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Citrus Ceviche

Last night’s ceviche was perfection. Here is my ceviche recipe with an added idea from last night, grapefruit and orange segments! My ceviche is cooked so you don’t have to worry about raw shrimp and scallops. 1 lb. Sea Scallops 1 lb. Shrimp Juice from: 1 lime, 1 lemon, and 1 orange Zest from 1 lime 1 tsp. Garlic Powder 1 tsp. Onion Powder 2 tsp. Salt ½ tsp Pepper 1 Avocado, diced ½ Red Onion, minced 1 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper 1 Tbsp. Canola Oil Grapefruit segments Orange segments In a bowl combine the shrimp, scallops and canola oil. When ready to cook, arrange the shrimp and scallops on the grill, Traeger, or broiler for just a few minutes. (Under cook, don’t over cook) Prepare all the other ingredients, and place in a large mixing bowl. Let scallops and shrimp cool, then cut in half width-wise, and combine them with the ingredients in the bowl. Refrigerate Ceviche for at least 2-3 hours to let the flavors combine. Serve with sweet potato chips or corn chips….

Jazzed up Edamame

Jazz up your edamame with red chili pepper spread (or any spicy jelly) and kosher salt.

Pear, Goat Cheese, and Pancetta Appetizer

A perfect fall appetizer for a ladies lunch! Layer: Sliced pears Thinly sliced pancetta rounds on the Traeger until they get nice and crispy Crumble goat cheese Honey Ground black pepper

Grilled Cheese with fig jam and caramelized onion

Still dreaming about these kicked up grilled cheese sandwiches I served as appetizers last night. I wish there were leftovers because we will be doing takeout until Monday! Use your favorite thick sliced bread (I used a wheat seedy one that worked great). Butter both slices of bread and sprinkle seasoned salt on buttered side of one slice. Layer with: Fig jam Grated sharp cheddar cheese Carmelized Onions Very thinly sliced Granny Smith apple Cook on hot griddle and serve.

Shishito Peppers

Next time you’re in an Asian market, do yourself a favor and pick up a bag of shishito peppers. Spicy, salty, and a delicious little snack. Blister the peppers in a little evoo (extra virgin olive oil) on a medium hot pan. Take your time, it may take 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle just a dash of lemon juice and kosher salt. Most aren’t very spicy but you could run into one that knocks your socks off.

Citrus Butter Scallops

8 tablespoons salted butter, melted 1 clove garlic, finely minced Zest from 1/2 small orange Juice from 1/2 small orange 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley or tarragon 1-1/2 to 2 pounds large dry-packed scallops Freshly ground black pepper Salt to taste Put a cooling rack or wire grid on a rimmed baking sheet. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and arrange them on the rack on baking sheet. Put the baking sheet with the scallops on the grill grate and smoke for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and set aside. In the meantime, increase the temperature of the Traeger to 400 degrees F. Preheat for 15 minutes. Return the baking sheet with the scallops to the grill grate and roast the scallops until just opaque and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. The time will depend on how thick the scallops are. Do not overcook. In the meantime, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, orange zest, orange juice, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley. Simmer for 5 minutes. Keep warm….

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Preheat your Traeger or oven to 350 degrees F. For the Buffalo sauce: Sauté butter, jalapeno, and garlic for about 2 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce, chicken broth, lime juice and bring to a simmer and reduce by 1/2. Season with salt and pepper. For the dry rub: Combine the smoked paprika, cayenne, onion salt, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Shred rotisserie chicken and sprinkle rub throughout the chicken. Add 1/2 of buffalo sauce to chicken. Let sit or put in oven to warm through. For the blue cheese topping: Add milk and 1/2 cup of the blue cheese in a sauce pan. Allow the cheese to melt into the milk, then transfer the mixture to a bowl along with the remaining blue cheese and the mayonnaise, sour cream, and green onion. To assemble: In a large roasting pan, spread out half of the pita chips in an even layer. Top with half of the shredded chicken, half of the remaining Buffalo sauce, half of the blue cheese topping and 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat,…

French Onion Soup Cups

Greeting your guests with these individual French Onion Soup cups, will warm them right up on a chilly fall night. Ingredients 5 Tb butter 4 sweet yellow onions, sliced 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 bay leaves 2 fresh thyme sprigs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 3/4 apple cider 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 quarts beef broth 1 baguette, sliced 1 block grated Gruyere Cheese Directions Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and s&p and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, ~25 minutes. Add 1/2 carton of broth and apple cider, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer about 5 minutes and get all bits of onion off the bottom of the pan. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10-15…

Brie, Pesto, and Tomato Crostini

I turned my favorite Holiday dip into delicious crostinis for a party the other night. Slice a baguette into thin slices. Layer: Pesto (store bought is fine) Brie cheese Diced tomatoes Toasted pine nuts Broil until cheese starts melting and tomatoes blister. If you prefer a dip- throw all ingredients into an oven proof dish and cook at 350 for 20-30 minutes. *chunk the Brie cheese so it melts throughout. You won’t go through another holiday season without this appetizer…Trust me!

Maple Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Maple Bacon wrapped Scallops for 200 was not a problem at my annual Christmas Soiree last night. Our Traeger Chef nailed it with these beauties! Ingredients: 12 Jumbo Sea Scallops 1/2 Cup Salted Butter 1/2 tsp Crushed Garlic 12 Thick Cut Maple Bacon Slices Fresh Ground Pepper Cayenne Pepper Smoked Paprika Preparation: Take scallops out, pat dry with paper towel and place in a large mixing bowel. In medium sauce pan melt the salted butter and bring to a boil then add crushed garlic. Bring sauce to a simmer and stir continuously for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. While sauce is cooling, lay bacon strips out on a cookie sheet and generously grind black pepper over the bacon. Once the sauce has cooled pour over the scallops in the mixing bowl and lightly stir. (be careful not to break the scallops) Remove scallops one at a time wrapping the bacon around the edge of the scallop, securing it with a tooth pick. You want make sure you’re wrapping it so that there is a flat top and…