Scallops with Bacon, Edamame and Creamy Grits

I must admit I have been very busy so sorry for the delay of recipes. However, I am back in action I mean in the kitchen! 


I have been trying to come up with a fresh new dish and I think I got it. I tried this dish with shrimp first but I prefer the plumpness and juiciness of the scallops.  I also used frozen peas the first time I made this but I always use frozen peas I wanted a different type of green, so I used frozen edamame (I just heated the frozen pods a bit and popped out the soybeans). The idea of using edamame came to me after having sushi at my favorite sushi place; I ordered Edamame as an appetizer. 


I make these creamy grits all the time for breakfast and for my shrimp and grits dish and with this pork dish I make as well. I was thinking initially to serve this over pasta but eating this dish with the grist just melt in your mouth! This is a colorful fresh meal which I am sure you will love! 


What you need:

• 2lbs of Scallops
• 4-5 slices of bacon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbl. of butter
• 2 finely chopped shallots
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 chopped red pepper
• 1 small bag of frozen edamame (shell if you cannot find them already shelled)
• 1/2 c. white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc) 
• 1 c. Grape tomatoes halved
• 6 leaves of thinly sliced fresh basil

First cook the grits:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup skim milk
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 c. regular uncooked grits

Bring the heavy cream, skim milk, salt and pepper and butter to a boil. Once Boiling reduce heat to low and add grits whisking constantly. Turn off heat and let stand covered, whisking occasionally. Note:  you may have to add milk or heavy cream to grits before serving to get the right consistency. 

I cooked my bacon in the microwave, until crispy. Reserve bacon drippings take bacon and crumble and set aside. 

Season scallops with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Heat bacon fat over medium high heat until it's hot. Sear scallops for 3 min. on each side. Set aside

Add about 2 tbl. of butter to the pan add shallots and garlic. Saute till they are soft. 

Add the red bell pepper and edamame. Cook for about two minuets. Add wine and deglaze pan by scrapping the particles off the bottom of the pan. 

Season to taste, add tomatoes, bacon and cook till they are soft not mushy. Return scallops to the pan cook for 1 min.  Remove from heat and sprinkle in basil. 

Serve over creamy grits. 

Yummy! 

Crabmeat and Lobster Stuffed Manicotti

Valentine's Day is right around the corner last year I made baked lobster tails and the year before that I made manicotti I decided I liked them both so why not combine them, but nix the tomato sauce for a Béchamel sauce and add crabmeat AND lobster to the mix! MMMMM Perfect sexy Valentine's Day Dinner! Lets get started!


What you need:

• 6 tbl of butter
• 5 tbl. flour
• shallot, minced
• pad of butter
• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese
• 4 c. milk of if you dare Heavy Cream (it's what I used in the test kitchen)
• 1 lb. Manicotti cooked
• 8 oz of lump crabmeat
• 4-8 oz of lobster tails (if you cannot find it freshly prepared in the seafood section then buy the tails and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10-15 min with a bit of butter let cool and chop) 
• 1/8 teas. Freshly grated nutmeg
• 15 oz. ricotta cheese (I used whole milk cut calories by using part skim)
• Parsely for garnish
• salt (very very little), pepper, and cayenne pepper, Babineaux Seasoning (if you have)
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• Fresh Lemon Juice (half a lemon) 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot cook manicotti in boiling water, cook til "al dente" which means to cook until firm but not hard.  Set Aside. 

In a med large saucepan. Melt butter on med. high heat add one tabl. of flour at a time stirring briskly to dissolve after each addition. 

Pour in milk or heavy cream one cup at a time and whisk briskly so that sauce is smooth there should be no lumps. Whisk quickly and briskly after each addition, remember no lumps. Lower heat and add nutmeg. Continue to stir. Add 4-6 grinds of the pepper mill and a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper. Congrats you made Béchamel sauce but we will add cheese for this recipe. Stir, lower heat and stir in 1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese. Set aside and stir occasionally. 

In a large skillet heat on med high heat a pad of butter saute shallot and garlic set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl add lobster, crabmeat, lemon juice, ricotta cheese, shallot and garlic mixture, pepper and cayenne pepper. Combine, I used a big fork it helps break up the fresh lump crabmeat (please don't use artificial crabmeat) 

Take a 13 X 9 baking pan. Pour one half of the Béchamel sauce in the middle of the dish. 

Take the cooked and cooled Manicotti and stuff with the crabmeat mixture. I used my hands and took a little bit of the crabmeat mixture at a time and pushed into the manicotti. Don't worry if the manicotti is flattened a bit the the stuffing will puff it up. Also don't fret if the pasta breaks you can turn the torn side facing the béchamel sauce at the bottom of the baking dish. Stuff until you have filled the baking dish. 

Top the stuffed manicotti with the rest of the sauce and bake for 20 min. Until bubbly. 

Sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley, fresh ground pepper and parmesan cheese. Serve hot!!!! 

This dish is simply amazing I served to my mom and step-dad and they loved it! 

Serve with these fresh colorful side dishes, sugar snap peas and berry summer salad!  YUMMY!!! 

Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Grape Tomatoes

This is the perfect side dish to accompany Cornish Hens, Baked Chicken or Fish, Crab and Lobster Stuffed Manicotti. 

• Sugar snap peas
• grape tomatoes
• pepper
• olive oil or a pad of butter
• Spinach 

Over medium high heat, heat 1 tbl. of butter when butter is hot add grape tomatoes and sugar snap peas and 2 grinds of your pepper mill,  and saute until the tomatoes are shiny and starting to burst. Serve immediately. 

