Scallops with Lemon-Caper Pasta and Baby Spinach

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We have all had many a piccata-esque dishes before, at banquet dinners and weddings. including the old stand-by, the dry chicken breast and super-salty capers with some subpar pasta. But this recipe proves different and you will be surprised by the delicious and succulent version of this dish with creamy sauce and delicate pasta. This caper sauce is all the latter, none of the former, and instead of boring,  dry chicken,  you will have succulent sweet scallops to sop up the good flavors, in this dish.

Adapted From
Sarah Thomsen
Home Chef
January 2021

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 large lemon
1/3 cup croutons
5 oz. Linguine pasta
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 pound scallops
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
3-4 tablespoons Better than bullion  Organic Vegetable Soup Base™
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 oz. Baby spinach
1 tablespoons capers

Directions:
Halve lemon lengthwise. Cut one half into wedges and juice the other half. Coarsely crush croutons. Set aside until ready to use.

To start the pasta, bring 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons of  salt to a boil in a medium pot. Once water is boiling, add pasta and cook until al dente, 10-12 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta in a colander and set aside. Reserve pot; no need to wipe clean. While pasta cooks, cook scallops.

Using clean paper towels, pat scallops dry, and season both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper. Scallops will vary in amount as they are portioned by weight. Don’t worry, the sweet flavor and tender texture will be the same. Place a medium non-stick pan over medium-high and add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add scallops to hot pan and cook until golden brown and scallops reach a minimum internal temperature of 145 ° F, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove scallops to a plate and set aside.

Return pot used to cook pasta to medium heat. Add pasta cooking water, mirepoix base, and a pinch of salt to hot pot. Stir to combine. Stir in cooked pasta, sour cream, and Parmesan until pasta is fully coated. Add spinach, capers, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir often until spinach begins to wilt, 1-2 minutes. Remove from burner.

To serve, add the pasta to the center of the plate, twirling with tongs to give height. Top the pasta with scallops and garnishing with crushed croutons. Squeeze lemon wedges over to taste.

Bon appétit!

 

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Mrs. Cubbison’s French Bread Croutons, Garlic & Butter, 5 oz

Better Than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base 16 Oz, Reduced Sodium 

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Parsnip and Leek Soup

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Photo Credit:Jonny Valiant, 2011.

 

 

For those celebrating the religious calendar, Lent is upon us, and for many it is the time to give up meat in our diets. For busy home cooks, this soup can be made in ahead of time, basically because it is an uncomplicated vegetable puree. For an added touch you can dressed-up this soup with a touch of American whitefish caviar, the salty counterpoint to sweet parsnips in the mix, makes the soup plenty festive for Easter Dinner.

 

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
For the Soup:
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut 1/4 inch thick
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut 1/4 inch thick
3 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 cups water
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 cup whole milk

For the Black-Pepper Cream:
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
2 ounces whitefish or other caviar, for garnish

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Directions:
To prepare the leeks, rinsed well to remove the sand and grit. Cut the white and pale-green parts only into 1/4-inch-thick semi-circles and set aside.

To Make the soup: Cut a round of parchment to fit inside a large pot. Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Add leeks and a pinch of salt, and cover with parchment round (this will help keep moisture in). Cook, lifting parchment to stir occasionally, until leeks are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in parsnips, potatoes, chicken stock, 2 1/2 cups water, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, partially covered with lid, until parsnips are soft, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

Working in batches, puree vegetable mixture in a blender, being sure to hold lid down. Return soup to pot, and stir in milk. Reheat soup over medium heat (do not boil).

To Make the black-pepper cream: Stir 1/4 teaspoon pepper into creme fraiche.

To Serve: Ladle soup into 8 small bowls, and top each with a dollop of black-pepper cream and 1/2 teaspoon caviar.

Cook’s Notes:
Whitefish caviar is a relatively inexpensive variety and can found at Whole Foods  Markets or specialty gourmet food markets.

The soup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months. Stir in milk and rewarm over medium heat just before serving. Black-pepper cream can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Heirloom Tomato, Cheddar and Bacon Pie

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Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck, 2013

Southern Living Magazine raised the ante on classic tomato pie with a sour cream crust studded with bacon, layers of colorful tomatoes, and plenty of cheese and herbs to tie it all together. Nobody wants a soggy tomato pie, so for best results, seed the tomatoes and drain the slices before baking.This recipe is a bit time consuming and may take up to three hours to prepare,  but it is sure worth the effort!

RECIPE BY SOUTHERN LIVING
June 2013

Serves 6 to 8 

Ingredients:
For the Crust:
2 1/4 cups self-rising soft-wheat flour , such as White Lily®
1 cup cold butter, cut up
8 cooked bacon slices, chopped
3/4 cup sour cream

For Filling :
2 3/4 pounds assorted large heirloom tomatoes, divided (*See Cook’s Notes)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) freshly shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons fresh dill sprigs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons plain yellow cornmeal

Directions:
Prepare Crust: Place flour in bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer; cut in cold butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles small peas. Chill 10 minutes.

Add bacon to flour mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. Gradually add sour cream, 1/4 cup at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Spoon mixture onto a heavily floured surface; sprinkle lightly with flour, and knead 3 or 4 times, adding more flour as needed. Roll to a 13-inch round. Gently place dough in a 9-inch fluted tart pan with 2-inch sides and a removable bottom. Press dough into pan; trim off excess dough along edges. Chill 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare Filling: Cut 2 pounds of tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and remove seeds. Place tomatoes in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Stir together Cheddar cheese, next 10 ingredients, and remaining 1 tsp. salt in a large bowl until combined.

Pat tomato slices dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle cornmeal over bottom of crust. Lightly spread 1/2 cup cheese mixture onto crust; layer with half of tomato slices in slightly overlapping rows. Spread with 1/2 cup cheese mixture. Repeat layers, using remaining tomato slices and cheese mixture. Cut remaining 3/4 lb. tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and arrange on top of pie.

Bake at 425° for 40 to 45 minutes, shielding edges with foil during last 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 1 to 2 hours before serving.

 

*Cook’s Notes:
To learn more about how to seed and drain tomatoes, please see Tori Avey’s tutorial at the following link: How to Seed Tomatoes

And a method is briefly outlined below:

  1. Place your tomato on a cutting board, stem side facing up.
  2. Roll the tomato sideways so the stem faces to the right, and cut the tomato down the center “equator” line into two halves.
  3. Use a small spoon or a quarter spoon melon baller to scoop the tomato seeds and any tough white core out of the four seed cavities. Discard the seeds.

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