Seared Scallops With Creamy White Wine Sauce

So yesterday I went to Costco and finally got some of the sea scallops I have been seeing each time I go.
They come in a 900 gram bag for about $42 at the moment, although they were cheaper near Christmas so I guess they were on special or the price fluctuates according to season (which is what I hope, it makes me think they are fresher if they aren't kept long enough to avoid seasonal prices!).
I had seen this video from Foodwishes on Youtube a while ago and thought it looked so good. So I made my own. I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but it is very similar.

                                    

Ingredients (serves two):

•  6 sea scallops
• pasta (mine was a mix of spaghetti and linguine), I use the measuring thing at the top of the container to measure how much.
• 2 garlic cloves crushed, chopped or grated. 
• Dry white wine, I used around 3/4 of a cup I think. 
• 3 heaping tablespoons of cream, I used the Philly cream for cooking because I was too scared to have it separate and ruin the very expensive scallops!
• Parsley, however much you like, I used about 2 cm worth of that bunch, chopped. 
• Oil, butter, salt, pepper, chili flakes, Parmesan and lemon juice as you see fit. 

Method:

1. Defrost the scallops on a rack over a plate to allow any excess moisture to drain. Rinse and dry them VERY thoroughly.
2. Season Scallops with salt and pepper.
3. Boil water and have pasta boiling before starting anything else as it all cooks very fast once you get started.Always check on it, turn it off when slightly underdone and leave in the pot or drain when done and have ready to add to the sauce.  
4. Heat a fry pan with some oil to a very high heat and carefully add the scallops. Leave in the pan without moving for about 1 and half minutes, or a tiny bit more, for each side. All the recipes I read said one minute, but I felt that mine were a little under done and they were in there for a bit over a minute each side.
   
5. Remove the scallops and set aside. Turn the temperature down and add the butter and garlic.
6. Before the garlic has a chance to crisp, add the wine and chili and allow to simmer. 
7. Add the cream and lemon juice and simmer to your desired consistency (this happened in the time it took me to get an extra dollop of cream and some more lemon juice, it's very fast if your pan was really hot to start with). Turn heat right down.
   
8. Add the pasta and parsley and stir through to heat pasta if it has been out of the pot.
9. Serve the pasta on plates with salad, with the scallops on top and some Parmesan cheese!
   

This was a really yummy and fast meal. I think it would be excellent for a dinner party as it is quite fancy, but doesn't require a lot of work and isn't overly filling, meaning more room for appetizers and desserts! 

The Scallops were excellent I think (not that I have a lot of experience) but I found they have a nice mild taste and are really sweet. They were not rubbery or chewy, but did not fall apart either. 

Does it Freeze? Croissants

This is the first in what might be a series of posts, testing if things freeze well. Given my love for Costco, I often find myself with larger quantities of things than I can eat and there are some things I don't get because I'm not sure that I will be able to store it. So I thought why not start testing out some things where the risk is small eg. 12 croissants for $7.50, if the 8 I freeze get ruined, it's not the end of the world.

Item: Day old fresh croissants

Prep: individually sealed in ziplock backs with as much excess air sucked out as we could get without squishing them.

Frozen: over night- solid when removed the thaw

Defrost: on bench 1-1.5 hours-ish

Serving: heated for 15 seconds in microwave, served with Cherryberry home made jam, recipe here

Results: Excellent! defrosted pretty much like fresh. Possibly slightly stale/crispy on some parts, but once warmed in the microwaved as I did, or if you toasted it, the texture and taste was perfect. I am only going on how it felt, so it might not have had any bad spots at all. The Costco croissants on sale was an excellent by, but even at full price ($9.50) I will certainly buy them again to have on hand for breakfasts and lunches. 

Chia Puddings

Chia seeds are something I don't know much about, but having bought some at Costco I have a lot of them to experiment with. Previously I have made some Banana, Blueberry, Chia and Oat muffins which were really nice and great to freeze  Today I made a batch of puddings in different flavours. Before now I made a chocolate chia pudding with a recipe from Food Wishes, and then I made a vanilla one with almond milk and vanilla bean paste with a small amount of sugar added.

Looking at many online recipes I think the basic mix for a pudding is 1/4 cup Chia: 1 cup liquid. 

Today I used almond milk for all my puddings and made Chai, Banana, Chocolate, Mango, Cherry+Raspberry and vanilla. I made them in little yoghurt pots that came with my Aldi yoghurt maker, so they will be great to take to school. Chia is very healthy with lots of protein, omgea 3+6 and fiber. Almond milk a little watery to drink for my taste, but not bad at all and with only 40 calories per cup its s great option instead of regular cows milk if you would rather use your calories on other things. 

