Coconut Curry Shrimp & Scallop Soup (with Baby Bok Chop and Butternut Squash). (Recipe modified from Nigella Bites “Pumpkin & Seafood Curry)
Made out of necessity because I had no pumpkin, lime leaves, lemon grass, nor salmon, and while I made my own Curry sauce, I’m simplifying for you, the average home cook.
1 can of coconut milk
2 tbsp mild curry paste (or make your own curry with turmeric, cumin, coriander, and cayenne)
1 medium sized butternut squash, cut into 1.5″ cubes
2 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 lb of 25-30 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb of bay scallops
2 heads baby bok choy
In a large soup pot, stir together curry paste and coconut milk until combined. Bring to a simmer, add butternut squash, chicken stock, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until squash is tender, but still has a bite to it. Then, add shrimp and scallops. Stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Cut bok choy into 1″ pieces and then stir in, cooking for 1 more minute until wilted.
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and ladle into bowls. Serves 4.
A little bit of a change from your traditional chicken picatta, using pickled peppercorns instead of capers (find them in your supermarket in the same area — normally next to the olives). They give a great flavour without adding heat. Please don’t be put off by the length of ingredients — it’s really a simple dish to create!
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves pounded to 1/4″ thickness
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter (separated)
2 lemons (one juiced, one cut into slices)
1 cup dry white wine (if you choose not to use alcohol in your cooking, you may substitute chicken stock)
4 tbsp pickled peppercorns (drained from brine)
cooked brown rice
In a shallow dish, beat egg and water until combined; set aside. In another shallow dish, add flour, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Stir to combine.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil and 2 tbsp of the butter. Once that has melted and begins to sizzle, dredge chicken first in the beaten egg (allow excess to drain off), then in flour mixture. Place in pan. Cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until brown and slightly springy to the touch. Once chicken has been cooked, remove pieces to a warmed serving platter and cover to keep warm. Take pan off the heat and add the wine. Place back over heat and allow to come to a slight bubble. Add juice of one lemon and the peppercorns. Allow to reduce slightly then remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 tbsp of butter. Swirl until melted.
Serve by placing brown rice on your plate, then a chicken breast cutlet, a slice of lemon, and pour some of the peppercorn pan sauce over top. Add a green salad for a complete meal.
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup boiling water
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cloves
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, again, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in the molasses until incorporated.
Dissolve the baking soda in the boiled water. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternately w/ the boiling water. Mix only until blended, making sure not to over mix the batter.
Spoon into a greased 9 inch pan and bake at 350 F 45-55 minutes (until cake tester comes out clean).
Cut into squares and serve warm w/ a lemon sauce (below).
Lemon (or lime, or orange) Sauce:
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp Corn Starch
1 cup water
¼ cup butter
1 tsp lemon peel (finely grated or lime or orange depending upon the citrus you are using just substitute it for the lemon)
¼ cup lemon (or lime, or orange) juice
In small pan bring water to a boil over medium heat. Add the sugar and cornstarch, stirring well to avoid lumps. Reduce heat and stir until mixture is thick and translucent (5 mins.).
Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients until well mixed. Cool slightly and serve over the warm Gingerbread.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 large egg
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 lb fresh crab meat
1 cup panko bread crumps
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Vegetable oil spray
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a medium saucepan, heat oil until it shimmers. Add minced onion and sauté until translucent but not coloured. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and zest. Stir to combine.
When mixture has cooled, place in a mixing bowl and add yogurt, egg, Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Carefully fold in breadcrumbs and crab meat (attempting to keep crab in as large of pieces as possible.
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Using a medium sized scooper (not as large as ice cream, not as small as truffles), dish out individual crab cakes and gently flatten in your palms before placing on cookie sheet. This recipe should make about 24-26 crab cakes of the smaller size.
Spritz the top of each crab cake with cooking spray. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until nicely browned.
Serves: 4 with a salad. Also may be served with cocktail sauce, tarter sauce, or a rouille (see below note)
This recipe has been lightened up by the inclusion of non-fat yogurt versus the regular mayonnaise that you would traditionally find in a crab cake recipe, and by baking instead of deep fat frying the cakes.
Note: Rouille Sauce (adapted from Julia Child’s “The Way To Cook”)
6 large cloves of garlic, pureed
1/4 tsp salt
18 large leaves of basil (or 1 1/2 tsp dried savory, oregano or thyme)
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 to 3 tbsp hot milk
3 large egg yolks
1 roasted red pepper (seeds, core, and stem removed)
3/4 to 1 cup olive oil
5 drops of Tabasco sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
N.B.: If you are making this in a food processor, it is imperative that the garlic be pureed. A food processor chops instead of pureeing, and you’re wanting a smooth sauce. (If you’re using pre-purchased pureed garlic, you may make this in a food processor from this point forward, as long as you are careful to make sure each step is followed as closely as possible for a smooth sauce.)
Puree the garlic in a heavy bowl (or add purchased pureed garlic, if you are familiar with the quality of the product) and add salt, pounding into a paste. Continue pounding while adding the herbs. When well mashed and blended, add panko and milk to form a paste. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Now, using a whisk or electric mixer (hand mixer preferred over stand mixer here so that you keep the sauce in motion), beat for 1-2 minutes until it thickens slightly. Then, start beating in the oil in a series of slow additions (almost dribbles to begin with), as if you were making a mayonnaise. The sauce will be thick and heavy. Season to taste with Tabasco, salt and pepper.
Rouille is perfect for use on crab cakes, in fish soup, on pasta, on potatoes, broiled or grilled fish, in fact, anything that you would sauce, as long as you’re wishing for the flavour of garlic and peppers.