Scallops are probably the sweetest seafood of all...buttery and creamy whether baked, fried, or added to a seafood stew, they're one of my favorites. This is a recipe I made often when I had access to super fresh sea scallops. Now I find that this dish is just as good with individually frozen ones. I have found that Costco sells a great 2 pound package that are nicely sized. The important thing to remember is whether fresh or previously frozen, you have to make sure that the scallops are as dry as possible. Use paper towels to blot them dry.
For the crumb topping:
2 Tbl olive oil
2 Tbl butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed in a garlic press
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
In a large saute pan, melt the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, crumbs, salt and pepper, and while stirring constantly, cook until very lightly browned. Remove the pan from the heat, but continue to stir for a couple of more minutes. The residual heat will continue to brown the crumbs. Let the mixture cool.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the crumbs in the bottom of a baking pan large enough to hold about 1 1/2 pounds of sea scallops ( I used a 10 inch quiche pan).
To the remaining bread crumbs add:
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
Place about 1 1/2 pounds scallops in a single layer in the pan over the half cup of crumbs. Sprinkle the parsley cheese flavored crumbs over the top covering completely. Dot the top with 3 Tbl butter. Bake at 400F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Whenever I used to bake potatoes, I'd either wrap them in foil or microwave them or just throw them in the oven in a pan. The potato skin was never crunchy and crisp. At a restaurant a number of years ago, I asked the waitress what they did to their potatoes. She told me to wash and dry the potato, prick it a few times with a fork, slather the whole thing with margarine(NOT BUTTER!), and then liberally cover it with kosher salt.Let it rest for a couple of hours and then bake at 350F uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size. Try this method...it works!!
Last week I pulled one of the fried turkeys from Thanksgiving out of the freezer and we had "turkey week"...turkey dinner, hot turkey sandwiches, cold turkey sandwiches, and finally with all those small pieces I pulled off the bone...turkey pot pie. I wanted to make this one as easy as possible so combined a few recipes that I had found and came up with this one. I must say it was delicious! Obviously you can use chicken for this or maybe even beef by substituting mushroom soup for the cream of chicken. I did put a bottom crust on this but it's not necessary...Here we go..
1 package puff pastry( 2 sheets to a pack)
6 mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbl butter or margarine
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb frozen mixed vegetables, thawed ( I used the one for soup)
4 cups diced, cooked turkey or chicken
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp black pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup(condensed)
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbl flour
Thaw the puff pastry and take one sheet and roll it large enough to fit on the bottom of a 3 quart baking dish. Once in the dish cover the pastry with foil and bake at 400F for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil.
Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter until they soften a bit. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Cut the 2nd sheet of pastry into about 6 strips lengthwise and cover the top of the casserole in a lattice pattern (like the picture) use any excess to make a rim around the casserole. Bake at 400F for about 40 -50 minutes or until the crust browns and the pie is bubbly.
Just a note to let you know...the stuffed mushrooms were wonderful! I prepped them in the morning and then baked them just before company arrived. Had a couple left for breakfast this morning..Thanks Meechee!!
I also served the cheese puffs that I posted earlier this week and added about 1/4 cup of finely diced pepperoni...they were good.I'm thinking about giving them a Mexican twist next time
And finally, regarding my November 10, 2010 post on Greek Lemon Roasted potatoes, I forgot to mention that sometimes I add a generous 1/2 cup of pitted kalamata olives to the mix. The olives really mellow out giving the dish a wonderful flavor. They really complement the slow roasted chicken or the brick chicken.
Have a wonderful weekend!!
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| Ready for the oven!! |
Family friend Meechee e-mailed me last week about these wonderful sausage stuffed mushrooms from Ina Garten. Since Dad, Marge and Anne are coming for dinner tonight, I thought they'd be a perfect appetizer for my little pasta bar dinner. I've just finished making the stuffing (it tastes GREAT!), stuffed the mushrooms, and now will keep them covered and chilled until tonight. I know they'll be delicious!
You can find the recipe here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/sausage-stuffed-mushrooms-recipe/index.html
This is a great sandwich made popular in New Orleans. It can be made early in the day and then enjoyed while watching that big game, which we did this past Sunday.
It's traditionally made on a round loaf of Italian or sourdough bread, but I think it's easier to use a rectangular loaf of ciabatta sliced the long way . The most labor intensive part of this recipe is chopping up the olive salad ingredients. I thought of using the food processor but was worried I'd end up chopping everything too fine.
For the olive salad, combine the following and refrigerate for an hour or so:
1 1/2 cups kalamata olives, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups green olives, chopped fine ( pimiento stuffed are fine)
1 cup giardiniere, chopped fine (pickled mixture of peppers, carrots, cauliflower, etc)
1 Tbl chopped capers in brine
2 cloves finely minced garlic
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped parsley
To assemble the sandwich:
Slice the ciabatta the long way and brush the cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle with a little Italian seasoning. Start layering salami, ham, and provolone cheese on the bottom side of the bread, finishing with a thick layering of the olive salad ( or sprinkle the olive salad between each layer of meat and cheese-No Rules!)
Place the top of the loaf on the sandwich, wrap the entirety in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge with some weight on it. Let the flavors mingle together a couple of hours before serving.
Note: This is traditionally served cold, but I like to warm my slice in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
I took some of the apricot jam that I made a while back and used it for a glaze and dipping sauce for a roast pork tenderloin that I bought on sale last week. The addition of dijon mustard gave the glaze the spicy touch that I was looking for.
For the tenderloin:
1 1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin, silver skin removed
1 clove garlic, sliced as thin as possible( you want 8-10 slices)
olive oil
salt and pepper
Make small slits in the meat all over and insert the garlic slices
Rub the meat thoroughly with the salt, pepper, and olive oil and bring the meat to room temperature
For the glaze:
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbl olive oil
1 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 Tbl brown sugar ( optional..remember, my jam wasn't very sweet)
Over medium heat, cook the garlic in the oil for just a minute until it becomes fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and heat through.
In a tablespoon or two of olive oil, sear the tenderloin on all sides in a large frying pan. Place the meat in a roasting pan and coat with some of the glaze. Roast at 350F for 30 -45 minutes or until the meat registers 160F with an instant thermometer. Warm the remaining glaze and serve as a dipping sauce if desired.
