Grilled Clams with Lemon Ginger Butter

Okay, so I know that clams are probably not the first thing you think of when you get that urge to crank up the grill.  Me either...my mind goes right to burgers, or chicken, or (my fave!) grilled pizza.  But one day I happened across a recipe for grilled clams with lemon ginger butter and grilled bread, and I just couldn't look away.  Live dangerously, I thought, and I went out and bought me a couple of pounds of clams.

Now, you aren't actually putting the clams directly on the grill itself.  They are going to cook in one of those big disposable aluminum pans that you can get in the supermarket, and which you can toss after dinner, thereby saving you (or your Southern husband) from washing yet another dish.  But before we get to the clams, we need to discuss the lemon ginger butter.  Prepare yourself.

You take a 1/2 a stick of soft butter, and mix it up with some minced shallot, some chopped fresh parsley, a little lemon juice, some lemon peel, and some minced fresh ginger.  Add in a little salt and pepper.  Now take a few slices of French bread and spread a thin layer of this fabulous butter on one side.

Now crank your barbecue up to high and lay the clams in a single layer in your aluminum pan.  You may need two pans, which worked out great for me since my store sells them in sets of two.  It's like it was meant to be.

Put the pan on the grill, close the cover, and open it up about 8-10 minutes later.  The clams should now be opened up and cooked.  So far so good!  Scoop the clams out with a slotted spoon and pop them in a big serving bowl.  Your pan will have a nice amount of clam juice in it - this is good.  Very good.  Grab the rest of the lemon butter that didn't go onto the bread, add it to the pan, and put the pan back on the grill until it is all melted and wonderful.

Now you have your lovely cooked clams...

And your hot melted butter sauce...now pop the buttered bread on the grill and toast it until it is all wonderfully charred and crispy.

Now take the pans of lemon butter juice and pour it over the clams in the bowl.  All of it.  Go crazy.

I don't bother dividing the clams among separate plates - I just put the big bowl in the center of the table with the toasted bread, give everyone a plate with some toasted bread, put another bowl on the table for the empty shells, and say "Dig in!!"

And you thought the grill was just for burgers.  :)

Grilled Clams with Lemon Ginger Butter, from Epicurious

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
• 4 teaspoons minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 6 1/2-inch-thick diagonal baguette slices
• 2 pounds Manila clams, scrubbed

1.Prepare barbecue (high heat). Using spatula, blend butter, minced shallot, minced fresh parsley, fresh lemon juice, minced fresh ginger, and finely grated lemon peel in small bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Thinly spread lemon-ginger butter on 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange clams in single layer in disposable aluminum pan. Place pan on grill, cover barbecue, and cook just until clams open, 8 to 10 minutes (discard any clams that do not open).


2. Using slotted spoon, transfer grilled clams to 2 shallow bowls. Grill bread until slightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Add remaining lemon-ginger butter to juices in pan; stir on grill until melted. Pour juices from pan over clams. Serve with bread.

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Shrimp and Tarragon Crostini

I love crostini.  Maybe it has something to do with my love for toast, which you can read about here if you are interested.  And even though I flirted with silver dollar pancakes shamelessly in terms of being the vehicle for holding delicious little spoonfuls of various things.  But crostini, you will still always be first in my heart, especially when you are topped with a delicious mixture of shrimp and tarragon.

Crostini is super-simple to make.  Just slice up a loaf of your favorite French bread (or Italian bread if you are the kind that likes your crostini substantial. Slice it pretty thin...as close to 1/4 inch as you can get without driving yourself crazy.  Brush them with a little olive oil and pop them on a cookie sheet and into a 400 degree oven just until they are getting golden brown - 5 to 10 minutes.  After that, the possibilities are endless, but in this case I went with a quick little mixture of cooked chopped shrimp, mayo, fresh chopped tarragn, fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Once the crostini are cooled a little, just drop some of the shrimp mixture onto each one and there you go. 

Sometimes the easiest things are just the best!

Shrimp and Tarragon Crostini, adapted from Real Simple

• 24 thin slices of French bread
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 ounces chopped cooked shrimp
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 400.  Brush bread slices with olive oil and bake until just golden brown, 5-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

2. Combine remaining ingredients to make the shrimp mixture and top each crostini with spoonful of this.  You're done!

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Low Country Boil Kabobs

One of the many, many advantages of being married to a Southern man is that you learn about the complete fabulousness of something called Low Country Boil.  It's also sometimes known as Frogmore Stew (based on the hometown of the National Guardsman that invented it).  The town of Frogmore was eliminated by the Postal Service and incorporated into the nearby Beaufort, and the name of the recipe officially changed to Low Country Boil.  This is your culinary history lesson of the day.

Anyway, the way this usually works is that you boil up baby potatoes with a seafood seasoning, and then add the sausage, the corn and then the shrimp as time rolls on so that everything is cooked up perfectly.  Then you drain the whole thing and dump it all onto a platter and let folks dig in...forks optional.  We always have this a few times during the summer, so when I saw this version that called for adding the grill into the mix, my antenna went up.  I always do love to shake up a recipe that I've made a hundred times before.

In this version, you still boil up the potatoes, but after they are done you thread them onto skewers with uncooked large shrimp, chunks of andouille sausage, and pieces of corn on the cob that you have cut into 1-2 inch sections.  Now, the most challenging part of this entire thing is getting the dang corn sections on to the skewers.  The center of corn cobs?  HARD.  So the Southern husband sprang into action...he took each one and hammered a nail into it and then pulled it out - making a perfect little hole for me to slip it right onto the skewer.  There is nothing that makes this man happier than the chance to use his workshop skills in the kitchen.

