Tag Archives: butter

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH HERB BUTTER PAN SAUCE

25 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Recipes, Seafood

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My husband and I cooked this lovely dish together after he had found the recipe – and it was a delightful experience. We used to cook together a lot. Making a simple bowl of pasta collectively was a fun and favorite past time, but although we are still in the kitchen together several times a week, we tend to cook our own dishes and portions of the dinner party or family meal.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH HERB BUTTER PAN SAUCE

seared scallops with herb butter pan sauceFOR THE SCALLOPS

1 pound sea scallops

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SAUCE

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

2 tablespoons finely diced shallot

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup finely chopped mixed fresh herbs

1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

salt and freshly ground black pepper

lemon wedges for serving

Rinse scallops under cold water, pat dry with paper towels.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the oil and butter and heat until quite hot. Pat the scallops dry once more and put them in the pan in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper and let sear undisturbed until one side is browned and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the scallops and sear until the second side is well browned and the scallops are firm to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, transfer the scallops to a plate, and set them in a warm spot. Let the pan cool for a minute before you make the sauce.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add a piece of the butter and the shallots and sauté until the shallots begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by about half, another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the herbs and lemon zest. Reduce the heat to low, add the remaining butter and whisk constantly until the butter melts into the sauce. Return the scallops and any accumulated justices to the pan. Gently roll the scallops in the sauce to warm them through. Taste for salt and pepper and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over the scallops.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking

www.finecooking.com/recipes/master-seared-scallops.aspx

 

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HONEY BAKED CHICKEN and CHICKEN SALAD

13 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by in Chicken, Recipes, Salad

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Friends recently came from Louisiana, to spend the weekend with us, and I had planned out dinner for the first night, and done the grocery shopping, but hadn’t read the recipe through all the way. I meandered into the kitchen a couple of hours before our guests were due, to begin dinner preparations, and realized the dish I had chosen required 12 hours of marinating time, that I hadn’t factored in and didn’t have. So the scramble began for an alternative. I came across this Honey Baked Chicken recipe, that was a typical dinner I would make in my flatting days – easy and quick – perfect.

I then made chicken salad with the left overs, for a lovely lunch over simple greens, while we reminisced about the fun and fabulous weekend.

HONEY BAKED CHICKEN

paprika baked chicken

chicken breasts

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup mild mustard

1 teaspoon curry powder

Place chicken in lightly greased, shallow baking dish. Mix melted butter with honey, mustard, salt and curry powder. Pour over chicken and bake at 180C, for 35 to 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked, basting every 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

CHICKEN SALAD

chicken salad

4 cups cooked, chopped chicken

4 celery ribs, diced

1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup honey mustard

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Stir together all ingredients in a large bowl, until blended.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living

 

 

Baked Fish with Paprika Lemon Butter and and Herb-Crusted Cod with Cauliflower Mash

10 Saturday May 2014

Posted by in Entrées, Fish

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I made Baked Fish with Paprika Lemon Butter for a busy week night dinner – cooking quickly between my daughters horse riding lesson and my book club meeting. I mixed the butter and spices in advance, and due to the brief cooking time, dinner was on the table in no time. The Herb Crusted Cod with Cauliflower Mash was also perfect when we were pressed for time.

BAKED FISH WITH PAPRIKA LEMON BUTTER

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cod fillets
lemon wedges to serve

Heat oven to 400F. Spray a 13 by 9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine 3 tablespoons of butter, sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon parsley, lemon juice, lemon peel, salt and ground pepper in a small bowl and stir to blend. Spread seasoned butter mixture over both sides of fish fillets. Sprinkle each with additional salt and pepper. Transfer fish to prepared dish. Bake fish until just opaque in center, about 10 minutes. Transfer fish to a platter, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.
Enjoy!

HERB CRUSTED COD WITH CAULIFLOWER MASH

1 cauliflower, cut into florets
2 ounces semisoft cheese with garlic and herbs
4 to 5 cod fillets
1 egg
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Place cauliflower in a pot, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
Drain cauliflower, and mash. Stir in cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. In a shallow dish, beat egg. In another shallow dish combine bread crumbs and dill, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Dip fish pieces into egg, then into bread crumb mixture. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the fish, cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until fish is golden brown and flakes easily with a fork. Drain on paper towels. Serve with cauliflower mash.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, September 2013
www.bhg.com/recipes/‎

FRIED FLOUNDER WITH BLACK BEAN AND AVOCADO SALSA and LEMON BUTTER COOKIES

04 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by in Fish, main

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I LOVE to read, and always have a pile of books.
Reading was what I missed most about my life before kids, but thankfully Book Club got me back in the habit of reading and showed me I could find the time.
I read on the treadmill, in the car line while waiting for the kids to come out of school, while on an airplane, a passenger in a car, sitting beside the pool, curled up on the couch in a blanket, and I always carry my current book in my purse just in case the line at the post office is too long, or I’m waiting on a friend at a restaurant.
I have recently devoured a couple of books that, along with delicious stories included wonderful recipes.
Today is the National Education Associations “Read Across America” day – and with the kids out of school due to snow and ice, this delicious combination of nourishment for the mind and body is definitely worth celebrating.

