Easy Scallops with Lemon Juice

We had scallops the other night paired with the Leek & Lemon Risotto that I posted earlier in the week. I recommend eating them as part of the same meal, or even with the scallops served right on top of the risotto.

Scallops are pretty easy to overcook. Seafood more than any other meat I tend to rely on time, rather than a color, to determine doneness.

Do yourself a favor and treat yourself with these delicious scallops. With a short grocery list and simple directions, they're likely to please any seafood lover.


Ingredients

• 1 lb sea scallops
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes.
2. Coat pan with butter and olive oil.
3. Add scallops and squeeze half the lemon juice on top. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook until scallops are browned on bottom, about 30-45 seconds.
5. Flip scallops, add rest of lemon juice and more salt and pepper if desired.
6. Remove from heat when scallops are browned, about another minute. They should be warm inside but not rubbery, and easy to cut with a fork.

Leek & Lemon Risotto

Imagine yourself on a villa in Tuscany, enjoying crusty bread, perhaps a glass of wine, and a dish of a warm, creamy risotto.

Minus the villa, you can recreate this scene yourself with a dish my best friend used to make when we were in college. She loved risotto and the combination leek and lemon stuck in my mind.

Risotto is an amazing dish because it is a chameleon, accommodating whatever you put in it. I've had mushroom risotto, red pepper risotto, and a multitude of others. But no matter your seasonings, the slow process allows the rice to absorb more broth, and therefore more flavor. You can make it with any short grain white rice, but I've found it works best with Arborio rice: this rice is the reason for such a creamy consistency. Luckily it's easy to get: I found a bag at my local grocery store.

Trust me, don't rush this process. In the past I've tried pouring all six cups of broth in at once and it was an utter failure. You don't get the creaminess if you go too fast. If you start to get impatient, channel your inner Italian on that villa and relax as you stir.

when slicing leeks, use only the white part

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 medium white onion, sliced and roughly chopped
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 leeks, thinly sliced
• 2 cups short grain rice, such as Arborio rice
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• zest of 1 lemon (grated)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 - 1 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat stockpot over medium-low heat.
2. Add olive oil and swirl to coat.
3. Add garlic, onion, and shallot. Cover and cook 4-5 minutes, until softened and translucent.
4. Add leeks. Return cover to pot and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
5. Add rice, stirring constantly. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Pour in 1/2 cup stock and continue stirring. When stock is absorbed, add another 1/2 cup stock. Continue this process (and the constant stirring to avoid sticking on bottom of pot) until all stock is used and rice is cooked. Don't rush this part! It will take about 20-25 minutes.
7. Turn off heat. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

These meatballs were a total experiment. Besides preparing them in a different kitchen, I've never made meatballs by measuring anything other than the beef and eggs. These were spiced very plainly and that's something I would change in the future: perhaps grated ginger in the meat would add a nice flavor to the mix.

My other challenge was that the sauce in this recipe didn't become, well, saucy. I always struggle with thickening sauces and this one was no different. It turned out kind of thin but still packed a great flavor. If you are good at thickening sauces, you may want to work a little more with some cornstarch to thicken this one before the last step.

This is adapted from a recipe by the Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients for Meatballs

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• a few shakes each of salt and pepper
• flour
• olive oil for frying

Ingredients for Sauce

• 3 cups beef broth
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 bell peppers (one green, one red),  cut into large chunks
  
• 1 fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, onion, eggs, breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper. 
2. Form meat into golf ball sized meatballs.
3. Pour some flour into a small bowl. Roll each meatball in flour.
4. Heat large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a generous amount of olive oil.
5. Fry meatballs (in two batches).
6. While meatballs are cooking, whisk broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
7. Once all meatballs are done, set them aside in another bowl. Pour oil / fat out.
8. Return hot frying pan to stovetop over high heat. Add peppers and cook for about one minute.
9. Add pineapple and cook for another minute.
10. Pour sauce into frying pan. Let boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
11. Add meatballs and serve immediately over rice (as a main dish) OR place meatballs in a crockpot (I used a 5-qt. crockpot) and pour pepper-pineapple-sauce mixture over top. Set heat to warm and enjoy throughout the evening as an appetizer.

