Warm Scallop Salad With Corn, Nectarines, and Basil

French Friday's With Dorie:  Our assignment this week was Warm Scallop Salad With Corn, Nectarines, and Basil.  You prepare this recipe in separate steps and then bring it all together in a delicious salad.   The recipe starts with a tangy lime dressing. Lime juice, lime zest and chili powder are whisked together with olive oil.   You then prepare a Basil Coulis.   Fresh basil, olive oil and a pinch of salt are pureed.  Scallops are  then either grilled  or pan-seared.  I grilled  my scallops and peaches.  I used peaches  because my nectarines were not ripe enough. You are know ready to put everything together.

First, the corn is tossed with the tangy lime dressing. You then place the scallops on a plate surrounded by the corn.  The corn is topped with fresh diced seasoned tomatoes.  A nectarine half (in my case peach half) is placed on the corner of the plate.  You then spoon some lime dressing over the scallops.  Then top them with basil coulis.  You also dot the corn and tomatoes with the coulis.  Shredded basil is sprinkled over the corn and tomatoes.   Your salad is ready to serve.
This salad was quite good.  I loved the flavor of the lime dressing.  The grilled peach added a nice flavor to the salad.  I served the salad as a light dinner and it was a very satisfying and delicious meal.

This recipe can be found on pages 320-321 in "Around My French Table."

Tangy Lime Dressing

Warm Scallop Salad With Corn, Nectarines, and Basil

Banana Ice Cream

This past weekend, my husband celebrated his birthday. My kids wanted to make something special for his fifty something birthday.   One of his favorite eats is Banana Ice Cream.  So the kids and  I decided we would make him some.  I started searching and reviewing various recipes and ran across one by my favorite  former TV  chef  Alton Brown.  This is a super easy recipe to make.  No cooking is required.  You just process everything together in a food processor. Start with 6 ripe bananas and lemon juice.  You smell the sweet aroma of the bananas as you are processing them with the lemon juice.  Heavenly:)  Corn syrup and heavy cream are then added. Chill and then freeze in your ice cream maker.  You will notice the recipe calls for a vanilla bean.  I didn't have any so I substituted 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
The result was a very creamy, rich, and flavorful ice cream.  Homemade Banana Ice Cream was a hit with the hubby.  The kids were very proud of their culinary skills:)


Banana Ice Cream
From Alton Brown

Special Equipment:  Ice Cream Maker

Ingredients:

6 (approximately 2 1/4 pounds) ripe bananas
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

1. Place bananas in freezer and freeze overnight.
2. Remove bananas from freezer and allow to thaw for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Peel bananas and place in bowl of food processor along with lemon juice.  Process for 10 to 15 seconds.

Processed Bananas

4. Add corn syrup and  vanilla bean seeds and turn processor on.
5. Slowly pour in the heavy cream.  Process until smooth.

Banana Ice Cream Mixture

6. Chill mixture in refrigerator until it reaches 40 degrees.
7. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.
8. Place mixture in an airtight container and freeze for 3 to 6 hours before serving.

Makes about 1 quart

Creamy and Rich Banana Ice Cream

Egg Cream

Egg Cream has to be one  of the best fountain drinks ever created.   This  sweet fizzy beverage was invented in Brooklyn by Louis Auster, in the late 19th century. Egg Cream contains no eggs or cream.    You just need three ingredients, milk, chocolate syrup, and seltzer water.
To make an Egg Cream you pour the milk and chocolate syrup in a glass and top with seltzer water.  Quick and easy:)  You'd better drink it quick because it tends to fall flat.
An interesting note:  National Egg Cream Day is March 15!

                                          Egg Cream

Ingredients:
½ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2/3-cup seltzer water

Directions:
1. In a 12- ounce glass pour in the milk.  Add the chocolate syrup and stir until well blended.
2.Top with seltzer water.
3. Serve and enjoy.

Serves 1

Tomato~Cheese Tartlets

Friday's recipe for "French Fridays With Dorie" was Tomato~ Cheese Tartlets.  These tartlets were   delicious and so easy to make.    You  roll out a sheet of puff pastry  and cut it into rounds.  The rounds are then spread with basil pesto either homemade or store bought.  Top the basil pesto with vine ripe tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.  Sprinkle  with salt and pepper, drizzle with some  olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Then top with a fresh basil leaves and  voilà you have a wonderful luncheon dish.

