Mindylynn's Kitchen

I can’t believe how quickly time flies.  One day I was struggling to figure out how to get my newborn to stop crying for one minute and the next I was planning her 1st birthday.  And now, it’s almost 2 months later and I realized I never put up pictures.  For shame.  I had so much fun planning her party.  As far as themes go I didn’t really push the envelope or get very creative.  I just knew that I was going to throw her a cowgirl party.  We were going to be in the hick town of my childhood to celebrate so it seemed appropriate…and fun.  My inspiration and my main goal revolved around the cake.  Yes of course…FOOD.
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This week’s photo challange over at http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/ is smiles…sooo many pictures to choose from, but this is the most recent cheesey smile that I love.  So, may it bring a smile to your face, and some day soon (6 weeks left until my due date) I will actually be able to move and plot and plan an out door photo shoot and supply something a little more interesting.

I went to lunch with my friends Tina & Jaclyn, and since Tina and I are sushi buddies we went to Hiro’s in Petaluma, an amazing sushi restaurant. After lunch we walked across the street and found a little candy shop that had some crazy good caramels. It was there that I was introduced into the wonderful world of salted caramels. In this sad little county in which I live there is no where to get these so I’ve been deprived through 8 months of pregnancy cravings, until today. I spent days googeling looking for a caramel recipe that did not use corn syrup…I found 1, From chez Pim.  I then preceded to walk into my kitchen and sans candy thermometer I made my very first batch of carmels.  OH MY GOD.  I wanted to call everybody I know and exclaim to the world how yummy these were.  I’m beside myself with glee and I can’t stop running to the kitchen to nibble on them.  Enough gushing…and back to the cooking.

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Makes 4 pieces

1 large (sushi grade) scallop sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
4 tubular shaped pieces of sushi rice
4-1 cm wide strips of nori
dynamite sauce
paprika

Very quickly drop the scallops on a hot non stick pan. Flip immediately and remove just as quickly.  Place the scallops on top of the rice and secure with the stip of nori.  Top with dynamite sauce and dust with paprika.  YUM

this sauce is divine.  I use it for creamy scallop nigiri and BBQ hotate nigiri and I’m planning on using it on grilled albacore.

1/2 cup mayonaise (japanese mayo is best but a delicate flavored one such as from trader joes will work)
*2 tbsp siracha sauce (more or less to taste…so you can controll the spiciness)
1/4 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil

*you can also substitute a combination of franks red hot sauce and sweet chili oil or sauce.

Creamy Scallop Nigiri

OK, so my introduction to the wonderful world of sushi has been slow but wonderful. I asked a waitress at my local sushi restaurant for a recommendation and she suggested the creamy scallop nigiri.  Oh me oh my.  It was love at first bite.  These are the yummiest little tid bits EVER

This is enough for one order (2 pieces) of nigiri, the sauce makes like 3/4 cup (there will be extra)

1 Scallop diced (U-6 to U-8)
1/2 teaspoon sliced green onion
1/2 teaspoon fish roe like capelin roe
enough Dynamite sauce to coat scallop mixture
2- 1 1/4 inch strips of nori
2- 1 1/2 inch balls of sushi rice

Mix scallops, green onion, roe and sauce together and set aside.  Form rice into balls and squish the top and bottom and wrap the nori around the outside and secure the over lap with a little water.  fill the void created by the nori with scallop mixture

I was introduced to the wonder of honey baked hams from the honey baked ham store…however I cannot bring myself to pay for them…they’re pricey. I tried to find out how they made their hams so special…turns out it’s easy…ish. Mix 1 1/2 cup of white sugar with 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 4 tbsp of pumpkin pie spice. rub onto the outside of the ham and then caramalize with a blow torch or under a broiler. When using the broiler remove from heat ever 2-3 minutes to prevent burning. make sure to get the sides browned too. when it is crispy on the outside turn down the heat to 300 degrees and finish warming the honey ham…serve with any drippings on the side. YUM

pasta noodles (cooked)

1 pound whole raw prawns
Quart of whipping cream
2 tbsp. minced white onion
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 cup of white wine

Saute onion until soft, deglaze pan with half of wine. Pour cream into pan and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add prawns, rest of the wine, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.  Remove prawns and simmer noodles in sauce for  3 minutes.    Remove noodles and add parmasean cheese to sauce and let sit for 2 minutes, ladle sauce over noodles.

Tuesday: Foaccacia bread topped with hummus, olive oil, basil, pine nuts, onion, zucchini, mushroom, & tomato (hold the mushroom for kevin and add some shrimp on his side) *note this turned out AMAZING.  I brushed a little olive oil over the bread, spread the hummus, and the topped it with the before mentioned toppings and little shredded harvati and put it in the oven long enough for the bread to get crispy, the shrimp to cook, the cheese to melt and the veggies to cook a little.  this is a do over for sure.

Wednesday:  Wild Pheasant (thanks darryl!) seared and covered with an onion & garlic white wine and cream sauce, served over steamed rice w/ asparagus…*note this pheasant was a fat ass…literally I’ve never seen so much fat come out of a bird before…my cream sauce broke because of it…I skimmed the excess fat off and we ate it anyways.  the flavors were good, but I’m not sure to what temperature pheasant should be cooked to…med. rare like duck? because all the way cooked like chicken was tough and chewey.

Thursday:  Tempura fried shrimp covered in lemon curd (a.k.a the best lemon chicken EVER) over left over steamed rice & stir fried broccoli

Friday:  Beef Brisket

Saturday: Spaghetti

Sunday: night out

Chicken Salad (rotisserie chicken, grapes, mayonaise, plain greek yogurt, candied walnuts)

Honey Yogurt w/ granola for breakfast

My Baby Ballerina

Lela is my favorite subject…mostly because I can take as many pictures of her that I want.  For Christmas her auntie made her a tutu.  She’s had it on several times and each time I can’t help but take photos of her.   This morning my brother and I tried everything we could think of to get her to dance…I think her mommy (me) needs to remember that you have to learn to walk before you can learn to dance.  Her toddling is so cute, and when I put her pink shoes (not visible) on  she started walking on her tip toes like a ballerina.  We started throwing a favorite toy back and forth to get her to turn and spin.  It took a bit of “work” to get some “movement” into the photo.