Culinary adventure - Seafood and Sangria!

Instead of blogging about a wonderful meal that we had at a restaurant, I'll blog about a wonderful meal that I actually cooked :) J and I are seafood lovers, so I love finding new ways to prepare seafood. I usually cook fish once or twice a week, but scallops are saved for special occasions.

I receive the Martha Stewart magazine for free and was excited when there was a recipe for Creamy Rice with Roasted Shrimp. It was actually in a section of the magazine for quick weekday meals, which made me even more ready to try it. I'm not a fan of spending hours in the kitchen! So here is the recipe:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 onion finely chopped
  
• 1 cup Arborio rice (I found plain Arborio rice at Whole Foods)
  
• 1 cup dry white wine
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 1 pound frozen, peeled, deveined shrimp
• 2 pints grape tomatoes
  
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
  
• 2 gloves garlic

Heat oven to 400. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan of medium heat. Cook the onion until soft for about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and wine and cook. Stir until the wine is absorbed. Add 2 cups of water and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, over low heat until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the shrimp, tomatoes (I omitted the tomatoes because we aren't a fan of them), thyme, garlic, the remaining tablespoon of oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Roast until the shrimp are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve over rice.

The recipe is really simple and a lot less expensive than ordering the same thing at a restaurant.

For the scallops I just seasoned them with some salt and pepper and pan seared them about 2 minutes on each side.

I found a recipe for a reduction that I also made. It is also simple and uses most of the same ingredients that I already had on hand.

Here are the final results:



My other culinary adventure included making Sangria.

• 1 bottle dry white wine (I use a sauvignon blanc with fruity notes)
• 1 bottle red wine (preferably a beaujolais)
• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup of sugar
• assorted fruits (I always use red grapes and strawberries)
• 1-2 ounces of brandy (optional)

1. In a large non-metal bowl, mix the wines together, along with the cup of sugar. Stir for a few minutes.
2. Slice the orange and lemon into thin slices (1/8 - 1/4 of an inch). Add to the wine and stir.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. In the morning, add in your other fruits and the brandy. Stir again, pour into a pitcher and chill until it's time to party!

I used apples, pears and oranges for my fruit. Instead of brandy, I used triple sec because that's what we had on hand. It turned out so delicious!





The final product:
And yes it's being served in a Brita pitcher :)