Mediterranean Cous Cous with Seared Sea Scallops

My computer is finally fixed! Hallelujah! And thank you, bonus son H! I'm getting back to the blog after weeks of being out of touch with cyber space. Let's get cooking.

This light, healthy dish is perfect for the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You know, those days when your pants start getting a bit snug so you're practically living in your sweats? (a.k.a. "happy pants").  It comes together in about 40 minutes and makes for a great main dish, side dish, and leftover lunch. What I like about this dish is the combination of raw and cooked ingredients. It has great texture. This can be eaten hot, cold, or at room temp.

Here's what we need:

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups Mediterranean cous cous

1 bag fresh spinach

1 green (or yellow) zucchini

1 red bell pepper

1 carrot

2 cloves garlic

2 green onions, chopped

6 - 8 sea scallops

1/2 lemon

2 Tbls fresh chopped parsley

Extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

First things first. Let's prep the veg. Chop up everything except the carrot. Use a peeler and shave it.

Place the scallops on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Set aside.

Heat chicken stock to a boil then add the cous cous. Give it a stir.

Simmer for about 7 - 10 minutes until cous cous is tender. Drain and save excess stock.

Put about a Tbls olive oil in a large skillet and heat on medium high heat.

Saute the onions and carrot until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle the onion and carrot with a pinch of Kosher salt.

Stir in the minced garlic and saute for about one minute.

Pour hot cous cous over the spinach. This will wilt it a bit. Then drizzle with about a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the chopped red pepper.

Now, put your chopped zucchini into the smoking hot skillet. You're going for brown here, not soft and slimy. Once brown, add it to the cous cous.

Add 1 Tbls butter and 1 Tbls olive oil to the skillet. Get it hot. Pat the scallops dry. Place them in the hot skillet, turning after about 2-3 minutes. Scallops cook in a hurry, so be vigilant. Cook only until golden brown on each side. (6 minutes max).

Place the scallops on top of the cous cous. Squeeze 1/2 a lemon on top.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Taste. Add more stock,  salt and pepper, as needed for moisture and taste. Finish with chopped chives or green onions.

Serve.

The great thing about this dish is it's versatility. Don't have scallops? Add shrimp. Allergic to seafood? Leave it out. Add some toasted pine nuts and some cheese (Feta, Mozzarella, Manchego, Parmesan). Need a side dish? Leave out the seafood. This is wonderful served at room temp, (great make ahead), cold, or hot. Sub any vegetables you have on hand... Cucumbers, tomato, artichokes, etc. Clean out your fridge and make a tasty dish!

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups Mediterranean cous cous

1 bag fresh spinach (6 oz)

1/2 onion, any color, minced

1 green (or yellow) zucchini, rough chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 carrot, shaved

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, chopped

6 - 8 sea scallops, seared

1/2 lemon

2 Tbls fresh chopped parsley

1 Tbls butter

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Method:

1. Prep the veg. Chop up everything except the carrot. Use a peeler and shave it.
2. Place the scallops on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Set aside.
3. Heat chicken stock to a boil then add the cous cous. Stir.
4. Simmer for  7 - 10 minutes until cous cous is tender. Drain and save excess stock.
5. Put 1 Tbls olive oil in a large skillet and heat on medium high heat.
6. Saute the onions and carrot until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle the onion and carrot with a pinch of Kosher salt.
7. Stir in the minced garlic and saute for about one minute.
8. Pour hot cous cous over the spinach.
9. Drizzle with one teaspoon  extra virgin olive oil.
10. Add the chopped red pepper.
11. Place chopped zucchini into the smoking hot skillet. Brown.
12. Add 1 Tbls butter and 1 Tbls olive oil to the skillet. Pat the scallops dry. Place them in the hot skillet, turning after about 2-3 minutes. Cook only until golden brown on each side. (6 minutes max).
13. Place the scallops on top of the cous cous. Squeeze 1/2 a lemon on top.
14. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
15. Taste. 
16. Add more stock,  salt and pepper, as needed for moisture and taste. 
17. Finish with chopped chives or green onions.
18. Serve.

      

Crab, Avocado, Mango lettuce wraps

So, here we have salad on the go. Meals on wheels, so to speak.

