Creamy Spicy Cauliflower "Risotto" (Buffalo Ranch)

Courtesy of Hidden Valley

For those that know me, it's no secret that I adore anything with buffalo sauce in it - anything. In an attempt to be somewhat healthier, I decided to look for new recipes containing cauliflower "rice" instead of actual rice -- and came across this gem! It sounded a little odd at first, but the taste was great and we both really enjoyed this side. We had to make ourselves put the fork down - literally. I think this would also be great if you added grilled chicken - to form a sort of buffalo chicken ranch dish, but tonight this was simply a side to go along with our bison steaks. Enjoy, and you're welcome!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Hidden Valley Buffalo Ranch (I couldn't find this, so mixed my own Ranch with Buffalo Sauce)
3 tb olive oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup chopped red onion
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 head cauliflower, core removed and finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tb chopped fresh parsley (I was out of this, so left it out)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and cook 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, salt and pepper, and cook until the cauliflower is tender but not mushy. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese and cook 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the dressing and parsley. Serve hot. This can be made up to 1 day in advance and reheated in a skillet over medium heat.

Seared Scallops and Zucchini with Lemon-Herb Feta

Zucchini Courtesy of Weight Watchers
Scallops Courtesy of Fine Cooking

I made this recipe earlier this week, and it was very fresh and healthy - just what we were looking for. Our goal this week is to stay in and cook until Friday! I bought the zucchini from our Farmer's Market and the scallops were bought fresh as well - so this came out great! This is pretty quick and easy for a week night meal - give it a go!

Seared Scallops with Herb-Butter Pan Sauce
Ingredients:
1 lb dry, larger sea scallops (muscles removed)
1 tb + 3 tb unsalted butter, cut into smaller pieces
1 tb olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tb diced shallot
1/4 cup dry white wine or white vermouth
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs (they recommend chives and parsley, but I used thyme and rosemary that I had on hand)
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest

Directions:

Remove the tough abductor muscle from the side of each scallop (some scallops are sold with the muscle already removed). If you feel any grit on the scallops, rinse them under cold water. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels; surface moisture impedes browning. Heat a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the oil and butter, if using, and heat until quite hot. Pat the scallops dry once more and put them in the pan in a single, uncrowded layer. Season with salt and pepper and let sear undisturbed until one side is browned and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the scallops and sear until the second side is well browned and the scallops are almost firm to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, transfer the scallops to a plate, and set them in a warm spot. Let the pan cool for a minute before you make the sauce.

Zucchini with Lemon-Herb Feta

Ingredients:

3 tb crumbled feta (I used mediterranean seasoned feta since I had it on hand)

2 tb minced mint leaves

1 tb olive oil

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

2 medium scallions, minced

4 small zucchini (about 1 1/2 pound) - I used two larger zucchini from the Farmer's Market

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine feta, mint, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and scallions; set aside. Trim ends off zucchini and slice in half lengthwise; slice each half into 4 or 5 chunks. Place zucchini on a baking sheet (or other flat surface) in a single layer; coat both sides with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Off heat, coat a grill rack or grill pan with cooking spray; heat over high heat. Cook zucchini, carefully flipping once, until grill marks are evident and zucchini is softened, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Arrange zucchini slices on a platter and serve with reserved feta topping.

Basil Pesto Ravioli with Sautéed Artichoke Tomato Sauce & Shrimp

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

At our Farmer's Market, there is a great stand that sells homemade, fresh pastas. This past week, I purchased their whole wheat basil pesto ravioli. I decided to come up with a tomato white wine sauce to go along with it, and include shrimp as the protein. The sauce turned out very good - the only thing I would note is that it's not very saucy -- but enough to coat the ravioli. Definitely give it a go with some regular pasta!

Ingredients:
1 package ravioli (basil pesto for this go around - about 18 of them)
3 tb olive oil
1 clove garlic (I'd add 1-2 more cloves if you're using regular pasta)
1/2 cup (approx.) chicken broth (low-sodium)
1/3 cup (approx.) dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1-2 tb tomato paste
1 cup chopped artichoke hearts (I used marinated ones from the olive bar and just pat them a little dry for the flavoring)
handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half (I used small orange heirloom)
1/2 -3/4 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined) - depends on how many shrimp you prefer
dash of Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to top the pasta

Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. In the meantime, heat a sauce pan with 2 tb of olive oil over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat the shrimp dry and season with the Italian spices on both sides. Saute the shrimp in the pan for 2-3 minutes per side until almost cooked through. Set aside on a plate. Toss the pasta in the boiling water once ready - cook per the pasta's instructions. Heat the remaining tb of olive oil and sauce the garlic until soft, approximately 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, white wine, lemon juice, tomato paste, tomatoes, and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook over high heat until it reduces down a bit - approximately 5 minutes. Add the artichokes and mix in with the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and place the shrimp back in the pan. Stir well to combine the shrimp into the sauce and serve over the drained pasta, with a splash of the pasta water.

Bison Steaks with Sautéed Escarole & Zucchini

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

It may have been two months since I've last posted anything, but this one is worth the wait! We are fortunate to have a farmer's market a few blocks away every Saturday in the Spring/Summer. I visited last weekend and went crazy! There was a local farm selling bison steaks in every cut you could imagine (Thank you Cibola Farms!!!!). I've had ground bison burgers, but never the steaks. I bought 1 filet and 1 ribeye so that we could share and try them both out. I also bought some fresh zucchini and escarole from a local farmer. Tonight was all about supporting the community! These steaks were DELICIOUS. I think we have a new favorite cut of meat...if you can find bison steaks, definitely give this a try. You won't regret it!

Ingredients
Bison Steaks:
2 bison steaks (both of mine were tender cuts and totaled about 1.5 pounds)
1/2 tb unsalted butter
canola oil, to coat the bottom of a frying pan (I used stainless steel)
salt and pepper, dashes of each on each steak on each side
custom red meat seasoning, dash on each side (this is a combo of many spices I bought in NYC)

Escarole & Zucchini Mixture:
1 large bunch escarole, rinsed and drained and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini, sliced (I sliced them in half as well)
2-3 garlic cloves, mashed and diced
a couple swirls of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
dash of fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Set your steaks out about 30 minutes ahead of time to bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat the steaks dry and season with salt, pepper, and whichever seasoning you prefer. Heat a stainless steel fry pan with a coating of Canola oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the steaks on all sides until slightly brown to form a crust. Once complete, heat 1 tb butter in the edge of the pan and spoon over the steaks. Place the steaks in the preheated oven for approximately 5 minutes. for thicker cuts, this will come out medium-rare, which is ideal. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes and then serve.

In the meantime, heat another pan with a couple of swirls of olive oil, and toss in the zucchini over medium-high heat to get a slight brown on them. Toss in the garlic and reduce to medium heat. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes. Toss in the escarole and mix in the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir well to distribute the garlic and olive oil. Cook for approximately 5-10 minutes depending on how low and slow you want to cook those. Add a dash of lemon juice at the end of cooking and stir to combine. Serve with the steaks.