Spicy Pumpkin Soup

This is a great winter warming soup. It's spicy, both in the sense that it's a little hot and that it has lots of great spices and seasonings in it. The coconut milk and garam masala make it a little Indian. The cool, tart yogurt is a great addition to the soup. Don't worry if you can't find nigella seeds. If you wanted to add a little protein, I think it could be great with some grilled shrimp thrown in at the bottom, or on top with the garnish.

Ingredients:

1 sweet onion, diced

2 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil if you don't have it)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ginger, grated

1 tsbp chili flakes

1/4 tsp coriander seeds

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp whole black pepper corns

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chili powder

3 tbsp sriracha

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp cider vinegar

Pork and Tofu Stir Fry

I've never cooked anything with tofu before, but this was a great entry. I saw the recipe in last weekend's Wall Street Journal. It's really tasty! I actually really liked the tofu. It absorbs all the flavor and is sort of creamy and smooth. It's not vegetarian or anything because of the pork, and the miso paste gives it a great depth of flavor. I altered the recipe slightly because I couldn't find the special Korean chili paste.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lb ground pork

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp ginger, minced

2 medium onions, finely diced

1/4 cup white miso paste

2 tbsp chili paste (I used chili garlic)

1 cup chicken broth

2 lb silken tofu, cut into big pieces

2 big scallions, thinly sliced

cooked white rice

Bay Scallop Gratin

It's bay scallop season! Peconic Bay Scallops are so, so good. Go get some if you can! They are so little, and tender, and sweet. I made them two ways for Valentine's Day - this was Ina Garten's recipe. It's so tasty! Great for a dinner party because it cooks quickly and you can prep ahead. The topping is incredible. 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb bay scallops

2 tbsp butter, room temperature

2 gloves garlic, minced

1 small shallot, minced

1 slice prosciutto, chopped

1 small handful parsley, chopped

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp vermouth

kosher salt

black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup panko

2 tbsp wine

Uni Pasta with Crab

Yum! This is such a subtle, tasty pasta. I know some people are turned off by uni (sea urchin), but you wouldn't know it was in here. It just gives a subtle sweet, briny flavor. I was at Cor J and saw that they had uni and I'd always wanted to try it, so I googled around and found this recipe. I based this on that. It's such an elegant pasta, especially with fresh tagliatelle. It was a perfect Valentine's Day starter. (We ate too much.)

Valentine's Day Heart-Shaped Ravioli

Jamie and I had some friends over last weekend for a Valentine's Day dinner party. I made this awesome ravioli, but in pink and white hearts. 

Pear-Bourbon Cocktail

Jamie loves bourbon so we always have it around. Last weekend, I wanted to make a special cocktail and I love pears, so enter the pear bourbon cocktail. My grocery actually had Goya pear nectar, which is delicious, so I was in luck. I made a ginger-spiced simple syrup to go with it, and topped it off with a thin slice of pear and then for fun some tiny pear hearts speckling the bottom. Good for Valentine's Day!