Once everything is on the skewer, you brush it with a mixture of melted butter and Old Bay seasoning.  Or, if you are like me and THOUGHT you had a container of Old Bay and then remembered too late that you threw it out in a frenzy of purging the spice cabinet of old spices, you can fake it by putting together the mixture I found by clicking here.

Now pop the skewers onto the grill for as long as it takes to cook the shrimp and lightly char the corn - 5-8 minutes should do it.  Now you not only have the wonderfulness of Low Country Boil, but with the added flavor of the grill. 

Life is very, very good.

Low Country Boil Kabobs, from Everyday Food

1/2 pound baby potatoes

2 ears of corn, cut into 1 inch sections

1/2 pound cooked andouille sausage, cut into 1 inch rounds

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deviened

4 tablespoons melted butter

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1. Boil potatoes in salted water for about 12 minutes or until tender.  Drain and cool slightly.

2. Thread skewers with potatoes, shrimp, corn and sausage.

3. Combine melted butter and Old Bay and brush onto skewers.  Grill on medium high for about 5-8 minutes or until shrimp is cooked and corn is lightly charred.  Serve immediately.

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Poached Shrimp with Sour Cream Horseradish Dipping Sauce

Okay, so here's the latest in the Friday Night Lights series, and let me just say that anything that involves shrimp and horseradish has me at hello.  This is basically a spin on that shrimp cocktail that you secretly yearn to order at every restaurant you go do but don't because it costs as much as your mortgage payment.

But this one is so, so much more than a shrimp cocktail, and it is all due to the sauce, which is not the typical tomato/horseradish variety, but instead is a mixture of sour cream, horseradish, chopped chives, lemon peel and (get this) a reduction of the lemon white wine mixture that you have cooked the shrimp in.  Wildly luxurious-sounding, right?  It almost doesn't seem fair that it is so dang easy to make, but it is!  

You poach the shrimp for about four minutes in a mixture of water, white wine, half of a lemon and a few other things.  Scoop out the shrimp and put them in an ice water bath to chill down, and then boil the poaching liquid down for about 20 minutes.  In the meantime you can mix up the rest of the sauce, which is a sour cream/horseradish/lemon peel/chives mixture that gets thinned out with a tablespoon or two of the poaching liquid.  After that, the only thing left to do is find some pretty glasses, spoon some of the sauce in the middle, hang as many shrimp as you can fit around the edge, and try not to scarf them down TOO fast.

Yum, right?  And elegant too.  Even if you ARE eating them while lounging on your couch watching a taped version of House.  I mean Glee.  I mean Nurse Jackie.  You get the drift!

Poached Shrimp with Sour Cream Horseradish Dipping Sauce, adapted from Bon Appetit

1 cup dry white wine
6 whole black peppercorns
1/2 lemon
1 bay leaf
Pinch of coarse kosher salt
8 uncooked unpeeled large shrimp
dipping sauce

1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon prepared white horseradish
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
Coarse kosher salt
Whole fresh chives (for garnish)

1. Fill medium bowl with ice water; set aside. Combine 2 cups water, wine, and next 4 ingredients in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Add shrimp; reduce heat to low, cover, and poach just until shells are pink and shrimp are opaque in center, 3 to 4 minutes. 

2. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to bowl with ice water; reserve poaching liquid and lemon half. Drain and peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Devein shrimp.
3. Squeeze juice from reserved lemon half into poaching liquid in pan. Boil liquid until reduced to generous 2 tablespoons, about 20 minutes. Strain; cool.
4. Mix sour cream or crème fraîche, chopped chives, horseradish, lemon peel, and 1 tablespoon reduced poaching liquid in small bowl. Season sauce with coarse salt and black pepper.
4. Spoon dipping sauce into short glasses. Arrange shrimp on rims. Garnish with whole fresh chives and extra lemon peel if you have it.

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Shrimp and Pineapple Kebabs with Lime Viniagriette

Okay, so I will once again admit it: I am a complete sucker for shrimp cocktail.  There's something about chilled shrimp in a glass that just has me at hello, so it is pretty much a done deal that I will be working this into the Southern husband and my Friday Night Lights approach to Friday dinners in any way I can, and I have to say that so far....this may be my favorite.

It's got shrimp.  It's got pineapple.  It's got cherry tomatoes.  It's got a light lime vinaigrette.  It's served on skewers, which makes it oh-so-easy to eat when you are on the couch watching a movie while your teenager is out gallivanting.

I love the word gallivating.  Somehow I never look like this when I do it.

Anyway.

This is one of those ecipes that looks like you spent all day creating a wonderful seafood concoction when you really only spent about 15 minutes cooking up some shrimp, chopping up some tomatoes and pineapple and whisking together a super-simple line dressing.  You mix the whole thing together and skewer the pieces together,  Then chop up a little lettuce (I used Bibb lettuce for this and it was just about perfect.)  Now comes the fun part: choose whatever glasses you have that have a wide opening.  Margarita glasses would actually be perfect, and if I had any that's what I would have used.  Make a nice soft bed of lettuce in the glass and arrange a few skewer inside.  Drizzle the whole thing with the leftover lime dressing from the mixing bowl, and then hand them out.

Now comes the REALLY fun part.  The eating.  Because this is one of those dishes with just the right amount of tangy and sweet and wonderful.  We had these for our light supper, but I can totally picture them as the perfect summertime appetizer before you grill whatever it is you are going to grill.  And I'm beginning to believe that grilling season might just get here one day.

