When the Cat is Away the Mice turn to Seafood

My Mother and Sister are deathly allergic to shellfish but my Stepfather and I just can't get enough. So, when they are away...we make everything with seafood in it...as much as we can get here in the Yukon.

Thai Curried  Shrimp

1 lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 Cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 Cup Green Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 Cup Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
1 Small Sweet Potato, peeled and diced
1 Small Yellow Onion, diced
1/4 Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, whole
1/2 Can Coconut Milk
3 Tbsp Green Onion, sliced
1/4 Cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Red Thai Curry Paste


In a large wok over medium heat, add olive oil, then add onion and garlic. Stir fry for 1 min. Add peppers, mushrooms and sweet potato and stir fry for 3-4 mins. Add curry paste and saute for 1-2 mins until fragrant. Add shrimp and cherry tomatoes and stir fry for 1-2 mins until the shrimp turn pink. Add coconut milk and turn heat down to a simmer. Let simmer for 2-3 mins. Serve over jasmine rice and garnish with green onion and cilantro.

Steamed Mussels

2 lbs Mussels
2 slices bacon, diced fine
1 Large Shallots, finely diced
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 Cup White Wine
1/2 Cup Half & Half
3 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped

Scrub mussels thoroughly and remove beard. In a large pot over medium heat, add bacon and saute until browned. Add shallot and garlic and saute for 1 min. Deglaze with white wine. Reduce by half. Add half and half and mussels all at once. Cover with lid and steam for 6-8 mins until all mussels have opened. Serve in a shallow bowl with broth ladled over mussels and garnished with parsley. Serve with a glass of white wine and a piece of crusty bread toasted with garlic butter.

Makes 2 Servings

Shrimp and Cauliflower "Grits"

1 Whole Head Cauliflower, cut into florets

1/2 Cup Half & Half

3 Tbsp Ghee

Aged White Cheddar, grated

1/2 Medium Onion, diced

2 Slices Bacon, finely diced

1 Tbsp Garlic, minced

1 lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tsp Cajun Seasoning

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp Hot Chili Oil

Fill medium saucepan with cauliflower florets and then fill until just covered with chicken broth. Boil until tender. Drain in colander and add back to pot. Add ghee and half and half. Blend with immersion blender. Stir in grated cheddar. The finished cauliflower should be the same texture as grits. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning on both sides of shrimp. Add bacon to a saute pan that has been heated over medium heat. Saute bacon until starting to render fat and add garlic and greens. Saute for a few minutes until greens are tender. Set aside until plating. Add olive oil and chili oil to pan leaving residual bacon fat in pan. Add shrimp and saute for 1 min on each side until pink. Serve shrimp on top of "grits" and arrange greens around the grits. Pour over remaining flavoured oil. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Makes 2 Servings

Soup and Sammie Redux

There is a crispness in the air that I love. The leaves have turned their brilliant colours and fallen to the ground. Everyone is talking pumpkin spice lattes but my mind always goes to soup and sammies this time of year. Here is a small collection for you to try.

Buffalo Chicken Soup with Flauta Dippers

Buffalo Chicken Soup

2 Large Chicken Breasts, diced

1 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk

1 Cup Frank's Hot Sauce

1 Cup Chicken Broth

1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro

1 Medium Onion, diced

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Flautas

4 Corn Tortillas

1/4 Cup Grated Jalapeno Jack Cheese

1/4 Cup Grilled Chicken Breast, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Divide the chicken and cheese between the 4 corn tortillas. Place all along one edge and roll up tightly. Place seam side down in a preheated skillet with the olive oil. Grill until edge seals and browns. Flip and brown the other side. Serve as dippers for soup.