Tomato Florentine Soup

This is a great soup because it is accepting of any flavors you might want to add. It's loosely based on Budget Bytes' Swamp Soup recipe and it caught my eye because of the ingredient list. I've never made a tomato based soup that actually used pasta sauce in it before, but it made perfect sense to me. We often have a half full jar of tomato sauce in our fridge that is left over from one thing or another. Adding it to this soup tasted great because the sauce is already seasoned so I had to add very little in terms of spices for this soup.


After changing the recipe quite a bit and working with the contents of my own kitchen, I ended up with this. Dan the Man wanted it on the record that future versions of this soup should experiment with the addition of chicken or pasta. To make it a little heartier I'd like to try adding another can of smaller beans, like Great Northern beans, to add some extra protein and color variation.


Ingredients
for a vegan or dairy-free meal, omit the parmesan cheese at the end and replace with fresh basil leaves for garnish.

• drizzle of olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, sliced in 1/4-inch pieces
• 4 stalks celery, sliced in 1/4-inch pieces
• big pinch (about 1/2 tsp) oregano
• big pinch of basil
• big pinch of parsley
• freshly ground pepper
• 3 oz (about 1/2 bag) fresh baby spinach
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes (don't drain - you will need the juice)
• 15.5 oz can beans, drained and rinsed (I used red kidney beans)
• 12 oz (or 1/2 jar) tomato sauce
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large stockpot over medium heat.
2. Add garlic, onion, carrots, celery, spices, and pepper. Stir well and let cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add spinach, cover stockpot, and reduce heat to low. Cook until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes (with their juice), beans, tomato sauce and broth. Cover, return heat to medium and cook until soup is heated throughout.
5. Serve as is or sprinkled (covered?) with parmesan cheese.

2010 Favorites

Dear reader,

With 55 posts this year, 2010 turned out to be a very productive one. In addition to my blog's first birthday, my husband and I have enjoyed a year of healthy, delicious, homemade meals and snacks. I hope a few of them have made their way into your kitchen too. Some of my highlights are below.


Favorite Soup(s) This Year:
it is a tie between

Beef and Barley Soup

the hearty beef and barley soup, and

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

the creamy roasted red pepper soup. (Clickable link below each picture)

Most Repeated Recipe This Year, in my own kitchen:

Empanadas

empanadas, which can be filled with virtually anything and are a lot more filling than one might expect.


Favorite Dessert:

Honey Banana Bread

since I've become a fan of less intense sweetness in my desserts, this honey banana bread is still one of my most delicious memories.

What are some of your favorites from 2010? What would you like to see more of in 2011?

I hope you all have a wonderful new year!

Cheers,
Ally

Guest Post: Baked Craisin Scones

Today's recipe comes to us from my father-in-law, The Greg. His comments (in italics):

Scones are old Scottish biscuits. The reason I make them is they're so easy and the more impatient you are with them, the better they turn out. [The idea here is that scone dough, when overworked, becomes very dense and hard to chew once cooked.] I can get up in the morning, make them, and they come out of the oven in time for me to have while I enjoy my morning coffee.

I like this recipe because you can use any flavor of dried fruit, as long as it's in small pieces. Greg has made these with regular and blueberry-flavored Craisins with great success. You could use actual dried blueberries, or even try cutting up dried apple pieces into small chunks.


Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries (Craisins), any flavor
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) cold butter, diced
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour,  sugar, baking powder, and dried cranberries.
3. Stir butter into dry ingredients and mash with potato masher (or squish with your clean fingers!).
4. With a fork, beat eggs into milk until well stirred. Pour this into dry ingredients and mix to incorporate. Dough should be very rough (almost shredded looking), with chunks of butter still visible.
5. Cut dough in half. Roll each half on a floured surface to about 1/2-inch thickness. Pinch edges around your circle to avoid cracks along the edges while baking.
6. Cut each large chunk into six triangular pieces (like a pie), or use circle-shaped cookie cutter and cut out several rounds. Prick each scone with a fork.
7. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Party Food Ideas - 2010

While I've got a few posts about pie in the works, I know that many people are attending or hosting holiday parties this time of year. If you're like me, you're probably pulling your hair out trying to create an array of snacks that will please your guests.

Allow me to present my recommendations for your next get together.

