We were honored to be selected by Cape Cod Premium Frozen Cranberries to participate in their blogger challenge looking for fantastic recipes using their frozen cranberries.  While I’d never considered “frozen” cranberries and only relied on fresh, I wasn’t really sure what to expect.  What we discovered was nothing less than phenomenal.  Frozen cranberries are nothing to shy away from.

Unlike other frozen fruits and veggies that become squishy as they thaw, Cape Cod’s frozen cranberries don’t become the normal soupy mess of other frozen fruits.  No, the Cape Cod frozen cranberries remained nice and firm.  And the color?  The color was brilliant; in fact, they seemed an even brighter red than fresh berries.

As for cooking with them, we’ve baked with them (Cranberry-Amaretto Tea Ring), made cranberry pickled onions (a later post), and even glazed shrimp & scallops to make tacos.  To be honest, the tea ring and the tacos were far more popular with the kiddos.  Our pre-teens weren’t big fans of the pickled onions. Oh well…their loss!

Cranberry Maple Glazed Shrimp & Scallop Tacos

1 lb medium shrimp-peeled & deveined

1 lb large sea scallops

Salt & Pepper

½ lb  (1/2 bag) Cape Cod Select Frozen Cranberries

¼ c. maple syrup

½ TBSP cornstarch

1 bag slaw (cabbage, kale, carrots)

8 oz Greek yogurt

2 TBSP key lime juice

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

4 chopped green onions—white & green parts

6 slices crispy bacon-chopped into bits

Salt & Pepper to taste

Shredded Smoked Gouda Cheese–I’ve never found this pre-shredded, so you will have to shred your own

Key Lime Wedges

Tortillas—We prefer corn

Slaw:

Combine Greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl.  In a larger bowl, combine slaw mix, onion, and bacon bits.  Pour dressing over, toss to combine, and add salt & pepper to taste.  Refrigerate while preparing shrimp & scallops.

Cranberry-Maple Glaze:

In a small pan, combine cranberries, maple syrup, and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until cranberries pop and the mixture thickens slightly.  Set aside.

Shrimp & Scallops:

Clean, rinse, and dry shrimp & scallops on a paper towel.  Salt & Pepper.

Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet. Sear shrimp and scallops over high heat, turning once.  After first turn, spoon glaze over shrimp & scallops.  Continue to cook for a minute or until both are opaque and firm.  Remove from heat.  Reserve remaining glaze as a topping for tacos.

To Assemble:

If using corn tortillas, we suggest charring them lightly in a skillet and using 2 tortillas per taco to prevent splitting.  If using flour tortillas, char them, but no need to double them.

Spoon in a little slaw, topped with shrimp and scallops, an extra drizzle of the cranberry-maple glaze, and shredded smoked Gouda.