We're taking some wonderfully succulent crab meat (from King crab legs), and mixing it with sweet mango, creamy avocado, a little celery for crunch, a bit of Garlic Chili sauce for heat, a little orange zest and juice for sweet; lime juice for tart. For green, I'm going with Butter lettuce for wraps. If you don't want to make wraps, sub in some spinach or Arugula, or butter lettuce, chopped. For the dressing, We'll make a simple mayo and citrus combo, with a little heat. 

Let's go:

Take about 3 TBLS prepared mayonnaise

Add 1 thinly sliced shallot

Juice and zest of one orange

Spoon in 1 TBLS Chili Garlic sauce

Juice and zest of 1 lime

1 - 2 TBLS Agave Nectar
2 Tbls chopped fresh cilantro

Kosher (or Sea salt) and pepper to taste.

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. Taste. Adjust seasonings to your taste.

Now for the salad:
1 pound diced crab meat ( I had some in the freezer from crab leg night)
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 ribs celery, from the inner part of the stalk, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced very finely
2 green onions, chopped
1 head butter lettuce; leaves whole

Put your crab in a big bowl.

 Add the diced mango.

Toss in the avocado.

You could add the avocado and then the mango if you're feeling a bit rebellious.
Go ahead and add the celery, onion, and green onion. Sprinkle the salad with a good pinch of Kosher or sea salt and some fresh ground pepper.

To finish it off, spoon some of the dressing over the salad. It doesn't need much, as the ingredients themselves are pretty flavorful. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Now, if you're making lettuce wraps, take 1 or 2 Butter lettuce (also called "Bib")
leaves and fill one side with the crab mixture.

Then, just roll it up! Place it seam side down in your container.

Place it seam side down in your container. And there you have salad you can eat with your hands.

Alternative ingredients: Grilled or roasted shrimp or lobster tails can be used instead of crab. No chili garlic sauce? Throw in some crushed red pepper flakes or a squirt of your favorite hot sauce or Sriracha. Make the salad and place in baked won ton wrappers for an easy appetizer. No mayo? Mix the orange and lime juice with olive oil for a simple vinaigrette.  Don't want to make lettuce wraps? Chop up some Arugula, Butter lettuce, spinach or just add a bag of Spring mix.
Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

Dressing

3 TBLS prepared mayonnaise

 1 thinly sliced shallot

Juice and zest of one orange

Juice and zest of 1 lime

 1 TBLS Chili Garlic sauce

1 - 2 TBLS Agave Nectar

2 Tbls chopped fresh cilantro

Kosher (or Sea salt) and pepper to taste.

Salad

1 pound cooked diced crab meat 

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced

2 ribs celery, from the inner part of the stalk, chopped

1/2 red onion, diced very finely

2 green onions, chopped

1 head butter lettuce; leaves whole

Method:

Dressing: Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.

Salad: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Pour just enough dressing over to lightly coat. Stir gently.

Place 2 Tbls salad on each lettuce leaf. Roll up.

Mint Fruit Salad with Toasted Pecans

Summer is  here, and fruit and berries are cheap and plentiful. This super easy salad is perfect for a picnic on the patio, a pot luck, or to bring to that bridal shower. I don't know why it is, but too many fruit salads are kind of dull, bland, mushy, and just not that tasty. This one is a show stopper, and delish to boot. 

Start with whatever looks GREAT in your grocery store or Farmer's market. Use any types of fruit, berries, and melons that look and smell great.

Here's a sample of what we need:

1 individual size watermelon

1 pint fresh blueberries

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 tangelo

1 red pear

1 banana

1 vanilla bean

1/2 cup fresh mint

1/2 cup pecans, toasted

1 cup white sugar

1 cup water

2 Meyer lemons (optional)

Let's start with a simple syrup. Simply put, that means equal parts sugar and water, brought to a boil, then cooled. We're taking ours over the top with the addition of a vanilla bean and some fresh mint.

Vanilla beans are found in the spice section of the store. I got mine at Costco.

Lay the vanilla bean flat on a cutting board. Split it right down the middle with a very sharp knife.

Take the blade of the knife and scrape out the seeds, (they're pretty sticky), and put them, and the rest of the bean, into your water and sugar mixture.

Put some heat under this and bring it to a boil. While it's heating, cut the Meyer lemons in half, and squeeze the juice right into the water.

