Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Spicy Mayo

Ingredients
1 1/2 pound large scallops
1/2 pound thin-sliced bacon
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup good quality mayonnaise
1/4 cup hot chili paste (recommended: Sriracha Hot Chili Paste)
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 heads Bibb lettuce, washed
3 avocados, sliced


Directions
Heat the broiler. Wrap each scallop in a piece of bacon and secure it with a toothpick. Place the bacon wrapped scallops onto a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and season them with salt and pepper. Cook them under the broiler for about 10 to 15 minutes until the bacon is cooked through, turning once.

Make the spicy mayo by combining the mayonnaise, chili paste, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to use.

To serve, carefully peel away the lettuce leaves and line a large platter with the lettuce cups. Top each with a bacon wrapped shrimp, 2 slices of avocado, and a spoonful of spicy mayonnaise. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

German Lentil Soup

My Grandmother used to cook this soup at least once a week in the winter. It is such a warming dish which brings back childhood memories for me. In Germany the soup is often served over Spaetzle (German home name Pasta) recipe see below.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium celery stalk, small dice
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and small dice
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
• 1 1/4 cups lentils (any color except red), rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• 2 ounces spinach leaves (about 1/2 a bunch)

Instructions

1. 1Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with several generous pinches of salt and pepper.
2. 2Add the broth, tomatoes with their juices, lentils, bay leaf, and thyme and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer, about 15 minutes. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and continue simmering, covered, until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes more.
3. 3Taste and season with more salt or pepper as needed, then stir in the vinegar. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. If you prefer a creamier texture, purée half of the soup in a blender and add it back to the pot.

Homemade German Spätzle (and a brief intro to Baden-Württemberg)

 

Save Print

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

The highly popular and beloved egg noodles from the Swabia region of southwest Germany.

: The Daring Gourmet, www.daringgourmet.com

Recipe type: Pasta

Cuisine: German

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (you can also use whole wheat flour)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
• 4 large eggs
• 1¼ cup milk or water (milk produces a richer Spaetzle) (start with one cup and add remaining ¼ cup as needed)

Instructions

1. Add the flour, salt and nutmeg to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to combine. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk them. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the eggs in it. Add the milk. Attach a dough hook to the stand mixer and "knead" the dough for 18-20 minutes, or until bubbles appear (see pictured instructions for details).
2. Bring at least 2 quarts of lightly salted water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Using a Spätzle maker of your choice, press the noodles into the simmering water and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles float to the top. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the noodles to a colander, and then dump the noodles in a large bowl of ice water. Drain the noodles again and toss with a little vegetable oil or melted butter.
3. They can be stored in the fridge for at least a couple of days and then heated to serve.
4. To heat, melt some butter in a large skillet and toss the Spätzle in it to heat through.
5. Serving recommendation: Serve with Daring Gourmet Hunter's Pork Chops (see website for recipe).

Black Lentil Soup

5-INGREDIENT BLACK BEAN SOUP

This 5-Ingredient Black Bean Soup is full of great flavor, and ready to go in just 20 minutes!

PREP: 2 MINS COOK: 18 MINS TOTAL: 20 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 (15 oz) cans black beans, with liquid
• 1 lb. (about 2.5 cups) good-quality salsa, homemade or store-bought 
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed (plus extra for garnish)
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until simmering. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve soup warm topped with additional fresh cilantro as garnish.

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Interestingly enough, even my picky eaters are happy when they hear we are having red lentil soup  for dinner. I twisted the recipe a little by adding coconut milk to the soup. Give it a try!

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/3 cup (about 8 ounces) red lentils, picked through and rinsed 
• 7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 
• 2 13ounce cans of coconut milk
• 1 large onion, diced 
• 1 large carrot, diced 
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste 
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste 
• Lemon wedges and chopped mint for serving (optional) 

Preperation: 

In a large pot, combine lentils, broth, onion, carrot, garlic, tomato paste, cumin and cayenne and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables and very tender and lentils begin to fall apart, about 25 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and use an immersion blender to quickly blend the soup until it is creamy but not completely puréed. Or, you can blend about half the soup in a blender, but use caution when blending hot liquids: blend only in small batches, hold the lid down firmly with a kitchen towel, and begin blending on low speed. Add salt and serve with lemon wedges and a garnish of mint if desired.

Nutritional Info: 

Per Serving:200 calories (10 from fat), 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 480mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate (8g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 12g protein