October 8th

Today is my husband's and my wedding anniversary.

Just as we have spent so much of our lives together, we don't have grand plans.

It will be a quiet night in the comfort of our home.

I will cook something simple, but (hopefully) delicious.

After a long day of working, he will probably fall asleep in his chair.

There is a Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting baked with the last monster zucchini from this year's garden.

And tomorrow, we will start building another year of our lives together. 

Seared Scallops with Bacon and Sauteed Spinach

(adapted from Cooking Light)

5 slices bacon

1 1/2 pounds jumbo sea scallops

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

12 ounces fresh baby spinach

Cook bacon in a large cast-iron skillet until crisp.
Remove from pan, chop, and set aside.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in the pan, and increase heat to high. (The pan needs to be screaming hot to properly sear the scallops.)
Pat scallops dry with paper towels (wet scallops don't sear), and season with salt and pepper.
Add scallops to the hot pan and cook 2 1/2 minutes per side, until done.
Transfer to plate and keep warm.
Reduce heat in pan and add onion and garlic.
Saute until onion is tender, but be careful not to burn the garlic (burnt garlic is bitter).
Add the spinach in batches, stirring and cooking until wilted.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divided spinach equally between 4 plates, top with bacon, and serve with scallops. (Serves 4...but, truthfully, only 2 of us ate it all with a crusty baguette and a nice bottle of wine.)

I am David Copperfield.

I am a magician. Truly. I have found one recipe that can only be described as magic.

Wave the magic wand. Take some shrimp; toss them with some spices; saute them; cook up some corn, beans, and salsa together, and abracadabra! It's magic.

OK. You don't get it. I am sorry. The magic is that this simple, spicy, satisfying dish can be anything you want it to be.

Need a snack or appetizer? Chop up the shrimp and serve it all as a dip with crispy corn chips.

Feel like a roll up your shirt sleeves and dig in casual meal? Toast some corn or flour tortillas; slice an avocado; squeeze a lime; and devour some really delicious tacos.

Want a salad? Forget all those limp lettuces. Hot, cold, or room temperature, this.is.good. Really. (And, could be served on a bed of romaine.)

Need to feed a bigger group? Whip up some rice and guacamole as sides, and nobody will be able to keep their knife and fork away.

Magic Spicy Shrimp and Corn Salad answers every need you ever had...except maybe for cake...or chocolate...BUT, it is light enough that you should still have room for dessert.

I told you. Magic.

Magic Spicy Shrimp and Corn Salad

(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon chili powder (I used Ancho Chile Powder)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of a lime (divided)

2 ears sweet corn, kernels cut from cob

1 pint bottled salsa (I used my Basic Canned Salsa. This is where you will really adjust the spice of the dish to your taste. Use a mild salsa or heat it up, if you like.)

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.
Add shrimp and toss to coat.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add shrimp and saute until cooked through.
Add juice of half of the lime.
Remove the shrimp from the pan.
Add the corn; saute briefly.
Stir in salsa and beans and bring to a simmer.
Remove from heat and add the juice of the other half of the lime and the cilantro.
Depending on final dish desired, stir shrimp into corn and bean mixture or serve shrimp on top. (Serves 4.)

Fridge Friday: Episode 20

It may be 7:44 P.M., but it is still Friday, Fridge Friday. Want to see what is in my fridge?

Do you see that sweet corn over on the left side of the fridge? I had grand plans to grill it and serve it up beside some steaks with chili-lime butter, but that isn't going to work this week. Hubs had some dental work done yesterday and really isn't up to corn on the cob...or steaks. Thankfully, the weather is cool. *rant*Really? Did I just say THANKFULLY the weather is cool IN JUNE? Where IS summer?*end rant* Anyway, with these cooler temps comes the opportunity to extend soup season for the tender mouth of my Hubs.

Yes, I do realize that my last submission to this much neglected blog was also a Fridge Friday post featuring a soup with corn as a star ingredient. I am sorry for the repetition. Rest assured that Potato-Corn Crab Chowder is an entirely different soup from Corn and Bean Soup. Both are hearty and benefit greatly from the pop of sweetness of freshly-cut-from-the-cob corn. However, the similarities end there. Creamy, rich, bursting with new potatoes and delightful lumps of crab, Potato-Corn Crab Chowder is really one of my favorite soups. I must warn you not to skimp on the crab; use only the real deal. (I know. In the Midwest, it isn't always easy to get the real thing for seafood, but DO IT. You won't regret it.)

