Simple scallops

Simple broiled scallops, parsley and lemon pasta, 'kickin' sautéed asparagus

I made this after I was flush with fresh new finds (try saying that 5 times fast!) from grocery shopping. Gorgeous scallops, incredibly fresh, rosy-hued and sweetly fragranced; asparagus snapping away to be eaten; firm, bright parsley that looked like mini green fans.  The makings of a light and satisfying dinner!

We ate the scallops with a generous serving of spicy asparagus and a tangle of spaghetti laced with fresh parsley, lemon, and garlic. Light and flavorful, it was a well-balanced and very satisfying dinner. A glass of crisp Pinot Grigio or sparkling rosé would go great with this meal (must remember this for next time!).


Simple broiled scallops:

With seafood that's this fresh, very little preparation is needed to let the flavors take center stage. This serves 3 (4 scallops each).

I drizzled the scallops (12 whole, fresh scallops) with olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper, and set them to broil on high for about 8 minutes (4 minutes on each side, until the scallops became opaque and were no longer translucent.

I finished it off with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juiced squeezed all over. That's it! As long as you start with the freshest scallops you can find, you really can't go wrong.


Parsley and lemon pasta:

This was also very simple to make. This serves about 3 (2 if you're extra hungry :).

After the pasta (1/3 of a 1 lb package) was cooked and drained, I melted about 1 tbsp of butter over low heat (the lowest setting), added the drained pasta right back in, and stirred to coat the spaghetti with the butter.

Next, I added about 1 tsp of freshly pressed garlic (2-3 large-ish cloves), a pinch of salt, and a generous sprinkling of black pepper.

I added coarsely chopped fresh parsley right before serving (about 1/2 cup of chopped parsley), and topped it off with a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice.


'Kickin' sautéed asparagus:

Start with 1 bunch of asparagus, washed and trimmed of the tough bottom part of the stem. I like to cut about an inch off from the bottom, and use my peeler on the couple of inches above it to expose as much of the tender insides as possible.

I snapped my asparagus a couple of times so they were about finger length. In a large saucepan, heat one chopped garlic clove with olive oil (chop another garlic clove and reserve for the last step), 1/2 finely chopped jalapeno pepper, a bit of salt, and black pepper until it begins to sizzle. Add the asparagus, stir to coat, and cover. Let cook for about 4 minutes, occasionally giving it a quick stir. Add 1/2 cup of tomato sauce (I just use whatever is sitting around in the fridge), stir, cover, and cook for another 3 minutes. Keep an eye on your asparagus at this point - you want it to stay vibrantly green and for it to stay tender and yet still toothy crisp. At the last minute before shutting off the heat, toss in the rest of your garlic, stir, and cover for a couple of minutes after you've shut off the heat to let the flavors meld. Serve hot and squeezed with fresh lemon juice.

Show and Tell Tuesday

I had this for lunch today, and it was too good not to share.

It's nothing complicated at all, and it all started with a frozen veggie burger. I don't typically eat these very often, but my mom had given me some to use in a pinch, and I was determined to put them to good use.

I cooked the frozen patty in a little bit of olive oil for about 10 minutes on medium low heat, flipping every few minutes. The bun is lightly toasted brioche, leftover from our burger night a few evenings ago (mm, brioche..and I still have to write about the burgers!). I added a fried egg, sliced onions, Dijon mustard (underneath the patty, directly on the bun), and ketchup, resulting in this delicious sandwich. A side of sautéed kale completed this meal.

The whole thing took only 20 minutes, from start to finish. 27, if you count how long it took for me to devour this :D

And now to ponder the all-important question - what's for dinner??

Happy Tuesday!

Garlicky pasta with smoked salmon, red onion, and dill

I feel I'm on a roll with these pictures (no pun intended..you know, camera roll..anyone? :-) )

When you have a quick and easy base like garlicky, buttery pasta, a variety of delicious and satisfying meals is at your fingertips.

In the case of this dish, it took little more than preparing the pasta, and assembling the salmon, onions, and dill, before a fantastic and vibrant dish was mine for lunch last weekend.

Feel free to use this as a go-to base for quick weeknight suppers – all you need are a vegetable and a protein to complete the meal. 

Kale and a fried egg are great options – easy to prepare and loaded with nutrients. Or you can do sautéed green beans and sausage of your choice. How about an easy microwaved sweet potato (mixed with some oil or butter and a dash of cinnamon), quick pickled cucumbers, and roast chicken? Or green beans and roast chicken and potatoes. I can go on - pick whatever vegetable and protein suit your fancy, or whatever you happen to have on hand!

For a light lunch or side dish, just add the salmon, onion, and dill (plus some good extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice) following my instructions below.

Garlicky, buttery pasta:

-8 ounces dried fusilli pasta, cooked in plenty of salted water, drained. I recommend fusilli for its corkscrew shape that maximizes the absorption of the delicious oils, butters, and spices we’ll be mixing it with. There is nothing like these wonderful ingredients clinging to every nook and cranny of the pasta. It also looks pretty :D

-1 tbsp olive oil

-1 tbsp butter

-generous shake of red pepper flakes

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-about 1 tbsp dried parsley (fresh would be wonderful here too – just make sure it’s very finely chopped)

-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced – try to take care of this step first, or at least with enough time to allow the minced garlic to sit for at least 5 minutes before you mix it in.

After you’ve emptied your pasta cooking pot of the freshly cooked pasta, turn the heat to low, and add the olive oil and butter to the pot. Immediately add the hot, drained pasta, spices and herbs (except the garlic), and stir together to coat. Turn off the heat, add the garlic, and mix to combine and evenly distribute the garlic. Voila – your base is completed!

**To make the dish pictured above, simply add for each serving 4 ounces of flaked smoked salmon, about 2 tbsp of finely chopped red onion (I soaked mine in a little bit of rice vinegar, to help take off some of the pungency and sharpness), and about 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill. Mix it all together, and top it off with a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil and a splash of fresh lemon juice. Mix again and enjoy your refreshing and zesty dish!