Thursday, December 15, 2011

Shrimp Stuffed Peppers


The Bake picked up some stuffed peppers from a local Mexican restaurant that is very popular. I don't have their recipe but this is my attempt to recreate these addictive little guys. Soon as I took this photo, the Bake was ready for another round of them.
12 little peppers (yellow) triangle cut at stem with a slit down the front to take out ribs and seeds.
24 medium shrimp (uncooked)
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Alfie's seasoning
1/2 lime, zest
1/2 cup Mexican blend cheese, grated (or Cheddar)
soy sauce
mayo
Grill the peppers until lightly charred and cooked, then set aside.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Toss shrimp with olive oil, garlic, seasoning and put on a lined baking sheet. Bake until no longer pink. Toss with lime zest. Slice shrimp and put in a bowl and mix with cheese. Stuff pepper with shrimp mixture and broil until lightly browned on top.
Serve with sliced lime, and cilantro, if desired. Soy sauce and mayo on the side. (I know it sounds odd but so tasty!)

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Pear and Pomegranate Crisp


Late fall and we are grateful for the beautiful red jewel pomegranate seeds. The Bake used to have the messy job of cleaning the pomegranates but now you can purchase the seeds packaged at Trader Joe's. We enjoy them in salads, on yogurt and in Champagne. They look so festive. Our northwest Bartlett pears are also a treat, especially with some blue cheese or warm gingerbread. And since the Bakes favorite dessert is some kind of a crisp, this is a perfect pairing.
the base:
4 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and diced
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons flour (I used gluten free)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup pomegranate seeds

the crisp topping:
2/3 cup oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
6 gingersnap cookies, crushed (Trader Joe's gluten free)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly butter 6 ramekins.
Toss the ingredients in the base together and set aside.
In another bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, crushed cookies, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter and vanilla and cut into mixture until crumbly.
Add base filling to each ramekin and top with crisp topping. Place ramekins on a baking sheet in oven and bake about 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Top with ice cream if desired.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Scallop BLT's


1 dozen sea scallops
2 ounces pancetta, cooked
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup micro-greens
1/3 cup mayo mixed with 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

Wash and dry scallops well. In a lightly oil heated pan, cook scallops about 2 minutes on each side until opaque. Slice each scallop almost in half and stuff with pancetta, tomato, micro-greens and mayo.
skewer with toothpick and serve