Heavenly Halibut

My Dad and step mom came to visit and we visited our favorite local seafood provider to pick up some shrimp cocktail. While there, we spotted these beautiful Halibut fillets and I knew that had to come home with us. I had saved this recipe about a year ago and now was the time to whip it out and put it to use.
These fillets turned out very light, perfectly flaky and full of flavor. An easy weeknight meal that will leave you room for a glass of wine, dessert... or both : )

Cheers!
MM

Halibut with Balsamic Glaze (adapted from Food Network)
Ingredients:
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
2 to 3 Tbsp. honey (I used 3 because I like the sweet contrast)
3 Tbsp. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
4 (6 ounce) Halibut fillets

Process:
-Whisk vinegar, honey, oil and garlic in a glass bowl. Place halibut in an 8-inch baking dish and pour marinade over, coating fish completely. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.
-Preheat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray.
-Remove fish from marinade and place on baking sheet.
-Broil fillets about 12 minutes, until they are lightly browned on top and cooked through.
-Pour reserve marinade into a small saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil and simmer. Continue to whisk mixture until it becomes thick and syrupy.

Why Hello Ginger, Take Two!

So, you may remember that I first discovered the power of this little root last weekend when we made Ginger Scallops. Well the Mr. was such a fan, he wanted to make another recipe involving ginger and scallops, so off to my trusty recipe collection I went to search for an alternative.

I found this recipe, also from Sam the Cooking Guy, and I liked that it offered a little twist from the simple ginger, scallions and butter recipe of last week.

These bad boys turned a beautiful caramel color once seared and the extra marinade is added to the pan to create a tangy sauce to pour over the scallops. We paired this meal with some simple stir fry noodles and a salad with ginger vinaigrette.

Another fantastic night with my girl, Ginger!

Asiany Scallops (from Sam the Cooking guy)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy sauce
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 lb large sea scallops
peanut oil (I used more sesame oil since we didn't have peanut)

Directions:

-Place all ingredients except scallops in a glass or ceramic shallow bowl.
-Mix well and add scallops.
-Marinate 5 minutes each side at room temperature. If you marinate scallops too long, they'll get mushy. (I only marinated the scallops for about 5 minutes TOTAL, 2 minutes per side)
-Transfer scallops to a plate and reserve marinade.
-Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large saute pan over high heat until hot and almost smoking.
-Add scallops (cook in batches if necessary to keep from being too crowded) and saute quickly until seared brown and just cooked through - about 2 minutes a side.
-Remove from pan.
-Add marinade to pan and boil until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes.
-Drizzle scallops with sauce.

Why, Hello Ginger! Nice to Meet You...

I've always enjoyed the taste of fresh ginger: the tangy spice mixed with the sugary sweetness is such a sensory experience. But I have never felt confident enough to try my hand at cooking with the root.

When I found this recipe for Ginger Scallops I thought it sounded easy enough for a first timer. So, I picked up my very first nugget of fresh ginger, hit our favorite local seafood haunt and headed home to dazzle the Mr. with my new found skillz.
What a hit! We paired the scallops with a side of organic, long grain brown rice with fresh green onions and some whole green beans. To die for. The scallops literally melted in my mouth and the butter-based sauce provided just enough moisture to create a creamy rice bed. Try this recipe today!

Cheers!
MM

Ginger Scallops (from Just Cook This!)
Ingredients:
1 pound large fresh scallops, about 12
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
Olive oil
Kosher salt & Fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix butter, ginger and green onion in a small bowl.
Place saute pan on heat and add 1 tablespoon oil (I used sesame oil)
When almost smoking, add half of the scallops and sear on both sides until nicely browned, about 1-2 minutes a side (Our scallops were a bit large and cooked for 2-3 minutes)
When almost finished, put half the ginger butter in the pan and toss scallops until all coated.
Cook remaining scallops the same way. Serve immediately.