The scallops are super easy to make. All one needs is a good non-stick pan, some delicious olive oil and salt and pepper. The pan needs to be screaming hot and the scallops are done in minutes. To complete the meal, I dressed some delicious arugula with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

The whole meal was very easy to make and didn’t take very long. Try this in the New Year…. a great start!

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 4 cups chicken broth, heated
• ½ cup half and half
• 1 cup Pecorino cheese, shredded
• Salt
• Pepper

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil on medium heat. Add the shallots and cloves and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thyme and rice and sauté for a minute. Add the chicken broth half cup at a time, stirring constantly on medium heat. Keep repeating the process till the rice is cooked. Add the half and half and cheese. Taste for seasonings and add the salt and pepper.

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 12 large scallops or more
• Salt
• Pepper

Heat a large non-stick pan and add the oil. Saute the scallops on high and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes each (depends on the size of the scallops). Serve on top of risotto.

Arugula Salad

• 3 cups baby arugula
• Juice of half lemon
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Toss the arugula with the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Add a cup of tossed greens on top of the scallops and serve.

I usually use them in Asian preparations but they can be used in anything. My daughter loves, loves them. When I was planning on making this dish, I made sure I bought enough packs of these noodles (each pack is a small quantity). I actually bought five to make sure all three of us get enough noodles. I then sautéed some delicious flounder which I sprinkled with a spice mix. The dish was delicious with sautéed bok choy with the noodles and the fish. I used a bit more chicken broth to mimic some of the delicious noodle soups we have been having at Asian restaurants.

The dish was a big success! Try this super healthy meal…

Dry Rub

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil

Mix the powders and salt in a small bowl and keep aside.

• 1 pound flounder filets

Sprinkle the dry rub all over the fish filets and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Take out half an hour before cooking. Heat a medium non-stick frying pan and add the oil. Saute the fish on both sides until done (time depends on the thickness of the filets). Careful not to over cook the fish. Serve the filets on top of the noodles.

• 3 to 4 packs tofu noodles (shirataki noodles) drained and washed in hot water
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bunch bok choy, greens and whites separated and chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons black bean sauce
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a wok like pan and add the olive and sesame oil. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté for a minute on medium high heat. Add the bok choy whites and sauté on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and black bean sauce. Mix well and add the noodles. Mix well and add the bok choy greens. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.

I ended up making a South Indian style fish curry- I happened to have cod in the freezer which I took out as soon as I got home. I processed shallots and ginger together. I roasted cumin, fenugreek and mustard seeds and ground them up. The spice mixture holds the key to this curry- it gives it great flavor.

I marinated the fish with some shredded coconut, tamarind concentrate, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric and salt. Remember to keep the fish in the fridge and only marinate for an hour. The rest was easy- I started with sauteing the shallots and curry leaves and then added the spice mix. I then added the coconut milk and fish stock.

The curry was delicious, especially with the Indian style polenta- yes, you read it correctly.. recipe to follow tomorrow…

• 1 pound white fish (cod, tilapia, etc), cut into 1-inch pieces
• ½ cup shredded coconut (fresh or frozen)
• 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix the coconut, tamarind, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt in a medium bowl. Add the fish and mix with your fingers. Marinate for an hour in the fridge.

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ fenugreek seeds

Roast the seeds in a frying pan for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat or till the seeds become aromatic. Grind in a spice grinder and keep aside.

• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 inch piece of ginger, chopped

Process the shallots and ginger in a food processor and keep aside.

• 10 to 12 curry leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Salt
• 2 cups light coconut milk
• 1 cup seafood or chicken broth
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the curry leaves for a minute and add the shallot mixture. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spice mixture and sauté for a minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a minute. Add the coconut milk and the broth. Bring to a boil and add the fish. Cook the fish for a minute and take out of the sauce. Bring the sauce back to a boil and simmer for ten minutes. Taste for seasonings and add salt. Turn the heat off and add the fish. Let sit for ten minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

We all love shrimp- and I wanted to make something quick and delicious- so I roasted some poblano peppers with green tomatoes and onion- all of which I bought at the farmers market. I then blended the vegetables and made a sauce.

I then sauteed the shrimp in a pan, took them out and cooked the green sauce in the same pan- the shrimp flavor was all over the delicious sauce. The dish was amazing- I wanted to take it a step further and served it with a delicious polenta… stay tuned.

• 3 poblano peppers, seeded and cut in half
• 3 green tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 large yellow onion, cut in half
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• ½ cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer the vegetables onto the sheet and drizzle olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper and roast for about 30 minutes until the peppers and onion are soft. Let cool and carefully take the pepper skins off. Place in a blender with the cilantro and broth. Blend till smooth. Keep aside.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, deveined and shelled
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ cup half and half
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a large saucepan with olive oil. Saute the shrimp on high heat for 30 seconds on each side. Take out and sprinkle with salt and smoked paprika. Add the blended sauce and sauté on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the half and half and broth. Bring to a boil and add the shrimp. Cook on medium heat for just a few minutes till the shrimp are done- careful not to overcook. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro. Serve with fresh polenta.

As an Indian- I am very familiar with okra- which is a key ingredient in gumbo. I decided to use fresh okra instead of frozen. I prefer the fresh variety especially if I can find it. I usually buy it at the Indian grocery stores. The frozen variety is perfectly acceptable in case one can’t find the fresh.

This dish does have quite a few ingredients- so may be this is more suitable for the weekend. I served it with rice and a nice white wine. The best part of the dish is that it is a one pot meal- I love cooking them.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think…

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned
• 2 teaspoons bay seasoning
• Salt
• 1 pound andouille sausage, casing taken off

Sprinkle the bay seasoning and salt on the shrimp and keep in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.

• ¼ cup extra light olive oil
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• ½ large green pepper, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 3 to 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1½ cups chicken broth
• 2 cups fresh or frozen okra
• Salt
• ½ cup parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook on medium heat to create a brownish red roux- it should take about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, celery, thyme and bay. Saute on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the white wine, tomato sauce and chicken broth. Add the okra and sausage. Break the sausage with the back of spatula. Bring to a boil and lower the heat. Place the cover and cook for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and cook for another ten minutes. Check for seasonings. Add the shrimp and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with rice.