Cooking with Coley

It’s official. Fall is here.  What else can you do but embrace it?

OK then. Hello football. Hello cute boots. Hello apple picking. And hello fall foods! Introducing the first recipe of fall: Portuguese pumpkin seeds (a twist on the traditional roasted pumpkin seeds).

What you’ll need:

• A pumpkin with all its seeds.
• Crushed red pepper to taste – look for Gonsalves or Star brand, a back up option which is found at most grocery stores is Pastene’s brand.  This is a wet, refrigerated version–not to be confused with the dried crushed red pepper.
• Salt

These are a great snack and perfect for bringing to work to munch on in a plastic bag.  Let me know what you think!  Any other fun spins on traditional roasted pumpkin seeds?

Please note that I did not come up with this recipe.  This was borrowed from my fiance and his Portuguese culture.

I was in the mood for both seafood and Mexican, but tacos or fajitas weren’t going to cut it.  While I wasn’t sure what direction I was going to go in, I decided to just creative with some ingredients in the fridge.

The evolution of the dish was a natural progression– spicing up favorite Mexican ingredients like lime and cilantro with a kick of bottled beer.  The result? Delicious “drunken” cilantro shrimp.  Quick, easy and light!

It’s a great option when you’re craving Mexican, but aren’t craving some of the fatty and heavy ingredients (I’m talking to you cheese and sour cream!).    

What you’ll need: (for 2 servings)

• 1lb of shrimp, peels on (this helps the shrimp to absorb and saturate the flavors)
• 1/4 cup of light or Mexican beer (or your beer of choice)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (I used bouillon)
• 1 tbsp light butter (optional)
• Lime juice, fresh or bottled
• Handful of cilantro
• Ground cumin
• 1/2 red pepper chopped
• 1/2 small white onion
• 1/2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Hot sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 2 servings of rice
• Sliced avocado
• Refried or black beans, optional

Procedure:

• Marinate shrimp (peels on) in fresh lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper and cilantro (marinate for up to 24 hours, but if you only have 30 minutes, then that works!)
• Saute onions and garlic in EVOO first, then add peppers after they start to soften
• Add chicken broth or bouillon
• Bring to a boil, add light butter and beer; simmer
• Add fresh squeezed lime or 1/2 tbsp bottled; add cilantro to taste
• Add dashes of hot sauce to taste
• Add shrimp and cook for 5-8 minutes covered, uncover and simmer
• Serve over rice (and beans optional)
• Add extra cilantro and sliced avocado as garnish; include hot sauce on the side for extra flavor and heat!

I just got back from a fabulous weekend in Charleston, SC for a wedding this Labor Day weekend.  It was my first time there – what a great city!  Some might frown on holiday weekend weddings, but when it’s in a beautiful destination with a group of awesome people, there’s no better way to spend a long weekend.

Besides the wedding and people on the trip, there were many other highlights including the food. One dining adventure that stood out was an absolutely delicious restaurant: COAST Bar and Grill. This place exudes both modern southern flair and charm.

COAST claims to offer “Charleston’s Freshest Seafood,” and while I can’t compare to any other of Charleston’s seafood restaurants, I can tell you that COAST did serve up some excellent fare.

What to order? That’s a tough recommendation to make. Everything we tried was a winner in my book.  And since there was a group of 12 of us, I was able to try a good portion of the COAST menu (however, I still didn’t put a dent in the list of things I wanted to sample!)

So what in particular did I try and love?

• Raw Oysters on the Half Shell – Salty and sweet, these were top notch.
• Fried Green Tomatoes – Sweet pepper relish & spicy red pepper aioli – Perfectly crispy with a juicy and tasty inside.
• Coast Crab Dip – Blue crab claw meat, horseradish, cheese, & grilled bread – Rich and creamy, great for sharing. And who doesn’t love grilled bread?!
• Plantain Encrusted Mahi-Mahi – Blue cheese mashed potatoes, asparagus & sweet basil butter – Amazing as it sounds, holy cow this dish packed in the most beautiful flavors.
• Seared Rare Tuna – Fresh tuna dusted with cashews and peanuts; with diced mango, cilantro, pomegranate soy reduction over soba noodles – I can’t get enough of Asian flavors with fish. Tossing in some mango, pomegranate and cilantro took this to the next level.
• Crispy Fried Whole Flounder – Hush puppies & jicama slaw; cilantro jalapeno aioli – This dish oozes Southern flavors.
• Sangria – What’s a dinner without cocktails? The sangria was the drink of choice at our table. Refreshing and crisp, it was a great add to the meal.

Is your mouth watering yet? It should be.  This was one of those memorable meals where not just the laughs and company will be remembered, but so will every delicious dish that I was lucky enough to enjoy.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t call attention to the relaxed but bustling ambiance and the very reasonably priced menu. Despite the quality and quantity that the menu boasts, it is still pocket-friendly.  With appetizers, plenty of drinks and meals for each of us, we still each only spent $50 (including tax and gratuity).

Next time you’re in Charleston, check COAST out.  You won’t regret it.