Arranged Seafood Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Happy Mother's Day...

Today we celebrate Mom. She does (and still does) so much for us. She's there when you need someone to talk to, supports you, and helps you no matter what. She may have given me life, but without her unconditional love I would never have known how to live. My mom is my best friend and I love her dearly. If I had been making her lunch today, I would have made this salad (she came over for dinner instead).

This arranged seafood salad takes a bit of time to make since everything needs to be chopped, but it's worth the effort, especially if it's for Mom. The shrimp and scallops are gently poached and then mixed with crab, avocado, green onions, dill, mayo, and sour cream. This seafood salad is creamy and fresh. I then arrange this on top of lettuce and surround it by grapefruit, jicama, radishes, and radicchio. Finally, I top the salad off with an easy grapefruit vinaigrette. Spoil Mom with this seafood salad. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 4
Salad
1/2 lb. Bay Scallops
1/2 lb. Medium Size Shrimp, peeled & deveined (tails off)
1 (8 oz.) Container Crab Meat, picked over for shells
2 Avocados, pitted & diced
3 Green Onions, sliced
2 T Fresh Dill, chopped
2 T Mayo
2 T Sour Cream
1 Head "Living" (or Boston) Lettuce
1 Grapefruit, supreme
1/2 Jicama, cut into match-sticks
6 Radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 Head Radicchio, chopped

Vinaigrette
1/2 Grapefruit, zest & juice
~1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Granulated Sugar
Salt & Pepper

Directions
Cook the scallops & shrimp: Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil. Add the scallops and shrimp and poach for 3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Pat dry.

Make the seafood salad: Combine the cooked scallops and shrimp to the crab, avocado, green onion, dill, mayo, and sour cream in a large bowl. Season with salt to taste, cover, and refrigerate.

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl combine the grapefruit zest and juice. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Add the sugar and a pinch each salt and pepper. Whisk again, taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Set aside.

Arrange the salad: On a large plate put 4 or 5 lettuce leaves down. Place a 1/4 of the seafood salad into the center. Then, arrange the grapefruit, jicama, radishes, and radicchio around the seafood salad. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Mexi-Cali Salad Bowls

easy peasy, lime squeezy

This quick Mexico-California fusion salad continues my spring salad rainbow series. I make this salad all the time. It's a great week night meal, if I'm cooking just for me, or have next to nothing in my refrigerator. We spent the weekend out of town with friends (and their new little girl Marilyn). So, I needed an easy dinner for tonight. This was just perfect.

This salad requires only 6 main ingredients: crushed blue corn chips, lettuce, onion, bell pepper, black beans, and cheese. But, it's so much better with spices and an array of toppings. I suggest chili powder, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder to spice things up. And, topping everything off with salsa, sour cream, sliced avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, and a lime. But, you can do whatever you want with this salad. That's one of the best things about it...the other is that it's delicious! Make this quick, easy, customizable, and tasty salad, here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
~ 2 C Blue Corn Chips, crushed
1-2 Heads Romain Lettuce, roughly chopped
1 T Canola Oil
1 Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 T Chili Powder
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Can Low-Sodium Black Beans, rinsed & drained
1 C Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Toppings: Salsa, Sour Cream, Avocado, Cilantro, Hot Sauce, and/or Lime Slices

Directions
Make the salad bowls: In 4 large bowls, divide the crushed blue corn chips and chopped Romain lettuce evenly. Set aside.

Cook the veggies: In a medium skillet add 1 T oil. Heat over med-high until very hot. Carefully add the onions and pepper. Sauté until soft and the onion begins to brown, 6-8 minutes. Add in the spices and cook another minute. Add the black beans, reduce the heat to low, and warm through.

Top the bowls: Once the veggies are ready, top the prepared bowls evenly with the mixture. Add the cheese and any (or all) toppings desired. Enjoy!

Wedge Salad with Creamy Shallot Dressing & Crispy Shallot Topping

veggie wedge salad

A traditional wedge salad is served with lots of bacon. Obviously, for me this isn't an option. But, I love everything else about a wedge, so for this post I've made a vegetarian friendly version. The star of my salad is arguably the crispy fried shallots, but the dressing is quite good too. If you haven't guessed, I'm focusing on shallots for this series of recipes.

