Pan Seared Scallops with Herb Butter Sauce (serves 2-3 people with 3 scallops each)

              For the scallops:
1 lb. dry large sea scallops
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

                For the sauce: 

3 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into six  pieces
2 Tbs. finely diced shallot (1 medium shallot)
1/4 cup dry white vermouth or dry white wine
1/4 cup finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley and chives
1/4 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 lemon wedges for serving

Tip: Be sure to have all your ingredients prepped for the sauce (shallots diced, herbs chopped) before you begin searing the scallops

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Remove the tough abductor muscle from the side of each scallop (some scallops are sold with the muscle already removed). If you feel any grit on the scallops, rinse them under cold water. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels; surface moisture impedes browning.

Heat a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the oil and butter, if using, and heat until quite hot. Pat the scallops dry once more and put them in the pan in a single, uncrowded layer. Season with salt and pepper and let sear undisturbed until one side is browned and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the scallops and sear until the second side is well browned and the scallops are almost firm to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, transfer the scallops to a plate, and set them in a warm spot. Let the pan cool for a minute before you make the sauce.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add a piece of the butter (1/2 Tbs.) and the shallots and sauté until the shallots begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add the vermouth or wine and simmer until reduced by about half, another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the herbs and lemon zest. Reduce the heat to low, add the remaining butter, and whisk constantly until the butter melts into the sauce. Return the scallops and any accumulated juices to the pan. Gently roll the scallops in the sauce to warm them through. Taste for salt and pepper and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over the scallops.

Served this over herbed rice.

****Thank you Molly Stevens from Fine Cooking for the recipe****

Sesame Snow Peas

Sesame Snow Peas:

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 pound snow peas, cleaned
• 1 tablespoon black and white sesame seeds
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

In a large saute pan over high heat, add sesame oil and heat. Add the snow peas and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and toss well. Add the lemon juice and zest and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley

****Thank you Emeril***

Stuffed Eggplant with Shrimp & Chorizo

Only in Ixtapa

Eggplant Stuffed with Shrimp & Chorizo

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Med Eggplant Cut in half lengthwise, then make criss-cross markings to allow removal
• ½ med onion, chopped
• 2 TBS chorizo chopped (optional, but gives it a nice kick)
• 1 med sized Portobello mushroom, chopped
• 10-12 medium shrimp – peeled, deveined and chopped
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
• Salt, pepper, garlic seasoning, some red pepper flakes..whatever you want!
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 cup white wine (good stuff, that you would drink yourself!!)
• 1-2 TBS bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant, chop, and reserve. Coat shells with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper; and put in oven on top shelf to soften shells
2. Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Sauté minced garlic and then add onion and cook for 1-2 mins.  Then add chopped Chorizo and cook another 2-3 mins. Stir in the reserved chopped eggplant and chopped mushroom. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in wine, and cook 5 minutes.  TAKE EGGPLANT SHELLS OUT OF OVEN.
3. Next add chopped shrimp and cook 1-2 mins.  Add breadcrumbs if too moist, a little at a time.
4.  Stuff mixture into eggplant shells, and sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and then Monterey Cheese and put back in oven
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.
6. Then ENJOY!!!

*****Thank you, once again, All-Recipes for the guidance of this recipe!!!*****

Ginger Glazed Mahi-Mahi

Ixtapa Senior Citizen Commune

Ginger Glazed Mahi-Mahi

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste

4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

In a shallow glass dish, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.

Preheat oven to 350

Take marinated filets and put on middle rung.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until flaky.  Make sure not to over cook

Serve with rice…or potatoes…or whatever your little heart desires…

 

*****Thank you All Recipes for the idea & recipe!!!****

Hearty Beef Stew

What better way to enjoy "comfort food"!!

Hearty Beef Stew

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs stew meat

• ¼ c cooking oil

• 1 ½ cups chopped onions (1 large or 1 ½ med onion)

• 1- 16oz can diced tomatoes with liquid

• 2- 10 ½ can of beef broth

• ¼ c dry sherry or dry red wine

• 1 TBS minced garlic

• ¼ c chopped parsley

• 2 TBS dill (dry is fine)

• S & P to taste

• 1 med size Yam, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

• 3 carrots peeled, and sliced

• 3 stalks of celery, chopped

• 1 parsnip peeled and cut into bite size pieces

DIRECTIONS:

Brown beef in oil in large dutch oven or soup pot. Add all ingredients. Bring Mixture to a boil, then cover with tight fitting lid over med heat for 2-2 ½ hours until meat and vegetables are tender, stirring occassionally to avoid burning.

