Annabel Lee's Kingdom by the Sea Seafood Chowder

This is great chowder to serve to guests when you want the ease of preparation the day before, but BIG flavor and impressive presentation the night of your gathering.  Seriously, how can you go wrong with fish, scallops, heavy cream and LOBSTER??

¾ cup butter, divided (divide into: ½ cup, ¼ cup)

2 medium onions, diced

3 large carrots, peeled and diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups seafood stock

1 lb. cooked lobster, chopped into bite sized pieces – fresh or frozen

1 T. dried basil

1 T. oregano

1 T. celery salt

2 T. paprika

½ teaspoon pepper

three dashes Tabasco sauce

½ lb. haddock*

½ lb. cod*

½ lb. scallops – fresh or frozen, no need to defrost

2 cups heavy cream (35% milk fat)

* you could use just haddock or cod if you don’t want to use both – use a pound of whichever you choose.  I used all cod.

In a large Dutch oven, melt ½ cup butter and then sauté the onions, carrots and celery over medium heat, just until they begin to soften, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the potato and seafood stock. Stir to combine and then cook until the potato is just barely tender, 8-10 minutes.

As the potato is cooking, melt the remaining ¼ cup of butter in a skillet over medium heat and then add the lobster pieces to the skillet. Cook the lobster until the butter has taken on an orangey-red color from the lobster, and the lobster has heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. If you are using pre-cooked lobster, just heat through, 2 – 3 minutes.

Add the basil, oregano, celery salt, paprika, pepper and Tabasco sauce to the vegetables in the Dutch oven and stir to combine. It will seem like a lot of spices, don’t worry. Layer the fish and scallops on top. Gently press the fish down so it is just covered with liquid. Cook only until fish barely flakes, 4-5 minutes.

Add the lobster and every last drop of butter from the skillet to the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to low. Add the heavy cream.

Allow the chowder to warm through. Keep on low heat until serving or refrigerate and slowly heat up before serving. Don’t allow to boil.

I made this the day before the party and placed it from the refrigerator straight onto the stove on LOW heat.  Stir it every five minutes or so.  It took about 40 minutes for it to heat through.  Once again a reminder, do not BOIL.  When the steam begins to rise from the pot, you’re getting very close to your serving temperature.

Adapted from a recipe posted by Cravings of a Lunatic.  

The Tell Tale Heart Artichoke Salad

This was the perfect salad to fit in between the cured meat appetizer, the seafood chowder and the stuffed bell peppers. The vegetables were light and crunchy and topped with a zingy, herb filled vinaigrette. This one would also be delicious served in the summer with grilled shrimp as a topping.  You'll need to Pin this one!

Salad Ingredients:

2 cups English cucumber, unpeeled, scored vertically with fork tines all the way around, quartered and then diced

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 14 oz. can marinated artichoke hearts, drained 

1/4 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely minced and densely packed

¼ - 1/3  cup basil, julienned

Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 t. Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

1 T. fresh thyme leaves, densely packed

1/2 T. fresh marjoram leaves, roughly chopped and densely packed

1/8 t. crushed red chili pepper flakes

1/8 t. ground black pepper

1/8 t. salt

Place salad ingredients into a bowl and set aside. Pour salad dressing ingredients into a salad dressing cruet (or beaker), seal lid tightly, and shake to blend. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Let marinate (in the fridge in a covered container) for at least a half hour before serving, to allow the flavors to meld. Serve and enjoy.

Thanks to Cooking with Corey for this delicious salad recipe!  

Halloween "Drink" Station

A couple of more fun pictures from the Halloween drink station.  But, seriously, would you want to drink anything from this selection???

Mesquite Mini-Meatloaves

I have been craving meat loaf for a week. Regular readers know how I love, no, really I LOVE meatloaf. I decided this go round to bake the meat loaf in my divided Lodge Cast Iron skillet. There was enough meat loaf mixture left over (after filling this skillet) to make 4 mini loaves. So your options here are: 1) if you have a skillet like this one, consider cutting the recipe in half; 2) bake in two loaf pans.  

