Seafood Soup

I can eat soup almost everyday. There was a time in my life where I only wanted thick, creamy soups. Now, I cannot even digest that and certainly don't dream about eating it. I like clear broths, with homemade stock and lots of vegetables.

Scallops, shrimp, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, wild rice and homemade chicken stock.

Mmmmm

I actually made this at the spur of the moment due to a timing error with the family's meal. So, I had to throw together something at the very last minute. I had made chicken stock so I knew that would be the base.  I searched in the freezer and found a bag that had three very small scallops in it and one that had 5 plump uncooked jumbo shrimp. Bingo!

Into a small pot I placed the chicken stock, and all the vegetables cut into bite sized pieces. They were already cooked, it was Sunday and I had cooked a bunch of vegetables for lunches. Asparagus, mushrooms and zucchini. They warmed in the broth as I cooked the seafood.  I added one ounce of cooked wild rice for some texture.

I ran the shrimps and scallops under cold water and they quickly thawed, then I sprinkled the shrimp with chile powder. I heated my skillet and added a very small amount of coconut oil and then quickly seared the scallops and shrimps.

The scallops cooked first, I pulled them out and placed them in the serving bowl.

The shrimps still had the shells on and took longer, I added a splash of water to keep them from drying out and sticking as they finished cooking.

When they were done, I pulled them off, took the shells off and cut them into smaller pieces. I added them to the bowl with the scallops, then poured the broth and vegetables over.  A couple squirts of sriracha sauce and it was ready to enjoy!


Soup is so easy to make, just use your imagination! If you can make your own stocks it's a bonus as you don't have to worry about sodium and what may or may not be in it, and the flavor is phenomenal. 

Scallops Fit for a Queen (or King)

Sunday night and I am making scallops with vegetables for myself (above) and bangers and mash for the boys (below). Not familiar with it? That's because it is a British dish, David's mother was Welsh, and now Cooper is a British Citizen, you gotta eat like your people!

Mash are mashed potatoes; bangers are pork sausage with bread in them, very mild, but highly loved by the British. They are pan fried, and served with gravy and peas.

I did not eat this!

I fed it to the boys and they were pleased as pie! I made them a nectarine crostada for dessert too.

Below is another view of mine, half eaten so you can see the broth and the colors and the great dish I made.

I had slices of Italian squash that had been sauteed, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, sauteed leeks and 2 ounces of Maria's "sweet pots". Those are sweet potatoes that have been chunked up, and tossed with small amount of olive oil, cinnamon, splenda and pepper and then roasted until tender. 


I put all the vegetables, which had been previously cooked, onto a plate, then warmed it in the microwave (I use mine a lot).


I then heated a cast iron pan and placed a small amount of coconut oil in it, and seared the scallops (I had salted and peppered) for 2 minutes a side. I placed the scallops on top of the warmed vegetables then added some water to the very hot pan, to deglaze the juices. 

Now the last touch: Taste #5 Umami Paste! What is Umami?
For a long time, scientists debated whether umami was indeed a basic taste; but in 1985 at the first Umami International Symposium in Hawaii, the term Umami was officially recognized as the scientific term to describe the taste of glutamates and nucleotides. 


Now it is widely accepted as the fifth basic taste. Umami represents the taste of the amino acid L-glutamate and 5’-ribonucleotides such as guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and inosine monophosphate (IMP).


Although it can be described as a pleasant "brothy" or "meaty" taste with a long lasting, mouthwatering and coating sensation over the tongue, umami has no translation.


Umami has a mild but lasting after-taste difficult to describe. It induces salivation and a furriness sensation on the tongue, stimulating the throat, the roof and the back of the mouth 

YUM! I added a small squeeze of Umami paste and whisked it around, then poured the broth over my dish. One of the biggest problems with diet food is the dryness, lack of sauces and condiments, but a nice tasty broth can change everything.


I bought the paste in Santa Cruz, and have seen it in several gourmet shops since then. I bet Whole Foods even carries it now! Try some!