TGIF- It's going to be a HUGE weekend of AWESOME food!

Good Friday morning Foodies! I'm so glad it's almost the weekend! It's going to be a busy (but fun) weekend in my world. There is going to be tons of awesome food! This weekend, I will be helping one of my closest friends celebrate their 30th Birthday! (The first in our group!)
In honor of this occasion, I had to plan a Surf & Turf feast from Lobster Gram.
The package should be delivered within the next few hours (Unless FedEx and/or the weather decide to hate me) and I'm already super excited!
Here is what I ordered...and no worries, I'm going to take plenty of video of this on with my flip camera to show everyone!
So this is what I have planned for Saturday night. I can't wait. I love being able to do things like this for my friends on their birthdays and such. Especially a big one like 30. I hear aging gracefully is a lot easier to do with a lobster tail and steak haha.
Well, the next few posts I do will probably be videos of my awesome culinary adventures, so I look forward to sharing those. Have an awesome weekend everyone!

Margarita Shrimp

I love Margarita Shrimp. I have not made this recipe in quite some time, so it's going to be dinner tonight! It will be a welcomed change from all the heavy eating that has been going on at my house lately!

Ingredients

• 1 pound medium shrimp (30-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
  
• 1/4 cup tequila
  
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
  
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 cup thinly slivered red onion
  
• Creamy Lime-Chile Dressing
  
• 4 cups torn romaine lettuce
  
• 2 medium endives, cored and torn into pieces (2 cups)
  
• 1 orange, peeled and cut into segments
  
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
  
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
• Lime wedges
  

Recipe Directions
Toss shrimp, tequila, orange zest, lime zest and salt in a medium bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place onion in a small bowl, cover with cold water and some ice; let stand for 10 minutes, or until ready to use. Toss romaine, endive, orange segments and the drained onion in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Divide among 4 plates. Toss avocados with lime juice and divide among the salads. Drain the shrimp, reserving the marinade. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute until pink and firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide among the salads. Add the reserved marinade to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring; spoon over shrimp. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
Source:Margarita Shrimp

Bouillabaisse with Spicy Rouille

With Mardi Gras right around the corner, it's time for be to break out my favorite Cajun style recipes! This Bouillabaisse with Spicy Rouille is one of my favorite seafood recipes of all time. If you can't make it to New Orleans for the biggest party on earth, why not bring the spirit of the party home with great down home recipes like this. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients for Bouillabaisse

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 leeks, white parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced and thoroughly washed
  
• 1 stalk celery, diced
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
  
• 4 plum tomatoes, diced
  
• 2 large red potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch dice
  
• 1 cup dry white wine
  
• 2 8-ounce bottles clam juice
  
• 1 cup water
  
• 2 4-inch strips orange peel
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• Pinch of saffron
  
• 1/2 lb salmon fillets, cut into thirds
  
• 1/2 lb large dry sea scallops halved
  
• 1/2 lb cleaned, sliced calamari tubes and tentacles
  
• Spicy Rouille (recipe follows)
  

Recipe Directions for Bouillabaisse
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks, celery, garlic and fennel seed and cook, stirring often, until the leeks are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and potatoes; cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 4 minutes. Add wine, increase heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring often, until reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Add clam juice, water, orange peel, bay leaves and saffron and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Carefully submerge Salmon and scallops in the soup, return to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Add calamari, submerge in the soup, and continue cooking until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Discard orange peel and bay leaves. Serve the soup with a spoonful of Spicy Rouille on top.

Ingredients For Spicy Rouille

• 1/4 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
  
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
  
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• Pinch of saffron

Recipe Directions for Rouille
Combine red peppers, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne and saffron in a food processor; pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until smooth.
Source:Cajun Bouillabaisse

Lemon Sesame Scallops

Well the Cider Brined Pork Chops were a smashing success in my opinion. Fantastic cozy dinner for a frigged Saturday night in Chicago. We had really bad weather here all weekend, so after work I went grocery shopping for everything I needed, and stayed in to catch up on some recipes I wanted to try out. This simple Lemon sesame scallop recipe was served Sunday night with some glass noodles and sliced bell peppers. The presentation was so colorful, and the variety of flavors was incredible!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  
• 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
  
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
  
• Pinch of cayenne
  
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
  
• 1 large egg white
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 pound dry sea scallops
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  
• Lemon wedges for garnish
  
• 1 tart apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Recipe Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Spread sesame seeds in a baking pan and toast in the oven as it warms up, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Coat a wire rack that is large enough to hold scallops in a single layer with cooking spray. Place the rack on a baking sheet and set aside. Combine the toasted sesame seeds, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper and cayenne in a bowl. Set aside. Whisk flour, buttermilk, egg white and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in another bowl until creamy and smooth. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Place cornstarch in a shallow bowl, dredge a scallop and shake to remove excess. Using tongs or 2 forks, dip scallop in the buttermilk mixture, and then in the breadcrumb mixture, shaking to remove excess breading. Place on the prepared rack, and repeat with remaining scallops. Scallops should not touch. Bake the scallops until the coating is golden brown and the scallops are firm and opaque in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with lemon wedges.
Source:Lemon Sesame Scallop Recipe