Mr. Food Recipes: Week of Oct. 26

Baked Ranch Scallops
4 to 6 servings

1 (1-ounce) envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 pound bay scallops, rinsed (see Note)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large resealable plastic storage bag, combine dressing mix and bread crumbs; seal and shake to mix. Add scallops and toss to coat.
3. Place scallops in a single layer in baking dish and bake 13 to 16 minutes, or until the outsides are golden and the insides are firm and white.

NOTE: Bay or sea scallops will work fine here. I prefer the smaller bay scallops because I think they’re sweeter. If you do use sea scallops, add an additional 5 minutes to the baking time.

Beefy Stir Fry
6 servings

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1-1/2 pounds beef flank steak, cut into thin strips
1/2 pound fresh snow peas
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (see Tip)

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add steak strips; sauté 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned. Remove steak; set aside.
2. Add snow peas, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger to skillet; sauté 4 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
3. Add soy sauce, black pepper, and sesame seeds to skillet; return steak to skillet. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until completely mixed and heated through.

Toast sesame seeds by placing them in a small nonstick skillet over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden, turning frequently. Just watch them carefully. It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

Easy Avocado Spread
About 3/4 cup

2 ripened avocados, rinsed and dried
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the avocados in half, working around the pit. Twist avocados to separate the halves. Spoon out the pit and scoop out the avocado flesh into a resealable plastic storage bag. Add lemon juice and salt, seal bag, and mash the avocado with your hands until mixture is combined and spreadable.
2. Cut the tip off one corner of plastic bag and pipe mixture onto French bread slices, crackers, or slices of fresh vegetables. Top with a dab of your favorite condiment, such as salsa, sun-dried tomatoes, or chopped olives.

Devilish Grilled Cheese
4 sandwiches

8 slices pumpernickel bread
1 (7-1/2-ounce) container pimiento cheese spread (see Note)
2 tablespoons butter, softened, divided

1. Using a cookie cutter or a knife, cut a simple jack-o’-lantern face from each of 4 slices of bread.
2. Spread the cheese spread on the remaining 4 slices of bread and top with the cut-out bread slices. Using 1 tablespoon butter, carefully butter the sandwich tops.
3. In a large skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat and cook the bottom sides of the sandwiches. Turn sandwiches over and cook the cut-out sides for 1 minute. Turn again and continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Don’t like pimientos? No problem – just use slices of orange American cheese for these sandwiches. It tastes just as good and the color works perfectly for Halloween.
Bonus Recipe! Mix up a caldron of Witch’s Butterscotch Brew to serve with this. It'll make a frightfully easy meal that your little goblins will gobble up before heading out for trick-or-treating!

 

Spooky Bat Wings
4 servings

6 pounds whole chicken wings
1 cup barbecue sauce
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place wings on 2 cookie sheets and bake 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, mustard, hot pepper sauce, and garlic powder; mix well.
3. Remove wings from oven, brush with sauce, turn wings over and brush with more sauce. Return wings to the oven and bake 30 more minutes.

Bonus Recipe! In no time, you can mix up a batch or two of Simmering Cider to make your Halloween spook-fest complete!