Today is National Caviar day! I love caviar. One of my favorite snacks is garlic crackers (like triscuit or melba rounds) topped with brie cheese and a dollop of those salty little pearls.

Today I offer you a simple sauce that is flavored with this special roe and tops shrimp and scallops – and it’s delicious!

What is Caviar?

True caviar is sturgeon eggs.

Fish eggs are also known as roe – but not all roe is caviar. Caviar only comes from the many species of sturgeon . The U.S. harvested so much caviar that the fish were becoming endangered. To protect the population, harvesting eggs was banned in the early 1900s. Unfortunately, the population has never fully recovered.

This National day is intended to draw attention to the sturgeon and in preserving this species in the future.

This delightful food is truly a luxury item. The majority of caviar now comes from Russian and Iran and prices range from $30 to $50 per oz, to Caspian beluga at up to $20,000 per kg.

At our house we typically use black lumpfish roe (although I have had seruva and it’s amazing!). It isn’t true caviar, but works on a budget!

Making the dish – 

Start by seasoning the shrimp ^[1] and scallops with old bay. Sprinkle a pinch or two evenly over both sides of each piece of fish. Let is sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Heat the grill to high.

Mix together the citrus juices and oil with a whisk. Pour it over the shellfish and let it sit for about 10 minutes, while the grill heats up.

Place the shrimp on skewers, then the scallops on separate skewers. Lay the shrimp and citrus over indirect heat and the scallops over direct.

Do not close the lid – Let them cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, then turn and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

Be careful not to over cook! And don’t turn the scallops too soon – they will fall off the skewer. (You can also cook them in a grill basket to prevent them falling off).

Remove from the grill and set on a plate.

Mix together the citrus juices and oil with a whisk. Pour it over the shellfish and let it sit while you make the sauce. Cover loosely with foil to keep it warm.

Make the sauce by whisking the mayonnaise, milk and lemon zest until it’s well blended. Just before serving, stir in the caviar (It will turn a little purple from the caviar).

Remove the fish from the skewers.

Serve the shellfish on a bed of rice and

top with the sauce. Garnish with some fresh thyme leaves and a few little spoons of more caviar – and enjoy!!

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 13 votes

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Grilled Shrimp & Scallops with Caviar Cream

Delicious sweet shrimp and scallops topped with the taste of the sea, caviar cream

Course: dinner, Main Course, main dish

Cuisine: American, grilled, seafood

Keyword: caviar, cream, scallops, shrimp

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

Skewers

• 12 large bay scallops
• 24 large shelled and cleaned shrimp
• Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 lemon - cut in half
• 1 lime - cut in half
• 1 orange - cut in half
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Sauce

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup whole milk or half and half
• zest from one lemon
• 1 Tablespoon caviar

Garnishes

• 1 - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon caviar

Instructions

1. Start by seasoning the shrimp and scallops with old bay. Sprinkle a pinch or two evenly over both sides of each piece of fish. Let is sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

2. Heat the grill to high.

3. Mix together the citrus juices and oil with a whisk. Pour it over the shellfish and let it sit for about 10 minutes, while the grill heats up.

4. Place the shrimp on skewers, then the scallops on separate skewers. Lay the shrimp and citrus over indirect heat and the scallops over direct.

5. Do not close the lid - Let them cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, then turn and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

   Be careful not to over cook! And don't turn the scallops too soon - they will fall off the skewer. (You can also cook them in a grill basket to prevent them falling off).

6. Remove from the grill and set on a plate.

7. Mix together the citrus juices and oil with a whisk. Pour it over the shellfish and let it sit while you make the sauce. Cover loosely with foil to keep it warm.

8. Make the sauce by whisking the mayonnaise, milk and lemon zest until it's well blended. Just before serving, stir in the caviar.

9. Remove the fish from the skewers.

10. Serve the shellfish on a bed of rice (pistachio rice is great with this) and top with the sauce. Garnish with some fresh thyme leaves and a few little spoons of more caviar - and enjoy!!

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

As I work towards more plant based meals, I’m playing more with tofu ^[6]. This barbecue sandwich came out so good, I’ll be making it again! And it’s easy!

Make the Slaw First –

Slice the cabbage and red onion. Mix all the ingredients together and allow to sit for at least 1 to 2 hours.

Making the Tofu –

At the same time as the slaw, Set the tofu on paper towels to dry it.

Then, slather both sides with the spices. Cover and refrigerator for an hour or two.

(These are my favorite spices – I use both!!)  ^[7]

Heat the oil in a skillet. Sear the tofu for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. This step may seem unnecessary, but it gives the tofu a little more body so it stays together when you grill it.

Add some barbecue sauce on both sides and give it another quick sear.

In the meantime, heat the grill on medium-high.

Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

Brush the buns with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Place the tofu over the direct heat and the buns on a shelf with indirect heat. Cook until the tofu is browned on both sides and the buns are golden.

Building the Sandwich –

Place one piece of tofu on the bottom of a bun.

Add some more barbecue sauce, avocado and a scoop of slaw.

Serve hot! And it goes great with some baked, barbecue beans!

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 7 votes

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Barbecue Tofu Sandwich with Purple Slaw

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, main dish, supper

Cuisine: American, vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: barbecue, cabbage, sandwich, tofu

Servings: 4

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

Purple Slaw -

• 1/2 medium head Purple cabbage, sliced
• 1 small purple onion, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 medium limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup mayo (you can use vegan)
• 2 Tablespoons sour cream or plain greek yogurt
• Salt and Pepper to taste

The Star - Tofu

• 16 oz extra firm tofu cut in half lengwise and crosswise
• 3 Tablespoons barbecue seasoning mix
• 1 Tablespoon lemon pepper
• 1/2 cup your favorite barbecue sauce

The Sandwich

• 4 hamburger bun
• 2 large avocadoes, sliced
• barbecue sauce for the top

Instructions

The Slaw

1. Slice the cabbage and red onion. Mix all the ingredients together and allow to sit for at least 1 to 2 hours. 

The Tofu

1. At the same time as the slaw, Set the tofu on paper towels to dry it. Then, slather both sides with the spices. Cover and refrigerator for an hour or two.

2. Heat the oil in a skillet and sear the tofu for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Add some barbecue sauce on both sides and give it another quick sear.

3. In the meantime, heat the grill on medium-high.

4. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

5. Brush the buns with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

6. Place the tofu over the direct heat and the buns on a shelf with indirect heat. Cook until the tofu is browned on both sides and the buns are golden. 

Build the Sandwich

1. Place one piece of tofu on the bottom of a bun.

2. Add some more barbecue sauce, avocado and a scoop of slaw. Serve hot!

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I use my crock pot a lot. On those hot days that you don’t want to turn the oven on and you just don’t feel like grilling, the old slow cooker can turn out a delicious meal. The sweetness from the root beer just brings out that smoky barbecue flavor like nothing else! This one requires you do more to it during the cooking than most “dump it in the pot” recipes, but it’s well worth the work.

And I suggest you buy a 4 to 6 pack of that really good root beer. You can drink it while it’s all cooking!

Here’s How to Do it:

Place the pork, root beer, garlic salt and lemon pepper in the crock pot. Turn the crock pot to high and cook for about 20 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook.

At about 2-1/2 hours after you have turned the heat to high, add 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon liquid smoke.

Cook for another five hours, then add remaining ingredients except the rest of the barbecue sauce.

Continue to cook on low for another hour, or until the pork falls apart easily.

In a small sauce pan, heat the remaining sauce with 1/2 cup of the sauce in the crock pot .

Serve on warm or toasted buns

with hot pork

and barbecue sauce.  Goes great with coleslaw ^[12]!

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

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Root Beer Barbecue Pork Sandwiches - Easy in the Crock Pot!

Barbecued pork in the crock pot. The root beer gives it a sweetness that nothing else can. Simply delicious!

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, main dish, sandwich

Cuisine: American, Barbecue

Keyword: barbecue, barbecue sauce, bbq, pork, root beer

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 6 - 8 large buns - I used potato buns
• 2 pounds boneless pork butt, Use about a pound more if there is a bone in it.
• 12-oz bottle root beer use a high quality soda
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 cup bottled barbecue sauce
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 2 Tablespoons Frank's hot sauce (Or any high vinegar hot sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup bacon fat (optional - but it does give it a lot of flavor)

Instructions

1. Place the pork, root beer, garlic salt and lemon pepper in the crock pot. Turn the crock pot to high and cook for about 20 minutes.

2. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook.

3. At about 2-1/2 hours after you have turned the heat to high, add 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon liquid smoke.

4. Cook for another five hours, then add remaining ingredients except the rest of the barbecue sauce.

5. Continue cooking on low for another hour, or until the pork falls apart easily.

6. In a small sauce pan, heat the remaining sauce with 1/2 cup of the sauce in the crock pot .

7. Serve on warm buns with hot pork and barbecue sauce. Perfect with a serving of coleslaw!

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

If you’re on a bit of a health kick this year, you might be wondering how you can continue eating all your favorite foods without damaging your body. Most people think that eating delicious and healthy food is impossible. But that’s not true. You just have to get good at cooking. 

This ten-minute BBQ tempeh recipe is a case in point. It mimics the experience of BBQ ribs, but without all the fat and sugar that makes it so unhealthy. And the best bit: it still tastes pretty good. 

