Garlic Butter Scallops

This dish comes together in a flash and tastes delicious. I served over brown rice to suck up all the garlic butter goodness.

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 lb sea scallops

salt & pepper

2 tsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

2 tbsp minced chives

Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, swirling pan occasionally and reducing heat if garlic is browning too quickly, until golden and butter is foamy and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer garlic butter to a glass measuring cup or bowl.

Pat scallops dry; season with salt. Heat skillet over medium-high. Arrange scallops in pan, spacing evenly apart, and cook, undisturbed, until well browned underneath, about 5 minutes. Turn scallops over and cook just until golden on the other side and opaque in the middle, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plates.

Stir vinegar into garlic butter; season with salt and pepper. Spoon over scallops and top with chives.

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Sprinkle Birthday Cake Cookies

These cookies are so good – they taste like birthday cake! I adapted it from Smitten Kitchen. Enjoy!

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 c cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 c sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c rainbow sprinkles

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking large sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk to blend. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and blend again. Add flour mixture and beat until well combined. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or so before using.

Scoop balls of dough and roll them briefly in the palms before dropping them in a bowl of rainbow sprinkles and gently press down to coat the top.

Transfer to baking sheets at least two inches apart.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until they look underbaked, just a little brown on the the bottoms.

Let set on the baking sheet on a rack for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks to cool the rest of the way. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

Strawberry Spoon Cake

I doubled the fruit in this recipe and not mix the sugar with the berries as they were already sweet. This a super simple, tasty cake! This cake serves 8.

• ½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing
• 5 ounces/145 grams frozen and thawed or fresh, hulled strawberries (about 1 cup)
• ⅔ cup/150 grams packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving
• Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch (square or round) baking dish with butter. Set aside.
• Using your hands or the back of a fork, mash the berries to release all their juices, and stir in 1/3 cup of the brown sugar.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, milk and salt, then add the flour and baking powder and continue whisking just until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter (it’s not much) to the greased baking dish, and spread evenly into corners.
• Spoon the strawberries and all their juices over the top of the cake batter. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or just when a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before spooning into bowls. Serve warm with ice cream.

Snail Butter Green Beans

This recipe from David Lebovitz is da bomb! Snail butter is the best part of escargot and oh so good on green beans!

• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 c parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• Pepper
• A few drops lemon juice

Steam green beans for 8 – 10 minutes until tender.

In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat, add garlic and cook 2 – 3 minutes until golden. Stir in remaining ingredients and beans, toss to coat and serve.

Serves 4.

Texas Toast with an Egg in It

I had this recipe for the first time on vacation – I love having garlic bread with eggs for breakfast! Here is my version on it.

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c milk

2 cloves garlic minced

4 pieces of thick sliced bread

Butter

4 eggs

Preheat a girdle over medium high heat and butter generously.

Whisk together milk, 2 eggs and garlic. Cut a hole using a shot glass into the bread. Dip in egg mixture and place on the griddle. Cook until golden on one side, flip and add your egg. Cook until almost done, then flip and cook for 1 minute. Add more butter to the griddle as needed.

Serves 2 – 4.

Radish Salad with Radish Sandwiches

There is something so magical about butter and radishes – add a little lemon zest and it’s out of this world!

Ingredients:
1 head of butter lettuce, torn
1 bunch of radishes, sliced thin
2 tbsp butter at room temp
Zest of lemon
4 sliced dark rye
Salt

Dressing:
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 c half and half
1/3 c chives, minced

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to combine.

For the sandwich:

Cut 1/4 of the radishes into thin strips. Mash the lemon zest and butter together, spread on bread and top with radishes.

For Salad:

Combine lettuce and remaining radishes with 1/4 c dressing. Toss to coat.

Serves 4.

Asparagus with Miso Butter

This one is from the NYT and it is delicious! The butter and white miso paste give this dish a wonderful flavor. Top with a poached egg and you can’t go wrong.

1 tbsp oil
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 bunch of garlic scapes
Salt and pepper
¼ c white miso
¼ c unsalted butter
1 tsp sherry vinegar
2 poached eggs

Preheat oven to 400.

Toss Asparagus and scapes with a olive oil and roast for 10 – 15 minutes until they start to brown, stir a couple times.

Meanwhile, over low heat in a small saucepan, warm and whisk together miso and butter, so they combine, and butter softens but does not melt. Whisk in vinegar and keep warm.

When asparagus is done, put some miso butter on bottom of serving plate, top  with Asparagus and a poached egg.

Serves 2.

Butter Warmed Corn with Cilantro

 This dish is so simple and packs a ton of flavor. It goes perfect with meats. This literally only takes 2 minutes.

Ingredients:
3 ears of corn, kernals cut from cob
2 TBSP butter
1/2 c fresh cilantro, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add corn and cook until just warmed through, tossing to evenly coat in butter, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and shower with zest, cilantro and salt. 

Serves 4. 2 WW PP.

Radish And Butter Lettuce Salad with Radish Tartine

  

I’m on a Patricia Wells kick! I love her recipes simple, quick and delicious!! Nothing better than radishes and butter – those French are so smart.

Ingredients:
1 head of butter lettuce, torn
1 bunch of radishes, sliced thin, freshest leaves reserved
2 TBSP butter
zest of 1 lemon
4 slices of rye bread
Sea salt
1/4 c creamy lemon chive dressing (below)

Slice 1/4 of the radishes into narrow stirps. Mince the leavers. 

On a small plate mash the butter, lemon zest and 1/4 tsp salt. Add radish strips and leaves, mash together. Spread on rye bread.

In a large bowl toss lettuce and radishes with dressing.

Serve with rye tartines.

Serves 2 – 4.  5 WW PP

Creamy Lemon Chive Dressing
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 c half and half
1/2 c minced fresh chives

Combine in a small jar and shake to combine.

Crunchy Flourless Chocolate Cake

This cake is oh so rich! The amazing Dorothy Greenspan came up with this one – she always nails it!

Ingredients:
14 TBSP butter, cut into small pieces
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 eggs at room temp
1 c brown sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
4 TBSP cocoa nibs

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9 inch glass pie dish.

Combine chocolate and butter in a glass container, microwave at 30% power in 40 sec intervals, stirring until smooth and shinny. Let cool slightly.

Whisk eggs in a stand mixer, add sugar and cornstarch, whisk until smooth. Stir in chocolate butter mixture and cocoa nibs until smooth. Pour into pan.

Bake 28 – 32 minutes until skewer comes out almost clean. Cool to room temp.

Makes 12 servings.