Okay, not the last Valentine's Day, but the last one that it will just be the two of us :o) I made dinner all by myself! Okay, not that great a feat for some people, but I made three brand new recipes and they all turned out well. For those of you that know me well, you know that I am not the cook in the family. I try and I like it, but it is not something that comes particularly easy for me. Jared is the main one who cooks (yes, I do know how lucky I am), and I "help". I have my few main dishes that I do too, but I was really proud of myself yesterday! This is what the kitchen looked like when I was done-massive tornado!
Normally I clean up better as I go, but I wasn't expecting Jared home until 5 or 5:30 and he calls at 3:15 and says he is on his way-ahhh!!! So, not only was I doing 3 new recipes, but I had to work quickly because I wanted it to be surprise.
We had a very nice, quiet Valentine's Day at home and it was perfect! Jared brought home some yummy dessert (cheesecake-my favorite!) Because I was so rushed, I didn't have much time to pretty myself up, but-oh well!
Okay, so I made Pan-seared scallops with Pesto and Tomato and Italian Smashed Potatoes which were both Rachael Ray recipes, and I also made Garlic Roasted Green Beans with Almonds and Shallots (minus the shallots because I can never find them!) Here are the recipes if you want to give them a try....
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Pan-Seared Scallops with Pesto and Tomato
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
TWO SERVINGS Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 5 min
2 cups fresh basil leaves, plus 2 tablespoons finely shredded basil 1/4 cup pine nuts 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 plum tomato, finely diced 4 large scallops
1. In a food processor or blender, pulse the basil leaves until finely chopped. Add the pine nuts, cheese, garlic and lemon juice. Turn the machine back on and add 3/4 cup of the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. Place the pesto in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. 2. In a small bowl, combine the tomato and shredded basil and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium- high heat until almost smoking. Add the scallops and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the scallops to a plate. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the pesto on each scallop and arrange the tomato and basil around the scallops. Serve immediately.
Italian Smashed Potatoes
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
SERVES 6 Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 30 min
2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, halved1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilSalt and pepper
1. In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.2. Using the back of a large spoon, lightly smash the potatoes. Stir in 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle each portion with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
Garlic-Roasted Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds(Makes 4 servings, slightly adapted from Fine Cooking Annual.)
1 lb. fresh green beans (thin beans preferred, but any type will work)6 shallots, peeled, and cut into thin slivers5 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut into thin slices2 T olive oil (original recipe called for 3, but I thought 2 was plenty)1 tsp. salt (or less)fresh ground black pepper1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, very finely chopped1/4 cup almonds, chopped (I used sliced almonds and only slightly chopped them)1 tsp. lemon zest
Preheat oven to 450 F. (If you're cooking other things you can use a slightly lower temperature, just increase the time a little.)
Trim ends from green beans. If using thin, long beans, cut in half crosswise into pieces about 2 inches long. Peel and cut shallots and garlic, then place with beans in plastic bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper, and use a wooden spoon to toss until beans, shallots, and garlic are well coated with oil.
Spray roasting pan with nonstick spray or mist with olive oil, then arrange the vegetables in a single layer. (I like to cover the pan with foil, then spray the foil for even easier clean-up.) Roast 12-15 minutes for thin beans, or slightly longer for regular beans, until beans are slightly shriveled, and shallots and garlic are lightly browned.
While beans cook, toss together chopped parsley, chopped almonds and lemon zest. When beans are done, toss hot beans with parsley/lemon/almond mixture and serve immediately.
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I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day!
I will have updates on Tuesday, because I go the doctor and start getting checked for the first time to see if I am making any progress toward labor. I have had several "symptoms" that things are progressing as they should. I think she has dropped some and I have had mild contractions (normal) daily, along with some other symptoms that I won't share because they are TMI. All to say that I plan to have everything done in the next two weeks to make sure we are ready (or ready as we can be) before she comes!
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