In the meantime, cuddle up inside on the sofa with some of these and March won't seem so March-like.

Shrimp and Pineapple Kebabs with Lime Vinaigrette, adapted from a WeightWatchers recipe.  (5 points, if anyone's counting!)

	8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
	1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
	2 tsp honey
	1 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin
	1 tsp apple cider vinegar
	1 tsp Dijon mustard, coarse-grained
	1 tsp cilantro, chopped
	1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
	8 chunks fresh pineapple
	4 medium cherry tomato(es), halved
	1 1/2 cup(s) mixed baby greens
	2 Tbsp red onion(s), finely chopped

• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil; add the shrimp. Reduce the heat and simmer until the shrimp are just opaque in the center, 3–4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
  
• Stir together the lime juice, honey, oil, vinegar, mustard, cilantro, and crushed red pepper in a bowl until blended. Stir in the shrimp, pineapple, and tomatoes; gently toss to coat.
  
• Alternately thread the shrimp, pineapple, and tomatoes on 4 (6-inch) wooden skewers; reserve any vinaigrette remaining in the bowl. Divide the greens between 2 glasses; place 2 kebabs in each glass. Sprinkle with the onion and drizzle with the reserved vinaigrette. 

Click here for printable recipe

Shrimp with Beer

Now, it occurred to me that the title of this recipe could reasonably make you think that we were eating shrimp while swigging down beer.  Which was not the case.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I am a merlot type of girl.

No, the beer in this super-easy dish is the liquid that you cook the shrimp in.  That and a little bit of whole allspice, a clove of crushed garlic, and some fresh parsley and dill.  You throw all of these ingredients into a skillet, boil it all for two minutes, and you are done.  Yes, TWO MINUTES.  I barely had time to make the dipping sauce, which is melted butter with some lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and another crushed garlic clove.  That's it, folks.  It just may be a new indoor record in terms of getting a pretty great-tasting dinner on the table in as little time as possible.

A couple of things to mention here.  First and most importantly, this is from the fabulous 60 Minute Gourmet Cookbook by Pierre Franey.  For all you youngsters out there, this is a simply wonderful cookbook collection of a feature that used to be in The New York Times...recipes that were elegant and delicious and fast.  Well, under 60 minutes, anyway.  I have several books in this series, and for some reason I forget them from time to time, and then remember they are in my bookcase and then it is like Christmas, recipe-wise.   Anyway, to Pierre Franey, wherever you are, I lift my glass of merlot in love and appreciation.

Second, this dish is messy, and I mean that in the best way.  One of the reasons it is so fast is that you don't peel the shrimp first (yes!!!) - they cook in the shell.  You dump the whole thing into one big bowl, have another empty bowl on the table for the shells, give everyone their own personal little container of the lemon butter dipping sauce, and go to town.  Peel and eat, baby...no forks involved anywhere.  At my house, this always results in a merry, festive attitude during dinner, and that in itself is worth the butter spatters all over the table.  I put a plate of buttered toast on the table as a "side dish," but this is one of those meals where you are in it first and foremost for the shrimp, and we'll worry about getting our veggies at some other meal.

Now, I couldn't find my actual old battered copy anywhere on Amazon, but the link that's with the recipe is for a book that looks like it is an updated version...and so long as it is from the 60 Minute Gourmet, it's going to be great.  Especially the recipes that are really actually TWO minutes.

Shrimp with Beer, from Cooking with the 60-Minute Gourmet: 300 Rediscovered Recipes from Pierre Franey's Classic New York Times Column 

• 3 pounds shrimp in the shell (get the large kind)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 6 whole allspice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh dill
• One 12 ounce can beer

1. Combine all ingredients above in a heavy skillet and cover.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer and remove from heat.  Meanwhile assemble dipping sauce (recipe below).

2. Serve in the shell, letting people peel their own and giving them individual

Lemon Butter Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 pound butter
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon Worscestershire sauce 
• 1 clove crushed garlic

1. Heat the butter until hot and bubbling.

2. Add remaining ingredients and stir.  Serve in individual containers for each person.

Click here for printable recipe

Lemon Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

So, I better start this post off by saying that you must love and adore the following things in order to love and adore this recipe.

Lemons.  There are lemon slices, lemon zest and lemon juice in this dish.  A whole lot of lemon juice, freshly squeezed from four, count 'em, four lemons.

Garlic.  There are nine, count 'em, nine cloves of garlic in this recipe, all minced up and cooked with the lemon juice, along with a good amount of butter, a lot of fresh chopped parsley, and some lovely large shrimp.  The whole process takes about 7 minutes (not kidding), which is just about the amount of time you will need to cook up a nice pot of linguine.  Then all that is left to do is drain the linguine and toss it with the shrimpy, buttery, lemony, garlicky sauce.

If you are like me, welcome to heaven, where everything is made with lemon and garlic.  And bacon.  And chocolate.  And bacon.

(Note to self: possible to make this recipe with bacon next time?  Must ponder...)

Linguine with Lemon Shrimp Scampi, adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

• 1 1/2 pounds linguine
• 3/4 stick butter
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 9 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Grated zest of one lemon
• Juice from 4 lemons (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 lemon, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1. Cook linguine in salted water until done, drain and put back in the pot.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium low heat.  Add garlic and saute for one minute.  Add shrimp, one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, turn up heat to medium and saute until shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes.  Stir often, turning the shrimp over to make sure they are cooked through.

3. Turn heat back down to low and add lemon juice, zest and slices, and red pepper.  Stir for about a minute to combine and heat up the sauce.

