Seafood Stew

There's no way to get this wrong unless you have the stove up too high! Or leave the house for hours while cooking it!have fun with the ingredients and let it simmerrrrrrrrr!

Ingredients
1 medium onion (I used Vidalia because I like my stew sweet. do not use red onion, just trust me!)
1 large red pepper OR 3 small sweet peppers (guess which ones I used... I like it sweet)
2 cloves of garlic 
1 tablespoon oil (I suggest avocado, light olive oil, or grapeseed) OR grass-fed butter (TEAM KERRYGOLD!)
1 14.5 oz can of organic diced tomatoes
1 6 oz. can of organic tomato paste
16 oz. seafood stock (You can use chicken stock, if you have it)
2 cans of wild caught clams (I used Bumble Bee brand)
1 lb. FIRM, FRESH (not frozen) white fish (I used cod because it holds up well)
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Here you can add whatever other 2 seafoods you like.
I used: 1 lb raw shrimp & SOME frozen bay scallops (I used a lot of them... almost the whole bag.... i like scallops)
If you are using cooked shrimp add it within the last 10 minutes so it doesn't overcook.

Optional Ingredient
2 handfuls of fresh spinach or kale

Seasonings to taste
fresh basil
fresh thyme (optional)
dried oregano
dried parsley
dried bay leaves
crushed red pepper flakes
pink himalayan salt or sea salt
a LIL BIT of white wine

Equipment
large non-stick pan with a top (I use a pan instead of a pot because in MY mind it heats more evenly *shrug* You can use a large saucepan if you don't have a pan with a top)
large knife
cutting board
spatula
large spoon
tasting spoon

What to Do

1. Chop onions into 1 inch strips and peppers into 1/2 inch pieces. Chop garlic finely. Chop at least 4 basil leaves.
2. Add 1 tbsp of oil to non-stick pan. Turn pan on medium heat. Add onions, peppers, garlic and fresh basil & thyme. 
   
3. Cook until onions are soft.
4. Add seafood stock, diced tomatoes, SPLASH of wine, and juice from both cans of clams. Add dried seasonings and a DASH or 2 of red pepper flakes depending on your spiciness level. STIR in tomato paste. 
   
   
   
5. Bring to a simmer. Cover & let simmer for 20-30 minutes.
6.  Cut fish in 1 inch pieces. Remove cover, add clams, fish, scallops, raw shrimp etc. and stir.
   
7. Lower heat, replace cover, and let cook for 20 minutes. Add salt IF necessary.
8. After 10 minutes if you are using cooked shrimp, spinach or kale add it & stir.
9. Remove cover, turn off heat, ladle into a bowl & serve with bread. I made paleo sandwich rolls because they remind me of cornbread. The recipe is here: http://lexiscleankitchen.com/2014/08/24/the-ultimate-paleo-sandwich-rolls/
10. EAT IT!

I forgot to put my watermark on my pics, so don't steal em!

Feta-Crusted Lamb

Last night I daydreamed of a grilled lamb burger with lots of spices and green onions inside and a mint & cucumber tzatziki sauce on top! After much debate I got up off the couch & headed to the grocery store where I was so super sad to find out there was no ground lamb... I just about faded away! so  upon seeing that herbed feta was on sale, I revamped my plan.

Feta Crusted Lamb

Ingredients:
1 grass-fed lamb shoulder chop (it's a less expensive cut of meat, but still delicious)
1 full slice of red onion
crumbled herb feta

Seasonings to taste:
cumin
coriander
garlic powder
onion powder
oregano
Montana steak seasoning (someone bought this for me from an amish market but Montreal steak seasoning should do)
fresh ground black pepper

Equipment: 
1 small metal oven safe pan
aluminum foil
tongs
1 knife
1 cutting board

What to do:

1. Slice one medium thick slice from the red onion and set aside.
2. Turn oven to Broil- Lo. 
3. Line the metal dish with aluminum foil and place the lamb in the pan. Sprinkle each side with the seasonings, flipping the lamb with the tongs. Place the pan on the top rack of the oven.
4. You will  be cooking the lamb on lo broil for 5 minutes on each side. During the first five minutes, you may want to begin to prep your salad and wash your tongs so as not to cross-contaminate. 
5. After cooking the lamb on both sides for 5 minutes on lo broil, turn the broiler to high & cook on each side for five minutes each. This time, add the outer rings of the onions. I chopped the inner portion of the onion & used it on top of my salad.
6. Cook on each side a final time. During the last turn, sprinkle the top of the lamb liberally with the crumbled herb feta and let it broil until the cheese bubbles & browns..
7. Remove for oven, let cool.
8. PLATE IT & EAT IT!

I was so ready to eat I didn't even bother plating it pretty!

Cabbage, Sausage & Peppers in the Crockpot

I don't have any pictures of this because I was working on it on a whim.

Ingredients:
1 medium/large head of cabbage (it can be large-ISH depending on the size of your crock pot)
1 large sweet onion
6 small sweet peppers
1 package of smoked sausage or kielbasa (with the casing ON- it's important... I used turkey smoked sausage)
1 package of sweet italian sausage ( casing doesn't matter because you're going to cut  it off anyway! I used Premio)
*you can also add red potatoes, but I am trying to cut back on those delicious things*
1/2 cup of water
olive oil

Seasonings to taste:
cumin
crushed garlic
sea salt or rock salt
fresh ground pepper
caraway (optional)
coriander (optional)
turmeric (optional)

Equipment:
2 knives
2 cutting boards
1 saute pan
1 crockpot

What to do:

1. Remove the outer layers of the cabbage, then cut the cabbage into 2 1/2 inch wide pieces. Add half to the crock pot set other half aside. If using potatoes cube & add them now.
2. Slice the peppers into medium width strips and place in the crock pot.
3. Cut onions into 2 inch pieces and set aside.
4. put a SPLASH of oil in the sautee pan and  turn the stove on medium heat. Cut the Italian sausage out of the casing and crumble into the pan. 
5. While that browns, cut the smoked sausage or kielbasa into 1 inch pieces and set aside.
6. Stir the italian sausage making sure it is cooked through. Add JUST the meat to the crock pot leaving the grease in the pan.
7. Add the onions and smoked sausage to the pan along with the crushed garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, caraway, coriander & turmeric (it adds a little UMPF & gives the onions a yellow hue).
8. Once the sausage is seared and the onions are just a little limp and add to the crock pot.
9. Add the rest of the cabbage and just a dash or 3 of the seasonings you added to the onions. Pour in the half cup of water.
10. Set the crock pot on high for 2 hours or low for 4. In an hour, try to stir everything up to make sure the cabbage on top is not CROUNCHY! (yes CROUNCHY!)

This is Your Season!

This is my first official food blog. Some people may know me as Bri Cooley, some may not know me at all. But I love food. I try to eat as healthy and organic as I can, but time & money sometimes say otherwise. When something like that happens I just try to use the freshest closely grown foods possible. And sometimes I use a box, can, bag, or jar and add fresh organic things to it. I'm realistic about what I am trying to accomplish here... eating BETTER food!

This blog will be about foooooooood! Cooking it! Eating it! Buying it! Snacks! main Courses! Sides! Desserts! I'm here for all of these things and more. The name "Season to Taste" came from how I cook- I don't measure things (unless I'm baking)- otherwise, I dump it in, sprinkle it on, and make it work! But it's also from my love for farmer's market veggies and getting what's in season to optimize my noms! (that's what I call my great food).

I'm in school & working on a few other projects so this won't be daily or weekly, but it will be worth it!