Refreshing, salty-sweet, and crunchy – here is a quick, easy and healthy side for your Asian-style meals!
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spicy saucy scallops with tomatoes and tamari, baked in a packet
Scallops are cute round delicious seafood. Need I say more? Well OK. Here is a scallop primer for total beginners (because I was one, too). There are lots of places giving detailed tips on purchasing scallops, so definitely Google it for more deets, but here are my quick tips.
Get DRY scallops. This means they are not soaked in brine or water, which is a cheapo way of keeping them preserved, AND increases their weight so you pay more for less. Disapprove.
There are SEA scallops and BAY scallops. Bay scallops are freshwater, sea scallops are seawater, so sea scallops are naturally saltier. Keep this in mind when seasoning your food.
Get the big ones (size of a poker chip or larger), not the tiny ones (size of a pencil eraser). They are different types, and my research said the tiny ones can be rubbery. It seems most recipes are for the big ones anyway.
Rinse them well. They can be gritty. And obviously like any seafood, make them right away once you buy them!
Got it? Let’s go! Continue reading
spicy tuna bites on cucumber rounds
Fast, easy, and healthy for a great quick appetizer or light lunch. If you are living la vida low-carb, this fits the bill. Continue reading
monkfish cheeks with sake, tamari and sesame
Monkfish cheeks? They’re little round white flaky fish bits, boneless, about the size of a large scallop. This was my first time trying them and I will definitely try them again! They are also cheaper than monkfish fillets.
I based this recipe on one I’ve already shared: Baked Shrimp with Asian Flavors. It makes a lovely broth. Continue reading
blistered shisito peppers
Fear not – these are very friendly, not too spicy peppers! You can handle them even if you’re a bit wimpy about hot stuff like I am. They make a great healthy and guilt-free appetizer. Look for shisito peppers at your local Asian market (and many mainstream markets have them now too). They are bright green and longer and skinnier than a jalapeno, with a tendency to curl a bit. Sometimes they are labeled “sweet peppers” or “curly peppers”. Continue reading
spinach, quinoa, and feta salad with dried cranberries
Quinoa is fun to say (KEEN-wah… I like to sing it) and it’s definitely having a moment, due to being delicious *and* high in amino acids and protein. I make this salad at least once a week for a quick and scrumptious dinner for two. If you make the quinoa and vinaigrette ahead (or buy pre-made), you can throw this together in a few minutes – no big deal. It’s still pretty fast even if you make everything from scratch (quinoa takes about 20 minutes). If your quinoa is still warm, you can still put it right into the salad and you’ll have a nice wilted spinach effect, if you like that sort of thing (if you don’t, just wait for it to cool). Continue reading