Pan Seared Scallops with Sweet Potato Puree

Sea Scallops are a light, sweet, and delicious shellfish. Unfortunately, most people are intimidated by them, but you shouldn't be!!  They are not difficult to cook and can be paired with almost any side dish.  I am taking the dish in a Caribbean/ tropical island route today, with sweet and spicy notes to the dish.  If you have never had a scallop, I hope you give this recipe a try, I promise you won't regret it!!!

Pan Seared Scallops

6 Scallops (U12,  thats the size...ask the fishmonger at your store, although any size will work as long as they are not the mini-sized scallops. If you get smaller ones make sure you buy more...
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Strawberry Relish

1 cup diced strawberries
1 tablespoon diced jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons diced shallots
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Sweet Potato Puree

3 sweet potatoes, skin removed, large dice (think 1inch by 1 inch cubes)\
1 can coconut milk
milk, enough to cover potatoes
1 tablespoon garlic, diced
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Honey, to taste

The first thing your going to do is make the relish.  This is pretty easy, just add all the ingredients in a bowl, mix together.  Taste the relish and then add salt and pepper to your liking.

Next step is to begin the puree.  Put your liquid in a small to medium pot, then add your potatoes.  Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes.  Now add the garlic, and the remaining ingredients to your liking.  If you don't want it overly sweet, add more salt and pepper and less honey.

The scallops will take about 7 minutes, give or take, so keep that in mind and get them started about 8 minutes into the cook time of the potatoes.  Place a saute pan over medium high heat, add oil and butter.  Once the butter has melted, season the scallops with salt and pepper, then add to the pan.  Cook for about four minutes, the scallop should have browned.  Flip and cook for another three minutes, until the scallop is firm and browned on both sides.  If the top of the scallop is split, do not freak out, that is completely normal and to be expected. 

For plate assembly, take a spoonful of the puree and spread it down the middle of the plate.  Place half the scallops on top of the puree, then spoon the relish over the scallops. 

All items in this dish should be eaten together.  You want a little bit of every item in each bite...Eat Up!!!

Vegetarian Chil...i cant do it...its not chili, but as close as you can get without meat

So this is not a thing I will normally do, however, my wife and her best friend do not eat meat (I know it...I married her, THEN she became a vegetarian...sneaky woman) so I promised them I would do a vegetarian version of the chili.  I promise you it is in fact very delicious, and much healthier than the meat version, just not even close to as tasty.  The veggies in this dish are pretty interchangeable, but I definitely recommend these. I find they give the best flavor and body to the dish.  Also, this recipe serves 10-12 people so adjust accordingly. (want to make it for 6, cut recipe in half.  want to make it for 1...make some friends.)

Vegetarian Chili like dish
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
4 sprigs celery, diced
2 Anaheim peppers, diced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (sauce from chipotles in adobo can)
1 tablespoon garlic
2 cans kidney, black, and cannelloni beans, water drained but not rinsed
2 cans hominy, water drained
3 cans diced tomato, chili flavored, not drained
1 small can tomato paste, about 4 tablespoons
1 pound frozen cauliflower
1 pound frozen broccoli
1/4 cup chili powder
Salt to taste
pepper to taste
worchestershire sauce, 5-6 shakes

Place a large pot on your burner set to medium high heat.  Once pot has come up to temp. add in your oil.  Add garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes, then add onion.  Cook onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add celery and anaheim peppers, cook until vegetables soften about ten minutes.  Add the adobo sauce, stir in and cook for 1 minute.  Add tomato paste, stir in and cook for 1 minute.  Add your tomatoes, beans, hominy, worchestershire, and chili powder.  Cook for ten minutes.  Add in the broccoli and cauliflower.  Season with salt and pepper. If there isnt enough liquid, add veggie stock, then cover and cook for 45 minutes.  Taste the chili, if its not hot enough add more adobo sauce.  If it is too spicy add ketchup until heat level is desireable.

Cold outside? How about Chili inside?

Outside of  bread, chili is the most useful thing to come out of a kitchen!!! Think about it for a second...what can't you put chili on? Burgers, nachos, baked potatoes, hot dogs, french fries, spaghetti, or in a bowl covered in cheese and onions, all are amazing options!  The only crime perpetrated by chili is that it now comes in...gasp...A CAN!!!!!!  Canned chili is to chili as hosewater is to Fiji Water.  Its that bad people.  So here is an easy version of delicious chili that can be enjoyed over several nights!  Ps.  Chili only gets better with time, the flavors marry together into an even more delicious dish.  Obviously this doesn't happen on the scale of wine...dont eat year old chili...or week old for that matter...

Texas Chili

16oz chopped bacon
32oz ground beef (90/10)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup chopped celery
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 anaheim chilis chopped
1/4 cup chili powder
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
worchestershire sauce...about five shakes of the bottle
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes
4oz tomato paste

Place a large pot on a burner set to medium heat, let it get hot.  Add the oil to the pot, then add chopped bacon, stirring occasionally.  Cook bacon until browned, then remove bacon from pot.
Add the beef into the pot, stirring to break apart the beef.  cook beef until almost cooked, remove beef from pot.  drain off most of the grease from the pot, only leaving about 2-3 tablespoons in the pot.  Add in your garlic.  Cook garlic for 2 minutes, then add your onion, celery, and anaheim chilis, cook until the vegetables are softened stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add your chipotle peppers, cook five minutes.  Add the tomato paste and stir in to mix.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add your canned tomatoes and stir to mix.  Add in your bacon and beef.  Now add in the rest of your spices and ingredients.  If the mixture is to dry, add some beef stock, a cup or so would do.  Cover and simmer for two hours, checking the liquid amount and stirring occasionally.  Chili should be thick, and not liquidy like a soup, but don't let it burn.

If you want to modify the flavors, I recommend adding 4 teaspoons old bay seasoning, and about 1/8 of a cup of hot sauce like tabasco.  (it will be spicy). 

You can also add in 1 tablespoon of dried thyme, oregano, and rosemary for a more Italian flavor.

If the chili is too spicy, add ketchup to the pot.  The sugars in the ketchup should mellow the flavor.  You may also add in sour cream to lessen the heat.