 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Oregano
28 Ounces Crushed Tomatoes (Canned Will Do Fine)
11 Ounces Chicken Broth
1 ¼ Cups Water
1 Cup Cooked Corn Kernels
1 Cup White Hominy
4 Ounces Chopped Green Chile Peppers
¼ Cup Chopped Cilantro
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
Crushed Tortilla Chips
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Chopped Green Onions
Cook and cut the 2 boneless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. In a medium sized pot heat the olive oil over a medium heat sauté the onion and garlic in the oil
until soft. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth and water. Bring the pot to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes over a low heat. Stir in the corn, hominy, chilies, beans, cilantro and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Top with crushed tortilla chips, cheese and chopped green onion. Serves 8
Monday’s Mac & Cheese
So yummy for the tummy!
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Fusilli Pasta
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
5 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Flour
¼ Teaspoon Dry Mustard
½ Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Cream
2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¾ Cup Breadcrumbs Tossed With 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
Cook the pasta following the directions on the package. Make sure not to overcook the pasta though. Drain the pasta in a colander. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on the pasta and set aside. Butter a 2 quart baking dish and preheat the oven to 350° F. In a medium sized saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of butter over a medium low heat. Stir the flour into the butter until the butter is smooth and bubbly. Stir in the dry mustard, salt and pepper. Gradually add the milk and cream. Stir constantly. Continue to cook. Stir constantly until thickened. Add the cheese and continue to cook and stir until melted. Combine the pasta and the cheese sauce and turn into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the buttered bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes until hot and bubbly. The top should be lightly browned. Serves 6
Roast Pork With Rosemary
By now you may be tired of Thanksgiving turkey. Change it up with a nice and simple pork roast. You can add sweet potatoes to the dish if you want. Roast Pork makes great sandwiches as well.
INGREDIENTS
4 Pound Bone-In Center Cut Pork Loin Roast
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Rosemary
3 Sprigs of Rosemary
12 Ounce Bottle of Hard Cider or Non-Alcoholic Apple Cider
6 Sweet Potatoes (optional)
Rub the pork with the olive oil. Mix the rosemary with the salt and pepper. Rub over the pork. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Put the pork bone side down, in a large roasting pan. Place the additional rosemary sprigs on top of the pork. Roast for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350° F. Roast for 15 minutes. Add 6 medium, peeled & cut, sweet potatoes to the pan. Stir the potatoes gently to coat with the juices over the pork roast. Put back in the oven for 75 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the pork to a serving platter or carving board. Put the potatoes in an oven proof bowl covered with foil. Turn off the oven and keep the potatoes warm while letting the pork stand for 15 minutes. Take the roasting pan and heat it on the burner over a medium heat. Add the cider and bring to a boil. Scrape the brown bits in the pan with a wooden spoon. You don’t want to scratch the pan with a metal utensil. Boil the cider for 5 minutes until it is reduced to ¾ of a cup. Turn off the heat and transfer to a gravy boat. Carve the pork and transfer to a serving platter. Place the sweet potatoes around the pork. Drizzle with the cider sauce. Serve with the remaining cider sauce on the side. Serves 12