• A new go-to favorite of mine is the gluten-free Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños 

• These were a hit at my birthday party last year - Carrot Cake Cookies with Lemon Glaze

• Dip some veggies in some (gluten-free) Garlic Hummus or Tahini Dressing

• Go classic with some chips and Cooked Tomato Salsa

• For someone who's averse to processed sugars, perhaps they'd enjoy a few slices of Honey Banana Bread

• To enjoy some treats warm out of the oven, I recommend Brie, Pear, and Brown Sugar Crostini.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Nudo Italia

Looking for an awesome gift for a food lover? The Brown Eyed Baker turned me on to a great site called Nudo Italia, an Italian olive company that lets you adopt a tree. By adopting an olive tree from one of their many groves, you receive two packages: one in the spring with extra virgin olive oil pressed from the olives from your tree; and a second in the fall with three flavored olive oils, such as their chili-infused olive oil or lemon flavored olive oil.

What a wonderful way to support a small business and receive a gift that can be used year-round in the kitchen!

What are some of your favorite gifts for food lovers?

Beef and Barley Soup

I've been craving a beef based soup lately, and several sources have reminded me of the great combination of beef and barley. I decided to give it a whirl, following Budget Bytes' recipe most closely.

The best parts about this soup: by cooking the stew meat first, everything was flavored with its drippings; because the barley's starch began to break down and thicken the soup, no thickening agent was needed to make this almost stew-like; and finally, adding the potatoes in at the end prevented them from getting too mushy. It is an all around hearty winter soup.

Ingredients (makes 5-6 servings)

• olive oil
• 1 lb stew meat, cut into small pieces
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, diced
• 4 small stalks OR 2 large stalks celery, sliced
• small bunch carrots, sliced
• pinch dried thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small package (about 10 oz) white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 6 cups beef stock (I used Better Than Bouillon's beef base in 6 cups water)
• 1 cup dried barley
• 1 lb small red potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces

Directions

1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Add stew meat and cook until browned. Transfer to separate bowl and set aside, leaving drippings in stockpot.
2. Drizzle more olive oil into stockpot. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions have softened.
3. Add celery, carrots, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook for 4-5 minutes, adding a splash of water if vegetables start to stick or burn.
4. Add mushrooms. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
5. Clear a little spot and add tomato paste. Cook until paste heats up, then gradually stir it into juices and vegetables.
6. Add cooked meat back into stockpot, along with beef stock and barley. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover; simmer for 40 minutes.
7. Add potatoes and simmer, covered, for another 10-15 minutes.

Changing the Way You Eat

eggs from a local farm

If you're reading a food blog, you probably have some interest in the quality of your food. On the surface, this might mean that you want to make meals that taste good. You might also consider what is nutritious for you and your family. 

Does it go deeper than that? For quite some time, I have been learning more about the food industry and how it works. I am not going to gross out anyone but I will say it was very enlightening to learn about the way animals and crops are treated to get the "best" product. 

As I mentioned in my entry on food goals for 2010, one of my goals is to find local sources for more of my food. Since reading books like Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Barbara Kingsolver) and Eating Animals (Jonathan Safran Foer) and seeing documentaries like Food, Inc., I have been working toward becoming more of a locavore - that is, eating more locally made and locally produced foods. My list below is based on my location ( Delaware / Chenango counties, southern tier of New York state)

Some changes in my food purchases:

• eating more locally raised meats, (through farmers' markets and Chenango Bounty's website). If not locally raised, then organic, hormone-free and antibiotic-free. (My new favorite at the grocery store is Meyer's angus beef.)

• our yogurt at home is now Chobani greek yogurt (produced in Norwich, NY without the use of rBST-treated milk) 

• anytime we need sour cream, we buy Friendship brand, to the delight of Dan the Man (produced in Friendship, NY, near his hometown, about three hours from us)

• our eggs now come from a local family farm (Guilford, NY) 

• I still make my own jams - 2010 jams are blackberry and concord grape. This year both fruits were grown locally. (I picked the blackberries myself!)

As winter sets in, it can be more difficult to find local fresh produce in New York. I hope to provide more recipes using winter produce, like potatoes, winter squashes, carrots, and apples.

Have you made any changes in your food habits, whether toward becoming more of a locavore, trying to eat more meals made at home, or purchasing less junk food?