Panko Crusted Prawns with a Cilantro Corn Crema

The prep time is much greater with this recipe but definitely worth it!  After breading the prawns, I baked them along with thin slices of rutabaga.  After saucing the plate with my cilantro corn crema, I placed each prawn on top of the rutabaga .

Directions:

2 turnips (rutabaga) sliced into thin rounds

1 pound large prawns

Yucca flour

Panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons milk ( I used organic soy milk)

1 egg

Cilantro Corn Crema:

2 handfuls fresh cilantro

1 small shallot

3/4 ounces orange juice

3/4 ounces soy milk

2 slices pancetta

1 very small jalapeno pepper, seeded

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt

Olive oil and seasoning  ( for the rutabaga slices)



Coat prawns in yucca flour, egg, then panko crumbs.

Bake prawns and rutabaga slices at 450 for 12 minutes.  Remove prawns. Turn up the heat to broil and continue to cook the rutabaga slices until they are brown and crisp. 

Puree all crema sauce ingredients in food processor. Bring to a boil in sauce pan and reduce heat while prawns and rutabaga slices are baking.

Pearl Couscous with Fresh Mint

I love pearl couscous!  The consistency reminds me of tapioca beads.  I can't wait to try different recipes using this type of couscous. 

Follow the directions on the box or packet of couscous adding all of the below ingredients.  I squeezed the remaining  juice from the orange before serving.


1 bag plain pearl couscous

1/2 cup dried raisins or currents

 2 cups water

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup pistachios chopped

2 fresh sprigs of mint

orange zest

juice from a freshly squeezed navel orange

1 shallot chopped

salt

Serves 4

Stuffed Mussels

(click on pictures to enlarge)

Baked and stuffed with mussels and scallops and topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. 

Ingredients:

1 shallot finely chopped

2 teaspoons  basil pesto

1/2 pound fresh mussels

12 to 15 small scallops

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoon's marsala wine

1 piece of pancetta from the deli (sliced)

salt and pepper

serves 2

 
First put mussels in a pot of cold water and bring to the boil. When they open, drain and set aside to cool.   Remove the meat and chop up the mussels and scallops. Save half of each shell to later fill with your mixture.  Heat up your  sauce pan with the olive oil, pancetta, shallots and salt and pepper.  Saute for 2 minutes and then add the Marsala wine and cook for 1 minute more.  Add the pesto, scallops and mussels and cook for 3 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 450 and place rack on the first shelf close to the burner.  Stuff your mussel shells with the mixture and place cheese on top.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.  I didn't have a lemon on hand and would have like to squeeze fresh juice over them before serving.

Pasta with Clams in a Marsala Wine Sauce

This is an easy throw together meal.  I didn't have lemons or white wine so I came up with my own version of linguine with clam sauce.  I don't think I will ever make it the other way again!

Ingredient's:

1 plum tomato diced

package of clams, drained

4 tablespoons olive oil


1/4 cup marsala wine


3 tablespoons tapenade

2 shallots

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

fresh basil for garnish

serves 2

8 ounce bag of organic fusilli pasta

Saute shallots, tomato and tapenade for 2 minutes with a little olive oil.   Add in clams and stir.  Turn up to medium high heat and add the Marsala and reduce.  Serve over pasta and garnish with Parmesan cheese and basil.

Lemon Roasted Chicken and Okra with Mashed Rutabaga

Oooo-wee, this was a tasty meal.  I marinated my chicken for a day and it was unbelievably tender.
 I used canned rutabaga that I doctored up to save prep time.  I started my meal on the stove-top browning my chicken on each side and then adding the okra and transferring to the oven.  I baked everything at 375 for 8 more minutes and then removed the chicken.  I continued to cook the okra for another 10 minutes pr until tender. 

Ingredients

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Okra

Boneless skinless chicken tenders

Marinade:

olive oil, fresh garlic paste, freshly chopped basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice.

Marinate over night or for at least 2 hours.

okra

1 lemon sliced and seeded

Mashed Rutabaga

2 cans rutabaga

2 tsp soymilk

butter

fresh garlic

salt and peper

dried parsely for garnish

Seitan and Shirataki Chicken Philly Pasta

I recently visited a vegan cafe in town where I discovered seitan meat.  It is a textured wheat gluten that gives tofu a run for it's money.  Seitan has a texture that resembles meat and can also absorb a great deal of flavor.  I try to avoid eating carbs at night so I decided to make this with tofu shirataki noodles.  I've tried a few different kinds of these noodles and found that the spinach were my favorite.  The spinach noodles have a better taste in my opinion.  These noodles are only 25 calories and 5 carbs per serving.  This meal with prep and cook time took me 15 min's. 

Ingredients:

1 Bell Pepper

2 bags spinach shirataki noodles

1 small vidalia onion

1 box seitan meat (chicken style)

1 package button mushrooms

shredded cheese (gluten free, dairy free is also good)

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp A-1 steak sauce

2 tbsp olive oil mayo or veganaise

Magic poultry chicken seasoning (it's gluten free)

I first open up my seitan which is packed just like tofu in water.  Drain and pat dry.  Cut up the meat and add the last  3 ingredients and coat meat.

In a large sauce pan, heat  a tsp of olive oil over med-high heat.  Add mushrooms, onions and green peppers and saute for for 2 mins.  Add in the seitan and continue to saute for another 2 min's.  Drain, wash and pat noodles dry.  Add pasta in along with the mayo and cook on med-high for another 4 min's.  I keep the temperature at med-high just like you would for stir fry.  Mushrooms can water food done and this helps absorb the liquids.  Plate and sprinkle your favorite cheese over the top.  Yum-O.

Tenderloin and Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

This has to be one of my favorite recipes.  It was easy to assemble with a total prep and cook time of about 15 Min's. 

6- thin slices of prosciutto (cut lengthwise in half)

1- 4oz. fillet Mignon (pounded thin)

1-bag of asparagus spears trimmed (about 30)

toothpicks

marinade for tenderloin:

3/4 cup of olive oil

2 tbsp Marsala wine

salt and pepper

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp fresh garlic( I used fresh garlic paste)

fresh basil (optional)

Before you marinate, slice and pound the meat into thin pieces.  Marinate meat for at least an hour or more.

I bought fresh trimmed steam-able bagged asparagus and microwaved it for 1 minute.  Cut open bag immediately to let the asparagus cool. To assemble:  bunch 2 to 3 spears and first wrap with prosciutto tightly followed by your thinly sliced tenderloin.  Secure the contents with a toothpick. 

Grill over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side.