Serve with warm Artesan bread, a nice robust red wine…or a Negra Modelo!! The choices are endless!!!

Sherry Wine/Mushroom Sauce with Ravioli

Sweet Sherry Wine Reduction w/Portobello Mushrooms

Serves 5-6 people

• INGREDIENTS
• 1-2 lbs Ravoli of choice

• 1 TBS butter/1 TBS EVOO

• 1 lg Shallot, minced

• 1 TBS minced garlic (from jar is fine)

• 1 cup Red Pepper, julienned

• 1 lb Portobello Mushrooms or Baby Portobello Mushrooms, sliced

• 1 cup Dry Sherry Wine

• 1 cup Half & Half

• 1 TBS chopped Basil

• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

• S & P to taste

• Candies Slivered Almonds

• **make a roux with equal amt of butter & flour, and put aside.**

DIRECTIONS:

START WATER TO BOIL FOR RAVOLI THEN TIME ACCORDINGLY!!!

1. Melt Butter & EV olive oil in saute pan. Then add shallots and garlic and cook about 2” until shallots are softened. Next, add the red peppers and cook another 2-3 minutes until soft.

2. Add mushrooms and continue cooking, and season with S & P for about 2-3 mins.

3. Now add wine and turn up the heat. Stir & scrape the bottom of the pan and stir until liquid reduces to half.

4. Now add ½ & ½ and turn heat down, and stir until that liquid reduces. If mixture is too watery, add some of the roux to thicken.

5. Add the Parmesan cheese, basil and take off heat. Place Ravioli’s on plate and cover with sauce, add parsley and top with candied almonds!!!!!!

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff

Serves 8

Total Time: just about an hour…GET ORGANIZED!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lb beef tenderloin or flat iron steak or sirloin steak
• Marinade of ¼ c red wine, 3 TBS Worcestershire, 1 TBS minced garlic
• 6 TBS butter
• 1 ½ cup finely chopped onion (about 1 large onion)
• 2- 8oz pkgs of mushrooms. Button or Bella or Cremini or whatever you want, SLICED
• 2 cans of 14.5 oz beef broth
• 2 TBS of Cognac or Brandy or red wine or Worcestershire
• 2 TBS (or more if you like) Paprika
• 1 TBS Nutmeg
• ¼ to ½ cup of Fresh or Dry DILL. THIS IS THE BEST PART OF IT!!
• 1 pint (16 0z) sour cream *** at room temperature***
• 2-3 TBS Dijon mustard (depending on your taste)
• 2-3 tsp sugar
• ¼ cup fresh parsley or dry if you don’t have fresh
• Cornstarch on hand, to thicken when needed
• 1 – 1 ½ packages of 16 oz wide egg noodles

NOW go get ALL ingredients and put on counter. Then chop, slice, mix, measure, take sour cream and leave on counter and have everything ready to go….THEN READ THE RECIPE SLOWLY!!!! Then start!!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put large pot of water on to cook the egg noodles & follow directions to cook noodles
2. Slice the BEEF in 2” strips (I prefer thin slices)
3. Mix the marinade and put sliced beef into marinade and refrigerate for 15 mins to an hour

• Melt 3 TBS of butter in large skillet over med heat. Make sure not to burn the butter. Add marinated slices of BEEF into the pan, single layer. Do not crowd. You will do this in batches. Cook until browned (lightly) on both sides and then put in bowl and repeat process until done.
• In the same pan add the ONIONS and cook for a few minutes until soft and add to the bowl with the meat.
• In the same pan, add another 3 TBS of butter , increase the heat, and add the SLICED MUSHROOMS. Stirring occasionally, cook for 6-8 mins then add the NUTMEG & PAPRIKA, then the MUSTARD & SUGAR and continue stirring.
• Now add the BEEF BROTH, COGNAC or BRANDY whatever alcohol substitute you have on hand, stir and bring to a boil.
• Now add the room temperature SOUR CREAM and stir to mix

