Good Morning!
A chilly morning in Alabama, there was even frost last night!
Pray this finds all doing well and getting ready for the upcoming holidays!
We are enjoying football season as always!
Hugs,
A chilly morning in Alabama, there was even frost last night!
Pray this finds all doing well and getting ready for the upcoming holidays!
We are enjoying football season as always!
Hugs,
Paula Smith
mecookin1951paula@aol.com
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Your Life Canvas
by Paula 2009
Brushes in hand...we contemplate our palette of life...choices we will make
Each day brings added touches...some of warmth and beauty
Yet others, not so creative...day ends with a blank canvas
Contemplate carefully, making strokes of color to enhance your canvas
Build on your canvas, adding texture and warmth...embrace beauty
Be creative...sensitive, inspired, preparing a masterpiece...
Unfolding the Master Artist's plan, allowing His guidance of each stroke.
********************************************************************************************************************************************
Recipes are a variety of seafood favorites. The Chocolate Cake is a recipe that is as old as I am, so you know it has been tried and proven!
Pan-Fried Scallops & Herbed Rice
This is a delightfully simple yet indulgent dish. The key to well-seared scallops is to dry them thoroughly before cooking. You must also make sure your pan is up to the proper temperature before adding them, and don’t overcrowd the pan, which will cause the scallops to steam in their own liquid instead of producing a nice brown sear.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup Long grain & Wild rice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, cilantro or basil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 large sea scallops
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. To cooked rice, add butter and herbs, and toss gently.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm.
3. Place scallops on paper towels and pat dry thoroughly.
Season each side with a little sea salt and pepper.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
for 1 to 2 minutes, or until oil shimmers.
Place scallops in pan and sear for 3 minutes, or until nicely golden brown;
turn and cook until second side is golden brown and opaque, about 3 minutes.
5. In small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar and remaining oil.
Whisk together until thoroughly blended.
6. Divide rice evenly between two individual bowls or plates.
Top each serving with 3 scallops, then drizzle a little sauce over all.
Serve immediately.
***********************************************************************
Bouillabaisse
Better Homes & Gardens
Ingredients
1 medium fennel bulb
2 cups baby carrots
4 cups vegetable broth
1-14 1/2 ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 pound tiny red-skinned potatoes, cut into quarters
1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)
1 cup finely chopped onion (1 large)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound fresh or frozen skinless cod, orange roughy, or haddock fillets
12 ounces fresh or frozen shrimp in shells or fresh or frozen scallops
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 recipe Cracked Black Pepper Croutons
Directions
Core and finely chop fennel, reserving leaves If desired. Snip leaves; wrap and chill until needed. Cut baby carrots in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise.
In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker combine fennel, carrots, broth, tomatoes, potatoes, celery, onion, garlic, salt, lemon peel, and cayenne pepper. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until carrots and potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, thaw fish and shrimp or scallops, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Rinse fish and shrimp or scallops; pat dry with paper towels. Cut fish into 1-inch pieces. Cover and chill until needed.
If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in fish, shrimp or scallops, and saffron. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and shrimp or scallops are opaque.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with Cracked Black Pepper Croutons and, if desired, the reserved fennel leaves.
Cracked Black Pepper Croutons
Ingredients
3 cups firm-textured bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons herb-flavored olive oil, or olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black or tri-color peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with parchment
paper. Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with pepper and, if desired, salt. Toss to combine.
Spread cubes into prepared pan. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden,
stirring once or twice. Cool in pan on wire rack.
**************************************************************************
My recipe was inspired by Paschal Manale's and Paul Prudhomme.
Creole BBQ Shrimp
Adapted from Pascale’s Manale, New Orleans
Yields: 4 servings
Here’s a dish with a big misnomer, since the shrimp don’t go
anywhere near a barbecue grill. This very rich dish was created at
Pascale’s Manale restaurant in New Orleans,
made there with heads-on shrimp and baked,
not barbecued, with plenty of butter.
A casserole of these will go fast.
8 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. fresh snipped rosemary
2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, de-veined,heads off,shell on
1/2 bottle Amber beer
3 lemons (2 to squeeze and one sliced into thin rings)
Salt, to taste
Crusty French Bread for all of that wonderful sauce
1. Heat a large sauté pan (large enough to hold the shrimp in one layer)
or a 9x13 baking dish. Add the butter, oil, garlic, black pepper,
Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and hot pepper sauce;
stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the beer.
Add the shrimp and toss in the sauce, and even them out in one layer.
