Rhino Poachers, Dinner.

This is some good news on the rhino horn racket for a change, apparently the alleged leader of a group of poachers is in court. Unfortunately he is applying for bail and no doubt will get it. I know what I personally would do with these people, but sadly it is against most laws.

We left home around 3 and got to Ridgetown and Howard Johnson’s in 1 hr. and 40 mins. We had a pleasant drive although the 401 was crowded, when isn’t it? Its supposed to be the busiest road in North America. Having checked in at the hotel/motel we couldn’t get our key cards to work, however the manager re-keyed them and it was OK. The place is old, but seems to be pretty clean. It turned out that the restaurant is not a Howard Johnson’s but anyway we went there for supper after having a pre-dinner drink in our room. Had a lousy meal, I ordered fish and chips which was pretty bad, all batter no fish obviously pre-packaged, not even fish shaped and Matt had veal which turned out to be ground veal, he said it wasn’t bad but he had frozen peas with it.. Very often fish and chips here in Ontario, is quite good and I often see friends eating what looks like a delicious meal – this was not. Such a pity, Howard Johnson restaurants used to be so good.  This one seems pretty popular with the locals so I guess they are not too fussy. The specials were shepherd’s pie and shrimp and chips. Neither appealed but I’m wondering if they might not have been better. I finished up with a chocolate sundae which was delicious.

We spent the evening playing cribbage which we haven’t done for a considerable time, so long in fact, that I was having trouble remembering how to count points when we started. Glad to say I remembered and ended up winning. Our team mates were in the room next door but when we arrived they were apparently at the alley practising and we never saw them at all last night. Maybe at breakfast.

We won’t be getting home til 9 ish tonight so once again, I don’t know if I will be doing a blog for tomorrow.

I came across this really healthy way of cooking scallops which, when I can get the scallops, I certainly mean to try. This is a video of Michel Nischan preparing the dish, I think it looks wonderful. http://bcove.me/vubfm6bt

Here is the actual recipe

Miso Scallops with Edamame Sauce

Nutrition Facts

Makes 4 servings

Source: Recipe by Michel Nischan
Scallops marinated in a miso paste along with a tofu edamame sauce.

Servings 4

Ingredients

12 large scallops , patted dry
3 tbsp red mellow miso paste (or white miso)
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup Soybeans, edamame, shelled , blanched (or fresh/frozen lima beans)
3medium garlic cloves , blanched
1 oz silken tofu , or soft tofu, equal to 2 tablespoons
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1fresh tomatoes , chopped
2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or canola oil)
1fresh green onions , thinly sliced
1 tsp rice vinegar (or mild apple cider vinegar)
1 pinch salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions

1 Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
2 Make 4 rows of 3 scallops each on cutting board. Thread 2 skewers through each row of scallops. (Using 2 skewers keeps the scallops from slipping on the skewers during cooking.) Set aside.
3 For the marinade, whisk miso and water together in small bowl until smooth. Transfer marinade to shallow container or plate and set the scallop skewers in marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate, refrigerated, 1 to 2 hours, turning once.
4 For the sauce, place beans and garlic in a small saucepan (with just enough water to cover) over medium heat and simmer for 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender. Add tofu and lemon juice and blend until smooth. (The sauce might appear a little thick, depending on the beans. Thin if necessary with a little warm water.) Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.
5 For the relish, heat two tablespoons of grapeseed oil over medium heat in small skillet until oil is hot. Add tomatoes and cook until tomato juices evaporate and the relish looks like a chunky sauce. Remove pan from heat and immediately stir in green onions. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.
6 To prepare scallops: Heat one tablespoon of grapeseed oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium high heat until hot. Remove the scallops from the marinade and wipe any excess miso from the scallop skewers. Add the scallop skewers to the hot pan. Cook two minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Spoon some of the edamame sauce onto the center of four warmed plates and spread with the back of the spoon. Set the skewers over the sauce and top with the relish.

Have a great day