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Scallops Blanco Limón de’ Orzo

ScallopsBlancoLimondeOrzotitle

 

Light, fresh, and airy meals always make me feel great and they are perfect for the upcoming summer heat. I’ve used whole wheat orzo to keep it healthy, feel free to substitute with regular.

This is a quick dish where you can choose to simply cook the scallops with EVOO salt and pepper or to use the flour coating I’ve used below. The flour coating adds flavor and creates a nice texture.

Looking for even lighter? Try this recipe where the scallops are served on a bed of spaghetti squash.

This scallop dish pairs well with this Mediterranean Cobb Salad. For added depth of flavor use a balsamic drizzle on the scallops when you serve the dish.

 

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Scallops Blanco Limón de’ Orzo

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  1. 1 ½ pound Large Scallops, if frozen thaw and dry on paper towels
  2. 6 tablespoons flour
  3. 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  4. 2 teaspoons paprika
  5. 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
  6. 1 teaspoon salt
  7. 1 cup orzo, I used whole wheat in the photo above
  8. ½ cup dry white wine
  9. 1 cup low sodium, fat free chicken broth
  10. 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided in half
  11. ½ large sweet onion, chopped
  12. 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  13. 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
  14. Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

Place flour, garlic powder, paprika, pepper and salt in a large plastic bag or bowl. Stir to mix. Add scallops and toss to coat. Set aside.

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Once hot sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

Add Orzo and toss to coat and toast up a bit, 2 minutes.

Add white wine and broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer for 15 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Once hot add the scallops to the pan, being sure not to overcrowd (they should not touch each other). Cook in batches if needed. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.

All scallops are different sizes, so a good way to test to your preferred level of done-ness is to take one and cut it in half to be very sure. I also look for the amount of liquid coming from the scallops, when this starts to disappear they are usually done, you do not want to overcook.

https://keelymarie.com/2013/04/30/scallopsblancolimonorzo/

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Black Sesame Sea Bass + Asian Soba Noodles

Black Sesame Sea Bass

You guys KNOW I jump on any Asian influenced  recipe, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw that our Food Matters Project recipe this week is Asian influenced. Love it!

The original Mark Bittman recipe calls for salmon, but we just haven’t jumped on that bandwagon yet. I used this as an opportunity to make one of my favorite fish, Chilean Sea Bass. I mostly followed the noodle recipe, adding yellow bell peppers.  I also made sweet and spicy edamame as a side dish, recipe to come.

This dish is delicious and it felt super light even though you area eating ‘healthier’ noodles. Perfect week day dinner.

Thanks Sara for a great pick! Head here to see the other members’ versions, some close to the original and some very creative.

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Black Sesame Sea Bass + Asian Soba Noodles

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 2-3

Ingredients

  1. Salt
  2. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  3. 8 ounces fish fillet, this recipe uses Chilean Sea Bass (skin removed)
  4. Black pepper
  5. 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  6. 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
  7. 1 1?2 pounds spinach, roughly chopped
  8. 1/2 large yellow bell pepper, diced
  9. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  10. 1 teaspoon sugar
  11. 1?2 teaspoon sesame oil
  12. 8 ounces buckwheat (soba) noodles or whole wheat spaghetti

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put the vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s very hot, sprinkle the sea bass on both sides with salt and pepper and sear it in the pan until nicely browned on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Remove from the pan and cut or flake it into bite-size pieces. (you need to flip and remove it gently so it doesn't break apart)

Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium. Add bell peppers and cook 5 minutes to soften. Then add the garlic and sesame seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic begins to soften and the sesame seeds turn golden, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, for another minute or 2. Add the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and a splash of water and cook until the spinach is wilted, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Cook the noodles in the boiling water until they’re tender but not mushy (start tasting after 5 minutes), then drain and rinse, reserving some of the cooking water. Turn the heat under the spinach mixture to medium and add the noodles. Toss, adding enough reserved liquid to keep things moist. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve pasta on the side of the fish.

Notes

adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman, recipe page 239 "Sesame Noodles with Spinach and Salmon"

https://keelymarie.com/2013/01/13/black-sesame-sea-bass-asian-soba-noodles/

 

We just moved from Brickell to South Beachthen went straight to Islamorada for the weekend for my birthday and meanwhile I’m changing some things on the back end of my blog and have a broken camera… so I apologize for the lack of frequent posts! It’s totally been wild around here (even some great side projects on top of work!).  I’m praying things get a little more sane this week, but I’m not expecting it yet. Stick with me please! I’m not going anywhere. 🙂

 

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Thai Style Sweet Potato Corn Fritters

SweetPotatoCornFritters-7871

Oh how I’ve missed the Food Matters Project the last few weeks. My mom was in town from Tennessee for two weeks and we took advantage of our time together by going out to dinners, so I’ve had a little less time to cook. It was such a wonderful trip and I miss her insanely since we had so much time together.

