Shifting into Soup Mode…

The first official day of fall is this Sunday!

If you know anything about me then you know I love soup and seafood. So, today I’m combining them both!

This recipe comes together rather quickly and really hits the spot when you’re wanting a hearty bisque without the guilt. Feel free to use whatever seafood you have for this dish. I just happened to have these on hand (minus the lobster, I did go buy him just for this).

what you do:

1. Melt butter, and add onion, garlic, carrots, and bay leaf. Let them cook for maybe ten minutes or so until onions are translucent.

2. Throw in the flour and cook another couple minutes.

3. Add seafood stock, clam juice, oregano, diced tomatoes, and cream cheese. Let that simmer for around 30 minutes.

4. Remove bay leaf and add to a blender. Once blended, return to your pot and add milk of your choice (you can add heavy cream here if you wanted to).

5. Finally, add in any and all seafood you’d like to use. Let that simmer for about 10 minutes.

6. Top with anything from some fresh Parmesan or fresh basil which is what I went with (it’s hard for me not to add basil to everything).

Don’t think there aren’t more soup recipes coming your way this spooky season! Haha!

Thank you for stopping by and enjoy your day!

The Perfect Summer Bite

Happy Wednesday, you fabulous people!

I don’t do a ton of meat on here because I eat a ton of seafood. But I must admit that I do love a good steak dish from time to time. This dish was so fantastic I was asked to “put it on rotation”. It comes together so fast and really packs a flavor punch.

First, marinate your steak. I let mine do so for about eight hours just to make sure that flavor sank in.

My favorite pesto:

• One big handful or fresh basil and the same of spinach

• 1/2 cup Parmesan

• 1/4 cup walnuts

• About 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Salt

For your marinade:

• Equal parts honey and extra virgin olive oil (like 1/2 cup)

• Three garlic cloves, minced

• Equal parts red wine vinegar and soy sauce (like 2 tbsp)

• Salt and pepper

Add all of that to your food processor and store in the fridge or use. I never buy pesto I always make this. You may need to add more oil if you desire a different consistency. You may also need to splash a little water in it. Also, I love to use walnuts in my pesto but you can use pine nuts as well.

For this just grill your steak as desired. I like mine still pink in the middle. Let it rest for ten minutes and slice. Add mozzarella, pesto, cooked corn, and whatever veggies you happen to have in the fridge. I went with some cherry tomatoes on the vine. Another option is to turn it into a sandwich which is what Mk did. Needless to say this is a crowd pleasing (and simple) recipe for busy week nights.

I hope this summer is treating you well and full of many delicious foods!

It’s Courgette Season!

Hello, Hello All!

It’s finally courgette (zucchini) season and I for one couldn’t be any more excited. If you’ve followed me even a little bit these past ten years, then you know these are one of my favorite veggies to cook with in the summer. I found this recipe on Insta by @juliusroberts. He made me immediately make this. Go check him out! He’s amazing.

I am absolutely infamous for making a massive mess in the kitchen no matter what I make. I can’t help it, I inherited it from my Mother. Sorry Mom, can’t say it isn’t true. Having said that, this recipe was so easy that I didn’t even make a big mess in my kitchen! * bows *

This recipe is absolutely perfect to throw together when hosting, or for an evening on the patio. With only a few ingredients you have a beautiful and delicious summer dish.

Let’s make a Courgette Tart!

what you need:

• puff pastry

• 1/2 lemon, juiced plus lemon zest

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• salt & pepper

• green and yellow courgette

• fresh basil

Before we get started, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, with a vegetable peeler slice your courgettes into ribbons. Toss in a bowl with olive oil and flakey salt.

Score the puff pastry to create an edge.

Mix ricotta, lemon juice, zest, handful of fresh basil, salt, and pepper. Then spread over pastry.

Layer the beautiful ribbons.

Slice up some garlic and place sporadically.

Add another layer to protect the garlic.

Sprinkle some parmesan and fold over the edges.

Bake this for about 20-25 minutes but keep an eye on it. You want the edges to get golden brown.

This lite summer dish is so perfect for entertaining, and it doesn’t hurt to add a little champagne with it. Just saying…

I hope you’re enjoying this first full week of summer!