1. Pour one scoop full of Chia seeds (1/8 cup) into each jar or container.

2. Add other flavorings:

Chai: 1/2 a Chai Latte pod (or some Chai powder)

Banana: 1.5-2 Tbsp banana milkshake syrup

Chocolate: 1 heaped teaspoon cocoa powder, 1-1.5 tsp sugar

Mango: a few cubes of chopped up mango, 1 level tsp sugar

Cherry+Raspberry: 3 tsp Cherryberry Jam (recipe here)

Vanilla: 1/4 tsp vanilla paste, 1 tsp sugar

3. Pour in 1/2 cup almond milk or as much as you can fit. If you can't fit enough liquid in your pudding will be crunchier, so you might need to play around with how much of different fillings can go in.

4. Put the lids on and shake up the jars. Open and stir if any seeds have stuck in bunches to the sides. Leave the jars for a few minutes and shake again. Then leave in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.

 I haven't tasted them all yet, but I know that chocolate and vanilla are both yummy. Out of the others the only two I think some people might not like would be the chai and banana, but given they are both normally milky drinks I like, I think they will be good. Anything fruity and sweet I always like, so I know the mango and cherry+raspberry with be good. 

Banana,Blueberry, Oats + Chia Muffins

So earlier today I went to Costco. Two of the things I bought were a giant tub of cake mix and chia seeds. So this afternoon I made muffins using the cake mix and the chia seeds with banana, frozen blueberries (which I also get from Costco) and rolled oats.  They're very yummy and not too sweet (by my standards anyway) for a packet mix cake base.

Ingredients (makes 12):
spray oil
340g  all purpose cake mix
3 tbsp oil
1 cup blueberries
1/3-2/3 cup of milk (start mixing with less and add more if you think it needs it)
2 small-medium bananas mashed
2 scoops chia seeds (around 1/4 I think)
2 eggs

1. Pre-heat oven to 180, spray and line a muffin tray.
2.Measure out the cake mix or your dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, mix through blueberries and create a well in the center.
3. Mix the oil, milk, banana and eggs in a separate bowl- this is to reduce mixing with the dry ingredients as over mixing is bad for muffins).
4. Add the wet ingredients to the well and mix until just combined.
5. Spoon into tin and bake for 20-25 mins (mine were in for around 25, but I think they would have been fine with a little less)
6. When cooked through and a skewer or knife comes out clean, remove from oven and when cool enough, place on a wire rack to cool.

These muffins are so yummy fresh. The banana and blueberries mean it is moist, the cake mix kept things nice and fluffy and the chia seeds add some extra crunch. I will freeze these individually for work, hopefully they defrost well wrapped up over the morning, if not, they will be tasty defrosted in the microwave and eaten hot!

Costco Shopping and Prices 27/01/14

Back to Costco today. It was really busy, almost as busy as it was just before Christmas, but it took about 10 min to get a car park and we were then in and out fairly quickly. This time I got lots of things from the specials, you can view them on the Costco website here .
Just a small bunch of things this time, although the cost still gets high easily with these things!

Overall I'm pleased with my items. The toothpaste and brushes were the let down for me, but that's what I get for not checking. I have been happy with the Aldi toothpaste, however I didn't love the toothbrushes, so that is a good saving. I will see if I notice any difference with the Colgate toothpaste. If you are loyal to your brand for toothpaste the saving is very good.

The facial wipes are significantly more expensive than the Aldi brand ones, but much cheaper than brand name ones from Woolies, so I will have to use them and see how good they are. That said, it comes in a convenient package and has some smaller travel packs in it which will be handy.

Everything else was very good value and I'm pleased with my purchases. The cake mix will be so handy, being in the tub makes it easy to use and make whatever quantity I like. I will be making some Banana/Blueberry+Oat+Chia breakfast muffins later today hopefully, so we will see how they turn out.

Sushi with the Sushezi

A favourite meal for us is our home made sushi. I have a kitchen contraption specifically for the job called the Sushezi, it basically allows you to get the placement of ingredients right and squash everything together a lot more easily than you would be able to by hand. You can really put whatever ingredients in it you want, this is just what we do. It kind of developed over time and now we always just have the same fillings because we luff it.

Ingredients:
Sushi Rice (any short grain works)
Sushi seasoning
Kewpie Mayo
Cucumber
Packet cheddar cheese or cheese sticks
Avocado
Seafood sticks
Nori Sheets
Spray oil

1. Wash and cook the rice according to instructions. I like to use my microwave rice cooker for this job. After cooking add a good amount (I think the original recipe I used had about 1/4 cup listed, but now I just add and taste) of the seasoning to the rice and refrigerate while you get the other ingredients ready, so it is not too hot to handle.

2.Slice up everything into strips.

3.Open up the Sushezi, spray lightly and press rice into both sides. Use the stick part (technical term) to press a dent into each side to put the fillings in.

4. Add your fillings, snap the Sushezi shut and use the stick to press everything together.

5. Press out the rice roll onto your Nori sheet. Roll it up adding water as needed to soften the seaweed and stick it together around the roll.

6. Wrap tightly in cling wrap and refrigerate until cold.

7. Unwrap, slice, serve!

We also made some 'free form' sushi piles with the left overs that we ate while waiting for the rolls to cool down.