Potato-Corn Crab Chowder

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups potatoes, cubed

1-2 cups corn kernels (cut from 2-3 ears of fresh corn, or use frozen)

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups milk (I often substitute half-and-half, or part heavy cream for some of the milk.)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 (14 ounce) can creamed corn

1-2 cups lump crab meat

cayenne pepper (to taste...some like it with a kick, other do not)

2-4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Melt butter in a large, heavy pot.
Saute onion in melted butter until tender.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add potatoes and corn kernels; stir to combine.
Sprinkle in flour, cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.
Add broth, milk, and creamed corn; season with pepper and nutmeg.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.
Cover and reduce heat to low to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Stir in crab meat and parsley, cook 5 minutes to heat through. (Serves 6-8)

Spy Capers

Are spy capers just for kids? Should you chortle uncontrollably at a silly story in a restaurant full of people? What is the cut-off age to want to wear a purple wig? Is there such a thing as being too old to have crazy fun? I don't know the proper answer to any of these questions, and I honestly don't care. I am up for all good capers.

I am willing to crawl the streets at night looking for a certain address for no reason other than that I can. I always carry Wisps in my handbag, just in case. I believe in investigative driving. I like to laugh until my sides hurt. I am not afraid to snap silly photos to document my foolish fun. And, I am fully aware that 99.9% of you have no idea what any of that means. Which is good. That means my spy capers were successfully spy-ish. 

I will divvy out all the details of another caper, though. The capers in Scallop Piccata with Wilted Spinach (adapted from Cooking Light) are too good not to share. Nothing silly, foolish, or crazy about this. The salty, little buds of the capers dot this dish with tremendous flavor. Lemon makes it bright. Wilted spinach is vividly fresh (or is that an oxymoron?). And the whole meal comes together so quickly that I can't resist experiencing a caper of Scallop Piccata with Wilted Spinach On My Plate.

Scallop Piccata with Wilted Spinach

12 sea scallops

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

5 teaspoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons capers

1 bag fresh baby spinach

1 pound dry angel hair pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. 
Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper over scallops. 
Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. 
Add scallops; cook 2 minutes on each side or until seared. 
Remove from pan; keep warm.
Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped garlic to pan; cook 10 seconds. 
Add wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. 
Remove from heat. Add parsley, fresh lemon juice, butter, and capers, stirring until butter melts. 
Pour sauce in a bowl.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. 
Add spinach; sauté 30 seconds or until spinach wilts. 
To serve, arrange pasta on plate; top with spinach and scallops; drizzle with sauce. (Serves 4)

Scalloped

Recently, frosty water droplets of freezing fog scalloped everything on the prairie. Our world became a winter wonderland of beautiful white as the broad strokes of a frosty paintbrush covered everything. Crystallized trees shimmered, traffic signs grew fingers of frost, and even our breath turned crispy in the frigid air. While the heavy frost brought with it power outages and slippery roads, it was still impossible not to stop and admire the gorgeous beauty in its pure simplicity.

Likewise, I find it hard to ignore the beauty of the pure simplicity of Seared Scallops with Roasted Tomatoes. I spotted the recipe in the April 2009 issue of Cooking Light magazine and have no regret for putting it On My Plate several times since. It is no secret that I have a thing for the ease of roasting vegetables, and love tossing bright cherry tomatoes into a hot oven until they burst with rich sweetness. Searing scallops is as simple as watching the clock, and leaves the flavor of the seafood unadulterated and pure. Serving it up with slivers of basil on a bed of fresh fettuccine makes a beautiful meal. Pure simplicity is at its best in a white winter wonderland and with Seared Scallops with Roasted Tomatoes On My Plate.

Seared Scallops with Roasted Tomatoes

3 cups cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Preheat broiler.
Toss tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Broil 10 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to brown, stirring occasionally.
While tomatoes cook, heat remaining olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Pat scallops dry; sprinkle both sides of scallops with remaining salt and pepper.
Add scallops to skillet; cook 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
(DO NOT OVERCOOK.)
Serve scallops with tomatoes on a bed of fresh fettuccine; sprinkle with basil. (Serves 4)

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Oh. Wait. Dinner doesn't involve THAT kind of parchment. No proclamations. No manifestos. Dinner is just a simple affair of perfectly seasoned fish delicately wrapped in heat-proof paper to steam with its own juices in a matter of minutes in the oven. How simple is that? Are you ready for the heralding trumpets? The dish is even low-fat. I do proclaim Parchment Wrapped Cajun Fish a great recipe to land On My Plate.

