The Time Sink

So what to do when the air quality is really not something you want to contribute to with a smoker, but it's a cooking weekend and ... well ... yeah. I started off with a recipe for scallops and chorizo from a link at garret's place the other day. ...and while the author specializes in quick and easy meals, I didn't need the quick as much as the easy.

Hmmm... I'm pretty darned sure what they call chorizo in the UK isn't what we call chorizo here in CaliLand! Yeah, ours is more like a breakfast sausage than something sliceable (longaniza perhaps?), but the concept of mixing the heat of chorizo with the texture of scallops sure sounded like a good idea. ...and since the chorizo here is available from 'for real' places (meaning it was walking about a couple of days before), I figured some rice might work to mellow things out a bit.

Short version:

Start some Basmati rice going (sure, we'll mix in yet another ethnicity!), and thaw some frozen scallops in the microwave (I used six medium ones from a family pack).

Pan fry (medium to medium-high) about half as much chorizo by volume as you have scallops.

Pull the not-quite-browned chorizon into a dish, leaving the oil behind in the pan.

Put the scallops in the pan on the same heat you used to cook the chorizo; a minute or so per side should do it (slice or dice if you wish).

Reduce your heat and add the chorizo back in to rewarm (I also added some sliced mushrooms).

This is usually where they say 'season to taste'; but if you're using decent chorizo, you can skip this step for sure!

The rice should be ready by now; lay a bed of it on a plate and add the scallops and chorizo mix over the top.

Add a cold drink and you're ready for a taste and texture treat...

I left the portions vague, but this could serve two (small plates) or one (hungry). Fifteen minutes, two pans, three plates and a handful of utensils make it workable for one. The flavor makes it workable for anyone who likes heat!

Hmmm... Yes, that is a good clue to the air quality over the weekend here: in the photo of the canal, the color enhancement is to accentuate the blue; the sky in the background is still showing way too grey from the smoke from the California fires. The photo was taken around 1030 Saturday morning out in the rural...

...and Cecil chimes in with the answer to the "chorizo question":

  As you guessed there are two kinds of Chorizo - the loose Mexican kind
and the Spanish Chorizo which is cured, firm, and in casings (the
(longaniza is a Porteguese variadatation I believe). Unless you know the
recipe is Mexican or Tex-Mex,  most recipes you run across or see on TV
use the Spanish style. Most of South America and the Carribean use the
Spanish style. 

Thanks, man. I mentioned the recipe to someone today who should have a clue on chorizo, and she mentioned running across some 'solid' stuff the other day at a big-box store and not knowing what to make of it. I'll have to pick up some of it some time and try it out in lieu of Summer sausage in an omelet...

No post...

No post.

Low key evening, out to dinner and such...

Well? Maybe a bit of a working weekend? Brad has a project due, but it's the type he does well enough by himself. I may have to co-opt Daniel in as the general labor force until Brad finishes up. ...and then there's the distraction of the game this afternoon: we're in Oregon, duck hunting again. Yeah. Could be good.

...and then there's the fact the weather has taken a fifteen degree drop and the outside feel so nice this time of the morning. Working for a few hours and then napping in a chaise when it warms up is holding a certain appeal ≶t>.

Let's just cancel yesterday's post... I mean, what with the score of the game, Brad's project turning into a family project (graphs should match the data, no?), and things just generally going south...

No nap, either. Man!

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"Any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke, "Technology and the Future"

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