When the water starts to boil, turn off the heat. Let the mixture hang out and get cool while you prep the fruit. Wash and dry the berries. Then remove the vanilla bean from the syrup.

Core and stem the strawberries. Cut out the top and slice in half.

Cut out anything that's white. When it comes to fruit, white means bitter. Get rid of it.

Peel and core the Tangelo. Peel it into sections.

Again, get the white stuff out. Then cut it into bite size pieces.

Toss all the prepped fruit into a big bowl.

Now, take a wedge of the Tangelo and squeeze it over the berries. This creates another layer of flavor, and flavor's where it's at, baby!

Cut the watermelon in half, then scoop out rounds with a melon baller. Or, peel the melon and cut it up. Just make sure to get all the seeds out. That's why a seedless melon works best. Because it's easy for me.

If you're adding bananas and pears or apples, or anything that will turn brown when cut, add them last, and give them a spritz of citrus juice. (The tangelo juice works just fine).

Now get a handful of fresh mint from the garden, or from the produce section, strip the leaves off the stems and chop them up finely.

Toss the mint into the COOLED simple syrup. If you add them to warm liquid, you'll end up with mint slime. Not delish.

O.K. Let's add a little crunch. I used pecans because I like them, but you can use some almonds, walnuts, whatever floats your boat. Get a handful of pecans, probably about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, and chop them up. Put them in a skillet on low heat until you can smell them. Warning!! Do not turn your back on the nuts. Do not go to the bathroom, answer the phone, or your doorbell. The nuts will burn, and you will curse and cry and throw them in the trash. (Or is it just me?)

Cool them down, then add them to the fruit. Now, pour the minted simple syrup over the the fruit salad. Don't drown it, just add enough to give it a sweet, minty flavor. Gently stir.

Serve chilled in Martini glasses, puff pastry cups, or with a big spoon and paper bowls, or just dig on in with a fork. I like whipped cream on mine, but hey, we'll leave this as is for a figure friendly bowl of delicious, fruity, goodness.

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

1 individual size watermelon

1 pint fresh blueberries

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 tangelo

1 red pear

1 banana

1 vanilla bean

1/2 cup fresh mint

1/2 cup pecans, toasted

1 cup white sugar

1 cup water

2 Meyer lemons (optional)

Method:

1. Make simple syrup. Add 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water.  Add 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, and the juice of 2 Meyer lemons. Bring to a boil, then cool.

2. 

Wash and dry all berries and fruit.

3. Cut fruit into bite size pieces.

4. Chop fresh mint finely. Add to cooled simple syrup.

5.  Toast pecans. Cool.

6. Put fruit and nuts into a big bowl. Pour enough simple syrup over the top to coat.

7. Stir gently. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Asian Slaw Won Tons

This yummy appetizer's inspiration came from a Vietnamese Spring roll recipe I found at www.epicurious.com, and came from Bon Apettit, Feb, 2003. 

Of course, I had to change it up a bit. Rice paper sheets can be tough to work with, and I'm not terribly enthused about a tedious, and very time consuming process. So, I subbed won ton papers, baked them off, and filled them. 

Here goes:

For the slaw:

1/2 box (4) ounces Thai thin rice noodles, boiled for 5 minutes, drained and chopped

1/2 head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

1 red and one orange pepper, very thinly sliced into matchstick size

1 & 1/2 cup bean sprouts, chopped coarsely

1 English cucumber, seeded and sliced into matchstick size

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

4 green onions, sliced thinly

1 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped

1 pound cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp, tails on 

For the Sauce:

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tbls fermented fish sauce (Nam Pla)

2 Tbls rice vinegar

2 Tbls fresh cilantro, chopped fine

4 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press

1 Tbls garlic chili sauce

1 tsp crushed red pepper 

1 tsp sriracha sauce

Method: 

Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold the shrimp, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.

Taste. Re season to your liking. If you want more heat, add a pinch more crushed red pepper. Not sweet enough, add a bit more sugar. Not tangy enough, add a splash more rice vinegar.

For the Won Ton cups: 

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees (F).

Start with one package of Won Tons. You can find them in the produce section of most grocery stores.

Get out your silpat, or any other relatively non stick surface, and pour some canola on it.

Lay out some won Ton wrappers, and brush them lightly with oil. 

