Eggs & Hash Browns for Dinner

This post is for my darling friend Anne and her lovely daughter Grace!

As observed, this meal fits in an iron* skillet! After preparing stovetop it is finished in the oven! The combination was inspired by Cindy Petters from Hidden Pond Farm in the Finger Lake region. You can peek at an article about Cindy in Where Women Cook on page 40 or buy the fall edition.

Using an oven safe skillet brown thinly sliced small red potatoes in olive oil on med-hi heat. Be sure the potatoes are nearly cooked before moving to the next step. Sprinkle with paprika, salt & pepper. Make as many spaces as needed to melt a pat of butter and drop an egg. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Remove & sprinkle with favorite cheese (coarsely grated), green onions, and parsley. P< enjoys bacon so The RQ added a few yummy slices of Hickory Smoked. This dish can be tweaked in many ways. Just peek in the fridge and in the garden for fresh ingredients and ENJOY!

* An iron cast skillet is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment for the cook!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Roasted brussels sprouts, root veggies, marinated 'shrooms, popovers, cranberry sauce,  Spinach-Artichoke stuffing, and turkey roulade made a scrumptious feast for this year's Thanksgiving meal. Plenty of vegan dishes for CC and turkey for our meat lovers! We hope ALL of you enjoyed a leisurely & festive day with family and friends enjoying delicious eats and good company!

Seared Scallops & Chestnut Soup

Really, all it takes is a little butter in a skillet on the stove and The RQ is a happy woman! Sea scallops are a favorite and cook in just a few minutes! A sprinkle of Hungarian paprika and they're ready to eat! In this dish I followed Rachel Allen's recipe adding slices of Clementine oranges, brussels sprouts and bacon; a positively lovely combination.

As for the soup, chestnuts are in season so, why not! Prepare the nuts (4 cups) by first cutting a healthy "X" on the flat side of the nut. Roast the nuts in their shells in a 250F oven for 5-10 minutes . They pick up just enough moisture to easily peel the shell and skin and not burn your fingers;-) Be sure to leave the nuts in the oven while working in small batches to peel & skin. Dice/chop veggies & saute: yellow onions, carrots, & parsnips. Add chestnuts and sprinkle with cayenne & salt to taste. Deglaze with a little cream sherry then add chicken stock (6 cups). Adding a bunch of fresh thyme while cooking the soup lends a wonderful aroma and flavor emphasizing the earthiness of this hearty soup. Remove the thyme and puree with an immersion blender. When plating, add a dollop of heavy cream and sprig of fresh thyme to each bowl. For The RQ, this soup was surprisingly delicious!

Dinner in "a snap" - Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi, a tried and true favorite. Butter with a healthy sprinkle of red pepper flakes and smashed garlic is my preferred way to saute shrimp. A bit of white wine to deglaze the skillet is a lovely touch. Lemon juice is also nice if you prefer not to have the wine. You can also choose to use both! Boil up some linguine or fettucini, al dente and presto, dinner is ready. For your side veggie, simply add red pepper flakes and garlic to melted butter or olive to quickly saute your chopped chard. Your favorite sharp Italian cheese and freshly chopped parsley, salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and dinner is served.

Shopping List

shrimp, uncooked, fresh or frozen
parsley/basil, fresh
swiss chard
lemon
white wine, cooking/drinking (1/3 cup)
butter/olive oil (4 Tblsp/shrimp+desired amount to toss with pasta)
red pepper flakes (1 tsp)
Sharp Italian grating cheese: Asiago, Fontinella, Parmesan, Romano
black pepper
salt

Dinner in "a snap" - New England Clam Chowder

The key to this rich chowder is PanaPesca's frozen clam meat. The RQ's latest find, rather P<'s find because he did the shopping;-)! As you can see from the photos the clam meat was scrumptious!

New England Clam Chowder
(recipe & shopping list)

PanaPesca Baby Clam Meat in their Natural Juices, frozen (1 pound - 300-500 pieces)
Clam Juice (32 oz)
Cream Sherry (1/3 cup)
Heavy Cream (6-8 oz)
Butter 4 Tblsp (for sauteing the veggies)
Flour (3 Tblsp)
Yellow Onion
Leeks
Gold Potatoes
Red Pepper
Thyme (dried/fresh)
Red Pepper Flakes
Fresh Parsely

Melt butter in a dutch oven over med-hi heat. Add flour stirring constantly until the color reaches a medium-dark brown; making a roux*. The RQ does not make this roux as deep in color/flavor as in the etouffee dish. Next add chopped/diced veggies, red pepper flakes and dried thyme (if using fresh thyme add after liquids are added to the pot); be sure to keep veggies moving so they don't stick. Then deglaze with sherry. Gradually stir in 8 oz of the clam juice to incorporate the liquid into the roux. Add remaining juice and clams with their juices. Cover the pot and continue heating the soup over med-hi heat another 10-15 minutes. Remove lid, add cream and fresh parsley. Salt to taste. Enjoy!

*If you feel roux is too thick add more butter till desired consistency is reached.