The Most Wonderful Time of The Year - Feast of The Seven Fishes

Images courtesy of Paperless Post 

Merry Christmas to you and yours! The holidays are in full swing and my favorite meal to cook all year is nearly upon us - the traditional Italian Christmas Eve seafood extravaganza known as The Feast of the Seven Fishes. Through the years I've shared our various menus with you on Neurotic Kitchen.

It's no secret that I've also spent many hours neurotically thinking through all the planning and timing so that you too can turn out a multi-course, surprisingly simple and always delicious fish feast. For a look back at all of our menus, click through the links here:

Feast of the Seven Fishes for 6 - Year 1
Feast of the Seven Fishes for 6 - Year 2 
Feast of the Seven Fishes for 6 - Year 3

You'll notice that some dishes are repeated several times because they are true favorites. Still, I like to try and add something new each year. This time, it will be this amazing yet simple Scallop Lollipop Hors D'oeuvre that I found in a recent issue of Food & Wine. 

Scallop Lollipops with Spicy Mayonnaise, recipe HERE, Photo: NK 

Though the recipe calls for Gochujang, a Korean Hot Pepper Paste, but you could sub in Sambal Oelek or even Sriracha. So good, especially thanks to tiny bits of dill pickle in the spicy mayo dipping sauce. Serving the Scallops on my favorite bamboo skewers makes them that much more festive. 

Sure, there's nothing inherently Italian about this spicy-sweet little Scallop Bite, but I like the idea of just a little something different amid our menu of tried and true favorites. As soon as it passed our test, we agreed that we'd be adding it to this year's rotation. Want to see how our meal goes? I hope you'll join us for the post Christmas Eve Round up and that you and your families enjoy a peaceful and delicious holiday season!

For the Scallop Lollipop Recipe, click HERE. 

Veggie Remix - Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Spicy Asian Glaze

Sometimes simplicity can be glorious. Other times, a little pizzaz goes a long way. Today we are after the latter as we share how basic roasted Brussels Sprouts, warm and crispy on the outside, are absolutely stunning when glazed with the easiest sweet and spicy reduction. This is the perfect side for an Asian-inspired dinner, and with just a few steps, it practically makes itself.  

Easy As Ever - Roasted Sprouts With Spicy Asian Glaze, Photo: NK

Not for the spice averse, this versatile glaze (drizzle it on meats or starches) packs a wallop. Sprouts are such great winter greens, there's no excuse not to throw these together tonight. If you don't already have Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar or Sriracha, they are versatile pantry items to have on hand for creating Asian-inspired fare all year long. Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Spicy Asian Glaze
Serves 6

For the Sprouts: 1.5 Pounds Brussels Sprouts
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
Ground Szechuan Peppercorns (optional)
Salt 

For the Glaze:
2 Tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 1/4 Tablespoons Sriracha 
1 Tablespoon Honey

Method:1. Preheat the oven to 400. 
2. Cut off the base of the Brussels Sprouts and then slice them in half the long way.
Place on a baking sheet and toss them in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or Sesame Oil if you like). Sprinkle lightly with Salt. Add a sprinkle of Szechuan Peppercorn if you like it extra spicy.

3. Bake for 35 or more minutes, shaking the pan a few times throughout the cooking to encourage even cooking. 

4. Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining all the ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring the ingredients to a bubble over medium high heat, then lower to a simmer and allow it to reduce, stirring occasionally, until it is down to about half its volume. Do not leave unattended as glaze can burn if the heat is too high.The consistency should be syrupy and glaze will coat a spoon. Turn off the heat and set aside. 

5. When Brussels Sprouts are finished they will be golden and a bit crispy. Plate them and then drizzle over with the glaze. Serve right away! 

Eat The Season - Ramps, Three Ways

Thus begins Neurotic Kitchen's Third Annual Ramp post. Be sure to relive our other ramp adventures HERE, HERE, and HERE. Thanks in part to their short season once per year, these deliciously garlicky wild leeks enjoy some major hype. This also means you've got to grab up your ramps as soon as they hit the green markets (often in the middle of April). They're around for just four to six weeks so we made sure to get cooking right away. The result? Three meals using ramps and one very happy week.

Lemony Ramp Pasta With Rock Shrimp & Fried Capers, Photo: NK 

To start, we whipped up some Ramp Pizza. To make it, simply prep your homemade pizza and chop a few ramps (white and green parts) into half inch pieces. Sprinkle on top of your sauce and cheese and bake. Easy enough, right? If you'd like to get a bit more daring (but still prep dinner in under a half hour) we're sharing two easy ramp recipes for you to enjoy! As a rule, use versatile ramps wherever you might choose scallions or leeks, and you'll be a ramp believer before you know it. Enjoy!