If you are new to my site, once a week a group of fabulous bloggers cook their way through Mark Bittman’s The Food Matters Cookbook. We learn to cook and eat more fruits and vegetables, cutting down on animal products. It’s healthier for you and better for the environment to keep a diet consisting of a heavy hand of veggies and fruits and small dose of animal proteins.

The dishes we’ve cooked have opened my eyes to a world of cooking methods. It has been a great (almost) year! Check out my recipes page to see all my recipes inspired by the project.

These Thai Style Sweet Potato and Corn Fritters are freakin’ fantastic! I served these with a simple lemon, garlic, and paprika seasoned tilapia and chose to bake them rather than fry. Thanks to Aura for choosing the recipe this week.

Check out the project page to see what the members came up with this week, we don’t always stick true to the recipe so you can always find a version you like here! You can also become of fan of the Food Matters Project on facebook or follow our Pinterest board if you love what you see.

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Thai Style Sweet Potato Corn Fritters

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 12 fritters

recipe adapted from The Food MattersCookbook by Mark Bittman

Ingredients

  1. 1/4 cup lime juice
  2. 1 tablespoon nam pla (fish sauce) or soy sauce, or to taste*
  3. 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  4. Pinch of red chile flakes
  5. Pinch of sugar, optional**
  6. 2 cups grated sweet potato, squeezed dry (mine had a tond of liquid)
  7. 1 cup corn kernels
  8. 1 fresh hot chile (like Thai), minced
  9. 4 scallions, chopped
  10. 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  11. 1 egg or 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
  12. 1/3 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
  13. Salt and black pepper
  14. Vegetable oil, for frying or greasing the baking sheet

Instructions

Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, chile flakes, and sugar if you’re using it in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside, this is your dipping sauce.

Fried:

Heat the oven to 275° F. Put the sweet potato, corn, chile, scallions, cilantro, egg, and flour in a bowl and mix well; sprinkle with salt and pepper. (You can do this ahead of time and refrigerate the batter for a couple of hours before cooking.)

Put about 1/8 inch oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, drop spoonfuls of the sweet potato mixture into the oil and spread them out a bit. (Work in batches to prevent overcrowding and transfer the finished fritters to the oven until all are finished.) Cook, turning once, until golden on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature with the dipping sauce.

Baked:

Heat the oven to 400° F. Greased a baking sheet well with vegetable oil. Place golf ball sized balls of batter onto the baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature with the dipping sauce.

Fancier Fritters:

When dropped fritters aren’t quite elegant enough for the occasion, you can dust your hands with flour and shape the fritter batter into small patties, cylinders, or other shapes. Cook immediately or refrigerate, loosely covered, for up to a couple hours before cooking. To make croquettes–which are essentially breaded fritters–set up 3 bowls: one with flour, one with an egg beaten with a splash of milk, and another with bread crumbs (preferably made from whole grain bread). Carefully dredge each shaped fritter in the flour, then the egg mixture, and finally the bread crumbs. Fry until crisp and golden.

https://keelymarie.com/2012/11/14/thai-style-sweet-potato-corn-fritters/


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Sesame Seared Tuna with Ponzu Vinaigrette

I promised a recipe for tuna {since we recently caught it fresh in Cabo} and here it is! This is a quick, healthy lunch or dinner dish with lots of potential creative options.

The key is good quality tuna steaks, of course, and a great cold sake to pair it with.

I’m potentially going to try sushi next. I have everything I need, but I am slightly intimidated by eating the tuna we caught ourselves completely raw. The whole “I saw that guy swimming thing” usually makes people enjoy their food more. Me, not so much.

And can someone puhleasssse take me back to Cabo?

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Blackened Tilapia {Avocado Sauce} & Roasted Sweet Potatoes

People often ask  “how do you find time to cook these elaborate meals every night of the week?”

Well, the answer… I absolutely don’t!

On a normal week day I am working until at least 6, trying to fit in the gym/yoga/running and then cooking. By then it is pretty late we are starving.

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