For those of you who don’t know, tempeh is a type of unrefined tofu. It’s not as squidgy as the original, and it offers a heck of a lot more flavor. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll want more of it. 

You shouldn’t go into this recipe believing that you’re going to get something that feels exactly like pork ^[17] ribs. That’s just not possible with a product made of beans. Instead, see it as a new kind of dish. If you don’t like it, you can always go back to meat in the future. 

So how do you make it?

Ingredients

• 8 oz. pressed tempeh
• 1 cup BBQ sauce

Making The Sauce

Making the sauce is easy if you buy store-bought. 

You can, however, make your own version without all the usual added sugar. 

Just blend the following ingredients in your food processor: 

• 2 tsp coconut aminos
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 10 pitted dates
• ½ cup tomato paste
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

That’s it. If you want to make a more umami sauce ^[18], you can add MSG instead of salt – or use miso paste instead. 

Making The Tempeh Ribs

Making the tempeh ribs is incredibly simple. 

First, take a non-stick tray or, if you need to, line it with greaseproof paper. 

Next, cut the block of tempeh into fingers, about half a centimeter wide, so that they look a bit like fish fingers. 

Carefully baste the tempeh in the BBQ sauce until you cover all sides of it. Place the tempeh on the baking dish and drizzle any remaining sauce over it. 

Then place it in the oven for 20 minutes at 420 F.

Once the tempeh cooks, it will come out crispy and golden. If you want a slightly more charred flavor, just increase the cooking time slightly. Do be warned, though, that tempeh can dry out. 

You can serve your BBQ tempeh with all the usual accouterments you’d have with ribs. Add it to fries, coleslaw, and corn on the cob. 

The best thing about this recipe is that you never feel like you’re missing out. The BBQ experience is similar to meat. And it’s a great stop-gap method if you’re craving something umami, but want to cut down on your unhealthy food consumption. 

Making your own sauce is often vastly healthier ^[19] than getting it from the store premade. And it tastes better too. You get a thicker, fresher, and richer experience.

So give it a try. It’s amazing!

We love ribs, but getting out the smoker and smoking them takes a lot of time – time we don’t have these days! But we love the flavor of smoked foods. Although this is not a replacement for real smoked ribs, they do have that delicious smoky flavor and are a lot easier to make.

Here’s How to Do it:

Start by soaking the wood chips. Put about 2 cups of chips made for smoking into a large bowl of water. Allow them to soak for about 6 hours or overnight.

Mix the dry rub ingredients and liberally cover the ribs with it. Leave it in the refrigerator, uncovered, over night.

These ribs take 3 to 4 hours to cook, so plan accordingly.

Place the wet wood chips in an aluminum dish in the bottom of a roasting pan that has a rack. Preheat the oven to 450° – Place the pan with the wood into the oven.

When the oven is hot and the wood is giving off some steam, place the ribs on the rack

and cover the whole pan tightly.

Reduce the oven to 275° and cook until the meat comes off easily with a fork – anywhere from 2 to 4 hours . Also check the wood from time to time. If it is to dry, add water. If it’s starting to burn, add water and more wet wood.

When the meat is tender, uncover and

spread barbecue sauce on both side.

Turn the heat back up to 450° and bake until the sauce is starting to caramelize – about 30 minutes.

Serve them hot and delicious with Miz Helen’s Garden Veggie Cornbread Casserole ^[23]!

© Copyright 2020 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 2 votes

Print ^[24]

Oven Smoked RIbs

These may not be exactly like a smoker, but they are delicious and so much easier.

Course: dinner, Main Course, main dish

Cuisine: American, Barbecue, smoked

Keyword: baked, barbecue, pork, ribs, smoked

Servings: 4 people

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pounds baby back ribs
• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Start by soaking the wood chips. Put about 2 cups of chips made for smoking into a large bowl of water. Allow them to soak for about 6 hours or overnight.

2. Mix the dry rub ingredients and liberally cover the ribs with it. Leave it in the refrigerator, uncovered, over night.

3. These ribs take 3 to 4 hours to cook, so plan accordingly.

4. Place the wet wood chips in an aluminum dish in the bottom of a roasting pan that has a rack. Preheat the oven to 450° - Place the pan with the wood into the oven. 

5. When the oven is hot and the wood is giving off some steam, place the ribs on the rack and cover the whole pan tightly.

6. Reduce the oven to 275° and cook until the meat comes off easily with a fork - anywhere from 2 to 4 hours . Also check the wood from time to time. If it is to dry, add water. If it's starting to burn, add water and more wet wood.

7. When the meat is tender, uncover and spread barbecue sauce on both side. Turn the heat back up to 450° and bake until the sauce is starting to caramelize - about 30 minutes. Serve them hot.

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!