Recipe: Sea Scallops With Lime & White Wine Sauce

This quick, easy, delicious dish makes a great "date night" or special occasion meal on a warm summer evening. Lime juice, garlic, and white wine make a delicate and tasty sauce for the mild sweetness of sea scallops, which go great with summer. You and your honey will be enjoying your special dinner in no time!

Scallops With Lime & Savory White Wine Sauce
(Serves 2.)

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 Tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
2 limes; one juiced, one halved and cut into thin slices
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 lb. sea scallops
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
cooked linguine or rice

Directions:

• Put butter in a saucepan along with garlic and cook over low heat until garlic is just fragrant and softened.
• Add white wine and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer, allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the juice of 1 lime to the saucepan, then add the cilantro, stir, remove from heat, cover and set aside.
• Prepare the scallops by putting them in a large bowl with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. 
• Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add scallops, cooking very quickly, stirring until golden brown on the outside and cooked through, about 3 or 4 minutes at the most.
• Add the lime slices and continue cooking, stirring, for 30 seconds longer, then turn this mixture into a large serving bowl and pour the sauce from the saucepan over the scallops, cover and let sit for a couple minutes.
• Serve over linguine or rice with the sauce poured over.

Recipe: Crock Pot Oregano Rubbed Lemon Chicken

Crock pots are great for summer cooking, as you can set your dinner to cook and go off and enjoy the beautiful summer weather, without slaving over a hot stove, or heating up the kitchen by running the oven for several hours.

This tasty and simple recipe combines the classic flavors of lemon and chicken. You'll have a tasty dinner the whole family will love all ready when you get back from the pool!

Crock Pot Oregano Rubbed Lemon Chicken
(Serves 6.)

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 lbs. chicken breast halves, boneless skinless
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup water
4 fresh lemons, squeezed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

• Mix together the oregano, salt, and pepper in a little bowl and then rub this mixture into the chicken.
• Put butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, and when butter melts and skillet is hot, set chicken in and brown it on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes each side. Remove the chicken and arrange evenly in the crock pot. 
• In the same skillet, add the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon, and bring this mixture to a boil, stirring to get up the browned bits from skillet, then immediately pour over the chicken in the crock pot.
• Cover and set crock pot to LOW and allow to cook for 6 to 7 hours. 
• 15 minutes before the end of cooking time, sprinkle parsley on top of the chicken, cover the crock pot and continue cooking the remaining 15 minutes.
• Serve with a side of rice or potatoes if desired.

Getting Creative With Fresh Pasta Ideas For Summer

There is something in the air when the first days of summer roll around. Everyone is excited to plan some fun, and some good eating!  The same standard pasta dishes we make all winter just won't do when the days are hot and the nights are balmy. It's time to get the creative juices flowing.  We need to think fresh, both in ideas and ingredients.

Let's take a look at how three simple ideas can help freshen up your time honored pasta traditions this summer.

Be Creative

Pasta salad with shrimp, chicken and vegetables (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If any food can be thought of as 'fun,' pasta would fit the bill. There is so much versatility with pasta that there is no reason to be stuck in the “same old, same old” mode.  For example, add some food coloring to the cooking water with the pasta. Experiment with this and have fun.  Boil several pots with different colors and create your own rainbow palate of pasta. Try different shaped pasta, but remember that the larger heavier pastas won't color as well as the smaller lighter styles.

For kids you might like to try this fun meal idea. Make a batch of green 'wagon wheel' pasta and toss together with diced fresh carrots to create a two color cold pasta dish kids will love. You might want to do a batch of red 'wagon wheel' pasta and toss with green sweet peas, flip-flopping the other color combination. Serve both cold pasta dishes and create an 'opposite day' meal. You might even get your kids to eat their vegetables when they're in a salad surrounded by colorful pasta. Of course you can buy tri-color pasta, but making it at home is a great way to provide a little entertainment for the kids, as well as provide a healthy meal.

Colors are certainly fun, but what about flavors?  We're not talking about buying pasta in different flavors.  We're talking about imparting flavor into the pasta from the liquid they're cooked in. Use good rich stock or broth, either chicken, or vegetable, or even beef. This is a great way to give pasta an extra flavor punch, but why stop there? Thin out some tomato juice with a little water and try that. How about lemon juice?

And don't forget that just by adding vegetables or fruit to the cooking water you will impart those flavors into the pasta. Spinach is the first one that comes to many people's mind, but don't stop there. Consider the entire produce section and have fun!  And why even stop there? What about wine or beer?  Who knows, maybe Guinness Spaghetti will be the next big hit with your friends.

