Weeknight Bites: Cajun Scallops with Red Onion & Arugula

Have you noticed that your tastes tend to change over time? Just a little over five years ago I didn't eat seafood - at all. I look back on it now and think I must have been crazy. The truth is, I didn't like it then. I'm not sure exactly what happened, whether my tastebuds went through some sort of mid-20's crisis or perhaps just needed a change, but whatever it was turned me into a seafood fan practically overnight. For some reason, whenever I think about my new(ish) affinity for food from the ocean, I can't help but remember one particular camping trip I took with my family in high school. We went to Cape Hatteras, and I remember vividly how I refused - REFUSED - to eat crab legs. I'm pretty sure I insisted on a chicken sandwich instead. I laugh about it now...I just didn't know what I was missing.

While today's recipe isn't one for crab legs, it is for another type of seafood that I wouldn't have touched with a ten foot pole back in my younger days. Oh, how naive I was. Today, I give you scallops. Ah, heaven on earth.

Now, this recipe isn't exactly for the faint of heart. I'm not talking about a delicate, salt-pepper-olive oil scallop pan-seared to perfection (although that certainly has its place in my repertoire and one day, I'll give it to you - promise). No. This dish is SPICY. And man do I love it.

Cajun Scallops w/Red Onion & Arugula

1 tsp olive oil

1 red onion, thinly sliced & separated

1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp butter

1 garlic clove

3/4 lbs fresh scallops

2 tsp hot sauce (like Texas Pete)

 1 cup (packed) Arugula

Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add onion, 1 tsp Cajun seasoning and black pepper and saute for three minutes. Add butter and garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

Sprinkle scallops with remaining Cajun seasoning. Add to skillet and cook 3 minutes. Sprinkle with hot sauce and flip. Cook 3 minutes. Remove scallops from skillet and set aside (keep warm).

In the same skillet, add arugula to red onion and garlic mixture. Saute arugula until wilted. 

Plate arugula and red onion mixture first, then place scallops on top. Serve immediately. 

This recipe serves two, so if you have more mouths to feed you'll want to increase your portions. Remember, the spice level is high! If you'd like to tone it down a bit, omit the hot sauce and go a little lighter on the Cajun seasoning. This should bring down the heat level somewhat. Enjoy!

Until next time...

Cheers!

Weeknight Bites: White BBQ Chicken Potatoes

If you haven't figured it out by now, I am all about making fabulous meals throughout the week while putting forth as little effort as possible. I don't know about you, but when I get home from a long day at the office (not to mention the grueling commute just to get there and back), I just want to veg on the couch. Even though I love to cook, my weeknights just aren't long enough for me to justify spending more than 30 minutes (MAX) in the kitchen after work. While some of the recipes I'll give you here at Cocktail Cutie may be more involved, always check the titles of my post - if something starts with "Weeknight Bites," I promise it will be quick, easy and delicious. This way, you can enjoy more of your free time during the week while still eating food that makes you smile!

Tonight's recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine's March 2012 edition, and I think it's safe to say that this dish has already become a staple in my house. We've had it twice already, and both times my husband and I have raved to each other about how great it is! It's easy, it's affordable, and it's under 500 calories - how can you complain about that? Try it! Your taste buds will thank you.

White BBQ Chicken Potatoes

1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast

2/3 cup canola mayonnaise

1 tbs Dijon mustard

3 tbs white vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbs pickle relish

4 6oz baking potatoes

2 tbs scallions (green onions), chopped*

*optional

Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. Wash baking potatoes and pat dry. Pierce each potato a couple times with a fork and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake in pre-heated oven for 50 minutes. 

When potatoes are done in the oven, remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. While potatoes are cooling, mix mayonnaise, mustard, white vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper and garlic in a small bowl until blended. Add shredded chicken and relish and mix together until chicken is coated. 

 After the potatoes have cooled for 10 minutes, slice them down the middle. Push potatoes lightly on either side to open them up, and add the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with green onions, if desired. Serve immediately.

This recipe will serve four; however, since I typically only cook for two during the week, I bought all of the ingredients and then halved the recipe. This way, I was able enjoy this dish for more than one night...and after I tried it, I was definitely glad I did! It really is amazing, and I'm already planning to make it again. Until next time...

Cheers!

Weeknight Bites: Slow Cooker BBQ Pork

If there's one thing I've learned about living in the South, it's that people down here love BBQ! Several of my friends make family recipes that have been passed down for generations (of course they refuse to share), and many of us reserve whole days on the weekend for a homemade BBQ grill-out. And hey, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that!

But what if you have a hankerin' (yep, I've been in the South WAY too long now...) for an awesome pulled pork sandwich in the middle of the week? All is not lost, friends. Today, I've got a recipe for tender, juicy, flavorful pork BBQ that will satisfy that craving with a lot less work! How? By employing my best friend, the slow cooker (of course!).

Slow Cooker BBQ Pork

 3 lb pork butt roast, bone-in

1/2 cup root beer

3/4 cup BBQ sauce (use your favorite!)

1 large onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

Buns

Place pork butt in slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Add onion on top of the pork, then pour root beer and BBQ over pork and onions. Set slow cooker to low and cook for approximately 10 1/2 hours. At 10 1/2 hours, shred the pork, removing the bone and discarding it. Cook shredded pork at low setting for an additional 30 minutes. Serve with buns and your favorite sides (as you can see, I chose mac and cheese!), and hot sauce and/or extra BBQ sauce as desired.

So there you have it! Next time you get that BBQ craving mid-week, give this recipe a try. It may not beat your momma's BBQ - but it's pretty darn good, I'd say!

Cheers!