Shrimp with Orange and Tequila

On today’s menu we have Camarones con Naranja y Tequila, also known as, Shrimp with Orange and Tequila.

This is a coastal Mexican dish consisting of garlic, onions, serrano chiles, cilantro, lime juice, and orange zest. The orange zest was dipped into boiling water and then immediately plunged into cold water to remove any bitterness, leaving only the sweet citrus flavor.

After the shrimp were cooked, I poured about 1/4 cup of Tequila over them and used a long match to light it and let it burn off. I then added more lime juice and served the dish over a bed of steamed white rice.

And of coarse, an authentic Mexican dish cannot be served without either a Corona and lime or a Jarritos! I chose the Jarritos because I personally think that Corona is overrated and tastes like it came out of a Mexican prison sewer drain.

Spicy, tangy, shrimp-goodness!

-Johnny

Spaghetti with Sauteed Onions, Feta, and Herbs

Todays recipe came, once again, from Giada De Laurentis. I was looking to use up some near-expiration feta, and had been on the lookout for an easy spaghetti recipe for quite some time. I was struck by how few ingredients this one had, and the many rave reviews the recipe received. It was indeed very simple and flavorful, just as the reviews promised, but I’m not sure I’d make it again; however, it’s a great recipe if you happen to have Meyer lemon olive oil on hand, and need to use up some feta cheese. Make sure to splurge on the good stuff oil-wise, the lemon flavor is what really holds the dish together.

Spaghetti with Sauteed Onions, Feta, and Herbs

couresy Giada De Laurentis’ Everyday Italian

1 pound spaghetti
4 tablespoons Meyer lemon olive oil (recommended: Da Vero)
2 large red onions, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings
2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
8 ounces feta cheese, cubed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes adding salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the marjoram, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and toss with enough reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten. Toss with the feta cheese. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to bowls and serve.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, even though Johnny and I failed to do a Thanksgiving related post!

-Mel

This week in wine: Gewurztraminer

This week in wine we have a Gewürztraminer from the Alsace-Willm vineyards, 06.

Of coarse, this wine is from Alsace, France. It is however a German grape. Wines that are from this region and are of Germanic influence are known as ‘Vin D’Alsace’. This mostly includes Gewürztraminer and Rieslings.

The nose was reminiscent of citrus and flowers. The taste was in agreement adding a nice kick of tartness and crisp acidity, this due to the late harvest of the grapes.

Overall this was a pretty decent bottle. I would pair it with a spicy asian food. I love asian food!

$18 at Central Market

-Johnny

Pumpkin Pie

I have a confession to make: until about 2 weeks ago, I’d never had pumpkin pie. Since all the females in my family are chocolate obsessed, all our holiday desserts are generally chocolate based. When Johnny found this out, his jaw dropped, and then he proceeded to bring one to a Halloween party we attended so I could try some. And boy, oh boy did I love it.

In fact, I liked the taste so much, the next day I knew I had to make one. I kept reading rave reviews about the simple recipe on the back of the Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin can, so I decided to give it a shot. The only changes I made were to use nutmeg instead of cloves, and I used fat-free evaporated milk (which is probably good, considering I bought the 28 oz can of pumpkin by mistake, so clearly I had to make two pies). The result was an unbelievably delicious, low fat dessert. Granted, I immediately ruined the “low fat” part by making a fresh batch of whipped cream to go on top. What can you do.

LIBBY’S® Famous Light Pumpkin Pie

adapted from the back of the Libbys 100% Pure Pumpkin can

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fl. oz) fat free evaporated milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell.

Bake the pie in a preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

*The original recipe uses cloves, I just personally like nutmeg better

I think I may have found a suitable substitute for chocolate desserts; who’d have thunk it!

-Mel

P.S. Someone send me new plates, please.

Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

On today’s menu we have a pan seared sea scallop on a nest of angel hair pasta, accompanied by a roasted red bell pepper sauce.

The sauce is comprised of roasted red bell peppers, skins removed, then pureed. Cayenne pepper, sour cream, salt, parsley, and lemon zest/juice are also included. It’s got a great sweetness to it that really complimented the scallops natural sweetness.

The wine paired with this dish was another bottle of the Cottage Road Chardonnay that I picked up a few weeks ago. It also would have done well with a Riesling or Gewürztraminer to play off of the mild spiciness, but just make sure they aren’t too fruity or they will take away from the delicate taste of the scallops. That’s why a nice crisp and dry chardonnay hits the spot!

I love how it turned out!

-Johnny

Salmon with Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus

I enjoy a love-hate relationship with Paula Deen. The woman’s voice drives me bonkers, and her unnatural obsession with butter makes my stomach churn; however, she certainly makes good food. I’ll even admit to watching episode upon episode of her show, and finding her strong Southern accent and giggle occasionally charming. I also have a love-love relationship with asparagus and carbohydrates, so when I saw her making phyllo wrapped asparagus, I decided to use them as a side dish with salmon for dinner.

They look good, yes. I could barely wait to delve into them and am sad to report I was terribly disappointed with the result. They proved to be good indeed, but certainly did not meet my expectations. I noticed the recipe lacked seasoning of any kind, but I went against my better judgment and made them as written. The taste of the cheese did not come through as much I would have liked, but that may just be because I flat out did not use enough of it. Who knows.

If you added some salt and pepper these would be great! As is, the recipe lacks a certain flair, tastes somewhat bland, and probably isn’t worth the struggle with temperamental phyllo dough.

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus
from Paula’s Home Cooking

9-10 asparagus spears, depending on size
1/2 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste*

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Unwrap the phyllo and cut the stack in half lengthwise. Reserve 1 stack for later use. Cover the phyllo with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Take 1 sheet of phyllo and brush lightly with some melted butter. Sprinkle with some Parmesan. Place 2 to 3 asparagus spears on the short end of the sheet. Season with a pinch salt and pepper.* Roll up, jelly-roll style. Place each piece, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with more Parmesan. Repeat until all the asparagus spears are used up. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

*You will be sorry if you don’t.

Serve up with your favorite preparation of salmon, if you’re me.

-Mel

This week in wine: White Bordeaux

This week we have a White Bordeaux from the Chateau Tour de Mirambeau Reserve 05′ produced by Despangne.

The first thing I noticed about this wine was the cork. Yes the cork. It was very soft, almost foam like. Cheap. I opened the bottle on two separate occasions and the second time the cork actually fell apart and into the wine. Not good.

The color was a translucent gold, very clean. I’m not sure if it was necessarily appetizing, because some how it reminded me of the way a coke looks when you leave it out with melted ice. Flat and watery I suppose.

The nose was reminiscent of honey, melon, a bit grassy, and a petrol back end. The taste however was a mixture of lemon and crisp match stick, with a hint of floral on a tight finish. I kind of expected the petrol/matchstick profiles being that it was 12% alcohol by volume. Crisp/dry/acidity wines are usually from 10% on up. The bite of the c/d/a combo was very dominate which is probably also due to the fact that its a Sauvignon Blanc hybrid - the Sémillon being responsible for the floral end. Bordeaux!

Overall, I did not like this wine. It was better the second time, but not by much. But! Everyone has different tastes.

$17 at Central Market.

-Johnny