BALSALMIC MUSHROOMS & PRAWNS

One thing about me is, that I never really enjoyed fish unless it once inhabited a shell. I have since discovered the whole new world of Kiwi cuisine and lovely fish recipes my entire family enjoys, but now and again I still revert to my old ways and buy some sort of crustacean.

The other day I was clearing the freezer to make way for a Kiwi-giant-sized tub of ice cream, since the good flavours don’t seem to be sold in any smaller amounts, and I came across some flash frozen prawns. “Hmmm…a few lovely scallops might be nice too, but how do I want to fix them?” I pondered. “Aha, I have it!”

My daughter hates mushrooms (weirdo!) and she’s not too fussed on prawns either, so I can make something to combine the two of those things for my hubby and I to enjoy, and wrap the scallops in bacon for her! Voila! A nice green salad on the side and we have an all-around winner!

Now, since they are separate preparations, I’ll post them individually here (see Bacon Wrapped Scallops post).


MUSHROOMS - INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp Butter
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
1-2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
*Crushed Sea Salt
*Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Tbsp Balsalmic Vinegar
2 Tsp Chives, finely chopped

*Amounts Vary – Season to Taste


DIRECTIONS:

Heat butter in a wide chef’s pan or simmer pan and when it’s bubbling & hot, add the mushrooms.

Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally and when they begin to go soft, add the garlic and cook an additional minute.

Now add the salt & pepper and the vinegar and stir well to absorb all of the liquid.

Now, sprinkle with chives and remove from heat. I added them back into the prawns after the fish was well cooked.


PRAWNS - INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp Butter
500 Gm Prawns (about 1 Lb)
1-2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
*Crushed Sea Salt
*Freshly Ground Pepper

*Amounts Vary – Season to Taste


DIRECTIONS:

Thaw prawns in warm water, then rinse and pat dry.

Heat butter in a wide chef’s pan or simmer pan and when it’s bubbling & hot, add the prawns.

Cook for 2-3 minutes and when they begin to go pink, add the garlic and cook an additional minute, or until prawns are completely done, but don't cook too long or they become rubbery.

Now add the salt & pepper and stir in the mushrooms.

Serve immediately.

I served the concoction on vermicelli with olive oil and garlic butter, alongside the Bacon Wrapped Scallops and a lovely salad. It was truly delish and there was none left at the end of the meal.

I guess I’d best hit that treadmill again if I don’t want to gain back the kilos I have worked so hard to lose!!! Bugger! ;o)

BACON WRAPPED SCALLOPS

One thing about me is, that I never really enjoyed fish unless it once inhabited a shell. I have since discovered the whole new world of Kiwi cuisine and lovely fish recipes my entire family enjoys, but now and again I still revert to my old ways and buy some sort of crustacean.

The other day I was clearing the freezer to make way for a Kiwi-giant-sized tub of ice cream, since the good flavours don’t seem to be sold in any smaller amounts, and I came across some flash frozen prawns. “Hmmm…a few lovely scallops might be nice too, but how do I want to fix them?” I pondered. “Aha, I have it!”

My daughter hates mushrooms (weirdo!) and she’s not too fussed on prawns either, so I can make something to combine the two of those things for my hubby and I to enjoy, and wrap the scallops in bacon for her! Voila! A nice green salad on the side and we have an all-around winner!

Now, since they are separate preparations, I’ll post them individually here (see Balsalmic Mushrooms & Prawns).


SCALLOPS - INGREDIENTS:

12 Med-Lg Scallops (more or less)
250 Gm (about ½ Lb) American Streaky Bacon
4 Stripped Rosemary Sprigs (or short bamboo skewers)
2 Tbsp Sav Blanc (or other white wine)
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
*Crushed Sea Salt
*Freshly Ground Black Pepper

*Amounts Vary – Season to Taste


DIRECTIONS:

First, move oven rack to first or second position and preheat oven to 200 C (400 F), or higher for broiler/grill. Insert a shallow baking dish to get hot in oven.

Rinse scallops and pat dry.

With kitchen shears, cut bacon strip in half and use a half strip to wrap each scallop, pinning the bacon ends together by skewering the bacon & scallop with the rosemary sprig or bamboo skewer.

Skewer about 3-4 scallops per sprig.

Carefully remove baking dish from oven and place the skewered scallops into the dish and drizzle with oil then sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until bacon gets crispy on top, then deglaze the pan with the wine and leave for an additional minute.

The scallops are tender and juicy and the bacon is a lovely companion to the fish. The rosemary sprig gives off a wonderful aroma that does not overpower the fish. My daughter said she liked them, but chose to eat a rather significant portion of the prawns as well. Perhaps someone is growing??? In any case, bon appetite!

ALMOND & MASCARPONE COOKIES

If you love soft and chewy cookies (biscuits to you Kiwis out there) then you will love these. This recipe doesn’t over sweeten the cookies as some recipes tend to do, and the texture & taste is similar to a shortbread/sweet shortcake biscuit here.

One thing to note whan making these though, is that they do NOT brown like chocolate chip or sugar cookies. They are meant only to go slightly golden around the edges, so here is how you make them.


INGREDIENTS:

125 Gms (4 ½ Oz) Mascarpone Cheese or Softened Cream Cheese
1 Cup Butter, softened
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg Yolk
1 Tbsp Milk
½ Tsp Almond Extract (Almond Essence or Flavouring)
2½ Cups High Grade Flour
1 Cup Sliced Almonds, toasted


DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, beat the cheese, butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Blend in egg yolk, milk and almond extract.

Gradually mix in the flour until well combined.

Gently fold in the almonds.

The dough is very thick and sticky, but needs to be divided in half. To do this, tear off two sheets of baking paper approximately an arms length long (1½ to 2 feet more or less) then place half the dough onto each sheet.

Working through the paper, shape each half into a log roll about a foot long (30 cm more or less).

Whilst still rolled in the paper, refrigerate until quite firm. This recipe makes approximately 4 dozen cookies, so you may even opt to seal one half in a freezer bag to store frozen until you are ready for another batch of fresh cookies.

When ready, Preheat the oven to 160 C (325 F) and cut roll/s into ½ cm (approx ¼ inch) thick slices and place the slices onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the edges are golden – do not cook until brown.

Let them sit for a minute to cool on the baking sheet, then shift them to cool on a wire rack and enjoy!