JALAPEÑO POPPERS

When you remove the seeds and the white membrane from jalapeño peppers and bake them, they lose a lot of their heat. 

You will just notice a slight kick to the poppers. If you prefer, you can do the same with colorful little sweet peppers.

8 jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeds removed

4 strips bacon, fried and crumbled

½ cup cream cheese softened

¾ cup shredded Gouda cheese

¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Zest and juice of ½ lime

2 T chopped cilantro

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place jalapeño halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix together the crumbled bacon, cream cheese, Gouda, Monterey Jack, lime zest and juice, and cilantro.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the cheese mixture between the jalapeño halves, pressing down to fill completely.

Bake until cheese bubbles and lightly browns, about 18 minutes.

PAN FRIED SCALLOPS WITH LEMON-GARLIC-BUTTER

I don't know the reason but East Coast Digby scallops are the sweetest scallops I have ever tasted, especially scallops from the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. This is a simple and delicious way to pan fry scallops from your area.

10 East Coast sea scallops

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 T unsalted butter, divided

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

3 T white wine or white vermouth

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

Snipped chives

Dry scallops with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat.

Add scallops and brown on one side, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Do not flip over until at least 3 minutes to get a nice brown color.

Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate.

Melt the rest of the butter and gently sauté garlic for one minute.

Add the wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice. 
Reduce the liquid for a couple more minutes. 

Add the scallops back into the pan to warm through. 

Add scallops to two warm plates, spoon pan juices over and garnish with snipped chives.  

Serve with mashed potatoes or risotto.

Serves 2

SMOKED PAPRIKA GREEN BEANS

I am always finding new ways to make green beans. I found a very good quality of smoked paprika in a small market and used it in this recipe. These green beans may become addictive...that's how good they are!

2 lbs green beans, root end broken off

2 T avocado oil

2 shallots, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t smoked paprika

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 T extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

Boil green beans in salted water for about 5 minutes.

Drain well and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.

Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and sauté another minute.

Add the paprika and cook one more minute.

Add the beans and stir to completely coat.

Add the lemon zest and juice.

Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Spoon onto a warm platter and serve.

Serves 6

MARYLAND-STYLE SHRIMP SALAD SANDWICHES

Shrimp rolls make a perfect light dinner or a hearty lunch. This is my version of a Maryland style shrimp salad complete with the subtle flavor of Old Bay Seasoning.

Shrimp Boil

2 cups water

1 lemon, cut in half, divided

2 t Old Bay Seasoning

2 bay leaves

2 lbs. large shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), peeled and deveined

Pour water into a saucepan.  

Squeeze in the juice of ½ lemon and throw in the lemon half.  

Add the Old Bay and bay leaf.

Bring to a boil and add the shrimp.

Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 4 minutes.

Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl and let cool.

Slice in half, lengthwise and then cut in half again.

Place in a medium bowl and refrigerate.

Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise

2 T chopped parsley

2 t chopped fresh dill, or ½ t dried

½ t celery salt

½ t Old Bay Seasoning

2 stalks celery, finely diced 

2 scallions, thinly sliced

3 T minced red onion

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice of ½ lemon

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Mix above ingredients together in a small bowl.

Add shrimp to the bowl with the dressing and stir to combine.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Serve on top-split hot dog rolls, outsides buttered and toasted.

SHIRLEY TEMPLE DOLL

This was my Christmas gift in 1955 - she hasn't aged a bit!

GARLIC RANCH SALAD DRESSING

I prefer to make my ranch salad dressing from scratch rather than buy it in a bottle or in a packet. There are no
preservatives in this dressing.
It is so delicious and if you want to really jazz it up, add some crumbled blue cheese to the dressing or directly to your salad and add some crumbled fried bacon.

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 cup mayonnaise

½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup minced Italian parsley
Zest & juice of ½ lemon
2 T minced fresh chives
½ t minced fresh or freeze-dried tarragon

½ t dried dill

¼ t dry mustard
1 t Worcestershire sauce
½ t white wine or champagne vinegar
½ t paprika

2 dashes hot sauce (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients.
Pour into a jar fitted with a lid and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

QUICK CUCUMBER & CABBAGE KIMCHI

I never liked kimchi in a jar. I often thought, "why does my husband like this and why is it so expensive"? I knew when he was opening up the jar to spoon out some because of the smell. This kimchi recipe is low in sodium and delicious. You can adjust the amount of heat you want with the red pepper powder and you can leave out the fish sauce if you prefer.

1 English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 ½ t sea salt

½ sweet onion, thinly sliced

½ napa cabbage, shredded

2 carrots, peeled and grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

2 to 3 stems fresh chives, snipped
4 scallions (green onions) thinly sliced
1 to 2 sheets Nori, thinly sliced or torn, optional
1 T red pepper powder

2 t sesame oil

2 t toasted sesame seeds
2 t fish sauce

1 t sugar

Place sliced cucumbers in a large bowl and sprinkle with the 1 ½ teaspoons of sea salt.

Toss well and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes until liquid has been extracted.

Drain and rinse well. Rinse the bowl.

Place cucumbers back into the bowl and add the remaining ingredients.

Mix together and refrigerate until well chilled.