Squeeze lemons over the entire area.
Sprinkle with salt, cover with sliced lemons and place in a preheated 375° oven
for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are just done, tossing them once.
2. Serve in soup bowls with the sauce and crusty French bread on the side.
***************************************************************************
'Wow!" is how Robert Raiford began an e-mail detailing his recent dinner at Dodiyos.
Dodiyos' Connie Kanakis Snapper
4 7-ounce snapper fillets
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ pound clarified butter
1 lemon
Preheat heavy metal pan with clarified butter until bubbling.
Place snapper fillets skin side up into hot pan and cook until golden-brown. Preheat oven on broil.
Turn over snapper fillets and sprinkle with Parmesan-breadcrumb mixture.
Place in oven for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on thickness of fillet) or until breadcrumb mixture is brown.
If fish is not done, heat oven to 350 degrees and return to oven until snapper is flaky and finished. Finish with a squeeze of lemon
Dodiyos' She Crab Soup
(Serves 6 to 8 )
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
1/2 pound crab roe
1 pound medium scallops
4 cups seafood stock
4 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cap full crab boil
1/2 cup sherry
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 pound butter
Rue to desired thickness
salt and pepper to taste
Slice onion and chop garlic and set aside.
Warm large saute pan to medium-high heat and add onion, garlic and butter.
Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until onion softens.
Add scallops and crab roe and continue to stir and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes.
Add sherry, lemon juice and crab boil, then milk, heavy cream and seafood stock.
Continue cooking until mixture becomes hot throughout.
Set mixture aside to cool then puree in robot coupe.
Bring back to the stove over medium heat and add crabmeat and rue to
desired consistency.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
************************************************************************
Starlight Double Delight Chocolate Cake
1951 Pillsbury Cook-off
Chocolate Frosting
6 ounces cream cheese
½ cup shortening
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon mint extract
6 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup hot water
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
Cream the cream cheese, shortening, and extracts.
Blend in sifted sugar, alternating with hot water.
Fold in melted chocolate, cool.
Chocolate Cake
2 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup shortening
2 cups Chocolate Frosting
3 eggs
¾ cup milk
Sift together flour, soda, salt, set aside.
Cream shortening with frosting, add eggs, beating well after each addition.
Fold in the dry ingredients, alternating with milk.
Turn into greased, floured cake pans. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
Cool, frost with remaining Chocolate Frosting
(thin with a few drops milk if necessary).
mecookin1951paula@aol.com
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Your Life Canvas
by Paula 2009
Brushes in hand...we contemplate our palette of life...choices we will make
Each day brings added touches...some of warmth and beauty
Yet others, not so creative...day ends with a blank canvas
Contemplate carefully, making strokes of color to enhance your canvas
Build on your canvas, adding texture and warmth...embrace beauty
Be creative...sensitive, inspired, preparing a masterpiece...
Unfolding the Master Artist's plan, allowing His guidance of each stroke.
********************************************************************************************************************************************
Recipes are a variety of seafood favorites. The Chocolate Cake is a recipe that is as old as I am, so you know it has been tried and proven!
Pan-Fried Scallops & Herbed Rice
This is a delightfully simple yet indulgent dish. The key to well-seared scallops is to dry them thoroughly before cooking. You must also make sure your pan is up to the proper temperature before adding them, and don’t overcrowd the pan, which will cause the scallops to steam in their own liquid instead of producing a nice brown sear.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup Long grain & Wild rice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, cilantro or basil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 large sea scallops
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. To cooked rice, add butter and herbs, and toss gently.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm.
3. Place scallops on paper towels and pat dry thoroughly.
Season each side with a little sea salt and pepper.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
for 1 to 2 minutes, or until oil shimmers.
Place scallops in pan and sear for 3 minutes, or until nicely golden brown;
turn and cook until second side is golden brown and opaque, about 3 minutes.
5. In small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar and remaining oil.
Whisk together until thoroughly blended.
6. Divide rice evenly between two individual bowls or plates.
Top each serving with 3 scallops, then drizzle a little sauce over all.
Serve immediately.
***********************************************************************
Bouillabaisse
Better Homes & Gardens
Ingredients
1 medium fennel bulb
2 cups baby carrots
4 cups vegetable broth
1-14 1/2 ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 pound tiny red-skinned potatoes, cut into quarters
1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)
1 cup finely chopped onion (1 large)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound fresh or frozen skinless cod, orange roughy, or haddock fillets
12 ounces fresh or frozen shrimp in shells or fresh or frozen scallops
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 recipe Cracked Black Pepper Croutons
Directions
Core and finely chop fennel, reserving leaves If desired. Snip leaves; wrap and chill until needed. Cut baby carrots in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise.