2 lb. ground chuck

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/4 t. ground coriander

1 t. kosher salt

1 t. freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup bread crumbs

3/4 cup Mesquite flavored BBQ sauce, plus more for using as a glaze

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, add all ingredients and lightly mix by hand. Spray loaf pans or baking dish/skillet with non-stick spray.

Lightly spoon meat loaf mixture into pan(s). Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully spoon additional BBQ sauce over the top for a glaze. Return to oven for about 5 minutes.

Let meatloaf rest for 5 minutes or so before serving.

Cactus Shaped Cornbread

I absolutely LOVE my Lodge cast iron cactus shaped baking pan. Instead of Mexican cornbread, I made the tried and true Lolly cornbread recipe but cut the recipe in half.  I have two of these cactus shaped pans, and the following recipe was the perfect amount.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 cup self-rising cornmeal, 1 cup buttermilk and 1 T. melted bacon grease.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray pans with baking spray or brush inside of pan shapes with melted bacon grease.

Spoon batter into pans and bake for 18 - 22 minutes until golden brown.

The Bells: Stuffed Red Peppers over Bloody Mary Linguini

The main course of our Evening with Edgar was based on The Bells and The Mask of the Red Death. Beautiful and LARGE red bell peppers were sliced lengthwise through the stem and then were stuffed with spicy Italian sausage and served over linguine noodles covered in spicy tomato sauce. Very coarsely grated Parmesan cheese was the perfect addition to the top of the stuffed peppers.

I made this one up as I went along and used jarred spicy red pepper marinara sauce. This one is a definite keeper.

4 large red bell peppers, sliced lengthwise through stem (remove seeds and membranes)

1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 1/2 t. dried Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, pressed or micro planed

1 cup Minute Rice

8 oz. tomato sauce (divided)

8 oz. water (divided)

Parmesan cheese for topping

Finely chopped parsley for topping

2 jars of spicy red pepper marinara sauce

16 oz. linguine noodles, cooked according to package directions

In a large skillet, add Italian sausage over medium high heat. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, stirring occasionally, until sausage is about halfway cooked through.

Add chopped onions and continuing cooking until sausage is cooked and onions has softened. Lower heat to low, add Italian seasoning and garlic and cook another minute or two.

Add Minute rice, 4 oz. of tomato sauce and 4 oz. of water. Stir to combine well. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Carefully take prepared peppers and gently add sausage rice mixture to each pepper. Lightly pack until all the peppers are filled.

Add the remaining tomato paste and water to the baking dish and stir to combine. Place peppers into baking dish. At this point, you could cover them with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate over night.

If you're ready to go ahead and bake, place them in preheated oven and let cook 30 - 45 minutes until peppers are tender. Gently insert  knife into the pepper to test for doneness.

Top with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

While peppers are baking, heat sauce in a medium sauce pot over low heat, stirring occasionally. If you like, you can add a tablespoon or so of Vodka to the sauce.

Drain noodles when they have cooked and either mix with the sauce and top with peppers OR plate noodles, top with sauce and a pepper or to for each serving.

The Gold Bug

I served this alongside a seafood chowder and an artichoke salad. The citrus flavors in the drink paired well with both of those courses.

1 1/2 oz. vodka

1 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier

1/2 oz. dry vermouth

dash of orange bitters

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass.

The Raven

A delicious, potent drink to celebrate The Raven and Mr. Poe.

Shake together in a cocktail shaker filled with ice:

1 oz. vodka
1 oz. rum
1 oz. blue curacao

Strain into a martini glass. Carefully pour 1/2 oz. Chambord over the back of a spoon into the drink. Garnish with blackberries.

The FOOD of An Evening with Edgar

Last night we celebrated Halloween with an Edgar Allen Poe themed meal.  Each course and accompanying drink had a reference to Mr. Poe's works.  Here's an overview of the meal and I'll be posting individual recipe posts.  The pictures were taken in dim lighting, so some are better than others.  

