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Scallops and Pasta

Jul 28th, 2010
by dave.
1 comment

Scallops and Pasta

Generally, mealplanning is a great thing. You know exactly what you need at the grocery store and there’s usually few “surprise, I need to figure out what to eat today” moments. Well, in theory anyway.

I did my planning a couple weeks ago knowing that I’d be on vacation (more about this when I finish processing the photos), that is, making sure I use up all the perishable stuff and leave a semi-bare fridge so nothing goes to waste. All this is good, in theory. But then when you realize that due to some extreme human error (read: lunacy) you forgot a couple days (How does that happen? I mean, where do the days go? It’s not like the number of days changes every week) well, let’s just say one night I ended up eating rice and soy sauce. And a few frozen dumplings. Whoops =P

For the most part, I cook based on what ingredients are on sale each week and this recipe is no different. I found sea scallops for a great price and picked up a dozen or so. Over at Tasty Kitchen, I had a recipe for Scallops and Pasta by Jaden of SteamyKitchen bookmarked for a while and figured I’d give it a shot. I love scallops, I love pasta, what other excuse did I need? =P

I was just using a frying pan so I didn’t quite get the sear I liked but the dish was tasty nonetheless.

Scallops and Pasta

Time : 20 minutes
Serves 2

Recipe adapted from Jaden’s (of Steamy Kitchen) post on Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
- 8oz of pasta (I used linguini
- 12 Sea Scallops
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup white wine (I used a Chardonnay)
- 1 – 2 tbsp fresh Italian Parsley, minced
- Half a lemon’s juice
- Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Heat water in a large stock pot with a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta until just al dente (it’ll cook more in the pan later)
2. Wash and dry scallops, season lightly with salt, pepper, and olive oil
3. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. When really hot, add the olive oil. Add the scallops to the pan and spread them out evenly for proper searing. Cook for 2 minutes undisturbed then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes until cooked to satisfaction. Remove and set aside.
4. Turn heat to low. Add the butter and garlic. Saute for 30 seconds and then add the tomatoes.
5. Turn the heat to high and add in the white wine. Let it bubble a bit for 30 seconds and scrape up the stuck bits in the pan. Season with salt and pepper, add in the parsley and then add in the pasta. Mix well and then serve, placing the scallops on top.

Posted in: American Recipes.
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Beef Basil Fried Rice

Jul 21st, 2010
by dave.
6 comments

Basil Fried Rice

When cooking rice for meals, I’ve always stayed on the greedier side. That is, cooking more rice and then figuring out what to do with the leftovers. You see, I scarf the stuff down like there’s no tomorrow (just a little soy/sugar or rice seasoning and that can be a meal!) but lately I’ve been trying to do a little bit more portion control. Now that hasn’t stopped me from cooking too much rice, now I just have to figure out something to do with it afterward.

Usually I just cook something else and heat up the leftovers but one thing I try my hand at from time to time is fried rice. Again, one of the most important steps is to refrigerate the rice, overnight would be best. Still, I have a habit of overcooking the leftover rice in the pan but my technique has gotten better. You really only need to warm the rice up and toss it around for about a minute to break up the rice clumps and to mix everything together. More to the point, the rice and sauce go in after everything else is cooked. And remember, don’t overfill the pan!

I found a great recipe at Jam’s Thai Food a little while back and since it looked tasty, I decided to give it the ole good faith effort. Ended up using a little bit more sauce mix because I had so much rice and a pound of beef to use, it wound up a little salty but that was alright, I don’t mind it being that way. Thanks Jam!

Beef Basil Fried Rice

Time: 10 – 15 minutes
Serves : 4 – 6

Recipe adapted from Jam’s Thai Food

Ingredients:
– 2 – 3 qts of cooked rice, refrigerated overnight
– 3/4 to 1 lb Beef, sliced (Or Chicken, Pork, shrimps, or a combo)
– 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin
– 1/2 medium onion, chopped
– 2 – 3 tbsp fish sauce
– 3 – 4 tbsp soy sauce
– 1 tbsp sugar
– 1 – 1 1/2 cups Fresh Thai Basil leaves, washed
– 3 – 4 Thai Chillies, minced
– 1 shallot, minced
– 3 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
– A little soy sauce and cornstarch, for marinating (3-4 tbsp soy sauce w/ 1 tbsp starch)
Method:
1. Marinate the beef in some soy sauce and cornstarch for about 15-30 minutes.
2. Mix the Chillies, shallots, and garlic together. If you have a food processor, you can put the mix through to make a paste.
3. Heat a frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add some vegetable oil and then the paste. Stir and let cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add the beef into the pan with a small dash of fish sauce and soy sauce. This will give the meat a little bit more flavor. Stir fry about a minute.
5. Add in the pepper and onions, stir fry another minute or so until the beef is cooked.
6. Add the rice in along with the rest of the sauce (fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar). Mix well and stir fry for about a minute.
7. Add in the basil leaves, stir fry another minute and then serve with fried eggs (however you like your eggs is fine)

Posted in: Thai Recipes.
Tagged: ·

The Tabard Inn

Jul 14th, 2010
by dave.
No comments yet

Tabard Inn

I was in our nation’s capital, Washington DC, this past weekend for a friend’s wedding. It’s funny but I kept thinking back to the days of our youth (When he was shorter than me) and now here he was, taking the next step forward in that long journey we call life. I’ve known the guy since I was 7 or 8 years old and the stories I could tell…just kidding! I couldn’t be more proud of those two and was honored to be a part of it.

