Summer Risotto & Seared Scallops with Meyer Lemon Buerre Blanc

Courtesy of Cooking Light

This started out as two separate dinners, but then I decided to combine them into one. The flavors just seemed to go together. I will say it turned out really well, but it was definitely somewhat time consuming and took some serious coordination in the kitchen -- especially when you're tired! However, it was worth it :) As usual, these were great for leftovers. The fun thing about the risotto is that you can sub in or out whichever veggies you want, so get creative! I also got to use my new herb garden -- this is very exciting!

Seared Scallops with Meyer Lemon Buerre Blanc

• 2/3 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 pounds dry sea scallops
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (optional)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to about 1/4 cup (about 8 minutes). Remove from heat; discard thyme sprigs. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, stirring constantly with a whisk until butter is thoroughly incorporated. Strain mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl, pressing to release all of the sauce; discard solids. Stir in sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides of scallops evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add scallops to pan; cook 2 minutes. Turn scallops over; cook 1 minute or until desired degree of doneness. Serve scallops with sauce; sprinkle with chopped thyme, if desired.

Summer Lemon-Vegetable Risotto

• 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half (I left these out because I didn't have any)
• 5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 (8-ounce) zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 (8-ounce) yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 4 3/4 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add asparagus and peas; cook for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add zucchini and squash to pan; cook for 7 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Set aside. Bring vegetable broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallots, and cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook until liquid is absorbed (about 30 seconds), stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reserve 1/4 cup broth. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 22 minutes total). Stir in vegetables; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in reserved 1/4 cup broth and remaining ingredients.

Final Product: Serve risotto, topped with scallops and drizzled with the lemon buerre blanc.

Stewed Okra & Tomatoes

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I am totally shocked that I have not eaten okra before, especially being that I am from a small town called King & Queen County, VA. I have lived in Arlington, VA for 7 years and don't ever see myself leaving, but one thing I took away from my upbringing was my terrific family and their amazing food. This is something I am surprised wasn't around for dinner, but maybe it was and I just claimed I didn't like it :) I used to do that as a child. Long story short, I decided to try cooking some of these babies up. They turned out pretty yummy! It's a fun way to spice up the boring vegetables you're used to eating!

• 1 bag frozen cut okra (since this was my first time, I didn't want to mess with prepping fresh okra)
• 1 can/box of chopped tomatoes (I used Pomi -- delicious!!!!)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• dash of pepper, to taste
• dash of salt, to taste
• 1-2 tb olive oil (your preference)

In a Dutch oven, saute the onion in olive oil until transluscent (about 5 minutes or so). Toss in the frozen okra and stir. Stir in the chopped tomatoes. Simmer over Medium heat and continue to stir every few minutes. Toss in the salt and pepper to taste. Slurp up and enjoy!

Ginger-Hoisin Glazed Sirloin Filet with Chinese Mustard

Adapted from Cooking Light

I'm always looking for new steak marinades and this one caught my eye. I had picked up hoisin sauce at the grocery store, so that motivated me to give this one a try! It's got a great Asian flavor and is easy to whip up. I decided to throw in an extra kick with serving it along side the hot and spicy Chinese mustard!

• 1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tb lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee) or crushed red pepper
• 2 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (1 inch thick)
• Cooking spray
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Kame Hot Mustard (Chinese style)

Preheat the broiler to high. Whisk together the first five ingredients together in a bowl. Sprinkle the steaks with salt. Line the broiling pan with foil (for easy clean-up) and spray with cooking spray. Broil steaks 5 inches from heat for 2 minutes, and turn over. Broil 2 minutes; turn steaks over. Brush steaks with half of hoisin mixture; broil for 1 minute. Turn steaks over, and brush with remaining hoisin mixture; broil 2 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Serve alongside some hot and spicy Chinese mustard!

