SCALLOPS OVER CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

    Having my dear Clarina over for dinner is always special. Always. She is a seafood lover so I decided to make these delicious fresh scallops I picked up at the Farmer's Market. I seasoned them with some salt and pepper and olive oil and grilled them on a hot cast iron skillet. Then I served them on a Puree of Curried Butternut Squash.

    To make the butternut squash puree, cut the squash in half, season it with salt and pepper and coat it with plenty of olive oil and butter and roast it in the oven on 375 until it was soft. It takes usually 45 min to 1 hour. After it cools a bit, scoop it out and sauteed it in butter with shallots, garlic, curry powder, cayenne pepper, fresh ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. If you like it sweet you can add some brown sugar. Add enough water to create a paste consistency or some vegetable broth. Simmer for 20 minutes then blend in a blender or with a hand mixer. 

    One squash made a surprisingly large amount of puree with which I added water to over low heat to make Butternut Squash Soup for lunch.

INDIAN POTATOES WITH AVOCADO

Nothing is easier and more energizer than a potato and avocado power breakfast or lunch. I already had some rosemary roasted potatoes on hand (recipe to follow), but you can do this with any potatoes you have, boiled baked or raw. You can even microwave raw potatoes for a minute or two to soften them up and quicken the cooking time. Serve with avocado and tomato chutney or if its for breakfast, oranges or sliced grapefruit drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper is great. 

INDIAN POTATOES

1 TBSP olive oil

1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 

1/2 tsp black cumin seeds 

1/4 tsp tumeric 

1/4 tsp curry powder

1-2 cooked or raw potatoes sliced very thinly (I used Russet Gold but any will do)

1/4 to 1/2 an onion sliced finely

1 garlic clove sliced thinly

S&P

Sautee black mustard seeds and cumin in olive oil until the seeds start to pop. Add turmeric and curry along with onions and the garlic. Let the onions soften and caramelize. Then add the potatoes and salt and pepper. Sautee until the potatoes deepen to a golden brown. This will take only a few minutes if the potatoes are pre-cooked and maybe 10-15 minutes if they are raw. Serve with tomato chutney. 

AVOCADO

Scoop and slice an avocado. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika.

I used Trader Joe's Tomato Chutney. Its just right. 

ROSEMARY ROASTED POTATOES

2-3 potatoes

2 TBSP dried rosemary

2 TBSP olive oil

S & P

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Half or quarter the potatoes (peel on or off) and season with rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until fork tender. 

All of the ingredients in this recipe are on the World's Healthiest Foods List.