If you aren't familiar with parchment paper, I recommend making the investment. Near the aluminum foil and plastic wrap, you can often find rolls of the stuff in the grocery stores. If not, cooking stores will also sell rolls or boxes of this silicon coated paper, and of course, like anything you can dream of, you can find it online. Use it to line a baking sheet next time you throw some cookies in the oven; line cake pans when baking layer cakes; line the pan when roasting veggies, and eliminate nasty clean up; and wrap a fish fillet with it and steam in the oven. The uses are endless, and you will wonder what you did before you kept a store of parchment in your kitchen. You will pronounce parchment paper a cooking necessity.

Parchment Wrapped Cajun Fish

4 sheets parchment paper
4 firm fish fillets (I used orange roughy)
2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning (watch that salt is not the main ingredient)
8 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Fold each sheet of parchment in half and cut into a heart shape.
Sprinkle both sides of the fillets with the Cajun seasoning.
Place fillets on one half of each parchment heart and top with shrimp and a sprinkling of parsley.
Fold the edges of the parchment together to seal.
Arrange parchment packets on a baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. (Serves 4)

For the Love of Crab

I adore crab. Give me crab legs, crab appetizers, crab and pasta, crab salad, crab chowder, fake crab, real crab, even krab with a "K". It all makes me a happy girl. So, it isn't any great surprise that the menu for our Valentine's dinner incorporates crab. I suppose that it also isn't any great surprise to learn that Hubby and I aren't going out to eat on this romantic night. In our small town, dining options are limited. And, honestly, just as New Year's Eve is considered "amateur night" for the drinkers, I think that a dinner out on Valentine's Day is just asking for disappointment. Menu prices are usually inflated, cooks and wait persons are running ragged, and the chance of the entire experience leaving you screaming, "For the love of..." is pretty large. I would rather do something special at home. I would rather love me some crab from my own kitchen.

I had picked up a tub of pasteurized lump crab meat during my last run through Sam's Club. Valentine's Dinner seemed like the perfect opportunity to create luscious crab cakes with it. I love good crab cakes, and think that the best recipe lets the sweetness of the crab shine through. I don't want a lot of filler, and don't need heavy seasonings. I want to enjoy the richness of the crab, and Virginia Crab Cakes are the pure heaven for me.

In restaurant menus, crab cakes are often found sitting prettily on top of pasta dishes as a main course. To round out my Valentine's dinner, I zoomed in on a recipe that I had snagged some time ago but hadn't yet tried. Roasted Red Pepper Puree with Prosciutto and Pasta appears to be a great complement for my love of crab. The sauce is rich and flavorful enough to stand on its own with the pasta, but the crab cakes elevate the meal to something even more special. Valentine's Dinner is crab cakes and pasta On My Plate.

Virginia Crab Cakes
2 cups lump crab meat
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
1 dash hot sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons grated onions
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a bowl, combine crab meat and bread crumbs.
In a small bowl, whisk eggs well and add cream, whisking.
Add cream mixture, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, onion and salt and pepper to taste to crab mixture and combine well.
In large heavy skillet, heat 1 tbs butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and into it drop half of crab mixture by tablespoons.
Cook crab cakes until golden brown, about 2 minutes, on each side, and repeat with remaining tablespoon butter and crab mixture. (24 appetizer size and 12 main dish crab cakes)

Roasted Red Pepper Puree with Prosciutto and Pasta
4 large red bell peppers
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
8-10 basil leaves, snipped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound dried pasta (linguine, spaghetti, or your favorite)
3 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin strips
½ teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper

Cut the red peppers in half, remove and discard the seeds and inner membranes. Flatten the pepper with the heel of your hand and place skin side up on a baking sheet, repeat with other peppers. Broil the peppers until they are completely charred and blackened. THE SKIN WILL NOT PEEL OFF EASILY UNLESS ITS BURNED! Remove the peppers to a plastic or paper bag and close tightly, place in the freezer until the peppers are cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
With your fingers, peel and discard the loosened skin from the peppers, rinse under water.
Roughly chop the peppers and combine them with the oil, parsley, Basil and garlic in a food processor.
Spray an 8 inch skilled with cooking spray, and sauté the prosciutto over high heat, just to heat through.
Stir the meat into the red pepper puree, add salt and pepper and taste to adjust seasoning and pour over bed of cooked pasta. (Serves 4)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!