Poached Sea Scallops, with Burnt Butter, Bacon, Wine and Veggies

This is totally NOT the way I would cook sea scallops, but had  a work friend recommend this recipe with HUGE props.  I complicated it a bit, but it really WAS good.  I downloaded the pics, but lost them somewhere in the morass of my laptop..... so this is an artless post....lol.  This dish is cooked on the grill in foil - kind of like the old Boy Scout recipe for cooking on an open fire.    So, here it is:

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic - minced
2 small summer squash - I spiailized mine - but sliced THIN will work
One lemon - zested, ( and put aside) and the juice separated
3 pc of bacon, cooked, and diced
3 slices of tomato - cubed to about 1/2 inch

Garlic and onions in burnt butter

1 tbs onion - minced
2 tbs butter
5 tbs white wine

Heat butter in sautee pan, Add onions, and garlic, and sautee till the butter turns slightly brown.  Remove from heat, and set aside.

Make tin foil tray, and add burnt butter, garlic and onion mix.  Add 5 tbs of wine - or more if you want - , scallops, then tomatoes, squash, salt and pepper to taste, and a couple tbs of butter  Wrap all in tin foil, so it is air tight, and put on grill on med high - about 350 degrees.  Steam for about 13 minutes, serve over rice, ladling sauce over rice.  Killer dish - easy and good.....

Fully Cooked

Finally found the pics!

Make sure pouch is well sealed

Pan Seared Scallops with Asian Chile Lime Sauce, and Roasted Baby Bok Choy

This is one of my favorite recipes - very easy to make, and really tasty!  Make the sauce the day before so it has a chance for the flavors to blend.  If you don't have a red chile pepper, use about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes  - to your taste.  I added some roasted sweet peppers too.

Sauce:

1 small clove garlic, minced
1 small fresh hot chile, chopped, including seeds ( careful here - if you don't like heat, leave the seeds out)
2 1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbs rice vinegar
2 tbs fish sauce
1 1/2 tbs water
1 tbs fresh lime juice ( about the juice from one lime.  zest it first, and reserve for garnish)

about 1/1 - 1 lb fresh sea scallops - 12 or so
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter
1 tsp sesame oil

3 Baby Bok Choy, washed, sliced in half,  and tossed in olive oil and garlic powder.  Roast at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes until starting to brown.

Preparation:For the sauce - pound garlic, chile and sugar to a fine paste with a mortar and pestle. ( use the back of a spoon if you don't have one)  Stir paste together with fish sauce, vinegar, water and lime juice.  You also can puree them in a food processor.  Let sit for at least an hour - preferably over night

Pat dry the scallops, season with salt and pepper.  Heat oils, butter in a 12" skillet, over med high heat till hot.  Carefully place scallops in pan, separated.  Cook about three minutes, then with tongs, turn each scallop over and cook another 3 minutes till golden brown and translucent.

Serve over rice, with warmed sauce spooned over the top, garnish with lime zest.

Egg Plant Rolotini - super easy, super tasty

Made this tonight after trying for about three weeks.  Events kept coming up, didn't have the time,,,, yada yada yada.  This is my favorite dish at a local restaurant, and I wanted to try and reproduce it.  It is very simple in theory, but a little more complicated in practice.  I don't often fry things, so I am not so good at oil temps and breading per se.  That said, this is pretty much a fool proof recipe.  I used a mandolin to slice the egg plant, though I suppose it is possible to do with a good knife and a steady hand ( I have plenty of the first, and none of the second....lol)  So, here it goes:  (Please keep in mind ALL measurements are approximate - season to taste)

Pre heat oven to 375

Combine 2/3 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs with:

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp each salt pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/4 cup parm cheese

beat 2 eggs, put on a flat plate

put about 1/3 cup flour on a flat plate.

One eggplant

Slice eggplant on mandolin to about a little less than 1/4 inch thick, lengthwise down eggplant.

Dredge in egg, then coat both sides evenly in bread crumbs.  ( I would try coating the veggie in corn starch first, then egg, then crumbs to make them stick a little better next time....and use a combo of regular and panko crumbs... but that is just me)

Stack on plate.

In large skillet, heat about 1/4 cup light olive oil, and 2 tbs butter over medium high heat, till oil is hot.  Make sure oil is hot - if it doesn't sizzle when you put the ep in, then it is not hot enough, and the oil will soak in.

Rolls before baking

Carefully fry slices till golden brown.  I stacked them between paper towels to absorb extra oil.

Combine 2 cups Ricotta Cheese, 1 cup shredded Mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tbs finely chopped fresh basil, 1 tbs finely chopped fresh ( or 1 tsp dried) oregano till evenly mixed.  

Grease 9x12 or so baking pan.  Take about a fist full of cheese mixture ( about a half cup), and roll into the eggplant.  Line baking dish with finished rolls.  Top with more mozzarella cheese, and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, or until cheese on top is brown.

After baking

Meanwhile, cook enough fettuccine for two, and heat up some pasta sauce.  I always add one of my famous "cubes" to the sauce - I roast, then boil down 20lbs of tomatoes into two ice cube trays of paste, then freeze.  Adds incredible flavor to any store bought sauce in an instant.

