Scallops in White Wine Sauce

A Black Friday Special. The day before Thanksgiving I had fixed beef. No sense in fixing poultry when the next day there would be 13 lbs of fowl on our dinner table. So for Black Friday dinner, I couldn't fix beef again, well because we just had that 2 days before, and no poultry for obvious reasons, so the only logical thing to cook is seafood. However the trick is to come up with something that a picky 3-year old would eat. Pasta!!! What toddler turns anything down with pasta in it?

I sort of just threw this dish together, because I had been out shopping since 4:30 am and well, I was NOT going out for some groceries to cook dinner. Thankfully I keep an assortment of yummy things on hand. It didn't turn out half bad.

1 lb of Argetine scallops

1 lb linguini (cooked)

1 head of fresh broccoli (stalks removed, and cut into florets)

2 shallots (finely chopped)

3 tbsp butter (divided)

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

1 tbsp flour

6 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 c water

1/2 cup heavy cream

garlic powder

black pepper

cayenne pepper

In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add shallots and garlic. Saute until tender. Then add the wine and , and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, at a gentle boil and until reduced by half.

While wine is cooking, in a small skillet, heat olive oil and melt 1 tbsp butter, and saute scallops. Sprinkle with garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook until done and set aside.

In a microwavable bowl, add broccoli, water and lemon juice, and microwave on high for 6 minutes until tender but crisp.

Back to the pan with the wine, add flour and stir until smooth. Stir in cream. Add scallops and broccoli, and stir to coat. Serve over pasta.

Real Green Bean Casserole

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and is still full from all the good eats. And what holiday meal would be complete with out a green bean casserole. However I just can not bring myself to make the Campbell's version. I don't like, it is bland and boring. So I make my own. I know it looks like alot of ingredients and like alot of work, but trust me in this, it is alot easier than it appears, and the taste is soooo worth it.

1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans (cleaned & cut)

1/2 c flour

1/2 c + 2 tbsp butter (melted) divided

2 cups swiss cheese (shredded)

2 cups sour cream

1/2 lbs white mushrooms (cleaned & sliced)

4 slices of bacon (cooked and crumbled)

1 shallot (finely chopped)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup French's Fried Onions

spray oil

In a small frying pan, add olive oil, and 2 tbsp butter. Once butter is melted, add mushrooms on med-high heat and cook until almost done (about 4-5 minutes). Then add the shallots and garlic. Good until tender (about 2-3 minutes). Set aside.

In a large sautee pan, melt remaining butter, slowly start adding flour, stirring constantly, until you develop as very thick roux. Add sour cream until completely blended. Then slowly add in the cheese, stirring contantly so it becomes completely melted and blended into sour cream mixture. Once the cheese is melted all of the other ingredients (except fried onions) one at a time, until everything is coated.

Use spray oil to coat a 2 qt casserole dish. Pour mixture into casserole dish, top with fried onions and back at 400* for 45 min.

Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp with Cheese

Last week, we spent some time with my family in Seattle. We did some sightseeing, some shopping and ate some amazing food. You think my cooking is good. You should try some of my father's cooking. So of course I brought some of those recipes home. Dad, if your reading let me know if I got it right.

This recipe was one of my favorites. Make sure you make extra sauce, it doubles as a great veggie dip.

The beauty of this dish, is it is so versitale. You could use a pepper jack cheese, and wrap the shrimp with bacon instead of proscuitto. You could use a slice of roma tomato, wrap it with proscuitto and top with mozzeralla cheese and fresh basil.

1 lb Colassial Shrimp (peeled (tail off), cleaned, deveined)

4 oz of sliced Prosciutto

1/4 lb sliced Provolone Cheese

1/4 lb sliced Smoked Gouda Cheese

1 cup Mayonnaise

1 6 oz container of plain yogurt

15 cloves garlic minced (fresh not jarred)

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Take a piece of shrimp, top with a thin slice of gouda cheese. Wrap with a slice of prosciutto, and top with a slice of provolone cheese. Repeat this process for all of the shrimp.

Once all of the shrimp are assembled, back @ 400* for 10 min.

While the shrimp are cooking. Add mayonnaise, yogurt, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor. Chop until completely blended. Serve over cooked shrimp.

Cozy Coffee

I finally got a chance to sit and go through some of the mail that came in last week. Usually when my Wegman's Magazine comes in, I immediately sit down and go over all of the recipes. I'm not sure why I do this, because I'm guaranteed to spend $200 and gain 10 lbs on my next visit to this meca grocery store. And of course my trip is stratically timed, to coincide with the wine tastings at noon.

In this issue of Wegman's Magazine, there is a recipe for "Cozy Coffee". I read this recipe, and said to myself, "Now there is a sleep aid!!" And let me tell, one cup of this coffee, and you might not make it off of the couch. Every muscle in your body will relax, and become incoherant to your brain's instructions.