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki Sauce Courtesy of Plated Perfection
Chicken Souvlaki Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

Chicken Souvlaki:

• 3/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, sliced once cooked
• Pita bread, grilled or broiled (this recipe makes enough for approx. 4 pitas)
• Lettuce, for pita
• Grape tomatoes, sliced in half for topping
• Feta cheese, for topping

Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl and marinate the chicken breasts for at least an hour. I pounded the chicken breasts out so that they would be thinner and cook faster. Grill the chicken for approximately 8 minutes per side, until cooked all the way through. Top each warm pita with sliced chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, feta, and tzatziki sauce (recipe below).

Tzatziki Sauce:

• 2 6-ounce containers of Greek yogurt (I used non-fat Fage)
• juice of 1.5 lemons
• approx. 1/3 cup English cucumber, peeled and chopped (or peeled)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1-2 tb fresh dill (measure to taste)
• 1 tb rice wine vinegar (approx.)
• few dashes of salt

Mix together all ingredients and refrigerate. 

Salt & Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

Courtesy of Framed (http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com)

Salt and vinegar potato chips are my absolute favorite. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it! They're very easy to make! It's worth it to find some high quality malt vinegar. I was able to find some in the British area of the International foods section at Harris Teeter. YUM!

• 1/2 pounds small round or fingerling potatoes
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup malt vinegar

 

1. In a medium pot, bring potatoes to a boil over high in salted water. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes; drain. Place a folded dish towel on a work surface and place a potato inside. Gently smash potato so that it is flattened but still in one piece (edges will split). Repeat with remaining potatoes.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Place potatoes on sheet and brush tops with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until crisp and golden, 35 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Remove from oven, toss with vinegar, and season with salt.

Grilled Tuna Steak

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Warning - I always totally wing this marinade. I never measure anything, but always use the same ingredients (for the most part). So, I will attempt to give you some measurements, but the best method is to just keep tasting it! This made enough for two large tuna steaks.

(all approximated)
2 fresh tuna steaks
4 tb soy sauce
3 tb Worcestershire sauce
1 tb honey
1 tb dijon mustard
1 tb lemon pepper seasoning
1 lemon, juiced
dash of sesame oil (or olive oil)
pinch of salt

Sprinkle the tuna steaks with the lemon pepper seasoning and a dash of salt. Mix together the rest of the marinade ingredients and let the tuna steaks soak for about 30 minutes. Grill on the stove over medium heat for approximately 3 minutes per side (depending on thickness of tuna steak and how you like them cooked -- this will make them pink in the middle).

Homemade Meatballs & Marinara Sauce

Courtesy of  paleogirls.com

Homemade meatballs AND homemade marinara sauce -- YUM! This is actually the same recipe I use for marinara sauce, but the meatballs were new! They turned out delicious, and for those interested, this dish is paleo! This dish does take a bit of time to prepare -- I think I was in the kitchen for about two hours, but I had wine to get me through, so it's all good :) You don't even need pasta for these because they are so yummy as-is. 

Marinara Sauce Ingredients (recipe inspired by Giada De Laurentiis, but tweaked a bit)

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion-diced
• 4 cloves garlic-crushed, diced, chopped…however you like it
• Bunch of basil
• 2 28 0z. cans of whole organic tomatoes with their juice
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine both cans of whole tomatoes with their juice and the bunch of basil in a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth and set aside.  Place olive oil, onions and garlic in a saute pan and cook over medium heat until translucent and soft…about 10 minutes. Add tomato sauce, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, let the sauce simmer on low  for about an hour.

Meatball Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. ground pork (feel free to use ground turkey or chicken…whatever you feel like I am sure will work)
• 1/2 onion – diced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1 cup loose-leaf spinach
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup tomato/marinara sauce
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Place basil, parsley, and spinach in food processor…give it a couple pulses to chop. Place all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix together…I use my hands…I find it is the best way to get everything mixed evenly. Next I use my scoop to make golf ball sized meatballs.

Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  I then place them in the sauce for another 20 minutes or so, but if you don’t want to do that, cook them for 25 minutes. This recipe made about 25 meatballs for me, and I cooked two batches of the meatballs. You can either freeze the second round, or just add them in the sauce once the first batch is done -- and you've devoured them all!