4. Pour sauce with shrimp into pot with drained pasta, toss well and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Coconut Shrimp Salad

So, this happens to me WITHOUT FAIL every January.  Right about now, I get a hankering for something tropical.  Something made with coconut and corn and seafood.  Something that makes no sense to be eating when all of us here in the Northern Hemisphere are pretty much standing around in a big old pile of this:

But I want it anyway, and since it isn't always practical to hop on a plane to the Cayman Islands, this recipe might possibly be the next best thing.  The most challenging part of it is the corn - I was lucky enough to snag some Actual Fresh Corn at my local market (probably flown in from the Cayman Islands.  I try so hard to be a locavore, but sometimes I stumble in big ways), but if you need to, you can definitely sub in some defrosted frozen corn.  Aside from that, you are home free in terms of the ingredients.  The basis of the salad is that corn, some nice cooked shrimp that you have chopped into bite-sized pieces, some fresh parsley or cilantro, and a chopped up avocado.  The dressing is a mixture of olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice and some minced jalapeno.  I tossed in a chopped shallot just because I happened to have one lurking around.

But the crowning glory, the thing that makes this dish sing, is about a half cup of toasted sweetened coconut flakes.  Scatter a generous handful over the whole thing, turn up the thermostat, put on some shorts and some Bob Marley music and you can almost forget that your mailbox looks like this.

(Note to self: get Southern husband to dig path to mailbox so mailman will be able to deliver packages from Stonewall Kitchen.)

Coconut Shrimp Salad, adapted from Cooking Light The Essential Dinner Tonight

• 16 large cooked shrimp, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn
• 1/3 cup chopped shallots
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley (or cilantro, if you like that better)
• 1 peeled diced avocado
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 head frisee lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted sweetened coconut

1. Combine corn, shallots, parsley, avocado and pepper in large bowl.  Stir in shrimp.  Combine lemon juice and oil and pour over salad mixture, toss to coat.

2. Divide lettuce among 4 plates, top with shrimp mixture and sprinkle coconut over all.

Click here for printable recipe

Roasted Shrimp with Feta: Guest Blogger Aileen Morgan!

So, I'm kinda good at a couple of things.  I can cook, and I can take a decent picture now and then.  But there's one talent that I don't have that I would LOVE to have, and that is singing.  I can belt out my own personal version of Free To Be Me in the shower, but you wouldn't necessarily want to be there to actually hear it.  My beautiful little sister, on the other hand, can sing like an angel.  

And she writes all her own songs.  And as it turns out, she can cook, too.  If she gets her hands on my Nikon, I may be in trouble.  In the meantime, I'm taking advantage of all this talent by getting her as a guest blogger on Framed Cooks today...so my wonderful readers, meet my wonderful sister!

 Hi! My name is Aileen Morgan and I'm proud to say Kate is my big sis! She is just as incredible as you can imagine from this beautiful home on the web, and a tough act to follow. I am super excited and grateful to be a guest blogger. I hope you enjoy. 

  It’s the holiday season, a time that brings such joy, but it’s also a time that can be difficult for many 
of us. The expectation of having to give (great!) gifts can make us feel stressed and even strapped at   the same time. You may be asking yourself what to give your significant other when they either have everything, want for nothing, and/or you simply don’t have a ton of dough to spend.

Well, we have to eat, right? So what better
  gift is there then that of a delicious homemade meal- and how about a romantic one? To me, holidays symbolize love, sharing, and time spent with those who mean the most to you. Add wine, candles, music, sumptuous food and love- what more could anyone want?!

To go along with this yummy one dish dinner is a song! Inspired by a romantic dinner made standing next to someone I was falling for, it’s of course, a love song. Follow the following  link, click on "Join Aileen's Email List!" and you'll receive an mp3 that is yours to give a gift! 


www.aileenmorgan.com 

(and that amazing picture on the home page is, of course, Kate's!)

 Here is another gift idea for you for that special night- burn the song onto a CD, wrap it in pretty  tissue paper, add a ribbon and a handwritten message and give it to your loved one to play while you pop open that yummy bottle of wine.

Ahhhh, the holidays.


This dish can be made ahead of time, up to the last step before adding the shrimp, which means more time for romance!

Roasted Shrimp with Feta from Ina Garten's HOW EASY IS THAT?

Serves 4

• 4 tbs good olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups medium diced fennel
• 1 tbs minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbs Pernod (optional)
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 lb (16-20) peeled and cleaned shrimp, tails on
• 5 oz good Feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 3 tbs minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 2 lemons

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat 2 tbs of the olive oil in a 10 or 12 inch heavy, oven-proof skillet over medium-low heat. Add the fennel and saute for 8-10 minutes, until the fennel is tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the wine and bring it to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, oregano, Pernod (if you have it), salt, and pepper to the skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 - 15 minutes.

3. Arrange the shrimp, tails up, in one layer over the tomato mixture in the skillet. Scatter the feta evenly over the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest with the remaining 2 tbs olive oil and sprinkle over the shrimp.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp and serve hot with the remaining lemon cut into wedges.

Click here for printable recipe

Lobster BLT Salad...and the Stonewall Kitchen Cookbook Winner!

If I ever had to make the agonizing decision between lobster and bacon, I'm not sure what I would do.  They are two of my favorite taste sensations in the entire world, and so when I read about the Lobster BLT Salad that is on the menu at the Stonewall Kitchen Cafe, I just had to take a whack at it.  Someday I am going to make it up there to Maine to try the real thing, but for now I had to be satisfied with doing my own imitation of it.  The menu description went like this:

Cafe Lobster BLT Salad - Local lobster meat, tossed lightly with mayonnaise & chopped celery served on a bed of chopped baby iceberg lettuce. Topped with crumbled cherrywood-smoked bacon, slices of vine-ripened tomatoes and housemade croutons. 