FRIED FLOUNDER WITH BLACK BEAN AND AVOCADO SALSA

FOR THE BLACK BEAN AND AVOCADO SALSA
2 (14 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
4 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 small jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
juice from 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
few dashes of hot sauce
handful of chopped cilantro
2 avocados, cut into cubes

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients.

FOR THE FLOUNDER
1/2 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs, seasoned with salt, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
olive oil
1 1/4 pounds flounder fillets
tartar sauce, for serving
lemon wedges, for serving

Set up your dredging stations: one plate or bowl for the flour, one for the eggs and one for the panko.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Dredge your fish fillets, first in the flour, then in the egg, then in the panko.
Add 2 to 4 fillets at a time to the skillet and fry 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove from the skillet, tent with foil to keep warm, and fry the remaining fillets, adding more oil as necessary.
Serve with a dollop of tartar sauce, lemon wedges and the black bean and avocado salad.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Dinner a Love Story, Jenny Rosenstrach, 2012
www.dinneralovestory.com/‎

LEMON BUTTER COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extreact
zest of one lemon
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup cornstarch
sugar crystals

Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and zest until smooth. Add dry ingredients, mix until just incorporated. Use waxed paper to shape and roll dough into 2 8-inch logs, (about the width of a cookie).
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
 Heat oven to 350F.
Slice cookies about 1/4 inch thick, put on ungreased cookie sheets, sprinkle on sugar crystals or roll the logs in sugar before cutting.
Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden. Cool on waxed paper.

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside, Susan Branch, 2013

BANANA CAKE WITH LEMON BUTTER FROSTING

06 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by in Dessert

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I was walking on the treadmill, enjoying a good book and a peaceful moment when I abruptly came to a standstill – the power had gone out. Thankfully the banana cake had just come out of the oven and the coffee had already been brewed, and it was no hardship to enjoy the cake plain until the power was back on.
However, it was very peculiar to be home, but not be able to continue exercising, put on a load of laundry, raise the garage door, turn on a light, or use the computer. So I sat outside in the cool morning and read the newspaper. Then I thought I would attempt my Saturday morning Hot Yoga class, which was its usual sizzling self, because by the time I walked down town to the studio, the power had come back on.
Once I was home I was able to mix up the luscious Lemon Butter Frosting, and it was definitely worth waiting for.

BANANA CAKE WITH LEMON BUTTER FROSTING

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 to 1 1/2 cups banana pulp, mashed
1 1/2 cups of cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350F.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, beaten lightly, and the baking soda, dissolved in the sour cream. Beat well, then add the bananas, cake flour, salt and vanilla. Mix well.
Bake in a well buttered loaf pan, for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Top with Lemon Butter Frosting.

LEMON BUTTER FROSTING
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar
add grated rind from one lemon
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cream butter and sugar well. Add grated lemon rind, mix well. Add milk and lemon juice until thin enough to spread.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Morning News, August, 2005

BUTTER

11 Thursday Oct 2012

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My son asked one Saturday afternoon, if we could make butter. I’m always up for a food challenge, and interested to try new things, so I looked up a recipe online. 
This was my pick of the butter recipes – I loved the descriptions, and great ideas. One of the best tips (although my son didn’t want to try it this time) was to add a tablespoon of honey part way through the mixing process, which would add a hint of sweetness.
The butter was very fresh tasting, and although I am sure it would have a long shelf life, it didn’t last the hour at our house!
BUTTER

16 ounces of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a stand mixer bowl, combine cream and salt. Mix on high for around 3 minutes (it will look like whipped cream, then will turn yellow and resemble crumbly scrambled eggs).
After this step, keep beating for a few more seconds, you will see a liquid separate from the solids, which is buttermilk. Stop mixing.
Move the butter and bowl to the sink. Fill the bowl with cold water. Squeeze the butter into a ball until you see the water run clear. This means it is free of all buttermilk.
Place your butter on parchment paper, or on a small dish.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from 5280 The Denver Magazine
www.5280.com/blogs/…/how-make-butter-home-less-five-minutes