Blueberries!!

Again, a little late. Aurora, Mom, Dad, Sarah and I headed out to blueberry hill to harvest the mini-blueberry farm...we lucked out and could eat as many as we picked. The blueberries went into pancakes, muffins, crisp and many other recipes!

Summer Cooking - a little late :)

Grilling in Grand Marais...can it get any better? Beautiful chicken and grilled caesar salad on the grill!

Broiled Salmon and Swiss Chard with Carmelized Onions

This turned out to be delicious. On my quest for healthier dinners, I decided to go with salmon tonight. I seasoned it with a little salt and pepper and olive oil and broiled it in the oven. We squeezed lemon on top and it was delicious and flaky! On the side, I carmelized onions and garlic in olive oil and added swiss chard. Served it all over a bed of rice.

Spaghetti Squash

I have been wanting to try this recipe for awhile and finally got around to it. It's a very simple recipe and I made it fairly quickly. Take a spaghetti squash and cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and place cut side down in a baking dish filled with an inch of water. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Flip the squash over and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until squash is completely tender. Take a fork and run it along the flesh to scoop out the "spaghetti". I served it with a jar of prego sauce jazzed up with sauteed onions and garlic, but you can go gourmet and make whatever spaghetti sauce you wish! Enjoy =)

Seared Scallops with Crispy Leeks

Yum! This dish was very good. It was a little overseasoned, I think I added a little too much right at the end. Overall, though, it turned out well and we really liked it.

Ingredients

* 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only
* 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 1 pound dry sea scallops, tough side muscle removed

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Cut leek in half lengthwise, then cut each piece in half crosswise. Cut each quarter into long, thin strips. Rinse the strips in hot water and pat dry. Toss in a medium bowl with 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle flour, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt over the leeks; toss well to combine. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, until the leeks are crispy and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet until the scallops are done.
3. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt with Italian seasoning, lemon zest and pepper in a small bowl. Pat scallops dry and sprinkle both sides with the seasoning mixture. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve the scallops with the crispy leeks on top.

Dinner is served

Mom's thanksgiving dinner.

Turkey Day Chocolate Pecan Pie

What would Thanksgiving be without lots of yummy desserts? I decided to make a special "top-secret" dessert this year for our Thanksgiving dinner #2. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, although I was a little bummed when it didn't come out completely cooked. (I guess it helps when no one knows how it's supposed to really turn out). I decided to make a Chocolate Pecan pie to accompany Sarah's delicious Cranberry Biscotti and Liz's awesome Banana Bread! The recipe is actually really easy and doesn't take much time, but it seems so fancy that you can pretend you spent all day baking! Here's the recipe:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
First, take a frozen pie crust (don't pre-bake it). Chop up 1 cup of Pecans (or Walnuts), and spread them in the bottom of the uncooked pie crust. Then sprinkle 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips over the nuts.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 2 eggs. To that, add 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour. Then whisk in 1 stick of melted butter and 1 tsp. of vanilla.
After it's all mixed, pour the sugar and butter mixture over the nuts and chocolate chips. Then, just pop it in the oven for 35-40 minutes. That's it! Let it cool for a bit so it's easier to slice. Finish it off with a dollop of whipped cream or some of your favorite ice cream. It's really good the next day cold too! (If there is any leftover).