Sweet Potatoes Au Gratin

 Sweet Potatoes Au Gratin

I love this dish.  I can say it is probably one of my top ten favorites.  Yes, it’s just that good.  Let’s just say I am crazy about mashed potatoes but put a dish of this next to the mashed and I will choose this every time.  Flavors so rich and so creamy they melt in your mouth.  So good! 

Sweet Potatoes Au Gratin

2 cups (1 pt) heavy cream 

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons thyme

2 cloves of minced garlic

3 lbs (about 5) yams, peeled

1 cup Mild Shredded Gruyere  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray; place baking dish on baking sheet. Choose a square baking dish that is shallow so that the potatoes cook quickly and absorb all the liquid. Spray with cooking spray on the bottom and sides.  Add minced garlic to the bottom of the pan and set aside.

Slice yams thin (about 1/8^th  to ¼ inch thick) with mandolin or sharp knife and place on plate. Add a layer of sweet potato slices starting on the outside of the dish. Sprinkle cheese on each layer. 

Continue to layer them in a circle all the way around until you get to the center. Then start another layer until finished. Add salt and pepper and thyme along with the cheese between each layer.

Next add your half pint of heavy cream pouring it all over and around potatoes. Push down the potatoes so that they are covered in the cream. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes and remove from oven. Press a spatula carefully against top layer to allow liquid to flow over top. 

Return pan to oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until yams are tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from oven; Sprinkle top with a little more cheese and cover with foil. Allow dish to rest for about 10 minutes.

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Scallops in Balsamic Honey Sauce

 Scallops in Balsamic Honey Sauce 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love scallops and I like to make up new recipes that give them tons of flavor without disguising their true sweet taste.  This is one of my favorites. This simple dish of Scallops in a Balsamic Honey Sauce is magic and so good!

Scallops in Balsamic Honey Sauce

 10-12 large Scallops

3 tablespoons butter

2 cloves Garlic, chopped
2-3 Bok Choy Leaves cut into thin strips

Rice, cooked

Note: 

You can use other Green Leafy Vegetable such as Spinach or kale.

Sauce

½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoon honey olive oil
a handful of flour
salt and pepper
lemon wedges

In a heavy saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Whisk it together so that the honey is completely combined, and then allow it to thicken over medium heat, stirring frequently.  The sauce should become very fragrant.  Once it’s thickened, pour the sauce off into a bowl and set it aside.

Pat scallops with paper towel to remove all moisture. Remove small side membrane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a large skillet, add the chopped spinach, kale or bok choy and saute until tender. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.  Add in the cooked rice and stir to blend. 

Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non stick spray.

Add a layer of cooked rice and veggies to the bottom of the baking dish and spread out evenly into a thin layer. Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the middle of the pan on top of the veggie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add scallops on top of greens and add Salt and Pepper.  Drizzle sauce over raw scallops and veggies.

 

 

 

 

 

            Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the scallops reach an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve warm with extra sauce for drizzling.  

 

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HOW TO COOK SCALLOPS

 HOW TO COOK SCALLOPS

 

I love scallops! Their mildly sweet flavor and that caramelized crust they get when seared in a super-hot pan…oh, my goodness.  What’s funny to me about scallops is a lot of people only order them at restaurants because they’re too intimidated to make them at home. There’s only one way to mess up here…and that’s too over cook them.  It literally takes only 2 minutes to cook them perfectly. So today I’m going to teach you how to make them from start to finish…which takes all of 10 minutes. Pan Seared Scallops sautéed in a delicious browned butter…restaurant quality food you can make at home! 

Pan Seared Scallops

Where to buy scallops:

You want to buy fresh scallops (not frozen if you can help it) at your seafood counter or local fish store. And you only want to purchase “dry” scallops…never wet.  If they are not labeled, you want to ask if they are wet or dry.  A wet scallop has been soaked in a preservative phosphate solution. This makes the scallop absorb more water, and when you cook them, they kind of shrivel a bit and don’t brown as well because of that extra liquid. The phosphate solution also gives the scallop an off flavor, and they’re usually not as fresh.  

 

A dry scallop has NOT been treated with any chemicals additives or solutions. Compared to the wet scallops, they are darker (more of a beige color, whereas the wet scallops are whiter), and they have far more flavor.

How to prep for scallops:

Start out by taking off the little side muscle flap if they have not already been removed. Just pull it off the side and throw it away. 

 

Next and very important…you want to pat the outside dry with a paper towel. Don’t just blot with a paper towel. 

 

Lay 2 sheets over them and press moderately. Turnover and do it again. The dryer they are the better crisp and golden you’ll get.  Make sure you dry them completely or they won’t brown properly or get a good sear when you sauté them. Add dashes of salt and pepper to season them.

 

HOW TO COOK SCALLOPS

1 1/2 pounds dry sea scallops , approximately 12

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cloves of minced garlic

Parsley for sprinkling

Put your nonstick skillet on the burner on medium-high heat. Add your butter and olive oil to it and you should hear a sizzle.  Set your scallops in the pan in a single layer with tongs.  Give the scallops enough room so they don’t steam. You want a good sear.  The scallops should make a sizzling noise when you put them in the pan.

 

Sear the scallops for 1 minute on both sides and then lower the temperature to medium heat. (Do not move the scallops as they’re cooking, they won’t get as browned as they should).  Add the garlic, then cook for another 20 seconds. Move the scallops to a plate and serve them up.

 

How long will scallops keep in the fridge? Two days max. When they’re fresh, they have a sweet ocean smell, and when they start to spoil they will take on a stinky fish smell.

Can scallops be reheated? Yes, but you have to be careful not to cook them further. Heat until they’re just warm enough to eat. I do this in the microwave at half heat.

Store: you can store cooked scallops in the fridge for up to 3 days before it becomes a bad idea to eat them.

Freeze: if you keep them in an airtight container, cooked scallops are good frozen for up to 3 months. 

 

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Magic Cookie Bars

 Magic Cookie Bars

 

I call these my magic cookie bars because they magically disappear the same day I make them.  These are just so sinfully decadent that you'll be getting requests for them often.  A soft cookie crust is filled with chocolate, coconut, pecans and then filled with sweet cream!  Oh My Goodness!

Magical Cookie Bars

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup graham cracker crumbs 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4  cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

1 3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup pecans, chopped sliced almonds

12 oz. sweetened condensed milk (not quite one can)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.  Make sure you leave an overhang of paper on at least two sides so you can remove your cookies bars later.  Next spray the paper with non stick spray and set aside.  

Using a hand mixer, mix the butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.   Add the vanilla and egg and mix until combined.  Next, add the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt and mix completely blended. 

With a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips.  Press graham cracker dough evenly into the bottom of your prepared baking pan, making sure to make it even all the way around and in the corners.  Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips, the coconut and the chopped pecans. Then drizzle the sweetened condensed milk all over the top of the coconut.  Finally sprinkle the last 1/4 cup of chocolate chips on top.

Return pan to the oven and bake for about 13 minutes.  Then open the oven and gently lay a sheet of aluminum foil on top of pan to prevent the coconut from browning and rotate the pan in the oven.  Close the oven door and continue to bake for another 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack for at least 45 minutes.

You want these to be cold and completely set up before you cut them or they will be a runny, gooey mess.  Next, put the cooled cookie bars in the refrigerator for about an hour.  I put mine in the freezer for 20 minutes. You want the bottom of the pan to be cold before you cut them.

Cut into squares.  These are pretty rich so you might want to cut them into smaller bars or squares.  If I am serving at a party or gathering I usually cut into 12 squares.  You can choose 9 or 12.

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