Costco Shopping and prices 13/01/14

So I went out grocery shopping today, so excite. Went into the new fresh food market near my house which seems pretty good value and great if I want good prices but don't want to go into my usual shopping center. I also had a little look at the wholesale butcher in there. Not bad either. I wanted mostly to be able to compare prices at Costco and, without actually writing things down to properly compare exact items, Costco seems pretty on par price wise with slightly better items on offer.

Here is what I brought home from Costco, minus the bottles of water I picked up for a friend's wedding on Friday.

I am most excited for the fish cakes and prawn dumplings which they had out for tasting yum yum!

Here are my price comparisons, I compared to Safeway, Aldi, or Officeworks, with Aldi being the first place to look for a similar item, as I would normally buy most things there: 

                                Costco           Regular Shops     Difference

Sharpie Highlighters    11.99            29.16        17.17

Prawn Hargow           13.79       22.80            9.01           

Raspberries 1kg:         6.49              8.98                    2.49

eggs 18 pk            5.29       5.50-6.00             Even 

Rotisserie Chicken       7.99 ~$10         $2

Ravioli *   11.59           $8 -$3.59 

(*compared to Aldi's version of the Latina Fresh type pastas, I do think the Costco ones are a bit fancier and use free range eggs as well. Not sure if it is a completely fair comparison.)

The other items I bought and couldn't find a good comparison:

Gel pen 50 pack $14.99, I need a better idea of the quality before I can make a fair comparison, but they seem pretty good and dry  nice and fast. 

Gas lighters 4 pack $5.89, this is a great deal! They work well and two of them hav bendy ends. Similar looking lighters cost almost $10 each at Safeway, although I'm sure you can get them cheaper elsewhere. Still, a great deal on something I really needed. 

Nu-Pure 600ml x 24 Bottles $6.49, I didn't do a comparison because I don't know how different brands of water compare. However a 24 pack of Woolworths brand water is $8, so it is still cheaper than regular prices. 

Thai Fish Cakes  40 pieces $9.89, I got these because they're very low in calories so will be great to have on fasting days with some salad or rice. It seems like a good price, but I couldn't find a similar product online. 

Smooze Fruit Ice 35 pieces $14.69, Getting ready for the heat wave! I tasted these the last time I went and liked them. They seem slightly better nutritionally than Zooper Doopers and are a good size. These are also 60-100 calories each so might make a good fast day treat!

French Twists $7.79, These are so yummy and claim only 30 calories each. Sweet and crunchy and cinnamon-y, excellent treat with a coffee or tea. 

Bagels 12 pack $9.99, Always get bagels 1 plain, 1 sesame seed. Love them!

I wrapped up the bagels and separated the pasta into little serving size bags. On a normal night we could have one each (although that still seems like a LARGE serving to me!) for around $2 per serve, or on a fast day we would have half each for less than $1 per serve. Excellent value, even if it is a bit more than Aldi brand! 

Hopefully these prices can  help you if you aren't sure if membership is worth it for you, or if you just want to see some of the products that are available! I will probably do another shop before I go back to work at the end of the month to stock up on some mince and snacks to freeze. 

Mini Savory Tarts

Yesterday was the hen's night for one of my best friends from my cheer days. Instead of bringing gifts, everyone brought a dish to share and the recipe so she could make a scrapbook of them to keep. Such a cute idea and a way for everyone to give something meaningful and lasting. 

This particular recipe is great because it's so easily changed to suit whatever you like. I imagine it could even be made sweet with some vanilla in the cheese mix and something fruity on top!

Basic Tartlets (makes 48+ in mini quiche tins)

6 egg yolks

250gm Mascarpone cheese

1/3-1/2 block cream cheese

Salt

Pepper

Puff pastry

1. Pre-heat oven to 200c, lightly grease mini muffin tins.
2. In a bowl add egg yolks, mascarpone and chopped, soft cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cut circles of puff pastry to fit muffin tins and press in.
   
   
4. Add fillings and bake for 15-20 mins (or more) until golden.  Be careful of over-filling at the egg mix does expand a bit.

 Caramelized Onion Filling

1/4-1/3 block of butter

2-3tbsp sugar

4 onions, quartered and sliced

Cherry tomatoes, halved and de-seeded

Good quality pesto

1.   Melt butter in a heavy based pan over medium heat.
   
2.  Add chopped onions and stir to coat.
   
3.  Maintain a medium heat and stir occasionally; you may like to drain excess oil at times.
   
4.  When the onions have begun to turn golden brown add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time to help the process. Give each spoon several minutes to mix and cook down to avoid over sweetening.
   
5.  Set aside in a bowl lined with paper towel to cool when golden brown and sweet to taste.
6. Spoon onion mix into tartlets, top with cheese mix, pesto and tomatoes to garnish before baking.
   

Marinated Feta and Capsicum Filling

Yarra Valley Marinated feta, crumbled

Marinated roasted capsicum strips

1. Spoon in cheese mix, top with capsicum and crumbled feta before baking.