Seafood Pasta

I bought  some nice "Wild Caught Shrimp" and "Scallops" for New Years Eve. I don't buy seafood very often (probably because we live in the middle of the country, with no accessible fresh seafood),  but we have been craving it lately... which I think is due to our Vitamin Sea deficiency, haha . Evidently, I bought much more than 2 people can eat in one night, so it is seafood week here at out house. Tonight I made Seafood Pasta  and oh my goodness, it was delicious, you are going to want to make some of this.

 Ingredients:
12 ounces Spaghetti and 1 Tablespoon butter or Olive Oil
1 1/2 pounds seafood, such as Shrimp, Scallops, Clams, Crab meat etc.
1 cup White Wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
1 cup half and half
4 Tablespoons Butter (divided in half)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 small Onion minced
3 cloves of Garlic, crushed and minced
1 1/2 cups chopped Cherry Tomatoes
1/8 cup chopped Parsley
1/ 8 cup minced Green Onion
1/4 cup Parmesan

Instructions: 

1. Cook Spaghetti according to package instructions until just almost al dente. Drain and place back into pot with 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil; stir, cover and set to the side.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt half of the butter with the olive oil. Add the shrimp and scallops. Brown and cook approximately 2 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate. 
3. Add remaining butter, onion and garlic to the skillet cook and stir until soft.
4. Add tomatoes, and saute lightly
5. Add wine and most of the parsely.
6. Simmer about 3 minutes more, then return shrimp, scallops and add the clams or crab meat toss until combined.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
   
8. Stir in the Half and Half and Parmesan Cheese.
9. Add Spaghetti, and stir to combine.
10. Transfer to a serving dish or dish into bowls.
11. Top with Green Onions, remaining Parsley and Parmesan Cheese
12. Enjoy!
    

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt half of the butter with the olive oil. Add the shrimp and scallops. Brown and cook approximately 2 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate. 

 Add remaining butter, onion and garlic to the skillet cook and stir until soft.

 Add tomatoes, and saute lightly

Add wine and parsely.  Simmer about 3 minutes more, then return shrimp, scallops and add the clams or crab meat toss until combined.Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the Half and Half and Parmesan Cheese.

Add Spaghetti, and stir to combine.
Transfer to a serving dish or dish into bowls.
Top with Parmesan Cheese and chopped Parsley.

Enjoy!

Oh, and this was the view out of my kitchen window, while I was cooking this afternoon.

Have a great week, Everyone!

Cranberry Orange Sauce with Essential Oils

I've been wanting to post this recipe for some time, and now I'm finally getting to it.  I love the addition of orange to any cranberry sauce, and this recipe is especially good, with the addition of Mandarin oranges, orange rind, orange juice, and orange or tangerine essential oils.  The essential oils really add a pop of flavor that once you try it, you won't want to make it without it. I served this up last night with a roasted Chicken, and it was just delicious.


 Ingredients:
1 12ounce package fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon grated orange rind (reserve a little for garnish)
10-15 drops orange or tangerine essential oils
1 25 ounce can Mandarin Oranges (no sugar variety), (reserves a few for garnish).

Instructions:

1. Place cranberries, water, syrup, sugar, orange rind and orange juice into a medium sized pan.
2. Stir and gently bring pot to boil.
3. Allow to boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally through out.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Add Essential oils and stir until evenly mixed.
6. Cover the pan and allow to cool.
7. Add Mandarin oranges, and gently stir until evenly mixed (stirring gently will help to keep them as whole pieces.
8. Pour into a serving dish and garnish with Mandarin orange pieces and grated orange rind.
9. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Delicious with meat dishes, or use like a jam, or a topping for waffles or pancakes, toast, rolls, etc and of course perfect with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

 

 

Valentines Marshmallow Pops

My girls and I had some fun making these Valentines Pops recently.   They had seen these for sale in Anthropology for $4.00 a piece.  Inspiration was born; they thought "we can make these easily". And then they inspired me as well. We shopped for  the ingredients we wanted and went to work, and let me tell you they were very quick and simple to make. They made delightful Valentines presents for several of the get-togethers we had, and they also made the cutest  Valentines Bouquet in our dining room. This is something that young and old alike will enjoy making.  You will have to be patient to let the kids have their turn... because other wise you might be tempted to do it all yourself.

Valentines Marshmallow Pops

Ingredients:

Lollipop Sticks (found at craft stores or baking supply stores).

Clear Plastic bags (for wrapping each finished Marshmallow).

Ribbon (to secure plastic bags around lollipop stick).

1 bag Marshmallows: Large and extra large Marshmallows are what we used(in the picture above, Elizabeth is holding the extra large Marshmallows)

1 bag Melting wafers or melting chocolate of choice (we used 1 each of chocolate and pink melting wafers).

Assorted Sprinkles, Shredded Coconut or Nuts

Instructions:

1. Prepare a work surface, by placing Lollipop sticks and Marshmallows neatly within grasp, various sprinkles in separate bowls, 2 or 3 mugs or cups to place dipped Marshmallows in for drying, and bags and ribbons for wrapping once dry.
2. Heat melting wafers or chocolate in a double boiler and heat slowly and stir until melted and smooth.
3. Form an assembly line with melted chocolate, Marshmallows, sticks and sprinkles with in grasp.
4. Place a popsicle stick into the middle of a Marshmallow and dip halfway into the melted chocolate. Use a knife to help remove excess chocolate.
5. Use one hand to hold the marshmallow, and the other hand to sprinkle the coconut or sprinkles onto the melted chocolate covered marshmallow.
6. Set Marshmallow "stick side" down into a mug or glass, and allow to dry completely.
7. Once dry, cover with plastic and tie a pretty bowl around the plastic to seal.
8. Display or carry in a cute Valentines bucket.  We had some Florist Foam, that we put into a bucket and covered with confetti type filler.  Then each pop could be stuck into the foam and made to look like a cute bouquet; you could also use this as a way to dry your pops.

