Scallops and Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce

Deedy's favorite food is Scallops so for Mothers Day this year I made this for dinner. Although Mothers Day is tomorrow, I'm leaving on a trip today so we had the Mothers Day dinner early.

Scallops with Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce.

Amazing Sea Bass!

I made this Grilled Sea Bass with Mango, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad and it probably was the best fish I ever made. 

I got the Sea Bass from Lunardi's in Walnut Creek.  The chunk, tail section, I got was 1 3/4lb and at $24.99 a pound so it had to be a good dinner.  

I cooked the fish indirectly on the grill using a couple of soaked wood chips.  The filets were thick so the fish was cooked for about 15-20 minutes.  They turned out amazing.  Just melted in your mouth.  I'll be doing  this recipe again.

Ingredients

For fish:
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
6 4- to 5-ounce sea bass fillets

For salad:
5 tablespoons grapefruit juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 5-ounce package mixed baby greens (about 10 cups)
3 pink grapefruits, peel and pith cut away, segments cut from between membranes
2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced

Directions

Make fish:
Grind first 6 ingredients in processor until almost smooth. Add juice and blend well. Season spice mixture with salt and pepper. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture over each fillet; place on waxed-paper-lined tray. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Make salad:
Whisk juice, oil, vinegar, mint and ginger in small bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Dressing can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Spray barbecue rack with nonstick spray; prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Spray fish with nonstick spray. Grill until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plate.

Toss greens in large bowl with enough dressing to coat; divide among 6 plates. Arrange grapefruit segments and mangoes atop greens; drizzle with some dressing. Place 1 fish fillet alongside each salad. Top fish with avocado. Serve, passing any remaining dressing separately.

Grilled Sea Bass, Mango, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

I'll be making this tonight: Grilled Sea Bass, Mango, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad. Sounds good.

Another Sea Bass recipe I've been planning on making is Salt Encrusted Sea Bass. I had this when I was in Malta and it was incredible. It looked like a big pile of baked salt coming to the table. The waiter made it a big presentation removing the salt layer, skin, and getting to the meet.

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.