Seafood Boil

Tonight, I was inspired to try my first seafood boil for two reasons: Jersey corn's in season and I had my parents over for our weekly family meal.
Mom and I are currently waiting for the guys to get home since this meal takes less than 15 minutes to... well, boil. I have a large stock pot on a rolling boil waiting to get started.

I prepped the following ingredients for my boil for 4:
8 small potatoes, cleaners and quartered
4 large ears of NJ corn, shucked, cleaned and cut into 3 inches pieces
2 links of lite polish kielbasa
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (save yourself some time and stinky hands and get the cleaned and peel frozen shrimp)
1/2 lb bay scallops (start cooking in a fry pan and add to the pot the last 5 minutes)
15-20 LI middleneck clams
3 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning
6 cups of water (fill up a large stockpot 1/2 way)

1. Bring water to boil with Old Bay while prepping ingredients
2. When water comes to a boil, add the potatoes
3. After 5 minutes add corn, clams, shrimp
4. For last 5 minutes add scallops, kielbasa
5. Drain water and serve boil on a large cookie sheet if eating indoors or on the table lined with newspaper or butcher paper if eating outdoors.

Seasonal Baking

My dad loves rhubarb. It's in season now at one of the local farms near my job- Crane Farm, in Basking Ridge. For the 4th of July, I'm making him strawberry and rhubarb pie. The only shortcut I used was pre-made pie crust. 

Here's the recipe:
3 stalks of rhubarb, washed and ends trimmed
8 strawberries (fresh or frozen), washed, trimmed and quartered
1 cup of sugar (white, turbino, or 2\3 cup of agave)
2 tsp. of cornstarch or flour
2 pie crusts
1 egg white mixed with 2 tsp. water for egg wash

Preheat oven to 450°

1. Mix rhubarb, strawberries, cornstarch and sugar in a bowl
2. Place one pie crust at the bottom of a 9in. pie dish
3. Put fruit in the bottom of pie crust
4. Roll second pie crust out on clean, flat surface. Make sure it's cold. Cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Lay across in a criss-cross pattern over the top of the pie.
5. Brush top of pie crust with egg white wash.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brown.
7. Cool on pie rack and serve with vanilla iced cream or fresh whipped cream.

Here are some pictures from ending to beginning, just in case you couldn't wait to see it bubbling right out of the oven! 

Cottage Pie

Here's my recipe for Cottage Pie:
1lb. of ground beef (or turkey)
4 large carrots
3 stalks of celery
1/2 medium onion (I used a white onion)
3 cloves of garlic ( I cook with Dorot frozen garlic- it's a very convenient shortcut when you don't want to prep an entire clove or get the smell on your hands)
1 bag of microwavable small potatoes (either new or red potatoes-there are 8 to 10 small potatoes per bag)
1/2 stick of salted butter softened in microwave for 30 sec.
1/4 c of half and half or milk at room temp (any %, the higher the fat the richer the mashed potatoes)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce *there was literally a segment airing on this ingredient on "How It's Made" as I wrote this post*
1/4 to 1/2 cup of beef broth (can use low sodium)
2 tablespoons of fresh or minced thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
9x12 Pryrex pan plus cooking oil spray
375° pre heated oven

1. Prep veggies so they're all the same size, about the size of a pinkie fingernail.
2. Put olive oil into a large pan on medium heat.
3. Once the oil is warmed add ground beef.
4. Halfway through cooking the beef add onions, then after combined, the garlic cloves. Let the onions and garlic sweat and then add the worcestershire sauce and stir. Then add 1/4 c. of beef broth, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to make sure all those flavor additions mix with what's already in the pan.
5. Add minced carrots and celery stalks and cook 5-8 minutes to soften vegetables and incorporate the layers of flavor you've added. Stir again and cook on warm while microwaving and mashing potatoes as described below.
6. Cook the microwavable potatoes using the bag's directions. Then empty into large bowl and begin mashing the potatoes with masher, hand blender or a large fork. I have a Mix 'n Chop tool from Pampered Chef and love using it for this task.
After your potatoes are half mashed, add butter and milk. I find I can quickly make evenly mashed and smooth potatoes if the butter is soft and the milk room temp.
7. Spray a Pyrex dish, 9x12 size, with cooking spray. If you're cooking for 2 people cut the recipie in half and cook in individual sized ceramic crocks. I made it as is to have leftovers for another meal for 2.
8. Slowly pour the meat mixture in the bottom of dish or ceramic bowl/crock. You should see some cooking liquid at the bottom, about 1/2 cup. If you see more than that, remove with a baster tool until 1/2 c. remains.
9. Evenly spread mashed potatoes over the meat.
10. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until the edges of the potato layer start to brown.
My favorite part of the recipie was the scent of all the rich, savory elements coming together right before I pulled it out of the oven. My guy was very eager to have a second helping before I even finished my first!