Lobster/Crab Ravioli with Veggie Pink Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 16 ounces lobster/crab ravioli
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 zucchini sliced into half moons
• 1 portabello mushroom cap sliced

Directions

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.  Add the zucchini and mushroom allow to simmer in sauce.  About 3-5 minutes until vegetables soften slightly.  (you don't want them too soft or they will turn to mush!)

While sauce simmers, cook ravioli in salted boiling water until cooked.  They should float to top.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Plat the ravioli and top with sauce and vegetables.  Serve with fresh basil on top and freshly grated cheese.

Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Loaf

Lemon Yogurt Cake (adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa At Home)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 containers of 5.3oz organic Greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1/4 cup of frozen blueberries (more if you are making a big loaf cake)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan or the mini loaf pans.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Add in the blueberries and bake for about 50 minutes, (if you are using the big loaf pan) about 25-30 minutes (if you are using smaller pans),or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/4 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

Cioppino

A hearty seafood stew.  This is easily adapted to whatever seafood you have on hand. I used clams, shrimp, bay scallops, and halibut.  However mussels, crab, and squid can work very well in this stew also.  A must is to serve it with a nice crusty bread to dip into the base.

Ingredients Adapted from the Food Network

• STEW BASE
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups sliced onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper, trimmed, seeded, and diced
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups fish stock or 1 cup bottled clam brothmixed with 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

SEAFOOD

12 little neck clams

1 pound large shrimp

1/2 pound sea scallops, trimmed

1/2 pound firm fleshed fish, like halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes

Serving suggestion: hot crusty bread

Directions

Make the stew base. Heat a large stew pot or dutch oven over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits in the pot. Simmer the wine until reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes, peppers, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock or broths; bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the base, with a cover slightly ajar, for 30 minutes. (The base may be prepared ahead up to this point, refrigerated for 1 day or frozen for 1 month).
Finish with the fish. Bring the base to a simmer. Add the basil and the clams, and cook covered, over high heat, for 5 minutes, or just until the clams open.  Add fish fillet, shrimp, and scallops. Cook, stirring frequently the shrimp curl, and scallops are just firm, about 3 minutes. Serve in large heated bowls with plenty of crusty bread.

Black Bean "Nacho" Burger

Recipe: Taken from September 2012 Fitness magazine

1 15 oz can drained and rinsed black beans
1/2 cup finely crushed blue corn tortillas
1/3 cup salsa, plus more for serving
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 hamburger buns
sliced avocado for serving

Use a food processor or a potato masher to smash black beans until chunky, leaving some partly whole.   Stir in crushed chips, cheese, salsa, pepper, scallion, and egg.  Set mixture aside for 10 minutes then shape into patties.

Place patties on plate and cover with plastic wrap place in fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add patties and cook until golden brown on one side, 4-5 minutes.  Flip and cook until golden brown on other side another 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve on buns topped with salsa and avocado.  (we use a toasted onion roll!)

Sea Bass w/ Olives & Tomatoes

Another super easy, super quick dinner! I'm serious!  I have so many people stop me at work and comment that it must take me forever to make all the dishes I blog and facebook about.  They are surprised when I tell them that most of the recipes are easy and do not take more then a half an hour.  Because let's me be honest on a weeknight who has the time or motivation to spend more then that in the kitchen to get a good meal on the table.  I sure don't!

Recipe:

2lb sea bass filet
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup sliced pitted olives
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes sliced in half

Rinse and pat dry the sea bass.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in a medium pan place olives in pan and saute for two minutes.  Move olives to side of pan and place sea bass in pan.  Cook about 4 minutes and flip fish over.  Add tomatoes to olives and pour white wine in pan.  Cook another 4-5 minutes until fish flakes and wine is reduced.  Serve with couscous, rice, or any other grain.  Enjoy!

Ravioli with Sausage and Brussels Sprouts

Ok are you ready for another quick meal?  This one literally takes 20 minutes!  It could not be easier. If you can boil water you can make this simple meal.  I found this one in the January issue of Woman's Day magazine.  Which yes it is now April, apparently I have a problem.  One where I have many magazines that I rip recipes and ideas out of and let them pile up around my house. Well recently I organized them and pulled three recipes to make this week, starting with tonight! I update it a little.

Recipe:

1 lb of cheese ravioli
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 lb Italian sausage, casing removed
12 ounces of Brussels Sprouts, cut and thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flake
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon of oregano
salt
pepper
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1/4 cup chicken broth
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Boil water and cook ravioli according to package directions.  Over a medium high heat olive oil, cook Italian Sausage until no longer pink and cooked through, beaking into pieces with spoon as it cooks.  Once sausage is cooked add in the brussels sprouts and cook for about two minutes.  Add in all the spices and cook another minute.  Add the tomatoes cook another 1-2 minutes until tomatoes begin to break down.  Add chicken broth and allow to simmer.  Serve with grated cheese.