6 HUGE Scallops for $3!

I saw that Colossal Scallops were half off at Safeway so I knew I had to get some. I picked up a package of 6 for only $3! I found this recipe for Scallops in Sage Cream Sauce and knew it would be the perfect Friday night meal. It sounds really gourmet but it was actually super easy and quick. I served the scallops over some Shiitake Mushroom Risotto (Safeway Select brand, love it!) and added some sautéed mushrooms. The meal was SO yummy and a perfect start to the weekend!

Early Birthday Dinner for my Honey!

It's Greg's big 34th tomorrow and we're going to Ovo, the new Cirque du Soleil show that's playing in SF. (SO excited about that!) I decided to make him a special early birthday dinner featuring duck (his favorite)! I had called a bunch of grocery stores and finally found duck breast at Whole Foods so I went on Sunday and picked up a nice big piece. Then I went online and, after much research, found this recipe for Sautéed Duck Breast and thought it was just PERFECT! I had also picked up 2 bottles of the Cakebread Pinot Noir that we loved so much from Thanksgiving so the sauce was a perfect match. I used regular mushrooms instead of the "wild" varieties in the recipe (that's what I had in the fridge) and Turning Leaf Pinot Noir for the wine. (Hey, I wasn't about to cook with a $60 bottle of wine!) I served the duck over some Israeli Couscous and Greg LOVED it! I love making gourmet meals at home and now our entire place smells like duck! Happy Early Birthday Honey!

Ricotta Ricotta Everywhere!

Somehow I always have some ricotta cheese left in the fridge that I need to use up. (If you've been following my blog, you know that I use ricotta cheese at least every other week!) This time, I also had some blueberries and raspberries so I decided to make these Mixed Berry Ricotta Babycakes from one of my favorite blogs, Baking Bites. I just love how the cheese makes these muffins so moist and creamy! The berries made me feel like it was summertime instead of the 30-degrees fall weather we're having. (I know I can't complain but being a Cali girl, I'm only used to the 60's!) Definitely a yummy way to use up that ricotta!

The Last of My Frozen Pesto!

I'm always trying new pizza creations since it's one of Greg's favorites and thought pesto would be a good idea. Thanks to good old Boboli and Tyson, dinner took about 15 minutes! This yummy pizza featured pesto, chicken that I tossed in some Ranch dressing and of course, mushrooms. We might have to start a Pizza Friday tradition soon!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the YEAR!

December is upon us and that means the holidays are right around the corner! Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday and not just cuz of the presents. I LOVE the lights, the decorations, the carols and of course, the FOOD! Nothing says Christmas like Gingerbread Cookies so that's what I made for the first Cookie Friday of December. I totally cheated and used the Betty Crocker Gingerbread Mix but I did take the time to roll out the dough so I could cut them into festive shapes. I received a Christmas Cookie-Making Set 2 years ago from Greg's mom and this is the first time that I've used it. Aren't they cute?


Here they are getting ready to be baked...

...Now ready for Santa (or my coworkers)!

Can't Waste That Good Greek Yogurt!

I had half a container of Greek Yogurt left from making the yogurt sauce for my Lamb Gyros and didn't wanna waste it. I also had a pear laying around so Pear Nut Bread was born! Of course, you can substitute regular yogurt in any flavor you like but the creaminess of the Greek yogurt made this bread really rich and moist. The crunchy pecans also added a nice texture. I can't WAIT to have this for breakfast tomorrow!

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 c Greek yogurt
1 c coarsely chopped pears (leave skin on)
1/4 c chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla extract

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (I used my stand mixer but a hand mixer would work.)

2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure they're well incorporated. Then beat in yogurt until smooth.

3. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add to the egg mixture.

4. Stir in the pears, pecans and vanilla.

5. Pour into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center come out clean.

Dilly Salmon Tortellini = YUM!

Salmon has proven to be the perfect mate for dill as shown in my Benedict and Patties. So when I found this recipe for Tortellini with Salmon-Riotta Sauce, I knew I had to give it a try. The only changes I made were substituting half of a diced up white onion instead of the green just cuz that was what I had in the fridge and adding some mushrooms cuz Greg loves them in pasta dishes (and pizza!). (Oh, and I also didn't have any lemons so I just added some juice from a bottle and omitted the peel.) At first I was afraid the canned salmon would taste too fishy with the tortellini but the flavors actually worked really well together. I guess you just can't go wrong with Ricotta and Mozzarella paired up with cheese-stuffed pasta! This was definitely an easy weeknight dinner and we're always told to eat more fish right? :)