YUMMY!!!! 

Berry Summer Salad

I know summer isn't here but I figure if I eat summery then perhaps summer will come faster! OR maybe not wishful thinking I suppose. This salad goes perfect alone or topped with chicken, or shrimp. Or served along salad BBQ! 


What You need: (Measurements for this is eye-balled) 

• Spinach leaves
• blueberries
• Sliced strawberries
• Chopped pecans
• feta cheese
• Poppy seed dressing

Toss ingredients in and bowl and top with poppy seed dressing! 

Nice and Light Spicy Chicken Tomato Soup

I love tomato bail soup I am constantly ordering the one from Jason's Deli. Durning the wintry weekend we had in North Carolina I decided to combine my favorite two things tomato basil soup and baked chicken. I didn't want to spend all day boiling a chicken so I took a short cut. 


What to get:

• 2 chicken thighs and 4 chicken legs (seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and paprika rub in to chicken) 
• 4 c. Chicken Broth (Low Sodium) 
• 1 tbl. Olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 6 Fresh Basil Leaves chopped
• 2 stalks of celery chopped
• 1 can condensed tomato soup (Campbell's) 
• 1 teas. oregano
• salt (very little) and pepper to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teas. of Cayenne pepper 
• 1 Quart Organic Tomato Soup 

In a baking dish bake seasoned chicken.

 Set oven to 400 degrees bake for 30 minutes flip chicken pieces and bake for another 30 minutes remove from oven and set aside. 

In a large dutch pot (preferably Martha Stewart's) heat 1 tbl. of EVO and saute onions till transparent. 

Add chicken broth, bay leaves, celery, and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 5-8 min. Bring to a simmer. The smell of this cooking will be so intoxicating! Season with pepper and 1 teas of oregano. Add can of condensed tomato soup stir and let simmer. 

Let simmer for about 30min then add the baked chicken. You can take the chicken off the bone if you would like or you can just throw the chicken pieces in bone and all; thats what I chose to do this time around.  

Add the Tomato soup to the broth and chicken. Add chopped fresh basil and 1 teas. of cayenne pepper, cover and let cook on med. high heat for about 30-45 min until the meat of the chicken is falling off the bone. Stir occasionally. 

Then serve!!!! MMMMMM Warm Spicy and delicious!!!! Just what I needed for this cold weather. 

Serve with a side salad or bread or this little kicked up bread, it's in keeping with the theme of the soup: 

Tomato Basil Bread: 

• 1 Arnold Sandwich Thin
• 1 tbl. of Chopped fresh Basil 
• 1 tbl of Parmesan Cheese
• Tomato slices
• 1-2 Skinny slices of Goat Cheese
• 1 teas. Olive Oil 

Preheat Broiler to high. Separate the top and bottom pieces of bread and brush each one with a little olive oil. Place 1-2 slices of goat cheese on top of the olive oil. 

 Top with tomato slices any kind of tomatoes you have, I used grape.  Top tomatoes with bail and then parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with two grinds of your pepper grinder. Place in oven for 5 min. Serve hot! 

YUMMY!!!!! 

Daddy's Doughnuts

My dad usually made breakfast every morning and it was usually pretty hearty and everyday it was something different. These doughnuts were my favorite thing he made, I looked forward to mornings where these little yummy balls greeted me at the breakfast table. 


Since I have been snowed in all weekend I decided to make his doughnut treats for my neighbors. These are perfect if you are babysitting I promise kids will love you for life or it works as a great brunch recipe as well or anytime you want a quick yummy treat!!! My dad used to serve them glazed with eggs and bacon, I have added a few more options to make them even more fun!!!!! 


What you need: 

• 10 pack can Pilsbury of Grands Jr. Golden Layer Biscuits 
• 1/2 c. Powdered Sugar 
• 2-4 tbl of Water
• Semi-sweet Chocolate Morsels
• Good Can of Carmel or Homemade Carmel
• Good bottle of Strawberry or Raspberry syrup (Or homemade syrup) 
• Vegetable Oil enough for frying

This a quick dish has great presentation. I recommend using really good carmel, chocolate and strawberry syrup. You can buy these at small specialty shops like Parker and Otis in Durham or Whole Foods. If I don't make it I buy it organic and homemade from local shops. Barefoot Contessa has a really good melted chocolate sauce as well and Deluce De Leche sauce too.

In a med to large sauce pan pour enough oil (halfway to top) and heat over med high heat. Take biscuits one by one from can and cut into four pieces, do this with all biscuits.  Set aside.

While waiting for oil to heat up prepare dipping sauce and glaze. For glaze take 1/2 c. of powdered sugar and place into bowl. Add water by the tbl. to sugar stir after each water edition until you have a consistency that will allow you to drizzle very easily. Set aside. 

Melt about 1/4 c. chocolate morsels either using a double broiler or in the microwave in 30-sec. intervals stirring in-between each 30 sec time interval, it should only take 1 min. Place into ramekin and set aside. Heat carmel in another ramekin and set aside. Pour raspberry or strawberry sauce into a third ramekin and set aside.

When oil is hot, drop a few pieces of biscuit dough and fry till they float up, then flip to the other side and fry until brown, remove from heat and drain on a paper toweled plate. Drizzle immediately with glaze.  Cover with foil paper to keep warm. Continue to fry, flip, and glaze little doughnuts until done.  Serve immediately with side sauces.  This makes about 40 little doughnuts! 

P.S. believe it or not these yummy little treats are also good at room temperature too so if they sit out durning the day it's okay they only get better! YUM!!!!!