Simple Grilled Scallops

Frutti di mare, fruits de mare - fruits of the sea - however you say it, seafood are one of my favorite things to eat. In fact, during the 15 years I was vegetarian I was actually a "pesca-vegetarian" because I ate fish and fruits of the sea.

Scallops come in such a variety but if you're going to grill them reach for the largest ones you can find. I bought 9 which came to a pound, and three per diner was a good size serving. But get more if you're so inclined.

As with most fruits of the sea it is best to add as little as possible to allow the delicate flavor of the individual fish or mollusk to shine through. In this case I simply salted the scallops lightly and seared them on the grill, about 2-3 minutes per side to give them a nice browned crust. The best way to know when they are done is the touch method; they firm up as they cook and become more opaque.

These specimens were truly sweet and I ate them without the lemon, although others may want the option. I could have eaten more that would have felt gluttonous; maybe next time!

Grilled Scallops

3 large scallops per diner
salt
lemon (optional)

Light your grill and when the coals have gone white, place scallops over direct heat and grill on each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove and eat immediately.

Hugs!


Recipes Currently Inspiring Me:
Thai Style Slaw at Closet Cooking
Herb Wrapped Chicken in Chili Garlic Sauce at Cooking Escapades
Lime Roasted Carrots and Saffron Orzo at A Kenetic Energetic but not Generic Diabetic

Goat Cheese, Walnut and Pear Galette

I am dessert challenged. Not only are they not my forte but I just don't think about making them. How is that possible? Because I have a sour tooth, not a sweet tooth; I am a lover of pickles, vinegar, citrus, and kombucha. But every once in a while, I get a hankering and need some dessert. Of course my version of dessert is rarely that sweet and usually involves fruit and cheese. This galette fit the bill on all of those dimensions and I whipped it up in less than 30 minutes, a near miracle for me!

Galettes are simply country style tarts; a rolled out piece of pie crust with some filling placed in the center and the edges crimped over to prevent the filling from leaking onto the pan. Do not let yourself be intimidated by the elegant but hopped up versions seen in French bakeries or restaurants that involve glazes or perfect pinwheels of sliced fruit. Just think of centuries of French housewives wondering how to use up some of the pears that kept dropping out the back door and making mush on the ground. Raise your glass to them and thank them for receiving inspiration from the mother of necessity.

Thai Corn Chowder

Corn season is coming! And if you're looking for some new recipes to try with your first batch of fresh corn here's just the ticket. Thai flavored curry with coconut milk, lime leaves and fresh corn stock is an amazing combination that also keeps well. It even is great cold, with a squeeze of lime to ensure that you taste that spice.

I added shrimp for some protein but you could easily add tofu or some fresh mussels if you were looking for some decadence. The best part was how quickly this dish comes together; I made it in 25 minutes, before I left for work in the morning. It's all about having the ingredients on hand in the pantry.

Thai Corn Chowder

1 tablespoon red Thai curry
2 tablespoons sunflower or safflower oil
2 cups fresh corn
1 can coconut milk
2 cups corn stock or other vegetable stock (corn cobs, shucked of corn, boiled in water for 30 minutes, drained)
3 kaffir lime leaves
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
2 scallions, sliced in rounds
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
6 shrimp, deveined and deshelled

In large stock pot heat oil over medium heat and add curry paste, mashing to gently heat it in the oil. Once you begin to smell the paste, add the coconut milk, corn stock, and lime leaves and bring to boil. Add corn and return to boil. Add scallions, red pepper, fish sauce and soy sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Add shrimp if using and cook until they curl up and turn pink, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in cilantro after removing from heat and serve.

Hugs!

Recipes Currently inspiring me:
Zucchini and Ricotta Galette at Smitten Kitchen
Farinata Genovese at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
Baked Sole at Greek Gourmand

Ceviche Salad with Mango and Avocado

Ceviche is one of those South American dishes that sounds exotic and hard but is really simple and elegant. It's the perfect food to wow guests with and can be made ahead of time so it's great happy hour food at your home with friends after work.

Fish and or seafood marinated in citrus juice - that's it - that's all it takes to make this delicious dish. What I find so incredible is that the juice literally "cooks" the fish - it actually changes it chemically in the same way that heat does. Click here to learn more about that process.

Hoisin Marinated Salmon Steak

I am such a sucker for colorful ingredients and salmon is certainly one of those items that draws me in, the oranger the better! Deep orange colored salmon is usually only found in wild caught salmon which live in the coldest portion of the northern oceans of the Pacific and the North Sea. Luckily, wild caught is also a more sustainable choice as well as higher in the essential omega-3 fatty acids for which salmon is prized.

In case you have been living in a land locked, electricity free zone, you might not have yet heard that salmon is one of those nutritional superfoods. But that's not why it's always high on my list of favorite dishes. It simply tastes delicious, especially with this slightly sweet, Chinese style marinade.

Guacamole - Summer Staple

Not until I was 20 years old and living in France for the year did I begin to eat avocados. This fact still baffles me, although knowing myself, it doesn't quite surprise me. I was a fussy eater as a child and texture was often the primary culprit. Avocados were too mushy to my little girl mind so I avoided them like the plague, and most certainly anything made with them!

It was thanks to my Parisian roommate, a southern California native, and her shock (and frankly outrage) that I didn't eat avocados which sent me to buy and try this curious green orb. I immediately fell in love with them and promptly ate two whole ones in a single sitting. (She gasped in shock, mumbling something about calories - I was too rapturously in love with my find to notice).