Be Fresh

The rest of the year may be all about rushing around trying to keep our schedules straight, but during the summer, time just seems to slow down. We move a little slower, take time to enjoy the splendor of a beautiful day, consider our health and well being as top priority for a change.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Summertime is a great time to reconsider what we put into our pasta dishes. Sure, it may be super easy to buy a jar of pasta sauce, but why not take the extra time and create our own with fresh produce? After all, the ingredients are right there, hanging from the vine or fresh at the market.

Using fresh ingredients in our pasta dishes gives us a whole new outlook on our healthy eating habits.  Not only does it brighten up the dish, but cooking with fresh ingredients makes us feel strong and in control. We know we are eating right, and feeding our family right.

Be Safe

Food safety is a concern, always, but especially during the summer. The main culprit causing the concern is the food served at picnics and cookouts.  Pasta salads are a favorite, but since many of these dishes are made with mayonnaise, sour cream, or yogurt, they are naturally suspect in warm weather conditions.

Spoilage happens when these types of salads get warm sitting out on the picnic table. The best and simplest solution is to skip the creamy salads entirely. During the summer, opt for vinaigrette style dressings. These are the oil and vinegar type of dressing which are normally whisked together with other seasonings and ingredients that do not need constant refrigeration.  When creating your pasta salad to serve at a picnic, just keep this simple tip in mind:  if you wouldn't leave a particular ingredient on your kitchen counter, don't put it in your salad.

Even salads made with all spoil-resistant foods still need to be kept as cold as possible.  When transporting the salad, keep it in an insulated cooler with ice.  When you put the salad on the table, set it in a larger bowl or tray filled with ice, and keep the entire set-up covered with aluminum foil to hold in the cold.  With these few safety precautions, your salad will be safe to eat.  And with all your creativity, your salad will also be fun to eat.

During the warm summer months, as you are trying to think of something to bring to the picnic, consider a delicious pasta salad. Have fun with creative ideas, use fresh ingredients, and keep safety in  mind. With these three tips, you'll be able to enjoy a different fun pasta salad at every picnic!

Beat the Summer Heat with Crock Pot Cooking

Most areas of the country this summer are experiencing record-breaking heat - including here in Ohio. On days like these, there are few places you'd rather be than in a hot kitchen! There are many things you can do however, when it comes to cooking a nice home made meal that don't require traditional stove top or oven cooking. Learn to utilize some creative ways of cooking that don't heat up the house, such grilling out, or using the crock pot, in order to truly beat the summer heat and keep your cool while preparing a nice home-cooked meal for friends and family.

Oval Crock Pot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So, how does crock pot cooking really help beat the heat? Simply put, the crock pot in and of itself puts off far less heat when cooking than an oven or stove top. This is the first and possibly the best reason to utilize the crock pot in your summer meal planning. You should also consider the fact that by not heating the house by using your stove top or oven you are also preventing your air conditioning (or other cooling methods) from working overtime in order to compensate for the additional heat that other cooking methods introduce.

This makes crock pot cooking a win-win situation as the costs involved in operating a crock pot are far less than the costs involved in operating a stove or oven in general. Whether electric or gas, your stove and oven are often serious energy hogs. Add to that the fact that you are not raising the temperature in your home by traditional means of cooking and you are using even less electricity.

In general most people think of crock pots as designed for comfort foods and hearty winter meals. The truth is that the crock pot should be one of your best loved and most often utilized cooking methods if you can manage it. When it comes to cooking with a crock pot, the options are almost limitless. Almost anything that can be baked can be made in the crock pot and many, many more wonderful and enticing meals and treats as well.

The Benefits of Crock Pot Cooking

In addition to the cost benefits mentioned above, when it comes to crock pot cooking there are several other benefits that are well worth mentioning. First of all, the bulk of the work involved in crock pot cooking takes place early in the day when you are refreshed rather than at the end of a hectic work or play day. This means that you are less likely to forget an ingredient or make other mistakes that often occur as we hurriedly prepare a dinner when we are exhausted from the activities of our day.

Mongolian Beef with rice and noodles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Second, many great crock pot recipes include vegetables to insure we are getting the nutrients we need. So often, when preparing a meal at the last minute, vegetables and other side dishes are left out in favor of expedience. Crock pot cooking in many instances is a complete meal in one dish. Also, several recent studies have shown that meats cooked using slow, moist heat (like in a crock pot) are much healthier for you than grilled or fried meats. So using a crock pot to prepare meals may be a healthier way to go in general.