With spring comes lots of different types of onions - green, chives, ramps, etc. Shallots are one of many, but they are the only ones that are purple! Of course, they don't uncover their beautiful light purple color until the skin is peeled away. This recipe calls not only for shallots, but also for a little red onion and chives. All other traditional wedge ingredients like iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and blue cheese are included. Make this veggie wedge salad even if you aren't a vegetarian, it's quite tasty. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
Wedge Salad
1 Head Iceberg Lettuce, core & cut into quarters
1 C Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1/4 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced
4 oz. Crumbled Blue Cheese

Creamy Shallot Dressing
1 Shallot, finely chopped
1/2 C Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 C Sour Cream
1/2 C Butter Milk
1 T Chives, chopped
1 T White Wine Vinegar
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Crispy Shallot Topping
Canola Oil, for frying
4 Shallots
2 T All-Purpose Flour
Smoked Salt (or Kosher)

Directions
Begin by heating a large skillet (suggest cast iron) filled halfway with oil to 350 degrees.

Make the dressing: Combine the shallot, yogurt, sour cream, butter milk, chives, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Whisk together and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Make the crispy shallots: Slice the shallots into thin rings. Separate the rings and put them in a bowl with the flour. Gently toss to coat. Shake off any excess flour and put half of the shallots into the preheated oil. Fry the shallots until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Don't over cook, they will become bitter. Remove the crispy shallots to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with the smoked salt. Repeat until all of the shallots have been fried.

Build the salad: Put one iceberg wedge on a plate cut-side up. Top with some of the dressing. Then, add the tomatoes, red onion, and blue cheese. Finally top with the crispy shallots and more black pepper. Serve with extra dressing. Enjoy!

Smokey & Spicy Vegetable Black Bean Soup

look past the gas...

Beans get a pretty bad rep. They make many of us gassy, so we avoid them. However, black beans are extremely good for you and shouldn't be avoided. They are high in protein and fiber, low in fat and cholesterol, and help support a healthy immune system by providing many other nutrients such as iron, folate, and antioxidants. Few other foods can provide even half as many health benefits. So, don't avoid these little gems, just take some Gas-X or Beano, and enjoy this soup.

My Smokey & Spicy Vegetable Black Bean Soup isn't only good for you, it's quite tasty. The chopped chipotle in adobo and sauce to give this soup it's signature flavor, both smokey and spicy. I suggest seeding the jalapeño, but the seeds can be left in for even more heat. Lastly, the cilantro adds a needed freshness at the end. Top the soup as you like with sour cream, avocado, lime juice, and/or hot sauce. Just enjoy it before the weather gets too warm. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 4
5 C Prepared Black Beans (~2 C Dried)
2-3 T Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Jalapeno, seeded & chopped
2 Carrots, peeled & diced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 Chipotle in Adobo, chopped + 1 T Sauce
1 C Cilantro, roughly chopped
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
Optional Toppings: Chopped Cilantro, Sour Cream, Sliced Avocado, Limes, and/or Hot Sauce

Directions
To prepare the beans: The night before, put 2 cups dried black beans in a pot and cover with water by an inch or two. Cover, refrigerate, and soak until ready to cook. The day of, drain the beans, put them back into the pot, and just cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer with the lid on. Cook until tender, about 35-40 minutes. Salt about 10 minutes before the beans are done cooking. Drain and set aside. You will end up with 5-6 cups cooked beans.

As the beans finish cooking, heat a large soup pot over med-high. Add 2-3 T olive oil and the veggies: onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño, carrots, and garlic. Sauté the veggies until tender, about 5 minutes.

Next add in the chipotle, adobo sauce, vegetable broth, and prepared black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 20-25 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and season to taste with salt & pepper.

Serve the soup topped as you like. I suggest more cilantro, sour cream, avocado, lime juice, and/or hot sauce (just in case the soup isn't hot enough for you). I also made a cheese quesadilla for dunking. Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili

ready when you are...

My parents-in-law were here this weekend and we were on the run most of the time. So, I had to pick a dinner for Saturday night that would accommodate our schedule. Of course, this series is all about my slow-cooker, so what could be more perfect? Nothing! As we enjoyed ourselves at the Burger Farms' pumpkin festival, dinner was cooking away.

This chicken chili is full of white beans, peppers, spices, and chicken of course. I don't eat chicken very often, but this chili is so good, I make an exception. This would be a great recipe to make for Halloween night - either for before or after trick-or-treat - as it sounds like it's going to be pretty chilly (no pun intended) here in Cincy. The next time you need dinner ready when you are, make this recipe. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6
1 T Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Jalapeno, minced
1 Rotisserie Chicken, skin removed & meat shredded
2 Cans (15oz.) No Salt Added Cannellini Beans, rinsed & drained
1 Jar (16oz.) Green Salsa
1 Can Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1 T Ground Cumin
1 1/2 tsp. Ground Coriander
1 tsp. Chili Powder
To Serve: Blue Corn Chips, Chopped Cilantro, & Sour Cream

Directions
Prepare your slow-cooker.