So I sent the Southern husband off to the store to pick us up a couple of steamed lobsters (because I am a complete sissy when it comes to cooking my own lobsters.  I'm sorry, but it's true.).  I had some nice farmer's market tomatoes, and of course you know I had bacon in the house already.  I used romaine instead of iceberg, although I'm sure iceberg would be perfectly fine.  A leftover hunk of French bread turned into some lovely croutons.  The restaurant menu says that their BLT salad is served with the dressing of your choice -- I found that the lobster salad provided enough "dressing" taste for the salad, but go for addition dressing if you like.  I'm sure the original is even better, but for a New Jersey version, this was pretty dang good.

Meantime, thank you to EVERYONE who commented on the giveaway post for STONEWALL KITCHEN FAVORITES, the amazing cookbook from my friends at Stonewall.  What a great group of suggestions for summer favorites!  My menu for next summer is now completely figured out!  As usual I went to Random.org to pick out the winner, since I can't bear to choose on my own, and the lucky winner of the signed-by-the-authors cookbook is Holly, who commented that marinated flank steak is one of her favorites.  YUM, me too!

Here's the recipe, and onward to fall...

Lobster BLT Salad, inspired by the Stonewall Kitchen Cafe

• Two lobsters, cooked, shelled and torn into pieces
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• One head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup large croutons

1. Mix lobster, mayo, celery and pepper together.
2. Place lobster mixture in large bowl with all other ingredients and toss gently until well mixed.
3. Add your choice of dressing (if desired - we didn't use any) and toss again.  Serve at once.

Click here for printable recipe

Shrimp in a Jar

Okay, so I know this particular dish is half novelty and half supper, but honestly, the whole thing made me just ridiculously happy, and how often can you say that about a Tuesday night supper?

This all started with a trip to Costco, where the Southern husband (who THINKS he has more self-control than I do at Costco but really doesn't) not only bought a huge bag of shrimp but also a Costco sized bag of avocados. Now, the shrimp can be sub-divided into many freezer bags and stored away for future meals. The avocados? Not so much. It was use-it-or-lose-it time, avocado-wise. And since I am a girl who loves a challenge, I spent a week making many avocado-based things while still trying to keep it interesting. We had:

Chilled Avocado Cucumber Soup

BLA's (Bagel with Lox and Avocado)

Lots of guacamole

And...Shrimp in a Jar, which is basically layers of chopped lettuce, fresh tomato salsa, cooked chopped shrimp, mashed avocado with lime juice, all topped with crumbled tortilla chips. But the beauty part is the jar. Why? I have no idea -- but for some reason it was just so much fun! I picked up these little wide-mouth jars at The Container Store, and once you have finished eating your supper out of them they make GREAT little storage devices. They are currently lined up on my counter with four different types of cookies in them.

I'm already thinking up new possibilities for what the Southern husband is already calling "jar food." In the meantime, here's the recipe.

Shrimp in a Jar, adapted from Epicurious

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro or parsley
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
• 1 pound peeled cooked shrimp, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 firm-ripe avocados
• 2 cups shredded lettuce (I used iceberg)
• 1/2 cup coarsely crumbled tortilla chips

1. Stir together tomatoes, onion, parsley, chile, ketchup, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

2. Stir in shrimp and season with salt and pepper.

3. Mash avocados with remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

4. Divide lettuce among jars and layer shrimp mixture, avocado, and crumbled chips on top.

Click here for printable recipe

Shrimp and Andouille Sausage with Grits

Okay, so I've been very good and patient -- I haven't posted yet another recipe for shrimp and grits in ages and ages. Well, not since May, when I put up the post on shrimp and grits with artichoke hearts. But I can't help it. I'm married to a Southern man, and with those vows come love, cherish and enthusiastically eat shrimp and grits for as long as we both shall live. And I do love all of 'em -- the shrimp, the grits and the Southern husband, so I'm always on the look-out for new variations, and this is a great one.

The grits you cook up the way you always do. I like this variety, which you can order online, but if the only thing available is the Quaker quick-cooking grits -- well, that's better than no grits at all. (And for those of you grits-doubters out there, feel free to subsitute the word "polenta" for "grits" throughout this post. It's all ground corn, and it's all good.)

This recipe is all about the topping, which is a glorious mixture of shrimp, spicy sliced andouille sausage, and a garlicky cream sauce. It all gets cooked up together and spooned over the grits and oh, my my. Broil up some of the cherry tomatoes that are springing up all around us to toss on the side, and you have a quick and luxurious supper that would make my Southern husband proud.

Shrimp and Andouille Sausage with Grits, from Everyday Food

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup grits
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• Olive oil and salt and pepper
  

1. Cook grits according to package directions.
2. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil until lightly charred, 8 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add andouille and cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer andouille to a plate and reduce heat to medium.
   
4. Add garlic and scallion whites to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour. Whisk in broth and cream. Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet, until thickened, about 3 minutes.
   
5. Add shrimp and andouille and cook, stirring constantly, until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes.
   
6. To serve, top grits with shrimp mixture and sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve with tomatoes.

Click here for printable recipe

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

I've been flirting with lobster macaroni and cheese for a looooong time. It's just that I love macaroni and cheese with a deep and abiding love, and I feel the same about lobster. And I knew that if it was made the right way, this could be the Endless Love version of lobster macaroni and cheese.