Another great reason to use a crock pot for your summertime cooking is the ease of clean up. Unlike pots and pans, most crock pot meals are made in one dish. This means that there will not be as many dishes to be either hand washed or loaded into the dishwasher (or if you are like me-both) afterwards. You can spend less time cleaning just as you spent less time slaving over a hot stove. Oh wait! Make that no time slaving over a hot stove.... Once clean up is complete you can get back to enjoying the sun set, chasing the lightening bugs with your little ones, or just waiting for the first star.

While there will never be a one-size-fits-all best cooking method, crock pot cooking comes very close. If you have a crock pot collecting dust somewhere in the back of your pantry it is time to get it out, dust if off, and dig up some great summertime crock pot cooking recipes. (Check back later this week for some ideas.)


Crock Pots Are Available in Many Different Sizes to Suit Your Family:
   

Recipe - Lime Ceviche - Fresh Summer Appetizer

If you've never made or had a ceviche before, this might sound a little odd, but if you're up for a taste adventure, give this one a try! If you're not familiar with ceviche, it is a cooking technique that uses an acid (such as lemon or lime juice) to "cook" the proteins in meat or fish, without actually cooking it. Typically it is used with fish, but it can also be used with some vegetables - such as kale, which is high in protein - I have a totally yummy recipe using kale from my CSA with lemon juice and honey - I'll share it sometime - it's soo good!  But I digress. :-)   Ceviche is a great dish for hot summer days - fresh, light, and it doesn't require use of the stove. Try this sparkling, fresh Southwest-inspired appetizer at your next barbeque - you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Fresh Lime Ceviche Appetizer

Ceviche (Photo credit: Magnus Bråth)

Ingredients: 

2 pounds fresh fish fillets, any firm white fish, like tilapia, cut in small dice
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut fine
1 red onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 cups lime juice, freshly squeezed (this will take about 15 or so medium size limes)

Directions:

• In a glass 9x13 baking pan, put all the ingredients except the lime juice and stir slightly to mix evenly into a layer.
• Pour the lime juice evenly over the contents, adding more lime juice if the fish is not completely covered with lime juice.
• Cover the dish with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Serve cold in a glass serving bowl with tortilla chips, crackers, or cucumber circles or celery stalks.

OR - for a fun buffet option, wash the limes and cut them in half lengthwise before squeezing them.  After squeezing the juice out, scoop out the pulp from the lime halves. Slice a tiny bit off the bottom to help the limes stand up, then arrange on a platter.  Fill with the ceviche and set platter on buffet. Each lime becomes a single serving size appetizer.

Recipe - Simply Elegant Cheesy Broccoli Quiche

Here's a tasty summer recipe - you can use fresh broccoli from your garden, and of course if you can find eggs from pastured hens these are the most nutritious and healthy.  If you checked out Monday's video on making your own mozzarella, it goes great in this simple and tasty dish. Quiches are great because they are pretty simple to make, but they are absolutely delicious, and you can pack them full of healthy veggies. Feel free to add or substitute vegetables in this one. Some other tasty additions could include spinach, asparagus, red bell peppers, mushrooms, and more. (Cook these in step 2 as directed below.)

Simply Elegant Cheesy Broccoli Quiche

Quiche. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie crust, 9 inch
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 small sweet onion, diced small
1 garlic clove, grated
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Gruyere cheese
4 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; put unbaked pie crust into 9 inch pie pan and set aside.
2. In large saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter, add broccoli and onion, stirring occasionally and cooking until just starting to get tender. 
3. Add garlic and, stirring, cook 1 minute longer.
4. Turn the broccoli mixture into the crust, then top with both cheeses.
5. In separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and melted butter; pour evenly into pie pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges and center of pie feels slightly firm. (A clean butter knife inserted into the center should come out mostly clean.)
7. Remove and cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve warm.

Video - Grilled Beer Can Chicken

If our last post had you hankering for some barbecue, here is an easy recipe for grilled chicken that will have you drooling! (Seriously, I think I almost wet the front of my shirt just watching the video - it looks THAT good.) The chickens are grilled whole, so plan to let them grill for a couple of hours, but the ingredients and preparation are drop-dead simple. This would be a great one for a weekend grill-out with the neighbors, friends, or just the family.

Enjoy, but be prepared for some serious chicken cravings after watching this!

Beer Can Chicken Barbecue by the BBQ Pit Boys
The BBQ Pit Boys show you how to barbecue up two tender and juicy 4lb. chickens on the grill, Beer Can Chicken Style. And, it's real easy to do. All you need for this barbecue chicken recipe favorite is two cans of beer (or water if you must), salad ...


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