Spicy Shrimp/Corn & Potato Soup

Enjoy the final days of fresh summer corn in this recipe

Spicy Shrimp/Corn & Potato Soup
• 5 slices bacon saving the grease OR use 1 TBS of oil
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 c chopped green onion
• ½ c chopped celery
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 lg potato peeled and diced
• 1- 7oz can of mild green chilies
• 2 cups milk (I used skim milk & ½ & ½ because that’s what I had)
• 3 TBS flour
• 3 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups of fresh corn kernels (I used 4 ears of white corn)
• 1 lb of thawed peeled and deveined “small” shrimp
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of Mexican seasoning
• ½ tsp of cayenne pepper
• ¼ c of fresh cilantro
• Salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. GO GET ALL YOUR INGREDIENTS…and now open, measure, chop, and get everything all done and ready to go…
2. Now, in a large dutch oven or soup pot, take the slices of bacon and cook them. Once cooked remove the bacon, and chop and put aside…but keep the bacon grease in the pot! Now add 2 TBS of butter to the bacon grease (yes, you can leave the whole bacon process out if you wish) and sauté the onions, celery, red pepper for 2-3 minutes until tender.
3. Now add the canned green chilies and cook another minute.
4. Take the milk and put in a bowl & add the 3 TBS of flour and whisk the flour together with the milk and pour on top of the veggies.
5. Then add the Chicken broth, corn, potatoes and seasoning and bring to a boil.
6. Continue cooking for another 20 mins on medium heat, stirring intermittently.
7. As potatoes get soft, add the shrimp and continue to cook another 10 minutes.
8. Add Cilantro and then serve
9. Add cheese Quesadillas to make it a great meal!!! Enjoy!!!
***** thanks to Cooking Light for the recipes***

Sunday Sinners Oxtail Soup

OXTAIL SOUP

* 3 lbs oxtail with fat trimmed off
* ½ c flour (to dredge the oxtails before cooking)
* 2-3 TBS oil (I used bacon grease)
* 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
* 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
* 3 celery stalks with leaves, diced
* 8 cups (64 oz) beef stock or broth
* 1 – 4oz can tomato paste
* 2 tsp kosher salt
* ¼ tsp black pepper
* 1 /2-1 TBS thyme (fresh works great) but dry is fine
* ¼ c chopped fresh parsley
* 1 TBS minced garlic
* 1/3c dry sherry or port wine (optional, but good!!)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Put 2-3TBS of cooking oil into deep soup pot and turn on heat
2. Dredge Oxtails in flour, then brown in oil on ALL sides, then drain on paper towels
3. Turn the heat to “medium” and add onions and stir fry until golden..about 10 mins
4. SLOWLY add the beef broth and stir in the tomato paste, salt & pepper & thyme & parsley  and stir.
5. Now add the oxtails back into the soup pot, cover and simmer for about 3-3 ½ hours until meat is fork tender.
6. Once cooked, take oxtails out and cool and then take all the meat off the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces, leaving the fat and bones to discard.
7. Now add the carrots & celery AND the meat back to the pot and cook until the carrots are tender.  Mix in the sherry or port wine and serve.
*****BEST THING TO DO….refrigerate over nite and then skim the fat that has solidified, and reheat.  This is a PERFECT soup that gets better the next day!!!!*****

Sunday Sinners Broccoli, Cauliflower & Potato Soup

First of my "Sunday Sinners Soups"

Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup

• 5 slices thick bacon
  3 cups broccoli, chopped
  3 cups cauliflower, chopped
  6 cups chicken broth
  1/2 medium onion or 2 leeks cleaned and thinly sliced
• 2 celery stalks minced
  1 sm. potato, diced (added this after video)
  4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
  1 c Half & Half or milk..whatever you prefer
• 1 TBS nutmeg
• 2 TBS minced garlic

Cook the bacon in soup pot until crisp and remove with slotted spoon and put aside.  Saute onions in bacon grease until golden. Add broth, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, and potato to a boil in a 4 quart saucepan. Reduce heat, cook covered, 15 minutes.  Add half & half.  Add shredded cheese and heat until melted. Take 1/3 of soup mixture & pour into blender and puree. Return pureed soup to pan with reserved vegetables and heat through, but do not boil or cheese will curdle. Take reserved bacon and chop and add to soup.  Season to taste.  Serve with a salad and a hearty bread and ENJOY!!!