Lobster Roll Reinvented

Ever had a time when you were craving for something so bad that you can't have because of the availability? In my case, I have been craving (more like dreaming) of Lobster Salad Roll all this week. So to compensate for my craving, I made do with what I had available.  I reinvented the Lobster Roll using Shrimp and Scallop and served it on a bed of lettuce.  It was a winner and B loved it. Of course, his salad was served on a toasted roll:-). 

Unlike the commercial Lobster or Shrimp Salad made with mayonnaise or butter (depending on which style you like) that most restaurants serve, mine was a much healthier version. The secret was my own home made mayonnaise. :-)


Contessa's Shrimp and Scallops Salad (these were all the ingredients I had at the time, but you can always add or omit any ingredient according to your preference)
one bag of large cooked shrimp
10 pieces of cooked Japanese Scallops 
1 Persian cucumbers (this is a smaller kind but you can use whatever cucumbers available)
2 stalks of Celery
2 chopped carrots 


home made mayonaise 
one room temperature egg yolk
1/3 cup safflower oil
one lemon juice
mustard powder 
salt and pepper


Whisk (or beat if you have an egg beater) the egg yolk and add drop by drop a little oil to it, which is really critical to creating the emulsion that is the basis of mayonnaise. Keep on whisking and add the remaining ingredients it thickens. Refrigerate for an hour or two. 


Mix the mayonnaise with the rest of the ingredients above and let it refrigerate. Serve on a bed of lettuce, bread, or eat it as it it. 



Have a great weekend ahead.


Bisous,
Contessa

Seafood Friday - Shrimp and Scallop Lentil Risotto

In honor of this lenten season, I am going to be switching my "Seafood Wednesday" to Friday and "Fitness Friday" to Wednesday. Get the drift, right? LOL! 


This recipe was inspired from the Scallops Risotto that I had from B's bday dinner at Cava. I liked it so much that I wanted to recreate it without using arborio rice. Yes, I know arborio rice is an important component of making risotto. But who said you have to follow the rules? Certainly not in my kitchen. Lentils will do and yes I am still in my lentils cooking craze. LOL! It turned out great in my opinion. Vegetarians can easily use this recipe without the scallops and shrimp. 

Contessa's Shrimp and Scallop Lentil Risotto

one cup of French green lentils 

one half cup of heavy cream

half a cup of tomato paste

two chopped tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

freshly grated parmesan cheese

herbes de provence

chopped shallots

Let three cups of water coming into a boil and add your lentils to the boiling water and let it simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until cooked and tender. Drain and let it cool. Saute chopped shallots for a few minutes and add tomatoes and stir together. Stir in your lentils, tomato paste and heavy cream. Let it simmer and add your parmesan cheese. Season to taste. Plate and add your seared shrimp and scallops (both seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika) of top. Don't forget to sprinkle more cheese as well. 

Happy Fasting! Bisous, Contessa

Seafood Wednesday - Curried Scallops and Apple Salad

Raise your hands if you love scallops. Not only it taste great but it's loaded with a variety of nutrients that can promote your cardiovascular health. It's a good source of protein, B12 vitamin, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and pottassium. I bet you didn't know that. So next time you are in the seafood section, do yourself a favor and try picking up these mollusks. I for once usually buy a pack of frozen Japanese Scallops from my local Trader Joe's every week. $9.99 a pack is a lot cheaper than getting them fresh at Whole Foods (sorry WF, I still buy the rest of my stuff from you lol).   These frozen scallops are so easy to store.  They thaw easy and cook quickly. And I have gotten a lot of questions on how to prepare them. In order to get the maximum nutrients, you must broil or bake the scallops.  No frying. I guess no more of that salted shrimp and scallops that I always get fro the Chinese Resto. HEHE! 

Anyways, here is a quick and healthy recipe that you can make for your scallops. This salad is packed of nutrients since it's loaded with spinach, cranberry, and apples. 

Here is what you need. Chopped shallots, curry powder, salt and pepper to taste, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, spinach, chopped apples, dried cranberry, and of course scallops.

Saute shallots for a few minutes, sprink at least a teaspoon of curry powder, stir together, and add two or three tablespoons of apple cider. Let it simmer and boil. Once the sauce has reduced a little, transfer the sauce in a small bowl.  Pat dry your scallops and season it with salt and pepper. Quicly pan fry it on the pan where you just cooked your shallots. Be careful overcooking the shallots as it can get rubbery. On a separate bowl mix your spinach, apples and cranberry.  Add a little bit of olive oil in your curry shallots sauce and whisk that. Pour it over your spinach mixture and top with scallops. 

How easy was that?  The picture does not do justice on how good this baby tasted.

Have a happy Wednesday mis ames! Bisous, Contessa