Sweat the veggies: In a skillet over med-high heat add the oil, onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Saute for 4-5 minutes, or until the veggies are softened. Remove from the heat and add to the slow-cooker.

Make the chili: Add the chicken, beans, salsa, broth, cumin, coriander, and chili powder to the slow-cooker with the sweated veggies. Cover and cook over low-heat for 7-8 hours or on high-heat for 3 1/2-4 hours.

Serve: When ready to enjoy, top with crushed blue corn chips, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream, if desired. I served this chili with manchego cheese corn muffins (recipe follows). Enjoy!

Manchego Cheese Corn Muffins
3 C Flour
1/2 C Sugar
1 C Corn Meal
2 T Baking Powder
1 1/2 C Whole Milk
1 Stick Unsalted Butter, melted & cooled
2 Eggs
1 C Manchego Cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients. Stir the wet mixture into the dry. Stir until just combined and then mix in the cheese. Scoop into the prepared cups, filling to the top. Bake for 30 minutes, until the tops are crisp and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly in the pan, then serve with the chili.

Grilled Fish Tacos w/ Fresh Peach Salsa

this recipe is just peachy-keen...

I visited my family in Huntington, WV this past weekend. I planned the trip in so that I could swim in my Papaul's pool one more time - he says this is the last time he'll be opening it but, we will see. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate (it was cloudy and a little cold) but, that didn't stop me. I still got in. It was fun to reminisce about the things we did (as kids) in that pool. So, many memories! One thing we always did on those summer days was cookout. So, in keeping with tradition, my husband and I made a big meal with the help of our family.

The star of the meal was my fresh peach salsa. Peaches, tomatoes, peppers, onion, and more are chopped up, mixed together, and served. I served this salsa with both grilled fish and pork and some other taco fixings. While I don't eat pork, I was told the rub I made (same as the fish with the addition of onion powder) was delicious. So, try this with what you like, even a chip will do. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 8-10
Peach Salsa
4 Peaches, peeled, pitted, & diced
4 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 Red Onion, fine diced
1 Jalapeno, seeded & fine diced
1 Chipotle in Adobo, chopped + 1 T sauce
1 Lime, juiced
1-2 tsp. Granulated Sugar

Grilled Fish & Fixings

1 T Smoked Paprika
1 T Chile Powder
1/2 T Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
6 Tilapia Fillets
Olive Oil
Corn/Flour Tortillas
Optional Fixings: Lime Wedges, Sour Cream, & Cilantro

Directions
Begin by making the salsa: Combine the peaches, tomatoes, red pepper, onion, jalapeno, chipotle, adobo sauce, lime juice, and sugar in a large bowl. Toss everything together and taste. As needed, adjust the sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Prepare the fish: In a small bowl combine the spices, salt, and pepper. Place the fish on a tray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle the spice rub on both sides and rub to coat the fish well. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Grill the fish: Meanwhile, heat the grill to med-high. Then add the fish and cook until opaque all the way through, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate, cool a bit, then cut into pieces. Grill the tortillas, if desired.

Assemble the tacos: On a tortilla place a few pieces of fish, 2-3 T peach salsa, sour cream, and cilantro, if desired. Serve with a lime wedge and your favorite Mexican sides. Enjoy!

Potato Pierogies with Caramelized Red Onions

pocket full of potato (and cheese) (topped with caramelized red onion)

While visiting family in Canton over the holidays we went to Gervasi Vineyard, a sprawling Ohio winery. With a gift shop, villa suites to stay in, a wine bar called "The Crush House", live music, meeting space, golfing, and of course a bistro restaurant this place is worth a visit if you are in the area. We visited the gift shop and restaurant. I was inspired by an appetizer we had there and have created my own version for this post.

Potato and cheese pierogies are fried, smothered in caramelized red onions, and served with sour cream.  This is an appetizer that requires a fork for sure. Pair with a sweet and spicy red wine, such as Gervasi's Zin Zin, and enjoy. Here's how to make these tasty potato pockets...

Ingredients - makes 12

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 C Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 T Red Wine Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

12 Potato & Cheese Pierogies (suggest Mrs. T's)

To Serve: Sour Cream topped with Chives

Directions

In a skillet over medium heat add 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and cook for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the onions cook monitor the heat and lower it as needed to prevent the onions from burning. As they cook the onions will reduce by half and become sweet by caramelization.

About 10 minutes before the onions are finished cooking, heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil and the pierogies in a single layer. Cook about 5 minutes on each side until warmed through and browned. Remove to a serving platter.

Finish the onions by deglazing the pan with the red wine vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top the pierogies with the onions and serve immediately. Serve with sour cream topped with minced chives. Enjoy!