We started the meal with The Raven.

And as the appetizer course, we had a selection of cured meats, blue cheese, dark bread, black olives, and dark purple grapes which was based on The Pit and the Pendulum.

The soup and salad course started with The Gold Bug.

Annabel Lee's Kingdom by the Sea Seafood Chowder

And followed with The Tell Tale Heart of Artichoke Salad

We began the entree course with The Cask of the Amontillado Spanish Red Wine

The entree course was based on two stories:  The Bells and the Masque of the Red Death.

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers over Bloody Mary Linguine

And we finished with the dessert course consisting of The Black Cat Gateau with raspberry puree and a lovely glass of port.

Lemon Pepper Salmon

I had some frozen salmon filets in the freezer.  I put them in the fridge to thaw yesterday morning before leaving for work.  They were thawed and ready to go last night.

With a few minute prep work and only FIVE MINUTES of cooking time, we had this lovely lemon pepper salmon over fresh green with a light vinaigrette.  YUM!  Yes, it tasted as great as it looks.

4 - 6 salmon filets (6 oz. each)

3 T. olive oil

3 T. lemon juice

1 t. lemon pepper

For the salad:

3 - 4 cups of your favorite salad greens

3 T. olive oil

3 T. red wine vinegar

juice of one lemon

1/2 t. lemon pepper

1/4 t. salt

1 large clove garlic, pressed

2 t. Dijon mustard

2 small tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

1/2 red onion, sliced into very thin rings

In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon pepper. Add salmon and let it marinate while you make the salad.

Divide the salad greens onto plates. Divide the onions and tomatoes over the greens. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Add lemon pepper, salt, garlic, and Dijon mustard and whisk until well combined. Set aside.

Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When a drop of the marinade sizzles, add the salmon and let cook for 4 minutes. Carefully, turn the salmon and let cook for 1 minute or so to let the other side brown well.   

Place the salmon over the greens and drizzle the salad dressing over the top.  Serve with lemon slices on the side, if desired.

Place the salmon over the salad greens

Halloween 2015 - Kids' Table

Here's the photos of the little ones' table for this Halloween.  I hope you like them!

Steak Fajita Stew with Tortilla Dumplings

If you made the Steak and Vegetables Fajitas which I posted over the weekend and, if you have leftovers, here's a wonderful and easy Round Two meal.

With the fajitas I served black beans and yellow rice. There was about 3 cups of steak and vegetables remaining, so I chopped up the steak into bite sized pieces and start making the stew! Your well stocked pantry hopefully will have some whole tomatoes, beef stock, canned corn and Rotel tomatoes.....

Here's the list of my ingredients (including the amount of leftovers which I added):

32 oz. whole tomatoes (I used a quart of those I canned this summer)

32 oz. beef stock

1 can original Rotel tomatoes

3 T. tomato paste

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

2 cups black beans

2 - 3 cups of steak and vegetables left over from fajitas

1 cup yellow rice (cooked)

3 tortillas cut into thin strips

In a large Dutch oven, add all ingredients except for tortillas. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Stirring occasionally, let tomatoes break down and allow stew to thicken, about 20 minutes or so. 

Slowly drop strips of tortillas into stew and let them cook 5 minutes or so until they are cooked through.  Serve immediately.

I

Steak and Vegetable Fajitas

We hadn't had fajitas in a LONG time. In fact, it's been so long neither of us could remember when the last time was.....so a drizzly, Fall Sunday afternoon seemed like the perfect time.

Early that morning, I mixed up a marinade and added the steak and vegetables. We went about our day of going out to buy pumpkins, mums and pansies for the front porch for the Fall season. Meanwhile, back in the fridge, magic was happening.

Here's the marinade recipe:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. chili powder

1/2 t. ground coriander

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Now pour into a gallon size Ziploc bag. OR you could use a marinading box similar to this one. I have one almost like this and it works great.

