#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Bonne Femme Scallops – OMG

December 9, 2007 · Narrative

Over the past ten years, I have tried a lot of Rachael Ray recipes, a ton. I vividly remember the first “recipe” I ever tried of hers. It was way back when she had just started her 30 Minute Meals on the Food Network and was a simple spinach salad dressed with nothing more than lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Delicious, and it certainly doesn’t get simpler than that.

Over the years, I’ve found that her recipes tend to range from OK (perfect for weeknight, nothing to rave about) to good to very good. There have been a few OMG recipes over the years (her Chimichurri Chicken Bites come to mind, though doesn’t quite reach this status), but the majority fall in the “good” category. And then there was tonight…

Catching up on Tivo’d episodes of 30 Minute Meals, I caught a recent one she did on scallops. She made Scallops Bonne Femme (Scallops Good Woman), which was a French-influenced dish inspired by her icon, Julia Child. During the episode, she waxed rhapsodic on how she grew up watching Julia, and loved how she made food seem so accessible. This was, true-to-form, a recipe that came together in under 30 minutes, and with heavy cream and white wine, I’m not sure how you could go wrong.

As the sauce was simmering away on the stove, I snuck a spoon in it for a quick taste and nearly swooned. I swear to you, it is THAT good. The wine gives it that extra flavor level of something special that would make this a perfect dish for entertaining or when you want to treat yourself (because, well, it’s not like scallops, wine, cream and prosciutto [for the accompanying side dish] are budget choices; especially when one, ahem, chars the first batch of prosciutto). If you made the sauce and skipped the bread crumbs/bake-in-oven portion of this recipe, this would be fantastic over angel hair pasta, but for tonight, we were content to dip the hot, crusty, buttered garlic bread in it, making sure to catch every last drop.

If you only try one of Rachael Ray’s recipes, this one is it, for the sauce alone. Seriously. OMG.

P.S. With the addition of nutmeg in the recipe, this is perfect for Kalyn’s Weekend Herb Blogging round-up, which is being hosted by Briciole this week.

Scallops Bonne Femme and Spinach with Crispy Prosciutto
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large shallot, finely chopped
12 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup cream
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 dashes hot sauce
8 slices prosciutto
1 clove garlic, grated
2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves chopped
3 to 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 baguette, split and halved
20 large sea scallops, trimmed of any connective tissue and patted dry
1 cup plain bread crumbs
Handful parsley leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, cracked from skin
1 pound triple washed spinach, stems removed

Place oven rack at center of oven and preheat broiler. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a small pot over medium heat and add the shallots and mushrooms, cook 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter and flour to softened shallots and mushrooms and cook 1 minute then whisk in wine, reduce 30 seconds, add stock and bring to a bubble. Stir in cream and heat through. Season sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper and a couple dashes hot sauce, then reduce heat to low.

While the sauce is working, cover cookie sheet with foil and place prosciutto on the sheet and crisp up 2 minutes on each side under the broiler. It will continue to crisp as it cools.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 6 tablespoons butter, garlic, thyme and basil. Spread over baguette and place under broiler until toasty. Switch oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a skillet or cast iron pan over high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and dress with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Sear the scallops to caramelize 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side then cover them with sauce, bread crumbs and parsley and finish in oven about 6 to 7 minutes until brown and bubbly.

While scallops cook, heat remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat with crushed garlic, cook 1 minute and remove. Add spinach and wilt into skillet. Season greens with salt and pepper.

Serve scallops with wilted spinach alongside and top with broken pieces of crispy prosciutto and toasted bread.

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. Connie Peterson says

    December 9, 2007 at 2:53 pm

    I can’t wait to try this! My daughter and son-in-law from Seattle brought me some scallops and they have been sitting in the freezer waiting for a great meal idea!!

    Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Simona says

    December 9, 2007 at 4:14 pm

    It is difficult to resist such a passionate description. I love scallops, so now I want to try and replicate your OMG experience.

    Reply
  3. Pam says

    December 11, 2007 at 7:16 pm

    Cate, this looks and sounds absolutely delicious. I also have a bag of scallops in the freezer waiting for that “perfect” recipe. Thank you. This is now on the menu for our seafood Christmas lunch.

    Reply
  4. Kalyn says

    December 12, 2007 at 1:54 am

    Love scallops, and everything about this sounds delicious.

    Reply
  5. swirlingnotions says

    December 12, 2007 at 11:14 pm

    Whah, this looks good. Just one question . . . how many does this serve?

    Reply
  6. Cate says

    December 13, 2007 at 2:59 am

    Lia – didn’t specify, but I would peg it at 4.

    Reply
  7. Laurie Constantino says

    December 13, 2007 at 7:48 am

    You certainly make me want to try this! Excellent post, thanks!

    Reply
  8. Deborah says

    December 13, 2007 at 6:00 pm

    I saw this episode and have been wanting to make this. I am a RR fan – and mostly have good results with her recipes. It’s great to know of another fan!!

    Reply
  9. Crafty P says

    December 15, 2007 at 9:20 pm

    I am not a scallop kinda gal, but your description has me giving them a second thought.

    Reply
  10. don't haight. says

    December 15, 2007 at 10:27 pm

    I’m so glad you posted this recipe. I saw that episode and search foreverrr on google trying to find the recipe. Thank youu!!!!

    Reply

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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