Easy Eats: Broiled Scallops

Super simple.  Rinse scallops in cold water.  Lay them flat in a pan, drizzle lightly with good olive oil and broil on high for about 3-5 minutes or until the scallops are golden brown.  I don't even season them with salt or pepper because they are so flavorful on their own.  You may want to remove the hard muscle part of each scallop if they are larger ones.

Pork Loin Pesto Kabobs

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin or pork cutlets, all skin removed, cut into 1in cubes
1-2 tbs pesto (my parsley pesto: parsley, parmesan, garlic, walnuts & olive oil well-blended)
salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:
Pre-heat lightly greased grill or grill pan over medium heat.  Toss the pork cubes in pesto.  Skewer.  Grill for about 5-7 minutes per side.  Keep an eye on them to make sure you don't under- or over-cook.

Negroni

As you can see by the volume remaining in that bottle, I am a Campari fan.  Here's the original version of the Negroni, and then my (totally different) version.

The Original:
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- 1 oz campari
- 1 oz dry gin
- 1 cup ice cubes

In chilled cocktail shaker, mix everything together. Garnish with an orange peel.

The No-Vermouth-and-Hyped-Up-Orange:
- 1 oz campari
- 1 oz dry gin
- 2 oz ginger beer
- a splash of grand marnier
- a few drops of Bitter Tears bitters (like Lucille or KiKi)
- 1 cup ice cubes

Shake.

Ravioli Lasagna

The title of this dish may sound like a mix up, but trust me, this was one delicious idea. We were craving lasagna terribly but our store was out of the Heirloom boar's meat and mozzarella lasagna they usually have... so I grabbed some meat ravioli and created this dish.

METHOD
Pre-heat the broiler on low.  Cook the ravioli in salt water for 1 minute less than directed.  Spread a thin layer of your favorite pasta sauce at the bottom of a baking dish.  Toss in ravioli.  Gently stir in more sauce and cheese.  Spread out the ravioli evenly.  Top with a little more sauce if desired (don't go overboard, you don't want it watery since the ravioli will have retained some water).  Cover with mozzarella and dried herbs (if desired).  Broil until golden brown, 5-10 minutes.

You could add fresh basil leaves too, if you have them.

Cooking dinner...

Blogging as I cook tonight... We are trying a new pasta shape! This particular pack was a gift and it's an "artisan made pasta extruded through bronze dies and slow dried to ensure proper texture".


I made meatballs last night in which I used parsley so with the left over herbs I made a quick walnut, garlic, parmesan pesto.  I plan to saute some calamari rings with a little garlic as well as some tiny tiny baby broccoli that's in season right now and toss it all with the pasta and the pesto.  All in about 30 minutes - great weeknight meal. Will post the recipe.


Bon appetit everyone!

Roasted Bone Marrow

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place bones wider side down on a baking dish or ovenproof skillet.  Roast until the top is nicely browned, the marrow has melted and loosened from the bone.  This will take about 17-20 minutes.

Serve with crispy toast and a light parsley salad (minced parsley, minced shallots tossed with a little lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil).

*bones, parsley, and fresh baguette from Cookbook LA.

Sometimes all you want to do is snack on some fennel salame, Grand Reblochon cheese, terrine and fresh bread.  And the mimosa (the flower, not the champagne drink), whose beauty and scent remind me so much of Januaries growing up, made this particular Saturday mid-day snack, the absolute best.

I feel so lucky to live next door to Cookbook - feeds us healthily and beautifully every day.