Now you need to add the following to the marinade:

1 lb. skirt or flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain (some groceries have prepackaged fajita steak ready to go!)

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and cut into thin wedges

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 jalapenos, seeded or not depending on how much heat you want, thinly sliced

Place in refrigerator for several hours.

Now let's cook.

Place a large cast iron skillet over high heat until skillet is HOT. Make sure you use a handle cover or pot holder on the handle. You don't want to grab that handle by mistake.

Using tongs, begin by placing several strips of steak into the skillet at time. You want a great sear on the steak strips. Add a little of the marinading liquid, a few tablespoons, at a time. Remove the steak when it reaches medium well, and add the remaining steak and marinade a few pieces at a time until all the steak is seared.

Reduce heat to medium high.

Now add the vegetables and remaining marinade. You only want to cook the vegetables JUST until they begin to soften. Stir often so all the vegetables get their turn against the hot skillet. No one wants mushy vegetables in their fajitas.

I chopped up three medium Roma tomatoes and add them at the last minute or so of cooking. Cook them only until they start releasing their juices and get hot.

Remove from heat and load up warmed tortillas with this delicious goodness. Your favorite toppings (salsa, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc.) are optional because trust me, there is a TON of flavor right here. 

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An Evening with Edgar

This year's Halloween dinner will be "An Evening with Edgar" Allan Poe. Each portion of the menu will be based on one of his works. I have spent a LOT of time on this table setting. This one was definitely a labor of love, because the more things that came to mind, it seems that led down different paths to complete the theme even more. Of course, candlelight dining is a must for this meal.

Let's start with my place setting. The dinner plates were a great find on eBay. The square silver chargers and personal soup tureens/saucers were purchased at Old Time Pottery. I have collected inkwells for years so each place setting has their own personalized ink well with a quill from Hobby Lobby. The crystal martini/water/wine glasses are in regular rotation for our meals. I've had those for years. The port glasses were estate sale finds. The silver spoon and fork were estate sale purchases as well.

The Dollar Tree provided MANY ravens that are perched here and there. These four decided they wanted to be able to get a "bird's eye view" of the diners.

And here is a close up of the ink well place setting marker. I used a vintage handwriting font to print these on the computer on parchment style paper.

Hobby Lobby had these gorgeous HEAVY wooden ravens.

See the raven peaking around the birdcage while he stops to rest on the two white mini pumpkins? The metal birdcage is from Hobby Lobby and the miniature raven is from Dollar Tree. The glass cloche was found at an antique mall. The red heart is a Christmas ornament I've had for over 30 years.

A close up shot of the birdcage. Did I mention the wee little raven is motion activated. He has no problem giving loud CAWS every time he picks up any movement in the room.

And here's the timid raven...

And the cloche...

Now here is the section of the table where I had the most fun. One of my antique silver trays holds all sorts of "Poe worthy" goodies. An elaborate black 5 x 7 frame from Hobby Lobby is the perfect setting for a computer printed picture of Mr. Poe. Another antique ink well with a gorgeous midnight black plumed quill (Hobby Lobby) placed beside a parchment note addressed to "Lenore." Poe loved to play chess so a couple of chess pieces were added. The hour glass is from World Market and the Galileo thermometer has been around my house for years.

Now a picture without the flash, taken solely by candlelight.

Now here we are at the table where the food will be served. The black and dark purple flowers were purchased at Old Time Pottery and Dollar Tree. 

This antique silver tray will hold a selection of cured meats for our appetizer portion of the meal. If you've not read the Pit and the Pendulum you need to do so to understand the significance of the black rats waiting patiently at the tray.

The antique typewriter has been stored in my garage. A downloaded antique typewriter font was used to type out the menu.

Another printed photo of Mr. Poe with many of the titles of his most famous works written in the background.  A few of Harold's antique corkscrews were added to the table along with two wooden Black Cats!

Please take a few moments and let me know how you like this one!