20 Mini Marshmellows

2 tbsp vanilla vodka

2 tbsp Godiva chocolate liqueur

2 tbsp half & half

1/4 c chocolate martini cocktail mixer

1/2 c warm coffee

Preheat oven to 400*. On a piece of parchment paper or non-stick foil, pile marshmallows in a pyramid shaped piles. Bake for 4 min or until slightly toasted, and set aside.

In a large coffee mug, add mixer and half & half, and microwave for 30-45 seconds, add vodka and liqueur, stir in coffe, and top with a marshmellow form.

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies

For this cookie I used the recipe on the back of the Nestle Toll House chocolate chips bag. But plain ol' chocolate chip cookies sounded...well...plain, so filled the cookie with a sweet, creamy peanut butter filling. I don't do peanut butter, but I asked my boys if the they were good, the answer was, "Mmmmm-Hmmmm" I think that means delish!!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Filling:

3/4 cup smooth peanut Butter

1/4 cup salted butter (softened)

2 tablespoon half-and-half

1teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup confectiners' sugar

In a small bowl make filling, combine peanut butter, butter, half and half, vanilla extract and confectiner's sugar, and set aside.

Prepare dough according to the package. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Spread a thick layer of peanut butter mixture on the cookie dough, and top with another slice of cookie dough.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Parmsean Crusted Chicken Breasts

These are ridiculously easy and taste incredible!!! My 3 year old, decided that these were "big chicken nuggets", and ate every morsel he could get his hands on. This boy never eats his meat at meals. When this was served, he didn't eat anything else. Even the highly revered brocolli with cheese sauce was ignored.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (halved)
3/4 c flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp rosemary (crushed)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 eggs (beaten)
2 cups shredded parmsean cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter





Clean chicken, and pound to 1/4" thickness and pat dry. On a plate, combine flour, garlic powder, salt, rosemary and pepper. In a seperate bowl, beat eggs. On another plate put shredded cheese.



In a large non-stick frying pan, add olive oil and butter. Heat until oil is warm and butter is melted.



Dredge chicken breasts in flour. Coat with egg and cover with shredded cheese. Put chicken in pan and cook over med heat. Cook until golden brown and juices run clear (approx 8 min on each side)

Smashed Garlic Red Potatoes

2 lbs red creamier potatoes (cleaned and quartered)

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup butter (sliced)

1/2 pint sour cream

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsely

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil and cook at a gentle boil for 15-20 mins until tender. Remove from heat, and add remaining ingredients. Smash all together in until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Garlic-Lemon Broccoli

This side dish pairs nicely with a prime rib roast, and evens out the richness of the roast nicely.

2 heads of broccoli (stalk removed, and cut into florets)

3 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon rind
salt and pepper to taste

Steam broccoli until tender but firm, about 5 to 7 minutes. Heat the butter in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat; add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the cooked broccoli, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, cooking briefly to combine. Sprinkle with lemon rind and serve.

Prime Rib Roast

Who needs to go to the local steak house for succulent prime rib steaks, at $25.00 a head, when you can make it at home and serve the whole family for the same price. In fact, age it yourself and save even more.

If you have the time and the space in your refrigerator, you can dry age the rib roast for a few days to bring out additional flavor and produce a more buttery texture in the muscle (aging allows the natural enzymes to break down some of protein in the meat).
Place the roast, uncovered, on a wire rack over a large pan to catch any drippings for at least a day and no more than 7 days. You need good air circulation around the roast. Your rib roast may be aged up to a week (7 days) in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to cook the roast trim off any dried pieces after the aging. A roast will lose about 10% to 15% of its weight during a week of aging.

Before cooking be sure to bring your roast to room temperature. Because this is an exceptional cut of meat, very few spices are needed. Just some salt, pepper and some garlic.

Preheat the oven to 425*. Drizzle roast with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rub 2 cloves of minced garlic into the meat.

Place on roasting rack, rib side down. Cook at 425* for 15-20 mins to sear your meat. Then reduce heat to 325* and cook until internal temperature is 120* (rare). Refer to time chart below. Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 min.

2-ribs - (4 servings) 60-70 mins

3-ribs - (6 servings) 1 1/2-1 3/4 hrs

4-ribs - (8 servings) 1 3/4-2 1/4 hrs

5-ribs - (10 servings) 2 1/4-2 3/4 hrs

Rare - 120-125* - red center, pinkish toward the exterior portion

Medium Rare - 130-135* - center is very pink with slightly brown towards exterior

Medium - 140-145* - center is light pink, outer portion is brown

Medium Well - 150-155* - not pink

Well Done - Cook Chicken or Pork