Free Seafood

The greatest thing happened last weekend!  I was grilling at my friend's place, and went to the grocery store to buy some fresh tuna.  While I was checking out, some of the items from the person in front of me ended up in my bag.  My friend had driven me there, and she brought the bags in, so I didn't actually notice until later that night that I had almost 3 lbs of fresh sea scallops and shrimp!!  I was so so excited!  Especially since I've never cooked scallops before, and I love when I'm forced to try something new.
I found a great recipe for the scallops and adapted it to include the shrimp.  It was amazing.  I actually raved about it so much that my parents are making it tonight.
I changed it a decent amount since I didn't have some of the ingredients.  I'd be curious to try it out sometime soon with the actual ingredients.
The one change I made that I'll probably keep, is that I removed the scallops from the pan after they were seared, and then made the sauce.  The original recipe added the sauce ingredients while the scallops were still in the pan, and I thought that would remove some of the crispy edges.

Scallops Provencal (adapted from One Perfect Bite):
Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh sea scallops
1 lb fresh shrimp, 10-15 count
all purpose flour
s&p
6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2/3-1 cup vegetable stock
1 lemon, cut in half

Directions:
Peel the shrimp if they're in the shell, and pat all of the seafood dry.  Put the flour, s&p in a medium bowl, add the scallops, and toss gently until they are all coated.
Heat 3 tbsp butter in a large skillet over high heat.  When it starts to sizzle, turn the heat to medium, and place as many scallops that will fit in.  Once you place them down, don't move them for about 2 minutes, then flip them over once they are browned on the bottom.  When they are browned on both sides, remove them to a plate.  Cook the remaining scallops, if necessary, and also remove them to a plate.  Cover the plate with foil to keep warm.

Add the remaining butter, onions and garlic.  Add enough of the vegetable stock to make a slightly thick sauce.  Place the shrimp in the sauce in a single layer.

When pink on one side, flip them, and add the scallops back in.  Mix gently and cook until heated through, and the shrimp are pink on both sides.
Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Easy pasta

After using up all of my strawberries, I still have a ton of spinach left.  Since it's been several days since I bought it, I decided that it would probably taste better cooked than fresh.  This was a very easy dinner.  I was going to write up an actual recipe, but realized that it wasn't really necessary.  When cooking pasta, add spinach in the last minute or two so it cooks, but is not overcooked.  And roasted shrimp is great with this - toss peeled shrimp (thawed if frozen) with olive oil and s&p, and cook for ~7 minutes at 400 F.  Toss everything together and enjoy with some freshly grated cheese.

Pasta with Roasted Veggies and Shrimp

This may be obvious because I am a vegetarian, but I love veggies! I’ve realized that one way to make a meal seem bigger without completely engorging yourself is to add a ton of veggies. This meal is easy, delicious, and even better – healthy! I think that roasting shrimp is one of the best ways to cook it, and they're always nice and juicy.
This recipe is so easy to adapt – just use whatever vegetables you have on hand. I got the lemon pepper pappardelle and the lemon pepper seasoning from Trader Joe’s.

Pasta with Roasted Veggies and Shrimp:
Ingredients:
2 bunches of broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper
Olive oil
Lemon pepper seasoning
Lemon pepper pappardelle
~3/4 lb shrimp
Hard cheese for grating

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If using frozen shrimp, thaw under running cold water. Drain and pat dry. Wash the broccoli, and then cut up into individual stalks. Wash the bell pepper and cut into long strips. Toss the broccoli and pepper with 1-2 tbsp olive oil and some lemon pepper seasoning. If you don’t have this seasoning, substitute some freshly squeezed lemon juice or dried lemon peel, and salt and pepper. Spread out on a foil-lined pan and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, boil salted water for the pasta, and de-shell your shrimp. Toss the shrimp in olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning. Pull out the veggies and make room for the shrimp, so it can all be spread out in a single layer. Put back in the oven for ~8 minutes. Cook the pasta until al dente. When everything is done, toss the pasta, shrimp and veggies together. Add some additional lemon pepper seasoning or s&p, and grate the cheese of your choice on top.