Steamer Basket, Sharing, Mandarin, Scallops

Wednesday morning I wanted to put a chicken carcass and some veg into the steamer which ladydog's

husband fixed for me. Guess what, it doesn't fit my Instant Pot. Was I annoyed. Lucky I got my money back because of all the problems with it. I cannot find another source for the steamer basket other than Amazon and that's where I got the first one. In the end I put the carcass and veg in the regular insert and cooked it for 2 hours. It is very good. Got it chilling now. I am making the Hawaiian Barbecued Chicken for supper. I have since ordered another basket and have been assured (written on my order) that I can return it at no postage charge if it doesn't fit. Ve shal see.

Took Matt for his Xray and Ultra Sound on his knee. Funny in a way. Although he is having bad leg problems, he insisted he could get the car so off he went with his walker which he leaves in the garage rather than have the hassle of putting it in the trunk.. I took my cane and wandered to the lobby to await him. He arrived and I realised he didn't have his cane. So, I took over the driving and off we went. When we got to the lab, Matt used my cane and hobbled around the place as did I without the cane. It was actually quite funny. I had to help take his pants off. Another thing that amused me, the technician, female, said he should take his pants off. Not many women I would allow to say that to him LOL.

We were supposed to go to Mandarin with friends on Thursday, today to you, and Matt says he cannot go so I am being picked up by our friends to go for lunch. Matt doesn't need people or anything, I do. One of the things I love about the bowling alley is seeing all my friends.

Both ladydog and I love scallops and this one really fits the bill for me because, of course, it includes asparagus. ladydog doesn't like asparagus!!!! I might say I had some asparagus with my Red Lobster order yesterday, mistake, it was neither raw nor cook. Not good. Asparagus might be today, Thursday. Too cold to pick on Wednesday apparently, it was windy and I had no coat. Brrrrr.

Asparagus with Scallops, Browned Butter and Prosciutto

1 lb white asparagus, peeled, or green asparagus
3 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter
1 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 lb sea scallops
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth

1. Cook the asparagus in a large sauce-pan of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the asparagus to a colander and leave the pan of water simmering on the stove.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet. Add the prosciutto and cook over low heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer the prosciutto to a plate.

3. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet. Add the scallops, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the scallops to a plate.

4. Add the lemon zest to the skillet and cook over moderate heat until browned, about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and simmer for 10 seconds. Add the stock and simmer, scraping the bottom of the skillet, until reduced to a rich glaze, about 3 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Return the scallops, along with any juices, to the skillet and cook over low heat until heated through.

5. Return the asparagus to the simmering water to heat through. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Using tongs, transfer the asparagus to a large platter and spoon the scallops and sauce over it. Top with the fried prosciutto and serve.

Servings: 4

Source: Food and Wine





Have a great day

Marijuana, Poppies and Terrorists.

I watched a documentary on The Nature of Things last night in which they provided overwhelming evidence that marijuana causes schizophrenia in a large number of users. If I were a user, that would stop me cold. They had all kinds of patients, their families and their doctors all talking about it. Research has been done in several countries which has conclusively proved the connection. I have always been anti pot, Mary Jane, cannabis, or whatever you want to call it, and this confirms my opinions. Drugs of any kind are dangerous, even those prescribed by your doctor have all kinds of side effects which are monitored and controlled but obviously so called recreational drugs are not monitored.

Talking of drugs, British Columbia have just found a poppy field which is ready to be harvested. They are now wondering how many more there are that they haven’t found yet. The pictures of the field showed it to be absolutely huge, I don’t know how much product you can get from one field mind you. Possibly not a lot. In my opinion people who use drugs need their heads examined.

Canada has just arrested three suspected Islamic terrorists on our soil. Now the other Islamis are worried about retribution and retaliation from the general population. A taxi driver in Toronto was slashed with a knife this week because he stated his religion was Islam. They have arrested the young man who did it and are puzzled as he has been involved in meetings promotion religious tolerance. Its not so much the religion as the militant branch of it which terrifies people and how, generally, do you know who is militant and who is not?

I have been having computer problems again this week, for various reasons I had to make a couple of changes and now my laptop will no longer talk to my desktop or vice versa. Its supposed to be a very simple set up, really? I have tried everything I can think of, and I am in email touch with the young man who built my new PC,  but haven’t solved the problem so far. I have a new thing to try today, so will do that later. I have been sharing the printer for a couple of weeks now, but no more.

I love shrimp, I love white beans, what’s not to like in this low cal healthy recipe?

Grilled Shrimp Skewers over White Bean Salad

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/grilled_shrimp_bean_salad.html

From EatingWell:  July/August 2010

Fresh herbs make all the difference in this light, summery bean salad that in turn makes an aromatic bed for the easy grilled shrimp. The shrimp and salad are wonderful together but you could also make them separately. Consider skewering and grilling scallops as another delicious option.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/3 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons packed fresh oregano, minced

2 tablespoons packed fresh sage, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed

12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup finely diced celery

24 raw shrimp (21-25 per pound; see Note), peeled and deveined

Preparation

1. Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, oregano, sage, chives, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the dressing in a small bowl. Add beans, tomatoes and celery to the large bowl; toss well.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high or place a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot.
3. Thread shrimp onto 6 skewers. (If using a grill pan, you don’t need to skewer the shrimp.)
4. Oil the grill rack (see Tip) or the grill pan. Grill the shrimp until pink and firm, turning once, about 4 minutes total. Serve the shrimp on the white bean salad, drizzled with the reserved dressing.

Nutrition

Per serving : 239 Calories; 8 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 6 g Mono; 115 mg Cholesterol; 22 g Carbohydrates; 22 g Protein; 8 g Fiber; 575 mg Sodium; 298 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 1/2 lean meat, 1 1/2 fat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the salad and shrimp separately for up to 1 day. | Equipment: Six 8- to 10-inch skewers

• Note: Both wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp can damage the surrounding ecosystems when not managed properly. Look for shrimp certified by an independent agency, such as Wild American Shrimp or Marine Stewardship Council. If you can’t find certified shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp from North America—it’s more likely to be sustainably caught. Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, “21-25 count” means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as “large” or “extra large,” are not standardized. In recipes calling for a specific count, order by the count (or number) per pound to be sure you’re getting the size you want.
• Tip: To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)