Everyone in the family loved this dish and was asking for more.   I will be making this recipe a lot in the future.

You can find this recipe on page 164 in "Around My French Table" or at  Serious Eats.

Rolled Out Puff Pastry

Cutting into rounds

Round Puff Pastry

Pricked with Fork

Browned

Spread with Basil Pesto

Tomato~Cheese Tartlet

Banana Bread

Banana  Bread is one of my favorite quick breads to make.  It tastes so sweet and moist and makes fantastic PB&J's and toast.  I have tried various recipes throughout the years, and my favorite hands down is from Alton Brown.   In fact, this is the only recipe I have used for years to make Banana bread.   The main secret to his Banana bread is using overripe bananas.  As bananas ripen, they become sweeter. They also turn soft which makes them easier to mash.
This recipe requires no mixer.  You just combine wet and dry ingredients,stir until combined and bake.  Out of the oven comes a delicious loaf of banana bread.  I hope  you will enjoy this recipe again and again.

Banana Bread
From Alton Brown, "I'm Just Here For More Food"


Ingredients:

3- 4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)
Baker's Joy

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 9x5x21/2-inch loaf pan with Baker's Joy or line with foil and spray with Baker's Joy. Set aside.
3. Place the bananas and sugar in a large mixing bowl and mash them together with a potato masher until smooth.

4. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, oat flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

5.Beat the eggs in a small bowl.  Add the butter and almond extract.  Mix until combined.

6. Add the banana mixture to the egg mixture and stir. Add the combined mixture  to the flour mixture.  Stir until combined.

7. Fold in the nuts, then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out more or less clean.

8. Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan and place on a rack to cool completely before slicing.
9.  Tightly wrapped, this bread will keep at room temperature for 5 days.

Yield: One 9-inch loaf

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

With the weather being as hot as it has I haven't used the oven in awhile.  The kids were wanting some cookies so I pulled out a recipe my family has been making for years.  No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter cookies.

My first introduction to these cookies was at my elementary school cafeteria.  It was love at first bite.  I was delighted when I found out my aunt had a recipe for these cookies.
As the name states, these cookies do not require baking -  a big plus for hot summer days.  You heat the cookie mixture on the stove. Begin by putting some butter, cocoa powder, sugar, and milk in a saucepan and bring the ingredients to a boil  Then add the peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal.   Mix well and drop by tablespoon on waxed paper, cool and you have wonderful tasting cookies.

Most of my kids loved the cookies - Timmy wasn't that fond of them because he doesn't like oatmeal.  My other three kids were fine with that because it left more cookies for them:)




No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies


Ingredients:

¼ cup butter
2 cups sugar
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup peanut butter
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick- cooking oats

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan combine the butter, sugar, milk and cocoa powder.    Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute.

Butter, Cocoa Powder, Milk, Sugar

Mixture Boiling for 1 Minute

2. Remove from heat.  Stir the peanut butter into the cocoa mixture until smooth.  Add the vanilla extract and stir.  Add the oatmeal and mix until it is coated with the cocoa mixture.
3. Drop by tablespoon on waxed paper.  Cool before serving.


Makes 2 dozen cookies


Note: For small cookies drop by teaspoon.
Yield 3 dozen cookies

Oatmeal Coated With Cocoa Mixture

Cooling on Waxed Paper

Lemon Barley Pilaf

This week I made "Lemon Barley Pilaf" for French Fridays With Dorie.   To be honest with you, the only time I cook with barley is when I make soup.     I was eager to see how this dish tasted.
It is quite easy to make.  Barley is cooked in chicken broth along with a diced small onion,  carrots, and red bell pepper.  You then add in scallions, salt, pepper, and grated lemon zest.  I left out the scallions being that the barley was already cooked with onions, and my family isn't that much of an onion lover.
The result was a flavorful and colorful side dish.  The barley absorbed the flavor of the chicken broth and the lemon zest added the right amount of zing to the dish. The carrots and red bell pepper not only added flavor, they added color.  I served the Lemon Barley Pilaf with chicken.  A nice change from Rice Pilaf.

This recipe can be found on page 383 in "Around My French Table" or here.