Seafood Stoup

I haven't tried this one yet, but it mirrors the simplicity of some of my favorite recipes, so I thought it would be worth posting. I'll follow up after I make it to share results and tweaks to the recipe!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound sea scallops, trimmed and patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 flat fillets of anchovies
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (1/3 palmful)
1/2 cup dry sherry, white wine or dry vermouth (eyeball it)
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup seafood stock or chicken broth
1 pound large shrimp, deveined and tails removed
1 pound turbot, cut into chunks
1/2 cup shredded or torn fresh basil
Grated peel of 1 lemon
Crusty bread, to pass around the table
Check out
Look for seafood stock in the soup aisle or frozen foods section.

Directions:
1. In a large, deep skillet, heat the EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, over medium-low heat. Add the scallops in a single layer, season with salt and pepper and cook, turning once, 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. add the garlic, anchovies and crushed red pepper to the skillet and cook until the anchovies dissolve.

2. Add the sherry to the skillet and reduce slightly. Add the tomato sauce and stock; bring to a boil. Season the shrimp and fish with salt and pepper, add to the sauce and simmer until opaque, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the scallops, basil and lemon peel. Serve the stoup in shallow bowls with the bread.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

It's been difficult to find time to cook while moving, but after finally cleaning and lining the kitchen cabinets, I was able to unpack all of my kitchen dishware and gadgets! The kitchen is the most important room in our house, so it was the first location I unpacked. Plus, we were getting really sick of take out and frozen pizzas!

Time is still limited with the amount of house work and unpacking left to do, so this is when my slow cooker is truly a savior.

Enjoy this great split pea soup recipe!

Ingredients
3/4 pound green split peas
3/4 pound smoked ham, cubed
1 1/2 cups carrot, diced
1 cup shallot, diced
2 cups potatoes, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 chicken bullion cube
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese, grated
Baked bread or rolls

Directions
Cook cubed ham in a skillet on medium high heat until it starts to brown, add shallots and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Combine the ham mixture and all other ingredients through ground pepper in the slow cooker. Cook 6 to 8 hours.

Serve with grated parmesan on top and a hot roll on the side.

Roasted Red Pepper and Curry Hummus

Hummus is such a simple, healthy and delicious go-to snack that can be made in the blink of an eye. Add your favorite veggies, citrus and seasonings to the base ingredients, chick peas and olive oil, to make your very own signature hummus dip.

Ingredients:
2 cans of chick peas, rinsed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium sized red pepper, cut into a couple large pieces
1 jalapeno pepper, cut in half and deseeded
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 white onion, cut into a couple large piece
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat your oven to low broil. Toss all vegetables in olive oil, salt and pepper and spread them out on a baking sheet. Low broil the vegetables for 20-30 minutes until they get slightly brown on top. Let the vegetables cool and put them in a food processor. Add the chick peas, curry powder, tarragon, salt and pepper (liberal) and start your food processor. Slowly add the olive oil (about 4 tablespoons in order to thin the dip out a little, but add more if need be) while the food processor is running to mix it in with the other ingredients.

Serve your hummus with pita chips and vegetables or spread on a bagel or sandwich!

Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

Simple and so tasty!
This is definitely enough for 4 people or six if you are serving other things with it, such as chips and salsa or Mexican rice.

Filling:
2 TBS. Vegetable Oil
1 large onion chopped(about 1 cup)
2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken/pulled apart by hand
1(4 oz) can diced mild green chiles
2 tsp. chili powder
1 can of cream style corn
1 (10 oz) box of creamed spinach thawed or Stouffer's spinach souffle cooked in micro(i used the spinach souffle)
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese(i used a Mexican mix that included Monterrey jack)
1/2 tsp. salt
12 large tortillas

Sauce:
3/4 cup green taco sauce or salsa verde(not chunky)(I used salsa verde)
1/2 cup light sour cream
shredded Monterrey Jack or Mexican mix cheese to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Heat oil...add onions and cook 4-5 minutes till clear. add chicken, chiles and chili powder and cook for two minutes stirring constantly. remove from heat and add corn, spinach, sour cream, cheese and salt.

Take the soft flour tortillas and fill with approx. 1/3 cup of filling. Roll up and put seam side down in 9 X 13 pan sprayed with Pam. cover with foil and refrigerate till ready to cook. Cook for 1/2 hour covered tightly. Add sauce over top, sprinkle with cheese and cilantro and recover(be sure to spray the underside of foil with Pam so there's no sticking. Recover and cook for about 15 - 20 minutes more.

Orange Soy Marinade/Dressing

Use to marinate meat or as dressing for a salad. We did both - marinated 2 butterfly pork chops in it, grilled the chops and diced over chopped romaine lettuce. We added onions and crushed ramen noodles too!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
A few dashes of red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry ginger
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Pepper to taste

Marinated Beef Kabobs with Leek and Turnip Pasta

Serving size: 4

Ingredients:
Kabobs -
2 8oz Ribeye Steaks, trimmed and cubed
1/4 cup red wine, your choice
1 shallot, sliced
3 cloves garlic, diced fine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper, liberal
dash of red pepper flakes
4 skewers soaked in water

1/2 yellow onions, cut into large slices

Pasta -
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 stalk of leek, cleaned and diced
1/4 cup turnip, diced
1/2 cup beef broth
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup Parmesan
salt and pepper, liberal

3 cups wheat pene pasta

Directions :
Marinate cubed steak in all following steak ingredients for 1+ hours. Put steak, shallots and yellow onions on skewers. Grill until medium rare, roughly 4 minutes on each side.

Heat olive oil on medium in a pan on the stove for 5 minutes. Add turnips and saute for 5 minutes, add leeks and saute for additional 5 minutes. Add beef broth and lemon juice, continue to saute for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and Parmesan and stir.

Serve pasta under beef kabobs. Delish!

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Makes 4-5 large servings. Simple and delicious!

Ingredients:
2 medium sized chicken breasts, cut into cubes
3 smoked sausages, sliced (preferably grilled for charred taste)
1/2 lb. cooked shrimp
3/4 box reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can fired roasted tomatoes with garlic
Juice from 1 large lemon
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 russet potato, diced into small cubes
1 yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced with seeds
3-4 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon thyme
2 bay leaves
A few drops of Tabasco sauce, to taste
4 servings of white rice, cooked
Parsley, chopped

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except shrimp, rice and parsley in a slow cooker. Cook 4 to 8 hours. Turn slow cooker off, add shrimp and let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve in a bowl with a scoop of rice and chopped parsley on top!

Wine Pairing Note:
I would recommend a Shiraz with this dish. It pairs well with the spicy jambalaya while enhancing the notes of bay leaf and thyme.

A Pinot Gris would be a great white wine pairing with jambalaya as well.