Simple Baked Bay Scallops

I bought a bag of frozen bay scallops a while ago with no idea what I was going to do with them. Finally, I decided to be brave and experiment with them. This delicious recipe is adapted from Sauce & Sensibility.Simple Baked Bay Scallops

1 lb. bay scallops, thawed, rinsed, and patted dry

4 T. melted butter, divided

16 ritz crackers, crushed

1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. dried parsley

Divide 2 T. melted butter among 4 individual casserole dishes (you could also use one large casserole dish.)

Divide scallops among dishes in a single layer.In a small bowl, combine remaining melted butter, cracker crumbs, cheese, garlic powder and parsley. Mix well.Sprinkle crumb mixture on top of scallops.Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes or until top is browned.This is such an elegant dish that would be great for a dinner party...or for New Year's Eve! Enjoy!

Clam Chowder

It's been kind of rainy lately so I decided to make a big pot of clam chowder.

Clam Chowder

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 medium potatoes, cubed

2 cans chopped clams (juice reserved)

1 cube (1/2 c.) butter

1/2 c. flour

1 quart (4 cups) half & half

salt and pepper to taste

Combine celery, onion, potatoes, and clam juice in a pot. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until veggies are tender.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add flour. Stir briskly to create a white sauce. Add half & half, a little at a time and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Add half & half mixture to veggie mixture. Stir in clams and heat until thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This soup was great even as leftovers. Enjoy!

Tuna Casserole

This dinner is a winner! It's quick, it's easy, and kids love it. Well, MY kids love it. And, more importantly, my hubby loved it. I mean, what's not to love about creamy, cheesy noodles with tuna?

Tuna Casserole

2 c. dry pasta (I used macaroni)

2 c. frozen veggies (I used peas)

1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom, chicken, or celery soup (or cheddar cheese soup)

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. sour cream

2 cans tuna, drained

1 c. grated cheese

2 t. onion powder

1 t. garlic powder

squirt of mustard (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

2 c. french fried onions

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain. Mix pasta together with all ingredients except french fried onions. Spread into a greased 2-quart baking dish.

Top with french fried onions.

Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes.

This was seriously so easy to throw together. Plus, most of these ingredients are common foods that we often already have around the house.

I actually used a 14 oz. can of salmon instead of the tuna and it was delicious. You could also use canned chicken, too. You could also just omit the meat altogether and increase the grated cheese to 2 cups. Enjoy!

Super Salad

During the summer I often eat salad for lunch. Salads are a nice cool meal in the hot summer and they are packed full of veggies. Honestly, I don't always eat them because they sound good, I eat them so I don't feel guilty the rest of the day... :) I know, I'm weird but oh well. But if you're a salad person (or even if you're not) you can make a darn tasty salad with a variety of ingredients. Here are some typical salads that I eat:Garden Salad: spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocados, and grated romano cheese (topped with dressing of choice.)

Mushroom Salad: spinach, tomatoes, portobello steak, shaved parmesan cheese, grapeseed oil, salt.

Herb Salad: spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocados, mozzarella cheese, cilantro (topped with dressing of choice.)

Dilly Salmon Salad: spinach, tomatoes, celery, grapes, dried minced onion, canned salmon mixed with dried dill, tamari (or soy sauce) and a little oil.

I do love a good salad (when I'm in the mood for one.) And even if you don't think you like traditional salad, try mixing it up a little and use ingredients that YOU like. You might surprise yourself at what you come up with. Enjoy!

Quinoa Stir Fry

I have never tried quinoa before, but it was darn good. Apparently it's really healthy and fiber-rich (you can read about it's health benefits here.) Anyway, this was our dinner yesterday and my husband and I both really liked it.

Quinoa Stir Fry
1 c. quinoa
2 c. water
1 T. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
1 lb. shrimp
1 c. peas
soy sauce
hoisin sauce (optional)
chili garlic sauce (optional)


In a sauce pan, combine quinoa and water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to med-low and cook until quinoa is fluffy and has absorbed all the water.

In a large skillet, melt butter and saute onions, garlic, and some salt and pepper. Cook until tender and add cooked quinoa. Season with a little more salt and pepper and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Spoon quinoa mixture into a bowl and set aside. Return skillet to heat and add peas and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are done and peas are tender.

To serve, layer quinoa onto a plate and top with shrimp and peas. Top with soy sauce (and hoisin sauce and chili garlic sauce if desired.)

Sushi & Wonton Chips

Okay so I don't actually use any raw fish, but this sushi is so fun and yummy! Get the kids involved in picking the veggies. The beauty of this recipe is that you can really choose whatever ingredients you want.

Sushi

sticky rice:

1 c. short grain rice

2 c. water

2 T. seasoned rice vinegar

Cook rice and water in rice cooker or on the stove. Pour cooked rice into a 9x13" baking dish and stir in vinegar while rice is still hot. Let cool. (Below is a picture of the vinegar that I used and it turned out great.)

filling:

carrots, julienned

avocados, thinly sliced

cucumbers, julienned

cooked shrimp

imitation crab

seaweed sheets

Press rice onto seaweed sheet (enough to cover.) Then add desired fillings in a line and roll tightly. Slice into 3/4" pieces and serve with soy sauce and/or wasabi.

I happened to have some egg roll wrappers in the fridge, so I also made some wonton chips. They are very simple to make and are very delicious.

Wonton Chips 1 package wonton skins (or egg roll wrappers, quartered)
oil or cooking spray
salt


Preheat oven to 375 F. Lay wontons side by side in a single layer on greased cookie sheet. brush with oil (or spray with cooking spray) and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

I hope you enjoy sushi night as much as I do!

Garlic Shrimp

I love shrimp! I like to have shrimp on hand because it's easy to prepare and my whole family eats it up. I've started buying raw shrimp (frozen, with legs and shells intact) because it cooks nicely and it's cheaper than cooked shrimp. Double bonus! The other night I was in the mood for a shrimp dish and created this yummy (and simple) dinner:

Garlic Shrimp

2 T. butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 large onion, sliced
1 lb. raw shrimp (veins, shells, tails and legs removed)
1 lb. fresh or frozen green beans
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
salt to taste

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add garlic and onions and cook 1-2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until about halfway done (about 2-3 minutes.) Add green beans and mushrooms and cook until veggies are tender-crisp and shrimp is fully cooked. Add salt to taste.

You can use any vegetable you like instead of green beans. Try using broccoli or your favorite stir fry blend. Also, you can use any type of onion in this recipe. Pearl onions might be fun to try! Let me know how it turns out for you! :) Enjoy.