In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker combine fennel, carrots, broth, tomatoes, potatoes, celery, onion, garlic, salt, lemon peel, and cayenne pepper. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until carrots and potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, thaw fish and shrimp or scallops, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Rinse fish and shrimp or scallops; pat dry with paper towels. Cut fish into 1-inch pieces. Cover and chill until needed.
If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in fish, shrimp or scallops, and saffron. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and shrimp or scallops are opaque.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with Cracked Black Pepper Croutons and, if desired, the reserved fennel leaves.
Cracked Black Pepper Croutons
Ingredients
3 cups firm-textured bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons herb-flavored olive oil, or olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black or tri-color peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with parchment
paper. Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with pepper and, if desired, salt. Toss to combine.
Spread cubes into prepared pan. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden,
stirring once or twice. Cool in pan on wire rack.
**************************************************************************
My recipe was inspired by Paschal Manale's and Paul Prudhomme.
Creole BBQ Shrimp
Adapted from Pascale’s Manale, New Orleans
Yields: 4 servings
Here’s a dish with a big misnomer, since the shrimp don’t go
anywhere near a barbecue grill. This very rich dish was created at
Pascale’s Manale restaurant in New Orleans,
made there with heads-on shrimp and baked,
not barbecued, with plenty of butter.
A casserole of these will go fast.
8 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. fresh snipped rosemary
2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, de-veined,heads off,shell on
1/2 bottle Amber beer
3 lemons (2 to squeeze and one sliced into thin rings)
Salt, to taste
Crusty French Bread for all of that wonderful sauce
1. Heat a large sauté pan (large enough to hold the shrimp in one layer)
or a 9x13 baking dish. Add the butter, oil, garlic, black pepper,
Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and hot pepper sauce;
stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the beer.
Add the shrimp and toss in the sauce, and even them out in one layer.
Squeeze lemons over the entire area.
Sprinkle with salt, cover with sliced lemons and place in a preheated 375° oven
for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are just done, tossing them once.
2. Serve in soup bowls with the sauce and crusty French bread on the side.
***************************************************************************
'Wow!" is how Robert Raiford began an e-mail detailing his recent dinner at Dodiyos.
Dodiyos' Connie Kanakis Snapper
4 7-ounce snapper fillets
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ pound clarified butter
1 lemon
Preheat heavy metal pan with clarified butter until bubbling.
Place snapper fillets skin side up into hot pan and cook until golden-brown. Preheat oven on broil.
Turn over snapper fillets and sprinkle with Parmesan-breadcrumb mixture.
Place in oven for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on thickness of fillet) or until breadcrumb mixture is brown.
If fish is not done, heat oven to 350 degrees and return to oven until snapper is flaky and finished. Finish with a squeeze of lemon
Dodiyos' She Crab Soup
(Serves 6 to 8 )
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
1/2 pound crab roe
1 pound medium scallops
4 cups seafood stock
4 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cap full crab boil
1/2 cup sherry
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 pound butter
Rue to desired thickness
salt and pepper to taste
Slice onion and chop garlic and set aside.
Warm large saute pan to medium-high heat and add onion, garlic and butter.
Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until onion softens.
Add scallops and crab roe and continue to stir and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes.
Add sherry, lemon juice and crab boil, then milk, heavy cream and seafood stock.
Continue cooking until mixture becomes hot throughout.
Set mixture aside to cool then puree in robot coupe.
Bring back to the stove over medium heat and add crabmeat and rue to
desired consistency.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
************************************************************************
Starlight Double Delight Chocolate Cake
1951 Pillsbury Cook-off
Chocolate Frosting
6 ounces cream cheese
½ cup shortening
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon mint extract
6 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup hot water
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
Cream the cream cheese, shortening, and extracts.
Blend in sifted sugar, alternating with hot water.
Fold in melted chocolate, cool.
Chocolate Cake
2 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup shortening
2 cups Chocolate Frosting
3 eggs
¾ cup milk
Sift together flour, soda, salt, set aside.
Cream shortening with frosting, add eggs, beating well after each addition.
Fold in the dry ingredients, alternating with milk.
Turn into greased, floured cake pans. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
Cool, frost with remaining Chocolate Frosting
(thin with a few drops milk if necessary).
