Prudent Foodie

Scallop Enchiladas

Quite some time back, I said I'd do a post on scallop enchiladas "next week." 4 and a half months later, here it is.  I am a scallop lover, and this is an easy and economical dish that tastes more expensive.  In this case, the cheaper bay scallops are actually better than those beautiful but pricey sea scallops - which you would just have to cut up anyway to get them into your enchiladas.  You can use fresh bay scallops or frozen, and there's no waste, no chopping, no fat or gristle to worry about.  Compared to a lot of seafood these days, scallops usually costing $6-8/pound are a real bargain, and when you consider how fast and easy they are to prepare, and the fact that you have no waste, they taste great and are low in calories, they look good by any Prudent Foodie measure.  As a long time non-meat eater, who gets much of her protein from seafood, I always worry about the ethics of seafood.   Fisheries collapse, which has long been talked about, is happening right now, world wide, and we can all contribute by beings selective when we purchase seafood.  With so many types of seafood available, it can be confusing though.  Luckily, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a great seafood guide (it's even organized by where you live) that you can use to improve your choices, and farmed scallops are among the "Best Choices" as far as saving the world's oceans. So, you can enjoy this dish without feeling  too guilty.

Scallop Enchiladas

1 lb scallops

1 small onion, diced fine

1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes, or 1 fresh hot pepper (serrano, anaheim, habanero, take your pick according to taste - I uses a small diameter long skinny one the name of which I don't know)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground cumin (preferably ground from whole seeds in your mortar and pestle)

1/4 tsp salt

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

2 cups high quality green salsa

3/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese mix

CORN  tortillas (12-18, depending on how much stuffing you like to put in

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.   Saute the peppers, garlic, cumin, onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until golden.  Add the scallops and cook slightly.   Meanwhile, warm up the green salsa in a saucepan, and mix in the sour cream until well blended. Lightly oil a glass baking dish.   Set aside about 2/3 cup of the green sauce/sour cream mix, and 3/4 cup of shredded cheese to put inside the tortillas.  Take a flour tortilla and spoon in some of the scallop filling.  Drizzle a little of the set aside salsa and sour cream blend over it and sprinkle some reserved shredded cheese and a little chopped cilantro in it too.  Roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down in the dish.  Repeat until you have used up the scallops and tortillas.  Note:   If you are cooking ahead, and want to serve this dish in a day or two, now is the time to cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  You can pick up with the next step, but don't hold this more than 487 hours in the fridge.  Pour the remaining green sauce/sour cream mixture over the pan of enchiladas, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Put in a 375 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes and then serve.  Enjoy!  Dee Dee. 

Potato Salad, with a Twist of Celeriac and Radishes!

What could be more seasonal, and more frugal than potato salad?  Not to mention, in many cases, more boring?  Here is the prudent foodie answer - a potato salad full of flavorful, seasonal ingredients, like radishes and celery root (celeriac), that will liven up your summer. At the Farmer's Market, you can now get fresh new potatoes for your salad, and lots of great things to go with them.  I've really been enjoying radishes this summer - French Breakfast, Easter Egg, Red - and have been adding their crispy snap of flavor to my potato salad.  Also, celery root, which is usually very pricey in the grocery store, has been available for $2 - root, stems, leaves and all!  You could make this potato salad and then use the stems in a stew or soup, if getting one dish out of it is not enough to make you feel prudent (actually, you need about half the celery root to make this potato salad, so you will want to do something else with the rest anyway).  Celery root is also the base for the classic french salad remoulade, and it's mild celery flavor and chewy, crunchy texture, along with the pretty color, crunch, and peppery taste of the radishes, really peps up a potato salad.  I prefer to make my own mayonaise; it's easy to do, takes just a couple minutes, and tastes far better than the stiff slimy stuff in the jar.  If I want a thicker mayonnaise I use two egg yolks,for a looser mayo, I go with one whole egg.  If you do use the stuff in the jar, I usually add a little milk, yogurt, or half and half to stretch it.  You use less, have fewer calories, and getter a lighter, less oily potato salad.  This salad also include two optional ingredients - torn lettuce leaves and lentils.  The lettuce leaves lighten things up, and I think add flavor.  The lentils, add protein, so if you put quite a lot of lettuce in there, and some lentils, you have a main dish salad!  I have served this particular potato salad with both pulled pork with BBQ sauce, and wienerschnitzel, but it will be good with any summer meal. 

Potato Salad with Celery Root and Radishes (Lentils optional)6-8 large radishes, shredded1/2 celery root (celeriac) bulb, shredded1- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes boiled, peeled, cooled and cubed3 scallions, sliced fine including an inch or two of the three green section2 or 3 TB chopped fresh italian parsley, or 1-2 TB chopped fresh tarragon2 cups lettuce leaves torn into fairly  small pieces - best with leaf lettuce or a loose head lettuce like Bibb, or buttercrunch.  Arugula would be nice too.1/3 cup fresh mayonnaise, or store bought with some yogurt, milk or cream added1 1/2 cup green lentils, cooked al dente and cooledsalt and pepper to tastePeel the celery root to remove the brown skin, and shred 1/2 of it in your food processor. Clean the radishes and take off the stem and root, shred in food processor.  Peel,  and cube boiled potatoes at room temperature. Put them all in a big bowl, along with the lettuce (and lentils if you are using them) and add the minced scallions, herbs and salt and pepper.  Pour the mayonnaise over the whole thing and stir gently. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.  Enjoy!  Dee Dee