Scallops & Veggie Rice

I should have known when I went to the supermarket and asked for "diver scallops" and the guy behind the fish counter didnt know what I was talking about that there was going to be a problem. Now these look good and in the end they actually didnt taste too bad, probably because of the amount of butter that got used, but be WARNED buy your fish from someone who knows what they are selling. Scallops are often soaked in a phosphate solution that whitens them and makes them absorb more liquid, its called "wet packed". Also that phosphate solution is a common ingredient in soaps and detergents, and, not surprisingly, has a distinctly soap-like flavor. When you cook these scallops, all that extra liquid drains out and into the pan, so instead of searing them, you end up steaming them in something closely resembling soapy water. This is what happened to me and it wasnt pretty. 

The rice however was a success!!                                                                                   

                                                                                    
                                                                                 

Chop up whatever veggies you want,  I used garlic, scallion, carrot, red pepper and sauteed them in some sesame oil and added that to some cooked rice. Done! really easy to make. 

I will try scallops again, sometimes if at first you dont succeed you have to try again. I learned a lesson and will go to a fish market and not a supermarket and make sure I get "dry packed" scallops. Happy cooking!

Veggie Potstickers

These are super easy to make and there really is no recipe!!! Just pick up some pre made wonton wrappers at the supermarket, they are usually in the refrigerated part of the produce section. Fill them with whatever you like. I used red pepper, spinach, scallion, garlic, lemongrass, carrot, baby bok choy, and celery.                          

Chop whatever you are going to use very finely and put a small amount of it in the middle of the wrapper, brush a little water around the edges so it sticks when you fold them together. Just pinch them together, kind of pleating them as you go along, it really doesnt matter how you do it as long as they dont open.

 I cooked them in a fry pan with a little sesame oil and a little lime juice squeezed on it until they brown a bit and voila... done! And they taste really good. Crispy on the outside juicy on the inside. Yum yum.