Like fried shallots, crispy leeks are a wonderful way to add a bit of texture to a dish.
Crispy Leeks
One bunch leeks, white parts only, cut into circles
One cup Canola Oil
Pinch Salt
Heat the oil to a high heat, add leeks and fry until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a napkin lined plate. Add a sprinkle of salt and serve immediately.
I used this ‘garnish’ as a way to add some salt and savory to a dish with sweeter elements. You can make this in advance and add it to loads of meals such as eggs or a southwestern salad. You can also add other elements to this such as red onion and cilantro and make it a dip (or top a creamy soup with it for some texture).
This makes a rather small portion so feel free to double it.
Bacon-Corn Ragu
One thick slice of pancetta, cut into crispy dice (can be crisped in advance)
Two slices bacon, diced
Three-fourths cup roasted corn kernels
One shallot, minced
One garlic clove, minced
In a medium skillet, saute pancetta and bacon on high heat until crisp and the fat is rendered. Remove from pan and add shallots and garlic and saute until glassy. Add corn and bacon and heat for a couple of minutes. Serve immediately. If you would like this to be slightly spicy, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne.
With the week off of work, I really should be gracing the gym with my presence for seven hours a day. Instead, I am cooking amazingness and not helping my clothes fit better. This lovely little plate of pure delight was my lunch yesterday. Yes, I spoiled myself and it was incredible. The summer melon and corn sing sweetly and are the perfect complement to the subtly sweet scallop. The jalapeno gives it that little kick that takes your mind away from the sweetness and the avocado lends a richness and all together…well…you know where this goes. It was fantastic; a light, crisp, perfect lunch. I wish I could cook lunch at home every day! If you have the time to make fried leeks or fried shallots, I would highly suggest it so that you have a nice textural contrast. Though I made this for lunch, it would be a perfect dinner as well. From start to finish it takes about 15 minutes or less (less if the puree has been made in advance).
Note: Scallops can be tricky to cook – you want to make sure that they are translucent inside (without ever looking inside) so that they are not rubbery. They are sensitive to different stove tops, different pan types and obtaining the perfect sear can be difficult with too much or too little oil or butter. As you can tell from the picture, my scallops this time were almost perfectly cooked. They were perfect inside, but I did not achieve the nice sear I was looking for. I was a bit heavy handed with the oil.
Seared Scallop with Sweet Corn Puree and Avocado-Watermelon Relish
Serves Two (One scallop per person)
Two U-10 count Scallops, patted very dry
Salt
Pepper
Two inch chunk of watermelon, cut into a rectangle
One-Third of a Jalapeno, Minced
Juice of one-third whole lime
One third avocado, small dice
Small amount of Fried Shallots (optional)
One Third Cup Sweet Corn Puree
Make the Corn Puree first and set aside. Next make the relish by cutting the watermelon and avocado into very small, uniform dice. When cutting the avocado, it is easiest to cut it in the skin then remove all at once with a large spoon. Gently toss the watermelon and avocado with the minced jalapeno, salt, fresh cracked pepper, and lime juice. Set aside.
Heat a small amount of oil or butter in a heavy skillet on a high heat. Make sure the scallop’s abductor muscle has been removed and that the scallops have been patted dry. Season each side with salt and pepper. Once the fat is smoking, add the scallops, ensuring that they are not touching. Sear on each side for about a minute and a half (adjust for thinner scallops) then remove and serve promptly.
To assemble the dish, place the desired amount of corn puree on the bottom of a plate or bowl. Top puree with the scallop. Then top everything with the watermelon mixture. If using fried shallots, sprinkle those around the plate (can also use dried onion for a bit of crunch).
Caramelized onions. Two words that can turn a bad day right around – after the stock market insanity last week, maybe that is exactly why I could not stop day-dreaming about caramelized onions, only stopping to fantasize about winning the lottery. These little treats are so easy and elevate something wonderful into something stellar! The versatility of onions slowly coaxed into a pile of gooey, delectable sweetness if something quite marvelous as well. Creativity shines with an element that can be thrown into sandwiches, eggs, soups, meats and stir-frys, pizzas, salads, pureed into jams, stuffed inside things, or heaped onto gooey baked cheeses. Try to make this dish with as much tender love as possible and I swear the onions taste even sweeter. You can make caramelized onions several ways, I am giving the version that I do without a ton of butter and in a much faster time frame. However, the longer the deep, rich, sweet onions are cooked on a low heat the more amazing they become. Feel free to make a bigger batch in a crock pot over the weekend (8-12 hours) or, if you are pressed for time, simply use a little more heat to whip this up in about two hours on a week night.
Caramelized Onions
Approximately One and One-half Cup, depending on size of onions
Image obtained from Ciao Florentina!
One plus One half sweet onion, sliced evenly
One tablespoons butter (or olive oil or a mixture of the two)
A good pinch of salt
One-half tablespoon cane sugar
Slice onions in half, then slice the half into 1/8 inch slices (approximately). Heat oil or butter in a large saute pan or dutch oven. Once a medium-low heat is achieved, put onions into the pan and stir well to coat. After a couple of minutes add salt and sugar. Stir well. Return to pan every few minutes to check and make sure that the onions are not burning (add more oil, butter, or a little water or broth in the event that they do begin to burn). The goal is to have onions brown and stick to the pan without burning. Stir every few minutes for about a half hour, then lower heat and continue cooking for about an hour continuing to stir and adjust according to brownness (conversely, keep the heat a tad higher and cook for less time but check for burning).Eventually, the onions will be a rich, dark brown color. Remove from heat after about an hour and a half and either use immediately or store in an air-tight container in the fridge. It will last several days. If desired, you can hit the onions with a dash of vinegar or wine at the end of the cooking process to de-glaze the pan (for possible reuse) and bring a little additional flavor to the onions.
In addition to being one of the more dainty dark greens, peppery Arugula is wonderful in a large variety of preparations. This simple salad is perfect for pepper lovers in the summer (or all year) when its flavor is the most robust. It is also quite wonderful in the spring and fall when the spiciness subsides a bit. Think of this salad as a base – on its own it is delicious, or it can be added to sandwiches, top a pizza off, or thrown into a blender with additional ingredients to make pesto. It can also serve as the base for a larger, more substantial salad with the introduction of additional ingredients. Arugula is also known as ‘rocket’ should you see a recipe calling for that ingredient. One tip, should you choose to grow your own arugula – plant it in a contained space. Arugula takes over a garden (or yard) like I have never seen, whether or not this is a bad thing I suppose depends on how much your love arugula versus how much you love your existing landscaping.
Simple Arugula Salad
Two cups Arugula leaves
Juice of one lemon (adjust according to preference)
Small pinch of Salt
A couple good cracks of black pepper
About a half-cup of shaved Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano Cheese
Combine all ingredients in a bowl (preferably one that can seal easily) and mix gently. Yep, you are done.
Eating in Andiland 
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