Seared Scallops with Tarragon-Butter Sauce

Got this off of Epicurious. Very good!

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds large sea scallops, tough ligament from side of each discarded
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon

Directions

Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (total).

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sear scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.

Add shallot, wine, and vinegar to skillet and boil, scraping up brown bits, until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add juices from platter and if necessary boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Reduce heat to low and add 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until almost melted, then add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and swirl until incorporated and sauce has a creamy consistency. Stir in tarragon and salt to taste; pour sauce over scallops.

Spiced Rice

Good stuff! Flagrant and tasty.

Ingredients

1 cup white basmati rice
1/2 cups reduce-sodium chicken broth
half of one (3") cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves

Directions

We pretty much followed the cooking instructions on the rice. Rinse with water. Put all of the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer following instructions from the rice vendor.

Tasty stuff!

BBQ.....

We had a delicious BBQ this weekend.  I'll post the recipes when I get a chance.  Essentially, pork ribs with a dry rub and homemade sauce; mustard slaw, german hot potato salad.

Portobellos with Arugula

Another delicious recipe from Epicurious:    Portobellos with Arugula

Ingredients

6 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
Generous 4 cups trimmed arugula, washed and spun dry
Juice of 1/2 small lemon
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A 4-ounce chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano for shaving

Directions

Preheat a gas grill or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill.

Place the portobellos on the grill and cook, turning two or three times, until slightly soft-ended, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a platter, arranging the mushrooms grill side up.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the anchovy paste, vinegar, and thyme. Spoon the mixture evenly over the portobellos and let stand for 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss the arugula with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the lemon juice. Season with coarse sea salt and pepper.

Divide the arugula among six plates and top each with a mushroom. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmigiano over the salads. Serve immediately.

Chicken Ranch Pizza

I like pizza.  Lots of pizza.  Lots of different kind of pizza.

This recipe Deedy and I made up after having something similar at a Pizza place.

Ingredients

1 Bobalee (sp?) pizza crust, or even better, a homemade pizza dough of your choice. We sometimes make an herb pizza dough or wheat pizza dough
6-8 cloves garlic chopped
Ranch Dressing
2 chicken breasts
Sun dried tomatoes or 3-4 roma tomatoes, seeded a chopped.
Fresh basil
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil

Options:

Sliced mushrooms
Broccoli trimmed

Directions

Saute garlic in olive oil for about 15 seconds. Just until they start to change color.

Either bake or pan cook the chicken breast about 15 minutes at 350. I usually undercook it a bit since it will be cooking on the pizza. Once the chicken is done, cut it into small strips.

Spread the Ranch Dressing on the pizza dough, don't make it too thick. A nice thin layer spread evenly across the dough. Spread the chicken over the ranch dressing. Spread the chopped garlic, tomatoes over the pizza then top with mozzarella cheese. I don't put too much cheese on, and sometimes I don't put any on.

Bake the pizza at 350 for 20 minutes. When the pizza is done, top it with the fresh basil.

Slice and enjoy.