Have fun!

Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings

Last week, I made several batches of Apple Dumplings.  I took the bullet, made the sacrifice, I did it all for you…yes, really... so that I would be able to tell you the very best way to make Apple Dumplings.  I know, what can I say? What can my waistline say? The  work must go on, the sacrifice must be made.  Somebody has to do it right?  

Look at the cuteness…. the deliciousness of an Apple Dumpling, tried, tested, perfected; well worth the efforts. The first batch was the quick and easy "Poppin Fresh" Cresent Roll  type (but don't tell anyone… it was for the children after all… they wanted a dessert with their fresh picked apples… they wanted it quickly… they asked so sweetly…. it was quick, it was easy… it was delicious).  The next batch was a tad healthier, with a whole wheat crust and coconut sugar syrup. I made the third batch with a standard pie crust and light brown sugar syrup.  I cooked them with skins on and skins off, I cooked them with syrup added at the beginning of the baking time and syrup added in the middle of baking.  

Here is what I thought was the best variation:

Apples Peeled

Standard Pie Crust

Light brown sugar syrup

Syrup added halfway through the baking time

 

The standard pie crust was the tastiest.  I am usually a whole grain person, and I like to incorporate whole grains in most of my baking.  However, I decided this was a special once or twice a year treat…. well okay, three times a year for me so far this week… but you know what I mean. If I only make this once or twice a year, it will be for a special occasion, and if for a special occasion I count flavor, texture and presentation to be the most important…. Sooo, standard Pie Crust wins.  My next observation had to do with the syrup factor.  Most of the instructions for Apple Dumplings will tell you to pour the syrup over the dumplings at the start of your baking time.  I found that this worked well for the "crescent roll" type dumpling, because you start with sliced apples, and therefore the baking time can be quite a bit shorter, because the apples get done fairly quickly; but for Apple Dumplings made with whole apples, you need at least twice the baking time in order to get the apples thoroughly cooked. All that extra cooking time causes your caramel syrup to become very "glunky", thick and gluey.  Not only that, but the base of the dumplings seemed to melt and spread out.  It was still yummy, but not what I was wanting.

Number three dumpling was made by baking the dumplings in a foil covered dish for half of the baking time, then removing the foil, pouring the syrup in around them, and cooking them uncovered the rest of the time.  This was the best method.  It allowed the apples extra time to bake and soften, it allowed the crust time to bake and hold together, and it allowed the syrup enough time to thicken, without becoming too sticky and glunky.  As for peeling or not peeling the apples: they were equally delicious peeled or left unpeeled.  The only negative part of "not peeling" them, is that on a couple of the dumplings, the crust opened, exposing the apple.  I believe the smooth surface of the unpeeled apple caused the pie crust to slip away from the apple, which wasn't as pretty as it could have been.  

These are a wonderful Fall treat, and make a wonderful dessert presentation.  Serve them hot with extra syrup, or with whipped cream or ice cream, and you won't be disappointed.

Begin by mixing together the ingredients for the nutty filling.

This picture was taken with the batch that was made when the syrup was going in at the beginning of baking; but my suggestion would be to first cover and bake the dumplings half of the time, and then half way through the baking, add the syrup, and bake uncovered for the remaining time.

Ingredients:
4 medium sized apples, or 6 small apples
1 recipe for filling
1 recipe for Pie dough, ( you can use any 2 crust pie recipe or even puff pastry dough)
1 recipe for Syrup

For the Filling 

2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
4 Tablespoons butter

5 Tablespoons Chopped Walnuts, Pecans or Almonds

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon

For the Syrup:

2 cups Coconut Sugar or Organic Brown Sugar (use a light brown sugar for a lighter syrup and a dark brown sugar for a darker syrup)
2 cups water
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.  
2. Mix together all the filling ingredients, and stir together to form a nutty paste.
3. Refrigerate filling mixture.
4. Divide Pie dough into 4 (or six) equal balls (reserve a small amount to make leaves and stems for decorating) and then refrigerate.
5. Peel and core each apple.
6. To put together the dumplings, roll out each of the dough balls into a circle big enough to cover the entire apple.
7. Place an apple in the center of the rolled out dough.
8. Divide the filling for each apple.
9. Fill the empty core of each apple with the nut filling.  Push the filling until it completely fills the core.
10. Bring the pie dough up around the apple; you can leave the seams of the dough showing or press and smooth the dough to make it look like a smooth apple.
11. Roll out and cut the leaves and stems from the extra dough, and decorate the apple dumpling with them. 
12. Place each finished dumpling into a casserole dish.  
13. Cover the dumplings with foil. 
14. Bake for  15 minutes, then turn the oven to 375. Bake another 15 minutes. 
15. While apple dumplings are baking, combine syrup ingredients in a sauce pan, and heat on medium heat.  
16. Bring the syrup mixture to an easy boil.
17. Simmer and stir  for 2 -3 minutes and remove from heat.
18. When apples have cooked a full 30 minutes, pour the hot syrup around them.
19. Place the apple dumplings back into the oven and cook the remaining 30 -40 minutes, until apples are cooked, crust is lightly brown, and syrup is slightly thickened.

The nutty filling is a delicious surprise inside the dumpling.

Serve it up to someone you love and Enjoy!