I also didn't want it to take forever and a day to make. In my quest for the great LM&C recipe, I have come across a whole variety of recipes that have asked me to do things like save the lobster shells, simmer them for hours, strain them through cheesecloth, run around the kitchen three times chanting incantations...you get my drift. I do want an amazing recipe, but I want to be able to eat it the same day without having to take a nap first. So when I came across Ina Garten's recipe on the Food Network website, I knew I had finally found the lobster macaroni and cheese love of my life. Lots of lobster (I was aiming at recipe that gave the lobster equal time with the macaroni). A combination of cheddar and gruyere cheese. Buttery bread crumbs on top. I'm having heart palpitations just reliving it as I type.

Now, here's my usual advice on the lobster. Get your supermarket to steam it for you, and get whomever is going to get the pleasure of dining on this dish with you to shell the lobster for you. After that, this whole thing is smooth sailing.

Lobster macaroni and cheese. Doesn't the very thought of it make you feel like all is right with the world?

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese, from Ina Garten

• Vegetable oil
• 1 pound cavatappi or elbow macaroni
• 1 quart milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat
• 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. In a large pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and lobster and stir well. Place the mixture in 6 to 8 individual gratin dishes.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Click here for printable recipe

Shrimp Rolls

Okay, so if a shrimp cocktail and a lobster roll fell in love and got married and had a baby, it would look a little like this:

Wait, wrong adorable baby picture! Although he is pretty delicious-looking too...

Anyway, it would look like that first picture up at the top, which is basically the world's fastest and most satisfying supper on a warm Friday night. First of all, you need to get New England style hot dog rolls, which are those kind that are split down the top instead of split down the side. I have no idea why this makes them New England style -- somebody out there please tell me? - but they work the best for these shrimp rolls. If you can't find them, go ahead and use the side-split kind, they will still taste just as good.

Next you boil up some nice peeled shrimp. Here is my usual pitch for buying your shrimp in bulk at Costco -- they have the best shrimp anywhere, their prices are amazing, and once you have your Southern husband separate them into freezer bags full of normal-sized portions, you will have a freezer full of wonderful shrimp just ready for whatever shrimp recipe you want to make next, and you will sleep easier at night.

Anyway, boil the shrimp up until they are just cooked through -- I usually throw them into a pot with enough water to cover, toss in a couple of spoonfuls of Old Bay seasoning, bring the whole thing to a boil and then turn it off as soon as it boils and let the shrimp sit in the hot water for about 5 minutes. Drain them and put them in a bowl of ice water to cool down.

Then mix up a batch of cocktail sauce - ketchup plus horseradish plus chopped celery. At this point you can decide if you want your shrimp whole, or if you would like to cut them up -- either is fine. Now the assembly: open up your hot dog roll. Line with one leaf of Bibb lettuce. Fill with shrimp. Spoon cocktail sauce over. Serve with salt and pepper potato chips. Be this happy.

Here's the recipe.

Shrimp Rolls, adapted from Everyday Food

• 1/3 to 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled, cooked and chilled.
• Bibb lettuce leaves
• Hot dog rolls, lightly toasted and buttered
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/8 cup horseradish (or more to taste)
• 1 stalk chopped celery

1. Mix together ketchup, horseradish and celery
2. Line rolls with one lettuce leaf each
3. Place shrimp on lettuce
4. Spoon cocktail sauce over top.

Click here for printable recipe

Lobster Pie

One of my very favorite cookbooks is one called POT PIES: COMFORT FOOD UNDER COVER. It is full of recipes for, you guessed it, pot pies...but not just the typical kind with the pastry crust. Nope, in this fabulous book basically anything that involves something covering the main ingredient counts as a pot pie, so this cookbook includes Shellfish Pie with Artichoke Crust. And Shepherd's Pie Topped With Garlic Mashed Potatoes. And Tuscan Braised Pork Pie with Polenta Crust.

But my very, very favorite recipe in this book is for something that is simply called Lobster Pie. So let me explain this one a little. It is actually Lobster Pie with a Buttered Parmesan Parsley Breadcrumb Topping.

I know.

I know!

You take two lobsters (which your supermarket has steamed for you and your significant other has shelled for you) and cut the meat into pieces, and heat it up in a sauce made out of butter and flour and clam juice and sherry and cream, and pour it into an oven-safe dish. You probably won't need all the sauce -- just use your best judgement to see how much you need to make it sauced but not too soupy.



Then you take some nice bread - I used french bread -- and whiz it up in your food processor. Add some melted butter and chopped parsley and fresh grated Parmesan cheese to the crumbs and spread it over your lobster mixture.



Bake it all up until the crumbs are golden.



I promise you, it is all you hope and dream it will be.

Lobster Pie, adapted from POT PIES: COMFORT FOOD UNDER COVER.

• 4 tablespoons butter, plus 6 tablespoons melted
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups clam juice
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 lobsters, cooked, shelled and meat cut into chunks
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups soft french bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and add flour, whisking until smooth. Gradually whisk in the clam stock until the sauce is smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes or so.

2. Add sherry and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add lobster. Taste sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Using slotted spoon, transfer lobster to oven-proof casserole and spoon just enough sauce over to cover the lobster without making it too soupy.

3. Preheat oven to 375. Place bread crumbs, parsley and cheese in mixing bowl, pour melted butter over top and mix thoroughly. Spread crumbs over lobster.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crumbs are golden. Serve immediately.

Click here for printable recipe.

