Miss Finger Foodie

Blaire

The Ultimate Holiday Pie Bar [Apple, Pecan and Pumpkin pie bar]

You’ve been tasked with making dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas (or let’s be honest, for any other get together…), and you want to please everyone. Grandma likes pumpkin pie, but your Dad would kill you if you didn’t have apple pie out on the dessert table. And you secretly loveee pecan pie. What do you do? Make these Ultimate Holiday Pie bars. That’s what you do.

This 3-in-1 pie bar that includes cinnamon apples, crunch and richness from pecans and notes of pumpkin all in one bite is bound to be a staple at your dessert table this holiday season. All of this deliciousness sits on top of a fool-proof cinnamon shortbread.

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Pumpkin Chai Poptarts

Even though it hit 90 degrees last week in DC, I am still hopping on the pumpkin train in the kitchen hoping that sends some signals to mother nature to cool it off a bit. Should work, right?

If not, I still end of with a kitchen full of baked goods, so I’ll call that a win.

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Ham and Swiss Pinwheels [“LJ’S Breakfast pinwheels”]

Every year, I look forward to Christmas Eve dinner for one reason, and one reason only (whelp, besides my family’s competitive game of left right center). My Aunt LJ makes THE best bread that she serves with dinner, which was the inspo behind these ham and swiss pinwheels.

Ham and swiss pinwheels lined up on a baking sheet

The secret ingredient? Spice Island’s Beau Monde seasoning. Which, by the way, Aunt LJ was so kind to include in my Christmas stocking this year. Anddd not gonna lie, getting my hands on her secret ingredient might have been one of the best Christmas gifts. Ever.

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Summer Scallop Salad

Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch or an easy winning dish for your next Summer BBQ, this Summer Scallop Salad will not disappoint.

Summer Scallop Salad in a bowl

This is my kind of meal. Minimal time spent cooking over a (hot) stove means more time spent enjoying other simple pleasures that come with summer, like sipping on this red sangria, amiright???

Summer Scallop Salad in a bowl before mixing

Oh and another selling point on this recipe? Everything can be purchased at Trader Joe’s. No need to go to different grocery stores looking for specialty ingredients.

The burrata adds the BEST richness (but obviously can be supplemented with more avocado if dairy ain’t your thing). The corn contributes the perfect sweetness (especially if you’re using sweet Jersey corn). The basil brings a wonderful freshness. And the addition of lemon juice and balsamic at the end brings it all together. BOOM.

Print

Summer Scallop Salad

  • Author: Blaire
  • Prep Time: 5-8 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 12-15 minutes
  • Yield: 3-4 as a main dish; 6-8 as a side
  • Category: Seafood salad
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

Light, fresh, and easy. The perfect combo for a quick lunch or even a last minute side for a Summer BBQ!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup tightly packed fresh basil, julienned
  • 1/4 onion, diced, about 1/4 cup
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 2 ears of corn
  • 16 oz container of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 lb bay scallops
  • 1 TBSP minced garlic
  • 4 oz burrata
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
  • 3 TBSPs olive oil, separated
  • Salt/pepper

Instructions

PREP

Julienne the basil (i.e. stack the leaves on top of one another, roll up tightly into a log shape, and slice down the “log” to make thin ribbons of basil), dice the onion, and cube the tomatoes. Set aside.

With a sharp knife, stand one ear of corn upright, holding the top firmly. Run your knife down the corn from top to bottom, rotating the corn and cutting again once you’ve hit the bottom. Repeat on second ear of corn. ***Note, no need to cook the corn – we are using it raw***

COOK

Over medium heat, toss the tomatoes in 1 TBSP olive oil with the 1 TBSP garlic, salt and pepper. Move the tomatoes around in the pan (I used a cast iron skillet) every couple minutes until blistered, about 7 minutes. Set aside.

In the same pan,  crank the heat up to high, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/3 of the scallops to the pan and cook until golden (these cook quickly so keep an eye on them). Ensure to get all sides golden (i.e. toss the scallops around once one side is done). Repeat until all batches are done (you might need to add more garlic along the way).

***THE KEY HERE IS SMALL BATCHES*** – you do not want to overcrowd the pan. This will ruin the crust you want to get on the scallops.

TOSS

Toss the tomatoes, onion, avocado, basil, and scallops in a bowl with 1 TBSP olive oil, 1 TBSP balsamic, and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Add in chunks of burrata and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

BEST SERVED WARM OR AT ROOM TEMP, BUT ALSO WORKS AS A COLD SALAD AS WELL!

Notes

  • I used frozen scallops from Trader Joe’s. To defrost them last minute, I ran them under water while they were in a colander (took about 3-5 min).
  • If making this advance for a party, wait until you serve to add the basil and avocado to preserve the color! (if you chose not to, it will still taste the same! The brighter green color is just more appetizing 😉 )
  • Fresh mozzarella will work here too! The cream from the burrata just adds a nice richness. You could also just swap out the cheese for more avocado to make it Whole30 approved/Paleo!

Keywords: scallop

BEFORE:

Summer Scallop Salad in a bowl

 

AFTER:

Summer Scallop Salad in a bowl