Suzee's Baked Stuffed Scallops with Fennel

I ordered fresh sea scallops from Fresh Direct because they were on sale, and because Rick once said at a restaurant that he didn't think they were too bad. The arrived today, fresh as a daisy, and I decided to continue my fennel / seafood theme :)

I arranged the scallops so they were touching in the baking dish - I ordered a pound, but Rick wasn't "that hungry" today. I swear I should just order enough for me and just give him a couple :) Actually - he was so cute and proud that he ate 4. They are pretty big, and I don't mind having another 6 for lunch tomorrow :)

I chopped a fennel bulb in a 1/2" dice and sauteed it in a little butter. I crushed about 8 saltines in a bag to make crumbs, and tossed them in the pan with a knob of butter. I mixed it all together and piled it on top of the scallops. I preheated the oven to 400 degrees and baked them for 15 minutes in a hot oven.

They were sweet and delicious - quite nice with the fennel crumb and the Babich Marlborough Savignon Blanc. The wine was a little sweet for me, but I was pleasantly surprised by the fruity nose. And it did marry well with the scallops.

I figure if Rick will eat it, so will your non-seafood eating loved ones :) Enjoy!

Suzee's Tarragon Chicken Tartine

After my trip to Le Pain Quotidien on Friday, I was inspired to make my own tartines for lunch today. I wanted something fresh, light and delicious as we lounged around the apartment.

I pulled a small loaf of par baked Italian demi baguette from the freezer and popped it in my preheated oven as directed. I get these yummy loaves from Fresh Direct - they do a great job on par baked bakery items. I diced up some left over chicken, about 2 cups, and mixed it with a couple  heaping teaspoon scoops of sour cream and a couple heaping teaspoon scoops of olive oil mayo, along with a few healthy shakes of dried tarragon, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper. I mixed up the chicken salad and popped it in the fridge while the baguette baked.

Once the bread was done, I sliced it up on the bias, and spread a generous dollop of chicken salad over each slice. I topped each with a thin slice of tomato, and a little more salt and pepper. I served these tasty little treats with a glass of Montinore Estate Pinot Gris from the Willanette Valley in Oregon, and it was a perfect pairing.

Rick agreed we should have these again soon :) I'll have to figure a way we can bring them on a picnic lunch before it gets too hot to have a picnic :) I think if I bring everything prepped and in separate containers, and assemble on site, it would be very tasty indeed!

Suzee's Almond Banana Bread

I was going to make Banana Bread today - I had some gorgeously ripe bananas and thankfully it was cool today. And I had my brandy new cuisinart hand mixer that I was anxious to try :)

I started and realized that I'd run out of vanilla. Crap.

I had some almond extract, and thought maybe I'd try that instead. To just leave out the vanilla would result in an overly sweet tasteless bread, so almond extract it was. Since I was going to use the extract, I figured I'd use some almonds as well.

1 3/4C Flour
2t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
8T melted butter
3/4C sugar
2 large eggs
3 large bananas, mashed
1 C chopped almonds
1 t almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a loaf pan. Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
Beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in bananas.
Stir in almonds, almond extract.
Stir in flour mixture, a third at a time, mixing after each addition.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Check with a toothpick - if it's still doughy, bake a little longer.

Le Pain Quotidien on 53rd Street

Not long ago my friend MJ arranged for me to meet his cousin here in NYC. Mark suggested we have lunch at the 6th Ave location of Le Pain Quotidien. It was a really tasty, and lovely lunch! When I was out shopping today, in need of a foot rest and a yummy treat, I came across the location on 53rd St.

I had the iced green tea and a Ricotta Tartine with mission figs, black pepper & organic acacia honey and oh my goodness - how delicious!!

I sat at the communal table and it was actually cool to see all the other dishes people ordered. This is really good, simple food done in a way I've not seen anywhere else. The people across from me ordered a Tuscan White Bean and Prosciutto Salad with arugula, shaved Parmesan, basil croutons and a Mediterranean Platter Specialty with hummus, babaganoush, & taboulé. These dishes, and mine, were beautifully presented and mine anyway was absolutely divine in flavor.

I had no idea, but in all actualilty, this is an international franchise, and it seems to have started in Belgium. I should have taken a picture of my dish rather than the chalk board, but I didn't think of it until after. And I thought I could pull down some photos from the web :) Ah well.

After my lunch I walked by Rockefeller Center and was surprised to see it still decorated for Easter. I had no idea it was decorated for Easter at all. Nice surprise :)

Spring has Sprung!

I do miss my mix of many colors of tulips back in Portsmouth, but I'm glad I can enjoy these without the work too :) Park Avenue is gorgeous with Magnolias and cherry blossoms!

Easter Parade 2010

Jenny's Tomatillo, Orange and Avacado Salsa

I met Jenny not too long ago - maybe 5 or 6 (or 7?) years ago. We both were singing in a gospel chior located in South Berwick ME called Rock My Soul. After a few months of singing, she auditioned to be a soloist, and boy - she really kicked butt! Fabulous! You can hear her jamming on the first CD. I was going to set her up with my cousin Rob, and then I found out she was moving to Alaska for a guy! Considering she grew up in Alabama, I was surprised and pleased for her :)

While we made lots of music, I had the opportunity to taste some of her fabulous cuisine. I will never forget her mini pecan tarts with the the most flakey little crusts, or the time she catered all the food back stage for a concert in Dover (the choir literally snarfed everything down). And I do believe she had this salsa at that concert. It was a-maz-ing!

I invited Jenny to send a recipe as a guest post on this blog, and I'm so glad she did!


As Jenny says -

Here is the salsa recipe, I usually double the recipe. It keeps pretty well in the fridge for a couple of days, but trust me if you make it for a party it'll be gone quick!! You'll need a hearty chip, the thin ones break too easily.


The Herb Dressing makes quite a bit more than you need for the salsa. I've used it on fish also, it's a good all purpose blend.

The recipe is from a magazine I get called "The Herb Companion". It's such a fresh and bright salsa, wonderful for hot summer days! You'll love it, enjoy!

Herb Dressing

1 large poblano chile, roasted, peeled, seeds and stem removed, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 to 4 cloves garlic

1 cup firmly packed parsley leaves and tender stems

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, packed

2 tablespoons rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons oregano leaves (Yucatan or Cuban type if available)

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped orange peel, colored portion only

1 small serrano chile, seeds and stem removed

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all in blender and puree until smooth.



TOMATILLO, ORANGE AND AVOCADO SALSA


1/2 pound tomatillos, husks and core removed, washed and cut in 1/4-inch dice

1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pit removed and cut in 1/2- inch dice

1large seedless orange, peeled, segments cut into 1/2 -inch pieces

1/2 cup slivered red onion (soak in sugar water if too hot)

1 to 2 teaspoons minced, seeded jalapeño or serrano chiles

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons Fresh Herb Seasoning Blend

Salt to taste

Additional chopped cilantro for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a glass or stainless-steel bowl. Toss lightly and taste for seasoning; adjust to balance salt and acid.