Yummy Horizons

Well... delving deeper into my thought of starting my own jam/jelly business has really provided me with more ideas and ways of expansion. At the current moment, I am toying with the thought of going to culinary school. I realized this week that I actually love cooking, anything. I didn't "like" it before because I didn't try. Of course having a full time job, a 4 year old in Pre-K and a husband recovering from kidney transplantation didn't leave much time for cooking. In the past week alone, I have cooked more and better than I ever have before.

Friday night I didn't know what to do for dinner... so I got to pulling things out of my freezer & realized that I had some sea scallops. I had just recently purchased (on sale for $1.50) a bag of peeled and de-veined shrimp from publix, pre-cooked and ready to add to salad or any other dish you might like to make. So I got onto Food Network's website and checked around for a few sea scallop recipes that included pasta and garlic (two things I always have in the house). I came across one recipe by Chef Robert Irvine that sounded incredible and decided to give it a whirl. Here is the link to the original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robert-irvine/shrimp-and-scallops-in-garlic-cream-sauce-recipe/index.html.

There were a couple of things I didn't have from his recipe so I had to substitute them... the reviews were fantastic either way! Here is my version of Chef Robert's Shrimp and Scallops in Garlic Cream Sauce:

Canola Oil
3 heaping tablespoons minced garlic
1/3 large onion, diced
2 cups white wine (I used a Reisling)
Parsley (dried... the kind you find in the spice aisle)
Italian Seasoning
2 cups of heavy cream
1 1/2 lbs sea scallops (about 20-25 scallops)
20-25 shrimp (as stated previously, I used the kind you can find in the freezer section of your grocery store, pre-peeled, de-veined, pre-cooked... no tails)
1 lb cooked spaghetti noodles
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Add enough canola oil to coat the bottom of a large saute (frying) pan, add the minced garlic and diced onion. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, to allow the garlic and onion to infuse the oil... also allowing the onion to become translucent. Add the white wine, parsley and italian seasoning (I just eye-balled the seasoning... my husband likes a lot of flavor, so I would say I used at least 2 tsp to 1 tbsp of each). Allow the mixture to reduce by half and then using a fine strainer, drain the liquid from the onion and other solids. Move the strained sauce into a clean sauce pan and add the heavy cream. Allow to cook over low heat, to thicken the mixture. In the previously used saute pan, pour enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and add the scallops and shrimp. Cook until the scallops are opaque and are done. Once your sauce has thickened, add the cooked scallops and shrimp and stir lightly. Add the sauce mixture to your spaghetti and toss to coat the noodles. Add parmesan cheese to the top of your dish (if using) and serve.

That was my first major success of this week... the second is a very southern recipe that dates back to well before I was even born. Those old recipes always seem to be the best, don't they? This is one dessert that will be a constant in my house! This time I used a store bought pie shell that I rolled into my pie dish... next time its 100% homemade, all the way!

Buttermilk Pie

1 uncooked pie shell
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 pinch salt
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp corn starch

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light. Add beaten eggs and beat together with sugar mixture, then beat in the vanilla. Sift the flour, corn starch and salt together into a small bowl. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the buttermilk and beat until smooth. Pour filling into the uncooked pie shell (using a "deep dish" pie plate is recommended... this is a good amount of filling). Bake the pie at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then add foil to the edges of your pie plate to prevent over-browning your edges and reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake for an additional 50-55 minutes. Remove pie and allow to cool on the counter for approximately 1-2 hours before serving, allowing the filling to set properly.

My grandmother and great grandmother made a variation of this pie... it was called a Cornmeal Pie. You used cornmeal instead of flour and plain milk instead of buttermilk. Either way its an inexpensive and simple option to making a very delicious pie!

With all of these yummy recipes coming out of my kitchen now, I can't wait for summer... when the amazing harvests will come in from the vegetable garden, berry patches and orchard! This year has some amazing food in store and my palate is just dying to taste all of the different variations I can conjure!

The next recipes I have to conquer... Baked Oysters and Crab Cakes for my husband's Valentine's Day dinner and Salmon glazed with Blackberry Juice and Ginger (possibly) for our 8 year Anniversary!

Too bad that I personally don't eat seafood or fish... because as you can see I enjoy cooking with it! Food to me isn't about personal preference, it is about making people happy. If your food doesn't make you happy and make you feel good... what is the point in eating it at all?