Here are some pretty sky pictures I took the other night from my deck.
OK, enough of sky.
Let's eat.
First, I want to explain where I'm going with tonight's meal so it won't seem like I'm all over the board with this post.
Tonight's main ingredient is ...
SCALLOPS.
I'm preparing them two different ways, with two sauces.
I also have a side dish - garden squash and onions.
And LEFTOVERS from last night.
Please enjoy.
I started off with some lovely parmesan crisps.
I like Il Villagio Parmesan from Harris Teeter.
Parmesan is like olive oil. You need to comparison-taste different types to find out what you really like.
I had been eating Sargento from Food Lion for years, until I decided to do something really rash and daring and try a different brand. Let me just say I've never eaten Sargento again.
It is crap.
Anyways, back to the crisps.
You grate the parmesan then press it into a biscuit cutter to make little rounds.
I do them on parchment paper for easier removal.
Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 7 minutes.
Watch closely so they don't burn.
When nicely browned, immediately remove them from the pan.
I just set mine flat on the plate.
At this point, since they're very pliable, you could drape them over the back of a muffin tin to make a bowl-shaped crisp,
then perhaps fill it with a salad, say baby spinach, red grapes, orange slices, and toasted almonds and drizzle with a nice vinaigrette.
Oooh. That does sound good.
Maybe I'll make that sometime and blog the results for you.
OK, back to the meal.
I like Il Villagio Parmesan from Harris Teeter.
Parmesan is like olive oil. You need to comparison-taste different types to find out what you really like.
I had been eating Sargento from Food Lion for years, until I decided to do something really rash and daring and try a different brand. Let me just say I've never eaten Sargento again.
It is crap.
Anyways, back to the crisps.
You grate the parmesan then press it into a biscuit cutter to make little rounds.
I do them on parchment paper for easier removal.
Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 7 minutes.
Watch closely so they don't burn.
When nicely browned, immediately remove them from the pan.
I just set mine flat on the plate.
At this point, since they're very pliable, you could drape them over the back of a muffin tin to make a bowl-shaped crisp,
then perhaps fill it with a salad, say baby spinach, red grapes, orange slices, and toasted almonds and drizzle with a nice vinaigrette.
Oooh. That does sound good.
Maybe I'll make that sometime and blog the results for you.
OK, back to the meal.
I sliced the onions and squash and sauteed them in Bertolli Extra Light olive oil and Land o' Lakes Unsalted Butter.
Salt and pepper.
Salt and pepper.
Then I decided to chop up a green pepper from the garden and add in some snow peas, courtesy of Food Lion.
I used a can of mandarin oranges, with juice, sesame oil, fresh ginger, honey,
and a cornstarch slurry
and a cornstarch slurry
Brandy Cream Sauce:
4 oz. brandy
6 oz. heavy cream
salt and pepper
First, heat brandy in small saucepan.
Being the pyromaniac that I am,
I relished the flames.
I relished the flames.
Next, I'm getting my coating for my almond scallops ready.
Almonds in the back, parsley, fresh ginger root, and salt and pepper.
Pat dry.
As I said before, I'm doing two different types of scallops.
At the top is my almond/parsley/ginger coating for my almond scallops
with Mandarin sesame glaze.
At bottom is freshly ground sea salt and pepper for my
scallops au poivre with brandy cream sauce.
At the top is my almond/parsley/ginger coating for my almond scallops
with Mandarin sesame glaze.
At bottom is freshly ground sea salt and pepper for my
scallops au poivre with brandy cream sauce.
On the left are my scallops rolled in freshly ground pepper.
On the right are my scallops encrusted with almonds.
I heated up my pan, added olive oil and butter, then seared the scallops on both sides.
Maybe two-three minutes each side.
Then I baked in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for about 5-7 minutes, until cooked.
Do NOT overcook.
Here's dinner.
Bottom left, squash, onion, green pepper, snow pea saute.
Bottom right, almond encrusted scallops and pepper scallops.
Top left, my Mandarin orange sauce.
Top right, my Brandy/cream sauce.
Now, on to the plating and my LEFTOVERS.
Remember I said we were having leftovers?
On the bottom is the Jambalaya rice from the other night.
On top is my rutabaga/carrot mash from the other night.
I like the way this meal is turning out.
Bottom left, squash, onion, green pepper, snow pea saute.
Bottom right, almond encrusted scallops and pepper scallops.
Top left, my Mandarin orange sauce.
Top right, my Brandy/cream sauce.
Now, on to the plating and my LEFTOVERS.
Remember I said we were having leftovers?
On the bottom is the Jambalaya rice from the other night.
On top is my rutabaga/carrot mash from the other night.
I like the way this meal is turning out.
Here's Mr. H.'s plate.
In the middle is the leftover rice and rutabaga/carrot with a parmesan crisp on top.
On the right is the squash/onion saute.
On the left are the almond encrusted scallops with the orange sauce.
At the top are my scallops au poivre with Brandy Cream sauce.
And here's my plate.
The goodie bits on top of the parmesan crisp are
almonds and parsley scraped up from the pan.
I have to say I impressed myself with this.
The scallops were delicious.
Perfectly cooked.
Both sauces complemented their respective scallops and the melding of flavors was a lovely gastronomic experience.
The squash/onion/dill was very fresh tasting.
Well, I guess so, since I just picked everything.
The parmesan crisp was a parmesan crisp and everything that means and more.
Plus, I got rid of LEFTOVERS!
This was an excellent meal.
I enjoyed every flavor in my dish,
and there were so many.
SODAlicious.
Now here's a tease picture.
What's this?
My front yard.
With newly-laid sod and fresh mulch.
Dang, but I want to eat at your house.
ReplyDeleteYay, and garden pictures. I score!
Kinda phallic looking sod: on purpose or just lucky?
ReplyDeleteGeez xmaskatie, and Rosie thinks I'm the one with only one thing on my mind! I looked again, and sorry, just didn't see it. You and mrxmas gettin' along okay dear?
ReplyDelete4-5 minutes with the flames? I would have been terrified!! That's precisely why i'm scared to cook with anything other than a little wine! Love those parm crisps -- made them a couple weeks ago when I made dinner for vegetarian friends. Used as a garnish, with sauteed polenta cakes covered with an insanely good mushroom cream sauce. Also served balsamic onions and lemon-horseradish new potatoes, and of course a good salad. I love food. And I love to read your blog every day and live vicariously!
ReplyDeleteTicky, I'm guessing you thought Rosie's cloud pics just looked like clouds too.
ReplyDeleteThe Mr. & I are just fine, thank you, and some additional info about my comment may help. Rosie helped me lay sod in my yard once (which was quite a memorable experience, with the trailer getting a flat tire, having to move all the sod to a neighbor's truck, etc.), and commented about how one of my in-progress gardens had taken on a somewhat phallic appearance. Tit for tat as they say.
kelley, That sounds delicious. And thanks for reading.
ReplyDeleteNow, ticky and xmaskatie, are you girls drinking the magic koolaid or something?
And however did you miss the penis in the flames?