40

Who knew 40 would feel so fantastic?  I am quite pleasantly surprised really.

My husband and I celebrated my birthday this past weekend, but saved the cake for today which is the day.  We enjoyed some quiet and relaxed child-free moments over a sumptuous feast on the weekend, so tonight I was totally okay with making dinner on my birthday.  

I have quite a thing for buckwheat soba noodles lately.  Don't be surprised if you see them making frequent appearances on our table, as they did yet again today slathered in a zippy tamari almond butter sauce.  To be honest I would have used peanut butter if my children actually liked it.  What child (aside from those with allergies of course) doesn't like peanut butter?  I also would have liberally dosed the sauce with sriracha if the kiddos could handle that too.  I am glad they don't like scallops though, because that left more for us!

SCALLOP & SOBA NOODLE STIR-FRY with Almond (Peanut) Butter Sauce

Sauce:

6 Tbsp organic almond (or peanut) butter

5 Tbsp water

5 tbsp organic wheat free tamari

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp avocado oil

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp organic apple cider or brown rice vinegar (or lime juice)

1 clove organic garlic
 1 knob of organic ginger, peeled

1/2 cup organic cilantro

1 organic red pepper, sliced

1 organic onion, chopped

1 head organic broccoli, chopped

2 organic carrots, chopped

2 pounds organic buckwheat soba noodles

1 package wild Nova Scotia scallops, drained on a paper towel

sea salt and pepper

avocado oil

Method

Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a blender and whiz until creamy.  Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  While you wait, sear the scallops in a wok drizzled with avocado oil.  Be sure to dry the scallops well first, and add to a hot pan to get a nice brown crust.  Cook about 1 minute on each side - set aside.

Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook for 5-6 minutes.  While you wait for noodles to cook, saute the vegetables in the remaining oil in the wok until tender.  

Drain the cooked noodles and add to the wok, along with the sauce.  Stir to combine and top with scallops and some more chopped cilantro for garnish.

And this gorgeous cake is my favourite go to birthday cake lately - it's a grain-free delight from Dolly and Oatmeal called Vanilla Bean Ice Box Cake.  No, I did not make my own birthday cake, though I have been known to do that before.  I am pretty excited about freezing it and eating it like an ice cream cake.

PRINT RECIPE

HOT ROCKING

We rocked it New Year's....hot rocked it that is, or rather hot stoned.  My $3.99 Value Village purchase of a Hot Stone Grill a few year's ago finally got a workout.  Luckily all the parts were in the box because I didn't actually check it until the morning of the dinner party (uh oh!).  

I had no idea how the thing worked because I'd never seen one in action, but luckily it was pretty straight forward and actually not all that different from a fondue really.  You see you have a stone platter with handles that gets placed into a cold oven and then warmed up to 400* for half an hour.  

The three little fondue style fuel pots then get lit, which gives you just enough time to grill enough food to feed 4 adults.  Now, I'm not so sure it was the greatest idea to host this kind of dinner party with two four year olds and two almost one year olds in attendance, but hey, we survived despite the chaos of it all. 

 Even though my whole house was filled with smoke from grilling indoors, I think I'm addicted to the hot stone grill!

*The 2012 New Year's Hot Stone Grill Menu*

Mini  Greek Lamb Patties

Scott's Wild Turkey - Tandoori Style

Miso Marinated Scallops

Balsamic Marinated Portobello Mushrooms

Red and Yellow Bell Peppers

Asian Style Noodles and Salad

Honey Vanilla Ice Cream and Waffles with Warm Chocolate Sauce (that seized)

GREEK LAMB PATTIES

1 pound ground grass fed lamb

1 small organic onion, grated

1 clove organic garlic, minced

1/4 cup organic whole wheat bread crumbs

1 organic egg

1 tsp dried organic mint

sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Combine all ingredients and let sit for 20 minutes, then form them into small, flat patties.

MISO MARINATED SCALLOPS

1 pound wild scallops, tough bit removed

2 Tbsp organic white miso

1 Tbsp organic sugar

2 Tbsp mirin

1 tsp organic sesame oil

Method:  Combine all the miso, sugar, mirin and oil in a bowl and whisk.  Add the scallops and allow to marinate for a few hours.  Remove from marinade and grill.

TANDOORI TURKEY

1 1/2 pounds organic turkey breast, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup organic yogurt

1 Tbsp organic lemon juice

1/2 Tbsp organic minced garlic

1/2 Tbsp organic peeled and minced ginger

1/2 Tbsp organic ground cumin

1/2 tsp organic ground coriander

1/8 tsp organic ground cardamom

1/8 tsp organic ground cloves

1/8 tsp organic ground black pepper

1 tsp sea salt, or to taste

Method:  Marinate the turkey in a bowl with all of the above ingredients except salt, which you add just before cooking.