Down by the Seashore

We spent the past week on Plum Island and what a week it was. The weather was absolutely perfect and there were outdoor concerts, more fireworks than you can imagine, tall ships in Boston Harbor, Blue Angels over Boston Harbor, shopping, ice cream, skee ball, and of course much food and drink.

This Seafood Stew is one of the first meals Brian and I prepared this week and it was a perfect beach meal. The recipe is very versatile - the original called for bass and haddock, but we had some tilapia that we hadn't cooked the night before, and I also threw in some scallops. To make it even more special, we steamed a small lobster and used that as the garnish. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small yellow onions, chopped
• 2 cups large-diced small white potatoes
• 2 cups chopped fennel (1 large bulb)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 quart seafood stock
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/2 pound sea scallops, halved
• 1 pound tilapia fillets, cut in large chunks
• 1 bag mussels, cleaned
• 3 tablespoons Sambuca
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 1-1/2 pound lobster, steamed, claw and tail meat diced
• 2 tablespoons fennel fronds, finely chopped
• Toasted baguette slices, buttered and rubbed with garlic

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a stockpot, then add the onion, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown.
2. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, and garlic, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add the shrimp, scallops, fish, and mussels, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels opened. Discard any mussels that don't open. Stir in the Sambuca, orange zest, and salt, to taste.
6. Ladle into large bowls.  Garnish with fennel fronds and lobster.
7. Serve with toasted baguette.

Source:  Adapted from Ina Garten

Spicy and Sweet Baked Beans

I follow a number of great blogs, food and otherwise. If you have a minute, take a look at some of my favorites...they are right over there, listed on the right-hand side of this page.

One of my favorite food blogs is The Wicked Noodle. Kristy, the writer, has a wonderful take on the day-to-day ups and downs, challenges and small triumphs we all face, and she makes some really great food in the process. Check her out. These beans are her recipe, and they are delish - just like I suspect all of her recipes are.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce 
• 2 (28-ounce) cans baked beans, both drained of liquid on top of can after first opening

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots; sauté 4 minutes or until golden. Add cumin and garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato puree and oil, and cook for 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add honey and the next 5 ingredients (through chiles). Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Combine beans and shallot mixture in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 300° for 1 hour or until thick and bubbly.

Source: The Wicked Noodle

I wasn't terribly prepared when I made these beans. And these were some important beans - I was serving them at our first official party in our new home. Despite my scrambling and frantic measuring, they came out wonderfully...and they were a huge, spicy hit! So much so...that I neglected to get a photo.  But, they look like you expect baked beans would look and Kristy has some nice shots on her page is you really need to see them.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

My good friend Debi turned me on to quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) some time ago, and I'm glad she did. I love anything - like orzo, rice or couscous - that you can doctor up with just about anything you have on hand. It makes for a quick, easy side dish that goes with just about any meal.

This salad is from the back of the Archer Farms quinoa package and had a great smokey, southwestern flavor.  It has definitely made into the rotation!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 C chicken stock
• 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5 oz) can sweet corn, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 C cilantro, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped

Method:

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions, using stock in place of water.
2. Whisk cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and chipotle in bottom of large bowl to combine.
3. Gently fold in beans, corn, and red bell pepper.
4. Stir in cooked quinoa. Toss to combine.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve warm or chilled.

One of the best parts of this salad was how good it was for lunch the next day.

Strawberries and Cream

The orange dreamsicle cake was such a hit that I wanted to try other combinations. Last week, it was strawberries and cream. As I suspected, it was like eating strawberry shortcake, only better! This is such a quick and easy dessert, and everyone loves it. Best of all, the combinations are endless and you really can't go wrong.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18 1/4 oz.) white cake mix
• 1 (3 oz.) strawberry Jell-o
• 1 C boiling water
• 1 (3 1/2 oz.) box french vanilla instant pudding
• 1 C milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip

Method:

1. Set out Cool Whip to thaw.
2. Prepare cake mix according to directions for a 9X13 pan.
3. After the cake is done, remove from oven and poke holes throughout cake with a fork.
4. Prepare the Jell-O with 1 C of boiling water. Pour over cake.
5. Allow to cool 30 minutes or overnight, covered tightly and stored in fridge.
6. In a large mixing bowl, mix together pudding and milk. Stir in extract. Mix well.
7. Fold in Cool Whip.
8. Spread over cake and chill additional 2 - 3 hours before serving. Serve with fresh strawberries.
9. Store tightly covered in fridge.

Source: Food.com

Holy Guacamole

One of my favorite things about cooking is preparing things that other people love. Things that, when they see it on the table, they ask something like, "Is that your bolognese?"  (Ok, people aren't saying that about my bolognese yet, but they will - I'm sure of it!)

My Holy Guacamole is exactly that kind of recipe.  This is the first time I've ever made note of what went into it - I usually just eye ball it. It's a very forgiving recipe that you can adapt as you see fit. I have to say, though, it's pretty amazing just as written!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium tomato, seeds removed, chopped finely
• 2 - 3 shallots, chopped finely
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, chopped finely
• juice and zest of one (or two, depending how juicy the fruit is) lime
• 1 large handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped finely
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 4 ripe Haas avocados

Method:

1. Combine tomato, shallot, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime zest in a small bowl.
2. Split avocados, remove pits, and scoop flesh in a medium bowl.
3. Mash avocados to your desired texture with a potato masher or fork. I keep mine a little chunky.
4. Immediately squeeze lime juice over avocado then mix gently. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Fold in veggies, mixing gently to combine but being careful not to mash the avocados any further.
6. Serve immediately with tortilla or pita chips, veggies, etc.

Although you're likely not to have any leftovers with this recipe, you can store prepared guacamole in the fridge for a couple of days. The citrus juice will help keep it from turning brown as it's stored, and you should also cover it with plastic wrap so that the wrap is directly covering the dip (it's exposure to air that turns the avocado brown).  Some people also say if you reserve a pit and nestle that in the guacamole, it'll keep it fresher-looking longer.