Prawn Saganaki

Yes, Alberta is indeed landlocked, but other parts of the world are in full seafood swing and I can't help but want a piece of the action. I have been stocking up on fish and prawns, eating what I can fresh and freezing the rest. Chances are there will be a few other seafood posts to follow.

Might have been the bread that sold me on this dish, or perhaps the fact that I already had shrimp and tomato paste and this recipe calls for both. There's something very satisfying about being able to use an entire can of tomato paste vs. the tablespoon you need for one recipe. Either way, this turned out to be a good decision. The acidic tomato and wine base simmered together with sweet prawns made for a lovely light dinner. I opted to buy naan bread and heat it on a grill before serving it to sop up the tomato sauce. French bread or another loaf of your choosing would work just as well. If you're fearful of bread try serving it over potatoes or rice. Remember to drink the leftover white with it!















From:https://closeencountersofthecookingkind.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1, 400ml can of diced tomatoes
• 1 t granulated sugar
• 1/2 red pepper flakes
• 350g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 125g feta, crumbled
• handful of flat leaf parsley or cilantro to garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a cast iron pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion stir, cooking for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and let simmer for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and combine thoroughly with the garlic and onion. Pour in the wine and allow to simmer until the liquid has been reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, sugar and red pepper flakes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and sprinkle the feta over the pan. Place in the oven and let bake for 10 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the parsley/cilantro over top.

Serve with plenty of bread to sop up the tomato sauce.

Kale & Blood Orange Salad

If you glance at the original recipe you'll notice I've substituted a number of ingredients in order to make it easy on myself. While I do at times enjoy hunting for original ingredients in various little neighborhood grocers, I just wasn't up to that task today. I also didn't think my substitutes would compromise the flavour. 

Adapted from: http://theincuisition.com

Serves 6

Ingredients


Salad

• 1 Bunch kale, stems removed, coarsely chopped
• 1 T Olive oil
• 3 Blood Oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 1 Avocado, pit removed, diced
• ¼ cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds, lightly toasted in a dry skillet
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta 

Dressing

• 1 Shallot, diced
• 3 T Olive oil
• 1 t Honey
• 2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 T Poppy Seeds (didn't have them!)

Method 

Place kale in a large salad bowl and add 1 T olive oil. Toss kale lightly to coat and then slowly massage the oil into the leaves until they are a darker green and tender. This should take about five minutes. Add blood orange rounds, avocado, feta and pumpkin seeds.

Make the dressing: whisk the olive olive, honey, and cider vinegar with shallots and poppy seeds until well combined. Dress salad lightly in 2 stages, tossing salad in between. Serve immediately.

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

What a difference daylight makes to my poor food photos! Man I need to cook mid-day more often. I also need more soups like this hearty multi-dimensional delight. This could use a little heat, perhaps in the jalapeño or hot sauce form. Anyways, I thought a little heat was in order considering that we are experiencing the coldest day so far this winter.

Adapted From: http://eclecticrecipes.com

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2, 15 oz cans of fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1, 15 oz can of black beans
• 1 litre of chicken stock
• 1 t chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 T smoked paprika
• 1 T cumin
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1 medium avocado, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• handful of tortilla chips

Method

1. Combine chopped chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Preheat a large soup pot. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken to soup pot. Add red onion, green pepper, red pepper, yellow peppers and garlic. Cook over medium heat until chicken is done and no longer pink.
2. Add fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, chipotle chili peppers and adobo, paprika, cumin, dried oregano and chipotle chili powder. Add 1 quart chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 25 – 30 minutes.
3. Garnish soup with chopped avocado, crumbled feta, and tortilla strips.