Hot & Spicy Cajun Sea Scallops

Good Monday morning Foodies! I hope everyone had an outstanding weekend. I know I did, I prepared Hot & Spicy Cajun Sea Scallops. I had been planning on making Apricot Chipotle Sea Scallops, but me being the forgetful person I am, forgot to get the recipe my co-worker had tried and fell in love with.
So as a back up plan, I reached for my jar of trusty Cajun Dry Rub. I make this recipe in HUGE batches and jar them for use down the road. To get that really fine blend, I like using my mortar and pestle. When you are done blending these, you will have a great dry rub that's perfect for chicken, pork or any kind of seafood you like. Be warned...this dry rub is HOT! Not "Oh...that has a little kick to it"...this is mouth-scorching hot! Use sparingly if you are not looking for a fire. Here is the recipe in a slightly more manageable form.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground Cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Blend all ingredients together. Transfer to mortar and pestle and grind until a fine powder remains. Jar for future use.

And here is the video of the preparation. Images coming soon!

Lobster Dumplings

Another great Asian style recipe. Dumplings are pretty easy to make, but it might take you a few tries to get it right. The final product is fantastic, so don't lose heart trying to get it right!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lobster meat (reserve claw meat for garnish)
  
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
  
• 1 small egg
  
• 1/2 tsp ginger, minced
  
• 1/8 tsp garlic,minced
  
• 1/2 tsp fish sauce
  
• 1/4 cup water chestnuts,finely diced
  
• 1/4 tsp basil, minced
  
• To taste salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  
• 1/4 cup water
  
• 12 won ton wrappers

Directions
In food processor or blender, puree the lobster, cream, egg, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, water chestnuts and basil. Transfer to bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour. Combine cornstarch and water in small bowl. Lay out wrappers and place ½ Tablespoon of filling in the center of each. Brush edges of wrappers with the cornstarch mixture. Gather the edges together and twist to close. Place the dumplings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with wrap and refrigerate one hour. Just before serving, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook the dumplings for about five minutes, or until they float to the surface.
Source:Dumplings