Sausage and Shrimp Stew

The latest creation from my February is for fish series.  This is the first time I have ever eaten shrimp and wanted more!!  Just enough spice and warmth to make the chill of a winter night melt away.

By Ted Slee

Prep Time:  10 – 15mins

Cook Time:  40 min

Serves:  4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large Spanish onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces sweet Italian Sausage (casings removed)

2 tsp smoked paprika

4 tsp crushed red pepper

Kosher salt

1 – 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes (chopped, plus juice from can)

4 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 lb red potatoes cut in bite sized pieces

1 bunch red kale (stems removed & leaves roughly chopped)

5 leaves of cabbage (stems removed & leaves roughly chopped)

1 lb medium shrimp (peeled & de-veined)

Prep:

Mix sausage with garlic and red pepper flake using your hands in a bowl and loosely form inch chunks and add to the olive oil in a small Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently for about 15 minutes. Add the paprika and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until the oil turns deep red, about 1 minute. Then add the chopped tomatoes (save the juice), bay leaves, thyme and oregano and mix for about 1 minute.  Now mix in the potatoes, the tomato juice and 2 cups of room temperature water. Bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer and cover until the potatoes are almost tender for about 15 minutes. Add the kale & cabbage cooking until the potatoes are tender about 10 more minutes. When you have reached this point turn the heat off and gently add the shrimp mixing until they are submerged curl and turn pink about 3 minutes. Serve while hot with a good piece of bread.

Awesome Tuna Melt

By Ted Slee

Serves:  Four

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 10-15 mins

Ingredients

1 lb fresh Tuna Steak

2 lemons

8 oz Broccoli Cole Slaw Mix

4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Clove of Garlic Minced

1 Tsp Mustard Powder

St Andre Cheese (or any creme brie)

4 large slices of crusty artisan bread

Salt

Pepper

Prep

Gently with a sharp knife cut the tuna into cubes of about ½”.  Add the tuna, zest and juice of one lemon in a bowl and let rest at room temp for 30 mins.  Mix 2 tbsp of oil, mustard powder and the juice and zest of the second lemon in a bowl with the broccoli cole slaw and let rest.  Once the tuna has been sitting for 30 mins add it to a hot non-stick pan with the remaining oil and garlic.  Cook for a minute or two on high constantly mixing until the fish has just a little color.  Lay the bread out on a cookie sheet and distribute the fish evenly.  Add some of the broccoli slaw on top and cover with the cheese.  Broil just long enough to melt cheese about 2-4 minutes.  Enjoy!

February Kickoff

So, here is the kickoff to February is for Fish… Or, atleast it is for me.  I should probably explain why I am taking this culinary journey.  In my 34 years of life, I have eaten fish about 4 times and never really liked the texture or flavor.  Its sort of like what broccoli and brussel sprouts were to most of as a kid, just weird adult food that would never cross our lips.  So my plan on the first of February is to try to cook a traditional fish recipe and then try to make my own version with ingredients that make me want to eat it. 

I decided to start with one of the most simple things I could think of, a Tuna Melt.

I have created the standard Tuna Melt that I have seen in most restaurants to place side by side with my new creation.  Take a look at the pictures and then try the simple recipe and let me know what you think!!