The Making of a "Good" and "Good for You" Recipe

I really like the taste of watercress, its crisp and tender and a little peppery. A very tasty green that can take center stage in a dish such as in my wonderful mango-watercress salad. With all that research into the benefits of watercress, I'm looking to create a new recipe with watercress. This time I am hoping to compose a recipe where this green plays a supporting role. This should be easy as firstly it's yummy, and secondly it has a delicate flavour so it should be perfect for sharing the dinner limelight.

The result. Sage Scallops on Watercress.

I apologize for using references to actors and movie making, however assembling a recipe is like producing a movie. If the right actors are picked for the dish and the ambiance (screen play) is right, the Academy (your guests) are happy and you are left with deserving praises. Unlike in the movies, your guests can't go to their local video store and simply replay your award winning dish. You might have a surge of guests coming back for a re-screening - unless of course you share with them your culinary secrets.

Thinking about the health benefits of watercress I instantly realized that the perfect leading role partner for watercress is the sea scallop. Scallops contain omega-3 fatty acids that have been linked to lowering heart disease. A perfect recipe, healthy and delicious! Furthermore scallops are tender, a little sweet, and they are also fashionable in that exclusive expensive way. For those of us who don't have the luxury of not thinking about how much things cost; scallops do go on sale. If they are not on sale, for an appetizer dish such as this you don't need that many. They are a wonderful treat and if purchasing a small quantity they make a perfectly elegant appetizer, without breaking the bank.

As a result Sage Scallops on Watercress recipe comes to life. Taking a few quality ingredients such as scallops, watercress, adding a few sage leaves and topping with hazelnuts is what makes this dish complete. A delicious and good for you recipe. Sometimes a few good quality ingredients make perfect culinary creations and with healthy inspirations the results are always praiseworthy.

The information about the study indicating the potential health benefits of eating watercress can be found on the following page, click here. It may not be realistic to eat watercress day after day, yet the health benefits of eating watercress are a motivational force to include this green in everyday meals.

For the details of the recipe click here.

Dining Out in London, Ontario

A few days ago my husband and I went out for dinner. I was very excited because we were going to eat at a local restaurant called MINT. Several of our friends ate there before and everyone was delighted with the service and delicious food.

In the middle of the week at 6pm there weren't that many customers. All the better for us because we had impeccable service. We were greeted at the door, our jackets were hung at the nearby closet and with a smile we had a choice of seating. Of course we sat in a beautiful and cozy booth with candle light, our evening started delightfully. More so, our server did a good job helping us pick a nice red wine to accompany our dinner, and with a glass of nice wine in a beautiful place the evening started just right.

I ordered the miso glazed scallops with Thai bacon as an appetizer and medium-rare tuna steak for the main course. My husband had salmon terrain for an appetizer and salmon steak for dinner. All our dishes were delicious. The scallops lacked a true miso taste but nevertheless were perfectly done and tasted amazing. I will definitely try to create something like that at home. The salmon dishes were fabulous.

Although we didn't have time for dessert the evening was flawless. The staff were well versed in knowledge of food and wine and were very accommodating if you needed anything changed. Food wasn't overpriced for an upscale restaurant and more importantly the entire experience was delicious. The evening was wonderful. We'll definitely go there again and bring family and friends to share a similar experience.