Lemony Ramp Pasta With Rock Shrimp & Fried Capers

Inspired by Giada de Laurentiis

Serves 2-3 as an entree 

Ingredients: 

1/2 Pound Spaghetti

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus an additional Tablespoon)

2 Tablespoons Capers, well rinsed and patted very dry

A bunch of about 12 Ramps, cleaned and sliced into 1/2 inch slices (white & green parts) +1 to 2 Ramp Greens cut into ribbons for an optional garnish (chiffonade)

1/2 Pound cleaned Wild Rock Shrimp (or regular Shrimp sliced into 1.2 inch pieces)

3 Heaping Tablespoons of freshly grated Parmigiana Cheese

Zest of 1 Large Lemon (organic if possible)

2 Tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. For the Spaghetti, set a large pot of salted water to boil. 

2. In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, warm the Olive Oil a minute or so until it is shimmering. Add the Capers (be careful because they may spit) and fry for about 2-3 minutes until browned (but not burnt) and crisp. Remove Capers with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towel. 

3. Allow remaining oil to cool a minute before pouring into a heat-proof metal or ceramic bowl. Add the Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice to the bowl and stir. Set aside. 

4. Once water is boiling, prepare Spaghetti according to package instructions (al dente please :)).

5. Add another Tablespoon or so of Olive Oil to the skillet you used for the capers. Heat oil over medium-low heat. Add the Whites of the Ramps and cook, stirring for one minute. Now add the green parts of the Ramps and cook, stirring another 2-3 minutes. Move the ramps to one of the skillet and add the Rock Shrimp. Allow to cook untouched for 2 minutes, then flip them and let them cook another minute or so until opaque and cooked through. 

6. Once Spaghetti is finished, drain and return it to the pot. Add the Ramps and Shrimp Mixture to the Spaghetti, and then toss in the Lemon and Oil Mixture. Toss for a full minute. Add the Parmigiana Cheese and toss again. Taste for seasoning and add a tiny bit of Salt if needed (the Capers will provide salt as well) and Black Pepper. Plate the Pasta and top with equal portions of Fried Capers. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Next up - our rampy answer to fried rice - also starring Mr. NK's favorite - bacon. Thanks to my religious use of instant rice (I have limited patience, as you know), this meal comes together in fifteen minutes! I'd also call this a pretty casual recipe so I'll be presenting it as such. Use your imagination and add or subtract as you see fit.

Fried Brown Rice Bowl With Cucumber, Ramps & Bacon, Photo: NK 

Fried Brown Rice Bowl With Cucumber, Ramps & Bacon

Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine

Serves 2  

Ingredients: 

1 Medium Unwaxed Cucumber, well scrubbed and cut into thin slices (peeling optional)

16 ounces pre-cooked Brown Rice (we use Uncle Ben's Microwaveable Ready Rice - fast!)

6 Slices Organic Bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

About 8 Ramps, White and Green Parts sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

1 Dried Red Chili, sliced

Sriracha

Black Sesame Seeds

Salt

Method:

1. In a large, heavy skillet (we used cast iron), cook the Bacon slices until crispy but not burnt - about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove Bacon to drain, reserving the fat in the pan. 

2. Pour off all but about 3 Tablespoons of the Bacon Fat. Add the Ramps and cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sliced Chile and Cucumber Slices. Toss until Cucumber softens a bit, about another 1 minute. Add the Brown Rice to the skillet and continue to toss over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add some Sriracha to taste and toss again. You may need a bit of extra Salt and Pepper but you can decide that once you incorporate the already salty Bacon.

3. To Serve - plate the Rice, Ramp and Cucumber Mixture.  Top with portions of crispy Bacon and a good sprinkle of Black Sesame Seeds. If you have fresh Ramps left over use one or two for a nice green garnish. Serve with extra Sriracha and enjoy! Note: If you'd like to make this more of a true fried rice crack an egg into it before adding the bacon and stir until it has incorporated and fully cooked.  

Simply Grilled - Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp Skewers

Last week's July Fourth holiday was just as it should be - a day of fun in the sun and an excuse to fire up the old all-American grill. Today, I'd like to share the fastest and easiest dish of our spread, super simple Shrimp Skewers that looked beautiful and tasted even better. 

Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp Skewers with Grilled and Chopped Scallions, Photo: NK 

Next time you're looking for an easy yet impressive appetizer or the surf to accompany your turf, Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp Skewers are a great choice. Make them if you are a Sriracha lover who can handle moderate heat and if you enjoy sweet and spicy flavor profiles like I do. 

First, Some Handy Tips:

1. Soaking the wooden skewers for about a half hour is a good idea before using them on a grill in order to prevent any burning. 

Photo: NK 

2. Martha Stewart, from whom this recipe was adapted, very wisely advises that you use two skewers for each row/serving of Shrimp. Pierce one skewer through just about at the tail, and another through the opposite head end. Doing this allows you to flip the skewers more easily and prevents the Shrimp from curling up. I used these shrimp skewers as an accompaniment to a hamburger, so for us, about four large Shrimp per person was just right. 

3. If you can get your fishmonger to peel and devein the shrimp leaving the tail on, all the better. Cleaning Shrimp is one of my least favorite cooking chores, and frankly, it takes time! Buying pre-cleaned shrimp (preferably wild) or paying a bit extra to have the cleaning done for you is a huge part of making this dish as easy as it should be. 