Plate rolls, add pasta, top with sauce - and enjoy! ( I also chiffoned some basil - tightly rolled leaves cut into about 1/8 wide slices for the top)

Thai Beef and Basil

Thai Beef and Basil - a recipe given to me by Victoria, that I .... tweaked.... a little.  Really yummy.  Plus, I got to use my new fancy cutter - essentially a cutter that spiral slices, or cuts long noodle cuts - paid $40 for it - and it's gonna be worth it!  Here is the recipe:

1 lb ground beef
3/4 cup loose chopped basil
1/2 cup beef broth
1 cup frozen tri color peppers
2 tbs lime, 2 tbs soy, 2 tbs fish sauce

Carrot Basil Slaw:
4 carrots, spiral sliced - or julienned
1/4 cup basil, chiffonaded - ( rolled like a cigar and sliced thin)
zest from 2 limes

Dressing 3 tbs lime juice ( from 2 fresh limes) 2 tbs soy sauce, 2 tbs fish sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar

Instructions:

Press beef down into a thin pancake, and cook till crispy on one side, then flip.  Cook till crispy on second side, drain fat.  Chop up into pieces, add basil, broth and lime juice, soy, and fish sauce.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add peppers, and simmer till warm - and sauce is reduced.

Mix carrots and basil for slaw, and coat with dressing.

Serve beef over jasmine rice, top with slaw, and enjoy!  Very tasty!!

Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

Made this tonight - a nice cold late fall day - fire going, perfect comfort food  night.  Had some chicken thighs in the freezer - and looked for recipes.  Came across this one on allrecipes.com.  Followed it pretty much to the letter - although I cooked the thighs in a 1.5 qt Le Creuset braiser - covered, for about 20 minutes.  Served it over risotto - REALLY tasty.  My first Indian food experiment, and I was very pleased with it!

Original recipe makes 4 servings

 1 tablespoon peanut oil

 1 shallot, finely chopped

 1/4 white onion, chopped

 2 tablespoons butter

 2 teaspoons lemon juice

 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

 1 teaspoon garam masala

 1 teaspoon chili powder

 1 teaspoon ground cumin

 1 bay leaf

 1/4 cup plain yogurt

 1 cup half-and-half

 1 cup tomato puree

 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

 1 pinch salt

 1 pinch black pepper

 1 tablespoon peanut oil

 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs ( I use 4)

 1 teaspoon garam masala

 1 pinch cayenne pepper

 1 tablespoon cornstarch

 1/4 cup water

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce.

Mix together cornstarch and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened

Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Soup

Ok, I have been TERRIBLE about posting new recipes for the last year - new job, bunch of life going on - what can I say.  But we are getting into cooking season - and this year I am going to be focusing on more healthy recipes.

Simply awesome!

So, today was the first really chilly day of the year - cold, rainy - just kind of nasty.  Can you spell SOUP????  Threw together an amazingly simple cauliflower soup - it was awesome, and GARLICKY - you might want to cut back on the roasted garlic if you want to talk to anyone for about three days.  If you love garlic - then go with it!

This recipe is so simple - I used frozen chicken broth that I make from scratch every year - but store bought is fine.  

There it is:

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, broken up into chunks

5 cups chicken broth

1 whole head of garlic

2 tsp fresh thyme - separated

olive oil

salt, pepper

Instructions:

Roasted Veggies

Place cauliflower on cookie sheet, and coat with extra virgin olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Cut top of garlic head off, coat with oil, and place on sheet with cauliflower.

Place veggies in oven pre heated to 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.

After roasted - chop cauliflower fairly fine, and add to stock pot with chicken broth.  Squeeze garlic cloves out of head, and add to soup.  Add one tsp thyme, one tsp salt, and pepper to taste. 

Simmer for about 20 minutes or so till all is tender.  Add to blender ( or use immersion blender) and reduce to thick liquid.  ( if using blender, BE CAREFUL, and only do small amounts on very low speed)  Salt to taste, serve with sprinkle of fresh thyme, and drizzle of olive oil.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas with Warm Chili Corn

This was a totally easy, and REALLY tasty vegetarian midweek entree.  Total prep time was about 20 minutes, plus another 15 to cook.  Very simple to make, but amazingly good.  Here it is:

Ingredients:
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
3 tsp chili powder
1 lg onion, chopped
3 tbs light olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 15.5 oz can black beans rinsed
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and shredded
3 cloves garlic diced fine
2 tsp dried oregano
3 tsp dried celantro
2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 lb shredded cheddar
6 flour tortillas
3 scallions, sliced thin, whites/ greens separated
2 cups frozen corn

Instructions:

1 - pre heat oven to 450.  In food processor, puree the tomatoes, dash of hot sauce, 2 tsp chili powder, half the onion 1 tbs oil, salt and pepper to taste until smooth.
2  Heat 1 tbs oil in large skillet, add remaining onion, half the garlic, and saute till soft - 2 to 3 minutes.  Add sweet potatoes, and saute for 5 minutes till potatoes start to reduce.  Add black beans, salt and pepper, 2 tsp cilantro, oregano, 1 tsp hot sauce, and stir till cooked through.  Add 1/2 cheddar cheese, mix well, and set aside.
3- Spread 1 cup tomato mixture in bottom of 9x13 baking dish.  Roll the bean mixture in the tortillas - about 1/2 cup each.  Place rolls seam side down on sauce.  Top with remaining tomato sauce, sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake on top rack of oven till cheese is brown and bubbly.
4 - Add last tbs of oil to small fry pan, and saute remaining garlic, and whites of scallions till soft.  Add frozen corn, balance of cilantro, salt pepper, balance of chili powder and several shakes of hot sauce.  Saute till warm.
5 - Serve enchiladas with daub of sour cream, scallion greens, and warm chili corn.