The hotel most of us stayed at was right in Dupont Circle, one of the most interesting traffic circles I’ve seen in my life (Granted, I haven’t seen too many of them but this was by far the most memorable) with 2 circles and all kinds of arrows, turns, and craziness. I didn’t have enough time to hit any of the museums sadly but I did have a couple hours to kill and spent it wandering through the various stores in Dupont Circle. Stopped by Hello Cupcake as well, just to see what all the hubbub was about (There was an empty box of cupcakes the night before, they had been devoured before I arrived).

With most of my time already planned, I only was free for a quick brunch/lunch for one of the days. On a friend’s recommendation, I ended up at The Tabard Inn, a really small hotel right around the corner but with a pretty well-known restaurant. Ended up having to wait an hour (I got there as soon as it opened!) but boy was it worth it. They have a weekend brunch and the menu always changes (even day to day) but keeping a few staples like freshly made doughnuts =P

Tabard Inn

Tabard Inn
Blue Fin Tuna Crudo and Avocado Bruschetta

The bruschetta was by far my favorite part of the meal. That’s not to say everything else was bad, just that this appetizer stood head and shoulders above the rest, I thought. Everything went very well together and was portioned just right.

Tabard Inn
Eggs Benedict with house-smoked salmon

Tabard Inn
Cuban Sandwich with fried yuca

Posted in: Restaurant.

Chicken stir-fried with Black Bean sauce

Jul 7th, 2010
by dave.
4 comments

Black Bean Chicken

Short post this week. Had an incredibly busy July 4th weekend and I’m flying down to DC for a wedding this Saturday so time is a little short (serves me right for not scheduling posts). I do have a variety of posts to write up in the coming weeks though and I’m hoping things start to settle down again for a little while at least =)

Andrea Nguyen’s Into the Vietnamese Kitchen has been one of my favorite cookbooks for the past couple years and I’m a frequent visitor of her blog, Viet World Kitchen. She writes incredibly well and frequently posts about dishes she’s made recently, one of them being the inspiration for today’s post!

Chicken stir-fried with Black Bean sauce

Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Adapted from Andrea Nguyen’s recipe at Viet World Kitchen

Ingredients:
– 1 to 1.5 lb chicken thighs, cubed
– 2 tbsp oil
– 1 tbsp fermented black beans, washed
– 2 tsp garlic
– 2 tsp ginger, grated
– 1 tsp dark soy sauce
– 1/3 cup Chicken Broth or water
– 1 medium red onion, sliced
– 1 tsp red pepper flakes
– 1 carrot, sliced thinly
– 1 – 2 scallions, chopped

Marinade:
– 2 tsp corn starch
– 1 tsp ShaoHsing rice wine
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1 tsp oil
– 2 tsp light soy sauce

Method:
1. Mix together the chicken and marinade. Marinate at least 10 minutes
2. Mash the black beans with a spoon, mix together with garlic, ginger, and dark soy sauce. In a separate bowl, mix the water/broth with the remaining 1 tbsp ShaoHsing rice wine
3. Heat a wok or frying pan under high heat. Add some oil in along with the red onion and red pepper flakes. Stir fry the onions briefly and then add the chicken. Spread the chicken out evenly throughout the pan and let cook undisturbed for a minute. After a minute, stir fry the chicken until just barely finished.
4. Add carrots and black bean sauce, stir fry a few moments, then add the broth mix and 1/4 tsp salt. After stir frying another minute or so, add the scallion in and stir fry another minute before serving.

Posted in: Chinese Recipes.
Tagged: ·

Stir-fried Pork and Scallions

Jun 30th, 2010
by dave.
3 comments

Pork and Scallions

I’ve been playing around a lot with Photoshop lately (yes, it’s a real copy), trying to clean up my deficiencies in photography. It’s a great tool but it just makes me feel guilty having not set up the shot right to begin with (AND extra effort. I get lazy, I’d rather do it right the first time, hehe). But still, it’s really awesome how you can do this nowadays. I’m finally getting around to trying to improve my photography (and this helps me cover up that my lighting stinks, more on this another time). Baby steps.

July 4th is just around the corner and for the first time in a few years, I’ll actually be in town (That means Chowderfest!). There’s all kinds of things that go on in Boston July 4th weekend, it’s a great time to visit the town. Historical tours, demonstrations, parades, and the famous concert on the Esplanande (sp?) given by the Boston Pops (1812 Overture with cannons, can’t go wrong with that). And the open secret is that the best time to go is for the dress rehearsal. You get the whole concert minus the crowds. On July 4th, it gets BUSY. Last time I went, it took 2 hours to get home but well worth it. Great time for a picnic too =P

Stir-fried Pork and Scallions

Time: 20-30 minutes
Serves : 3-4 with rice and vegetables

Adapted from Grace Young’s Breath of a Wok

Ingredients:
– 1 to 1.5lb Pork Butt, sliced
– 1 1/2 tsp ShaoHsing Rice wine
– 2 tsp light soy sauce
– dash of fish sauce
– 2 tsp Corn Starch
– 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
– 1/2 tsp white pepper
– 3 thin slices of ginger
– 6 stalks scallions, sliced into 1 inch pieces
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1/2 tsp sugar

Method:
1. Mix together the ShaoHsing rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, corn starch, fish sauce, and pepper. Marinate pork for at least 10-15 minutes.
2. Heat a wok or frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot (water boiling off a split-second after touching the pan), add 1 tbsp oil and the pork. Stir fry for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the scallions, salt and sugar. Stir fry until the pork is done. Serve with rice

Posted in: Chinese Recipes.
Tagged:

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