Scallion Garnish , Chopped and Grilled Whole, Photo: NK

4. For a pretty green edible garnish, we opted to scatter the Shrimp with chopped Scallion and whole Grilled Scallions. To grill, we simply brushed the whole Scallions with oil and dusted them with Salt and Pepper. We let them cook for the duration of the Shrimp's cook time, turning once on the grill until they charred a bit. You could certainly garnish this creatively with other greens such as Cilantro or Parsley, but Scallions fit well with this Asian-inflected dish and I just love the look of them with char marks. 
Let's grill... 

Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 6 as an appetizer or accompaniment, 3 as an entree

Ingredients:

Sriracha Honey Glaze, Photo: NK 

24 Large Shrimp, peeled, deveined, with tail left on
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder 
2 Tablespoons Sriracha 
1/4 Cup Honey
Salt and Pepper

Vegetable Oil for brushing the Shrimp and the grill
Optional Scallions for chopping and a few whole for grilling 

12 Wooden Skewers, soaked

Method: 
1. Light a charcoal,gas grill, or heat up a grill pan. Soak wooden skewers for 20 min to a half hour

2. Lay peeled and deveined tail-on Shrimp on a work surface. Make a row of 4 Shrimp. Skewer the Shrimp through the tail end just before the tail, and through the opposite end (where the head would be). Repeat until you have 6 skewers of with 4 Shrimp Each. 

Glazed Shrimp, Photo: NK

3. Brush Shrimp all over with Vegetable oil and  Sprinkle Shrimp all over with Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper. 

4. Prepare the Glaze by Mixing Sriracha with Honey and sprinkling with a healthy dose of Black Pepper. 

5. If using, brush Whole Scallions with Oil and sprinkle lightly with Salt and Pepper. Chop the extra Scallions. 

6. Place Skewers (and whole Scallions, if using) on the hot part of the grill. Grill the Shrimp until they start to become opaque - about 3 minutes. Flip and brush generously with the Sriracha and Honey Glaze. Cook another 3 minutes and serve immediately, scattered with chopped Scallions and Grilled Scallions. 


And there you have it. Enjoy!  

Guest Spotlight: Marina's Fabulous Fish Tacos

~I am so happy to introduce our very first guest blogger here on Neurotic Kitchen! Check out what my friend Marina has to say about one of my most favorite meals. Marina is a Chicago Native who came to NYC by way of San Francisco, a city famous for its cuisine and especially its outstanding fish tacos. Marina’s recipe is easy breezy, just like her, and embraces each cook's creative interpretation: 

Marina’s Fish Tacos

The inspiration for this dish came from a place called “Nick’s Crispy Tacos” in San Francisco.  The place does tacos and burritos and uses all organic, sustainable ingredients. They make their own agua frescas and the best green salsa that you have EVER had.  Their traditional red salsa and habanero salsa are also to die for. Check out what people are saying about Nick's: 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/nicks-crispy-tacos-san-francisco 

I love the Baja Style tacos but the fish is deep fried, so I usually make a lighter, grilled version in my grill pan – it comes out just as good and is so easy. With just a few simple ingredients you can make a “do-it-yourself” assembly line.

  

Ingredients and Method: 

Fish - I like a combo of shrimp and firm white fish (Tilapia or Cod work well). For shrimp, I like to use bigger ones and cut them in chunks once they are cooked. Today, we're trying rock shrimp to change things up a bit.

Prepare the Fish 

Season the fish with whatever seasoning you have on hand.  Some ideas: lots of good cumin, sea salt, pepper, chili powder, some cayenne, a bit of Mexican oregano, a bit dried garlic and onion powder.  

Let fish sit as you set up your assembly line of the following:

Small stone-ground corn tacos 

Chopped cilantro 

Limes cut in wedges 

The best mild to medium green salsa you can find

Cilantro, Photo: NK

Limes are the key, Photo: NK

Guacamole 

Use store bought guacamole (Whole Foods makes a good one) or make your own: mash up ripe avocados then add finely chopped jalapenos, lime juice, chopped cilantro, finely chopped red onions, and optionally add finely diced tomatoes that have been de-seeded and drained of juices. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Make the Slaw

Red Cabbage, sliced up thin

Scallion, chopped

Julienned Green Apple

Slaw Ingredients, Photo: NK

Don't be shy with the Sriracha, Photo: NK

Mixing Slaw and Sauce, Photo: NK

Make the Sauce

In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise that's been thinned out with some apple cider vinegar. Add a few healthy squirts of sriracha, depending on how spicy you like it. Mix and season to taste. Toss sauce in with the slaw until incorporated. 

Cook the Fish

Grill the fish until  firm yet tender. Shrimp cooks quickly, so if you are making a mix of fish and shrimp it is best to cook it in a second batch. Cook shrimp one to two minutes until firm and opaque.  Cut or shred the fish filet into chunks.  

Cooked Shrimp and Cod, Photo: NK

Serve: Lay everything out so people can assemble their tacos and EAT!  

  

Here are some great ideas for Sides: 

I make either yellow Spanish rice from the pouch or basmati rice mixed with cilantro and lima beans - delish! Amy’s Low Sodium Refried Beans in the can is also a great addition. 

Fish Tacos, Photo: NK 

    

Enjoy!

~ Marina