Dinner, Dinner, Dinner.....I have no idea!

Lightning Fast Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined - tails left on
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup shrimp stock, recipe follows
2 tablespoons cold butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
Lemon slices, for garnish
Rice, as accompaniment

Directions
Season the shrimp thoroughly with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add enough oil to lightly coat the pan. Add the shrimp and quickly saute until just starting to turn pink, but not cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and saute just until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice, white wine, and stock, and reduce by 2/3, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp back to the pan and swirl in the butter. Finish with the parsley and check for seasoning. Garnish with lemon slices and serve over rice.

Tip of the Day: Wine and Chocolate Tasting Party

A tip for a fun evening of “gourmet entertaining”: Host a chocolate and wine pairing party. There are so many different pairings to explore. Bars today, truffles tomorrow, nuts next month. Get together a tasting group: every month someone else can plan and host. You’ll be the envy of everyone else in town. Rahul at Bialystok & Bloom can help you pair flavors together. Enjoy!

What to have for dinner Friday Night?

For a stress-free Friday night after a really long week, we're having "easy baked salmon". This is it:

Ingredients
2 lbs. salmon
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1 lemons, thinly sliced
1/4 cup melted butter Preheat oven to 350°F.

Directions
Wash salmon; pat dry and sprinkle the cavity with lemon pepper. Season to taste with salt. Place sliced lemons and onion insides cavity. Place salmon on a large sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle with melted butter. Seal the foil and bake 1 1/2 hours, or until salmon flakes easily. Serve hot.

Tip of the Day: Keeping the Grey Away

When boiling new potatoes or cauliflower add a 1/4 of a lemon to the water - this will stop them from gowing grey and keep them white so they can be used later.

Thursday Night Crunch: No time, what's for dinner?

Children and adults alike love baked quesadilla, either plain or with chicken, steak, spinach or another ingredient.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
•4 flour tortillas
•3 cups shredded cheese, Mexican mixture
•1 cup salsa
•Sour cream
•(Optional) Cooked chicken (strips or cubes), steak or other meat
•(Optional) Guacamole

Preparation:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Take a piece of aluminum foil that is big enough to cover a cookie sheet front and back. Center it on a cookie sheet.
3.Place two tortillas side by side on the foil. Sprinkle cheese evenly on both tortillas.
4.(Optional) Place strips of chicken, steak or other ingredient on top of the cheese.
5.Spoon about half the salsa over the top, making a very light layer.
6.Cover each stack with another tortilla.
7.Bring the sides of the foil together around the quesadillas, sealing the foil at the center of the cookie sheet. Crimp the edges of the foil to seal along the side of the cookie sheet.
8.Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Open foil carefully. Slice each quesadilla in quarters and serve with sour cream, remainder of salsa and guacamole (if desired).

Tip of the Day: Banish Blandness

Use high notes to banish blandness, for a gourmet touch. Just a few drops of vinegar, lemon juice, or other acid perk up favors and add contrast. Stir some rice vinegar into a risotto, lemon juice into cooked broccoli, or balsamic vinegar into braised chicken. Sparkle up chili with a splash of red wine vinegar. For dessert sauces, add sea salt or chili to caramel or dark chocolate. In just a few seconds, you've enhanced the whole dish.

What to have for dinner tonight?

You can pretty much throw whatever vegetables you want into the stew, and you can replace the white fish with any seafood. The tomato sauce will be light, and full of flavor. Even the kids will eat this!

Mediterranean Fish Stew
(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
chili flakes to taste (optional)
1 bulb fennel (sliced)
1 red pepper (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 cup white wine
1 (28 ounce) can diced plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound white fish (such as haddock, halibut, etc., or any seafood)
1/2 cup fresh herbs such as parsley and basil (chopped)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in the pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 6-10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and chili pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the fennel and red peppers and saute for a few minutes.
5. Add the white wine and simmer for a few minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add the fish simmer until cooked, about 5 minutes.
8. Remove and mix in the fresh herbs.