Pan-Seared Scallops on Linguine with Tomato Cream Sauce

When it comes to seafood, shrimp is one of my very favorites. I just counted and there are twelve shrimp recipes in my archives of this very blog -- and probably 3 times that number in my recipe binders. Here's a little video tribute to my love of shrimp...mainly because I have just learned how to put videos in my blog and I am ridiculously happy about that.




The Southern husband's favorite seafood is definitely scallops. And right now there are, um, two scallop recipes in the blog archives....and one of them is not even something I cooked myself. Nowhere near enough to make a video.

Whoops. Sorry, honey.

So let's try and build up that scallop recipe list, and here's a great one to start with. For this recipe you need those big sea scallops, not the little teeny bay scallops. You don't need that many because they are being combined with a nice filling bed of pasta. (That noise you hear in the background is the Southern husband saying "Yes you DO need that many! More scallops for everyone!!!) But honestly, about four scallops per serving will do you just fine.

This comes with a lovely light sauce, and you'll see that the directions say to mix up the sauce with the linguine before you add in the scallops. This is Very Important Information, because that means each and every linguine strand will be nicely coated with your delicious sauce before you pop the seared scallops on top. Now, the key to good seared scallops is to get your pan nice and hot, pop them in there and then DO NOT TOUCH THEM for the 2 minutes they are searing on each side. That way they develop that nice dark brown seared bit all over.

So there you have it. I'll let you know when I've worked up enough scallop recipes to fill up another slideshow.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS ON LINGUINE WITH TOMATO CREAM SAUCE, adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup chopped seeded plum tomato
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups hot cooked linguine
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 pound large sea scallops
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
  

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium skillet; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Drain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids.

2. Return wine mixture to skillet. Add cream; cook over medium heat 1 minute. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Stir in tomato, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add linguine; toss well. Cover and keep warm.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Arrange scallops in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add scallops to pasta mixture; toss gently to combine. Garnish with parsley.

Click here for printable recipe

Cheater's Barbeque Garlic Shrimp and a Cookbook Contest!

Here comes another fun contest, everybody...but first you have to live through the story, because you KNOW there is always a story with me.

Ah, barbeque. It's one of the Southern husband's reasons for living, and to be perfectly honest, he is always absolutely cheerful about going outside in any sort of weather to fire up the old grill. Ten inches of snow on the ground? No problem whatsover...he's out there, and with a big barbeque anticipation smile on his handsome face. However, I myself always feel just slightly guilty for sending him out into the elements, which is why I was so glad to hear about this book.

That's right -- barbeque WITHOUT the barbeque grill. It sounded too good to be true, especially to someone who lives with a man who practically drives off the road every time we pass a sign that has the words "Pit" and BBQ" on it. (BBQ is a word, right? For right now, let's say that it is.) So I started cruising through the book to see what the possibilities were, and along with all the ribs and burgers and pulled pork and chicken and dry rubs, there it was.

Barbeque Garlic Shrimp.

Now for any of you folks who love New Orleans as much as we do, there is a place there called Pascale's Manale. You take the New Orleans streetcars to get there, and it is always jam-packed, so you wait for your table at the bar, eating raw oysters and drinking ice cold Dixie beer until your table is ready...and when you sit down you order their famous barbeque shrimp, which is spicy and tangy and perfect. The Southern husband and I have eaten more than our fair share of BBQ shrimp there (chased by more than our fair share of ice-cold Dixie) and so when I saw this recipe I had to give it a go.

Oh yes. Just as wonderful as I remember. Use big shrimp, fresh lemon juice and the best butter you can find. I like Kate's Homemade Butter, which you can get at Whole Foods, and no, not just because of the name, although that is probably why I picked it up in the first place. Don't be frightened by the liquid smoke - you can find it right next to the barbeque sauce in your supermarket, or if you want to get really fancy you can also get it at Williams Sonoma. Make sure you have some really nice fresh crusty bread to mop up the sauce. And if you have any Dixie beer on hand, not only should you drink it with dinner, but you should call me up right now and invite me over.

So now I have your attention, right? Good, because I have a couple of these awesome cookbooks to give away to any of you interested in doing a little barbeque cheating on your own. Just leave me a comment below telling me your own favorite thing to make on the grill and you will be automatically entered in a random drawing for your very own copy. (For my email subscribers -- click on the title of this post and it will take you to the website where you can leave your comment.) I'll announce the very lucky barbeque-loving winners on Saturday, January 9. Until then, here's another look at the deliciousness, and then the recipe. YUM!!

BBQ GARLIC SHRIMP, adapted from CHEATER BBQ

Makes 6 servings

• 1/4 cup bottled smoke
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 stick melted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
• 6 garlic cloves,, minced
• Black pepper to taste

• Fresh bread for serving

1. Combine 1 quart cold water, the bottled smoke and the salt in large bowl. Stir to dissolve the salt.

2. Add shrimp to the bowl, cover and chill for 30 minutes. Drain, pat the shrimp dry and discard the brine.

3. While brining the shrimp, combine all the remaining ingredients except the bread in a small bowl.

4. Toss the shrimp with the sauce.

5. Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat until piping hot. Add shrimp and sauce to pot at cook until pink and opaque, about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Serve at once with sauce and fresh bread on the side.

Click here for printable recipe

Catfish Classique!

When you are married to a Southern man, catfish is one of those things that are inevitable in life. Personally I was a little afraid of catfish. I had this visual image in my head of a giant fish with whiskers, and for all I know, that is actually what catfish DO look like before they make it to the seafood counter at the supermarket. Or maybe they look like this.