Makes 4

Roasted Acorn Squash & Sweet Potato Soup with Proscuitto, Gruyere, Apple, Arugula &Tarragon Mustard Flatbread Sammie

Roasted Acorn Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

2-3 lb Acorn Squash, sliced lengthwise in half and seeds removed

3 Small Sweet Potatoes

2-3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

1 Medium Onion, finely chopped

1 tsp Garam Masala

3/4 tsp Ginger

3 1/2 Cups Vegetable Broth (or Chicken Broth)

2/3 Cup Coconut Milk

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the squash cut side up on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, drizzle and rub the cut side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on the baking sheet. Roast for 45 minds to an hour, or until fork tender and very soft. Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle, remove the squash and sweet potato from their skins and set aside in a bowl. Meanwhile, heat the remaining Tbsp of olive oil in medium sized soup pot. Add the onion and saute over low heat until soft and translucent. Add the ground ginger and garam masala and cook for an additional min or 2, stirring constantly until fragrant. Add the vegetable broth, roasted squash and sweet potato. Bring to low simmer, cover, and cook for an additional 10-15 mins. Puree with an immersion blender. Add the coconut milk and sit until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot and drizzle with a spoonful of coconut milk mixed with a pinch of garam masala and toasted, spiced squash seeds.

Flatbread for Sandwich

1 Cup Tapioca Flour

1/4 Cup Coconut Flour

1/4 Cup Ghee

1 Egg, beaten

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 450 F and place a cast iron skillet into the oven to heat up. Gently heat up coconut milk and ghee in a small saucepan until very warm but not boiling. Combine tapioca flour, sifted coconut flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour coconut/ghee mixture on top. Mix until thoroughly combined. Allow to sit for a couple of minutes to cool and for coconut flour to absorb. Add beaten egg and mix again until fully combined.

Carefully remove hot cast iron pan from the oven, pour mixture into center. Using an offset spatula, evenly spread mixture until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Make sure the middle is no thicker than the outside edges. Bake for 9-12 mins, depending on how crispy you like it, flipping halfway through. Finish under the broiler for a min or two to brown and crisp the top. Use as bread for sandwich.

Proscuitto, Gruyere, Arugula and Apple Flatbread Sandwich with Tarragon Mustard

1 Slice Proscuitto

3 Tbsp Grated Gruyere Cheese

2 tsp Tarragon Mustard

1/4 Cup Arugula

3 Slices Green Apple

Spread the mustard on one half of the flatbread. Place prosciutto and cheese on mustard and then place under broiler to heat ham and melt the cheese. Remove and place apple slices on cheese and then arugula to finish. Fold flatbread in half.

GF Beer, Cheddar & Bacon Soup with Corned Beef, Swiss & Coleslaw Quesadilla

Cheddar, Beer & Bacon Soup

4 Slices Bacon, diced

1 medium Onion, diced

1 Tbsp Garlic, minced

1 GF Beer (I used Glutenburg White) Tall Boy

2 Cups Aged White Cheddar, grated

3 Tbsp White Rice Flour

1 Cup Coconut Milk

2 Cups Red Potatoes, diced

2 tsp Grainy Dijon Mustard

1 small Jalapeno, diced

Salt & Pepper to Taste

In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan with slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Add the onion to the bacon fat and saute until fragrant. Add garlic and saute for 1 min. Sprinkle with white rice flour and stir to combine. Slowly add beer while stirring constantly. Add grated cheddar a handful at a time and stir until melted. Add potatoes, mustard and coconut milk. Simmer on medium low until potatoes are tender. Stir in half of the bacon and reserve half for garnish. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Corned Beef & Swiss Quesadilla

1 GF Tortilla, large

3 thin slices Corned Beef

3 slices Swiss Cheese

2 Tbsp prepared Coleslaw

1 tsp Grainy Mustard

In a large non-stick frying pan, over medium heat, add tortilla to soften. On one half of tortilla, place corned beef slices, spread coleslaw over corned beef, top with swiss cheese sliced and spread grainy mustard on other half of tortilla. Fold over and fry until toasted on the bottom side. Carefully flip over and toast other side until cheese is melted. Slice into four and serve alongside soup.