Tour of Italy ~ Day 11... Crossing Campania

   Many of the residents of this south-western region live in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius and even though it is currently considered dormant, the people love to approach life with a sense of spontaneity. The volcano is also one of the major contributors to the vast richness of the soil in this region, providing produce the is colorful, intense and packed with flavor. Even though the soil is rich the people have been traditionally poor. Their diet is usually eaten fresh and raw, preserved, pickled, fried or baked in a pizza or calzoni. pasta is often served as a side dish to the many fruits and vegetables the may line an evening table. Tomatoes are their specialty and most dishes include tomatoes in one form or another, usually in the form of sauces, slices or stuffed. The most favored of these dishes is the Insalata Caprese. Campania is also know for it's coastal cuisine, where fresh fish and shellfish is the stars, often prepared simply and dressed with juice from the famed Amalfi Lemons, olive oil and herbs. So in staying with the regional flare the recipe for today is...

Shrimp & Scallops in Garlic Lemon Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 fresh garlic cloves, finely minced
1 small shallot, finely minced
1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoons butter
12 medium sea scallops
12 medium shrimp, cleaned and devained
1/2 cup roasted or fresh tomatoes, sliced thick
2 Tablespoon sherry wine
3 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoon heavy cream
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
 4 servings of steamed Asparagus
2 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced for garnish

Melt 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots and onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft. Add scallops and saute for 2 minutes, turn scallops over add shrimp and roasted red peppers and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and scallops are opaque. With a slotted spoon, remove seafood and vegetables and arrange on top of the plated steamed asparagus.

To the skillet add rest of butter, sherry, lemon juice, heavy cream and cracked pepper. Heat until starts to bubble, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour sauce over Seafood and vegetables. Garnish with parsley and serve.


The original recipe for this was for a Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce, calling for 1 cup of heavy cream instead of the sherry and the dish was served with rice...
 * Original Recipe 680 calories / Make-Over Recipe 320 calories