So, here's how it really went: After brushing the wrapper, they seemed to be dripping in oil. Not what I was after. Then, I oiled up my hands, and rubbed each wrapper, just to get a light coat. That worked.

Now press wrapper into a regular size, non stick muffin cup.

Make sure to press it down pretty well, or the sides may fold over, into the cup. Not good.

Put the muffin tins in the pre-heated oven, on the middle rack.

See the bottom rack? It's evil and will burn your cups!

Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until cups are golden brown and crisp.

Cool.

Method for the Slaw:

Rinse the cooked shrimp under cold water. If frozen, this will thaw them.

Lay them out on a clean towel (or paper towels) to dry.

Put the shrimp into the sauce, place it in the fridge, and carry on prepping the veg.

Boil the rice noodles in salted water for 5 minutes until tender. Rinse with cold water, chop, and place in your big bowl.

 Start by Julienning the English cucumber. (If you use a regular cucumber, scrape all the seeds out with a melon baller).

I used a Mandoline because it's super fast to shred the cuke. The mandoline does not work well for the peppers, or the cabbage. If you don't have a mandoline, no big deal. Just Julienne them finely. No need to peel.

Put the shredded cucumbers on a plate lined with about 8 paper towels and sprinkle  with a good pinch of salt. Let them hang out while you chop up the rest of the veg.

Chop up the herbs. Take your basil leaves and stack them on top of one another, the roll them up.

Now, just slice through the roll.

For the mint, pull the leaves off of the stems and chop them up finely.

Put the thinly sliced cabbage, chopped bean sprouts, match stick size pepper strips, grated carrot, and chopped herbs in a big bowl.

Let's get back to the cucumbers. They are chock full of water, so you need to squeeze as much water out as possible. Roll up in the stack of paper towels and wring out over the sink. Dump them onto a clean dry stack of towels and repeat.

Mix all the ingredients in the bowl and toss.

Let's put these babies together.

Remove the shrimp from the sauce and put them on a plate. 

Pour the sauce over the veg and noodles in the big bowl. Toss with tongs to get the sauce all through the mix.

Take a won ton cup, and place one shrimp in it, tail up.

 Pick up a handful of slaw and squeeze out the excess sauce, and put it in the cup.

Place the filled cups on a pretty platter.

 And serve. This recipe makes about 36 appetizers.

The slaw itself is outstanding on it's own. As a main or a side dish, just chop up the ingredients, but not so finely, add the shrimp, tails off, and toss.

If you have a fish allergy, sub chopped cooked chicken or pork for the shrimp, and leave out the fish sauce.

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients; Sauce

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tbls fermented fish sauce (Nam Pla)

2 Tbls rice vinegar

2 Tbls fresh cilantro, chopped fine

4 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press

1 Tbls garlic chili sauce

1 tsp crushed red pepper 

1 tsp sriracha sauce

Method: Sauce

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved.

Place cooked shrimp in sauce.

Refrigerate

Ingredients: Won Tons

1 package won ton wrappers

Canola oil

Method: Won Ton cups

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees (F).

Oil your hands with canola oil.

Rub each wrapper until moist.

Place in muffin cups.

Bake on middle rack for 5-6 minutes

Ingredients: Slaw

1/2 box (4) ounces Thai thin rice noodles, boiled for 5 minutes and drained

1/2 head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

1 red and one orange pepper, very thinly sliced into matchstick size

1 & 1/2 cup bean sprouts, chopped coarsely

1 English cucumber, seeded and sliced into matchstick size

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

4 green onions, sliced thinly

1 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped

1 pound cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp, tails on 

Method: Slaw

Boil the rice noodles in salted water for 5 minutes until tender. Rinse with cold water, chop.

Julienne the English cucumber. 

Put the shredded cucumbers on a plate lined with about 8 paper towels and sprinkle  with a good pinch of salt.

Roll up in the stack of paper towels and wring out over the sink. Dump them onto a clean dry stack of towels and repeat.

Chop up the herbs.

Mix all the ingredients in the bowl and toss.

Remove the shrimp from the sauce and put them on a plate. 

Pour the sauce over the veg and noodles.  Toss with tongs to get the sauce all through the mix.

Finish:

Take a won ton cup, and place one shrimp in it, tail up.
Pick up a handful of slaw and squeeze out the excess sauce, and put it in the cup.