Only with fins. One way or the other, I procrastinated as long as possible. And then one day I ran across this recipe, which involved both shrimp and vermouth cream sauce, along with some deep-frying, and I figured it was now or never. So off I went to Fairway, where catfish was on sale (yes!!) and picked some up. It looked like, well, fish. This recipe calls for coating the catfish in a milk/egg/flour batter and frying it until it is golden and beautiful. Then you quickly saute some nice big shrimp in garlic and butter, and finish up by whisking some vermouth, lemon juice and cream into the shrimp drippings until you have a gorgeous thick sauce. A little red pepper for some zing, and then you are ready to assemble. Catfish, topped with shrimp, topped with sauce, topped with some chopped scallions. I put some roasted string beans on the side, invited the grandparents for dinner and it was catfish time.

Guess what?

Here is how I felt after taking just one bite.

I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. Or an old cat. Or something. Or maybe the moral of the story is, cream sauce and deep-frying making everything right with the world. One way or the other, I'll be making this one again...give it a try. In the meantime, Happy New Year to all of you, and I'll be back next year. See you then!

CATFISH CLASSIQUE, from Southern Living Homestyle Cooking

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground red pepper
• 4 6 ounce catfish filets
• Vegetable oil
• 12 large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup vermouth
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Lemon wedges

1. Combine egg and milk in shallow dish until blended.

2. Combine flour, one teaspoon salt and one teaspoon red pepper in another shallow dish.

3. Dredge catfish in flour, then milk mixture, then flour again.

4. Pour two inches of oil into dutch oven or deep frying pan and heat to 375. Fry filets, two at a time, for six minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.

5. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and garlic and cook for 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp and keep warm.

6. Add vermouth to skillet, bring to a boil and cook one minute. Add cream, half of scallions, lemon juice, remaining salt and pepper and cook sauce 15 minutes or until thickened a little, stirring often.

7. Place catfish on plates, drizzle with sauce. Top with shrimp and sprinkle with remaining scallions. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve. Meow.

Click here for printable recipe.

Mussels Ravigote!

I am always SO excited when I go to a restaurant and see the following item on the menu:

"Moules Frite"

Because the translation of that is "mussels with french fries," and I adore mussels with french fries. I adore mussels in general, as you know if you have read this, and this, and this. So when you add french fries to the mix...well, you have me at hello.

This recipe goes a teeny tiny bit over my "done in 30 minutes or less or the Jacksons don't eat it" rule, but that is only because the fries need to cook for about 25 minutes to get to that wonderful crispy golden state of done-ness. And while they are cooking you can leisurely go about tossing together the super-simple mussels part of the recipe, which involves steaming them in a bath of white wine and clam juice, and putting together a mixture of onion, chopped pickles, herbs and mustard that gets tossed with the mussels once they were done. The Southern husband couldn't stop talking about how great the pickles were with the mussels. It's that whole salty seafood thing...it's fabulous.

And then of course you have the fries on the side as an extra added bonus. Baked in olive oil, tossed with coarse salt and parsley and parmesan cheese...need I go on? I guess so, since you are probably now wanting the recipe, if you are a mussel maniac like me. Here you go...

MUSSELS RAVIGOTE with PARMESAN FRITE, adapted from Cooking Light

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
1/4 cup sliced cornichons
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons capers
1 1/2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
48 mussels (about 2 pounds), scrubbed and debearded
2 baking potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch strips with skin left on
Olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper



1. Preheat oven to 500.
2. Toss potato strips with olive oil and lay on greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and toss, bake for another 15 minutes or until golden.
3. Meanwhile, combine first 9 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
4. Bring wine and clam juice to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add mussels; cover and cook 2 minutes or until shells open. Remove mussels from pan with a slotted spoon; discard any unopened shells. Keep warm.
5. Bring wine mixture to a boil over high heat; cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 15 minutes). Pour liquid over mussels. Add the cornichon mixture; toss.
6. Serve with parmesan frites and a bowl on the table for the empty shells.

Click here for printable recipe

Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Linguine with Goat Cheese Rounds

Okay, here's the best thing about this recipe. See that circle of cheese right above the shrimp? The one with the brown crunchy edge? That, my friends, is a warm, crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, little circle of goat cheese that has been dusted in bread crumbs, baked in the oven just until it is soft and wonderful, and then tucked into the middle of this pasta dish. So when you cut into it it falls apart easily and bits of warm goat cheese get all tangled up in the pasta as you twirl it around your fork....

Sorry. I got lost in a pasta dream for a second.

Anyway, this is a lovely, quick dinner that is great for both a weekend night or a special dinner for friends and family. The sauce is a speedy one made with fresh tomatoes, onion, a little garlic and shrimp. All you have left to do then is cook up some linguine, toss it with the sauce and some fresh slivered basil, pop a warm goat cheese round on each one, and there you have it. Elegant, easy, goat-cheesy perfection.

SHRIMP, TOMATO AND BASIL LINGUINE WITH GOAT CHEESE ROUNDS, adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 slice white bread
• 1 4 ounce package log-shaped goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 3 cups chopped plum tomatoes
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon red pepper
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups cooked linguine (12 ounces uncooked)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced basil

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Pulse bread in food processor to fine crumbs. Spread on baking sheet and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate and let cool.
3. Slice goat cheese into 4 rounds. Press each round into crumbs until coated. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato, water, sugar and pepper and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add shrimp and salt, cook 4 more minutes or until shrimp are done.
6. Add cooked pasta and basil to tomato sauce, toss to combine.
7. Divide among 4 plates, top with goat cheese round.

Click here for printable recipe