Pan-Roasted Bay Scallops

Finally back after a little break. More than a little break, time really flew. Hoping to get in more blogging, more cooking and more blog visits. It's been a hectic few months,  a long crazy winter and we're really looking forward to some nice Spring weather. At least the kind that brings flowers instead of 60 degrees one day and a blizzard the next.

 We have to replace a lot of our landscaping in the front of our house because of the flooding from the hurricane and it will be really nice to finally see green and some color other than brown grass and crispy leaves this Spring. Today the gardener came to remove some of the trees and shrubs. New sod soon. Sinkholes were filled in. Things are coming along.  We were so lucky, considering.

And I have been making up for lost time with the shellfish allergy. Really making up time. I am still not sick of lobster, shrimp or clams. Although the family probably is by now. 

Tonight was Bay Scallops.  Pan-roasted. And so good.

It's really good to be back posting, and good to be cooking again. Starting to get tired of take-out. 

Hope you all are doing well :)

Pan-Roasted Bay Scallops with Bread Crumbs and Lemon

original recipe by Marcia Kiesel, Food & Wine October 2006

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, preferably from brioche or challah
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds bay scallops
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 small Meyer lemon
1/4 cup white wine, Sauvignon Blanc
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter. Add the bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring so the crumbs don't burn, about 3-4 minutes. When the crumbs are golden brown and crisped, remove them to a plate.

Wipe out the skillet. Add the oil and heat on high until it shimmers. Add half a tablespoon of the butter and let it melt. Add the scallops, season with salt and pepper and brown, about 2 minutes.

Add the shallots and the remaining butter in the skillet.  Add the juice of a small Meyer lemon and the white wine. Cook over moderate heat until the liquid has reduced, about 4 minutes.

Check for seasoning. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs on the plates, add scallops on top of the crumbs and serve.

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Shellfish Allergies...NOT!

For fifteen long years I was allergic to shellfish. Started with a few hives, and got worse from there. That was that. But then a couple months ago I got a reaction to penicillin and decided to visit the allergist to see what was what. Scratch test for allergies. I had high hopes that maybe I wasn't allergic to shellfish any more. But my arm got red. Really red. It got itchy. Really itchy. Hives. And I was so disappointed. Then the doctor came in and was I shocked to find out that it wasn't the food arm causing the trouble. It was the environmental arm. The ragweed and pollen. That was a surprise. Passed test one for the shellfish. Then a blood test. Passed test two. Then test three, some baked clams and a lobster roll for a three hour lunch at the doctor's office. I was thrilled to find that I didn't need Benadryl for dessert! So now I have been making up for 15 long years. And it's all as good as I remember!

Not much cooking since the hurricane. Finally getting back to normal so I decided to make an old favorite in our house. Crab Cakes. Finally without the FAKE crab  :)

It was worth the wait!

Crab Cakes

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook Source: Cindy -- recipe from the Manhattan New School Cookbook  Printable Recipe 1 egg 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard pinch cayenne pepper dash Tabasco sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 pound fresh or canned lump crabmeat 2 tablespoons minced cilantro 12 unsalted white soda crackers -- crumbled 1/2 stick butter 4 tablespoons peanut oil 2 lemon wedges plain bread crumbs fresh ground pepper SPICED MAYONNAISE: 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon cilantro -- finely chopped 2 tablespoons hot sauce Mix the egg in a large bowl. Add mayo, mustard, cayenne, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Continue mixing until creamy. Add crabmeat, cilantro, and crumbled soda crackers. Toss lightly but mix thoroughly. Divide mixture into 8 portions: shape into small patties and pat with bread crumbs. Refrigerate for one hour.  For Spiced Mayo: blend together the mayonnaise, cilantro, and hot sauce until creamy. Fry crab cakes in butter and oil, turning once. Brown the cakes on each side. Serve with lemon wedges and Spiced Mayo on the side.

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Wordless Wednesday: Colorful Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard at a small, local Farmer's Market

More Wordless Wednesday can be found here!

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Hurricane Sandy

This is what folks here in my neighborhood woke up to the morning after Hurricane Sandy...

I'll be taking a little break from blogging for a bit. We were very, very lucky. Minimal damage and power fully restored yesterday after 11 days without. Miraculous for us, considering the devastation.

To help those in need, please visit these pages...

http://www.redcross.org/hurricane-sandy

https://www.tunneltotowersfoundation.org/hsrl-donate.aspx

http://www.wepay.com/donations/572081337

http://www.facebook.com/BreezyPointHurricaneSandyInformation?fref=ts

http://www.theactioncenter.dreamhosters.com/

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Grilled Steaks with Ancho Butter and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

The Griller is really getting the hang of it. Another steak grilled to perfection. This one was marinated in molasses, sherry vinegar and ancho chile powder. Topped with a compound chile butter, it really was fantastic. We had 4 rib steaks. Wasn't sure if they rather have plain steak or not. So two had the marinade, two were grilled plain, with only salt and pepper. All were prime. All were fantastic. We each had a large piece of both. But the two in the marinade was just a little more fantastic, thumbs up and definitely a keeper. And the extra compound butter is now in the freezer. I'll try it on vegetables, fish or chicken. It's a nice touch. Not to sweet, not to spicy. Added a nice, rich flavor.

Grilled Steak with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus on the side.

Grilled Steaks with Ancho Butter

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Source: Food & Wine, recipe by Robert Del Grande

 Printable Recipe

Ancho butter:
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Steaks:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
4 1 1/2-pound bone-in rib-eye steaks, about 3 inches thick
salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook over low heat, stirring, until tender and lightly caramelized. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Put the ancho powder, onions, garlic, lime juice,and maple syrup in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the softened butter and pulse to thoroughly combine. Put the compound butter in a bowl and refrigerate until the steaks are ready.

Light a grill. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper. In a bowl combine the olive oil, molasses, vinegar and chile powder. Brush the steaks on both sides with some of the mixture. Grill the steaks to desired doneness. Brush both sides with more of the molasses mixture. Grill for another minute, then transfer to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with the ancho butter.
*Freeze the leftover butter to use on vegetables, fish, chicken or meat.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in half, par-boiled on stove or microwave until almost tender
rosemary sprigs, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
     
Preheat the oven to 400°.

Drain the potatoes and pat them dry.

Spread the potatoes and rosemary sprigs on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and black pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring a few times, until the potatoes are sizzling and browned.

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