SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CHAMPAIGN BEURRE BLANC SAUCE AND TOMATO FONDUE

SEARED SCALLOP
3 Muscle scallop (without nerve)
1/2 Cup of all purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and black pepper

PROCEDURE:

• First season the scallops with salt and black pepper
  
• Then cut the scallops in half following the round shape
• Code the scallops with the flour and remember to shake the excess
• In a very hot pan (almost smoking) add the oil and let the scallops caramalize or get this brown color on both sides
• When they are brown on both sides take them out and let them rest (do not over cook your scallop they have to be medium well, brown outside and pink inside)

CHAMPAIGN BEURRE BLANC SAUCE
1 Shallot
500ml or 2 cups Champaign
Cold unsalted butter in small cubes (as needed)
Lemon juice (as needed)
Salt and black pepper

PROCEDURE:

• Cut the shallots in small diced and put them in a regular pan
• Add 425 ml of champaign bring to a boil and let it reduce until you get this syrup consistency
• When is ready add the remaining champaign and let it rest for 5 minutes
• Add the cold butter one by one until it thicks and emulsified
• Seasoning with salt and black pepper

TOMATO FONDUE
2 Tomatoes diced
1 Tbsp Tomato paste
2 Clove Garlic
1 Shallot
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper

PROCEDURE:

• Add the olive oil in a pot and sweat the shallot and the garlic until they are tender
  
• Once the shallots and the garlic are ready add the tomato concase and the tomato paste
• season with salt and pepper and let the tomato fondue cooks until have this chunky consistency
• Adjust the seasoning again.

PLATTING

USE YOUR OWN IMAGINATION.

What's the Sugar in your Diet?

HOW THE SUGAR SUBSTITUTES STACK UP

SACCHARIN (SWEET'N LOW SUGAR, SUGAR TWIN)
THE OLDEST ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER,

DISCOVERED 1879, first sold to the public in 1884, but became popular during sugar shortages in World War 1.
HOW IT'S MADE anthranilic acid, sulfur dioxide and chlorine are combined with ammonia.
FLAVOR about 300 times sweeter than sugar. Its pronounced sweetness comes on immediately with a slight bitter or metallic aftertaste.
COST 1.9 cents a packet.

ASPARTAME (EQUAL, NUTRASWEET)
THE MOST COMMON ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER IN SODA

DISCOVERED 1965, first sold to the public in 1998
HOW IT'S MADE the amino acids aspartics acid and phenylalanine are combined with methanol, an alcohol.
FLAVOR 200 times sweeter than sugar, It has a very forward, sweet taste with a sharp, clean finish.
COST 3.3 cents a packet.

SUCRALOSE (SPLENDA)
THE BEST-SELLING TABLETOP SWEETENER IN THE UNITED STATES. POPULAR WITH BAKERS AND FOOD MANUFACTURERS

DISCOVERED 1976, first sold to the public in 1998.
HOW IT'S MADE sugar is chemically altered by the addition of chlorine
FLAVOR 600 times sweeter than sugar. It lacks the sour bite or bitterness in some others. Still tastes like and artificial sweetener, but with a barely noticeable aftertaste.
COST 4 cents a packet.

STEVIA (TRUVIA, PUREVIA, SWEETLEAF)

EXTRACT FROM PLANT LEAVES, A HIGHLY PURIFIED FORM WAS APPROVED RECENTLY AS SAFE FOR USE IN FOOD.

DISCOVERED centuries ago, first sold for general use in 1971 in japan and last year in the united states.
HOW IT'S MADE sweetening agents called glycosides are removed from the leaves of the stevia plant.
FLAVOR 300 times sweeter than sugar. Its flavor is slow to start and can have a pronounced aftertaste that some describe as licorise or menthol. New versions have tamed that somewhat.
COST 9.9 cents a packet.

GRAPE JUICE: THE NEW ORANGE JUICE?

No matter if you have cereal or oatmeal in the morning, orange juice is the common juice of choice. Why wouldn't be, it is loaded with vitamin c, a vitamin keeps us healthy, it taste wonderful and it has always been recommended breakfast beverage. However a new study that was published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry is suggesting that we take that glass of morning orange juice and replace it with grape juice. In fact the study, which was conducted at the University of Glasgow, claims that grape juice may be the best juice to drink.

The antioxidant activity in fruit juices is believed to help ward off heart disease and other chronic diseases as well as help delay premature aging. In the study the juices were tested for the antioxidants that they contained. Oddly enough orange juice contained fewer polyphenols, strong antioxidants, than the other juices tested. Liked grape juice both apple juice which is good for a source of fiber, and cranberry juice, which promotes a healthy urinary tract functioning, contained a higher antioxidant activity than orange juice.

An interesting fact in the study was that it was funded by the National Grape Co-operative, which happens to be a group of farmers in the United States operated by welch's, a company quite popular and famous from their concord purple grape juice. In another study in France, which was also funded by Welch's Foods Inc., that was in Cardiovascular Research reported that concord grape juice promotes cardiovascular health.

There is no doubt that fruit juices in general are recommended as healthy beverages. In one study, researchers followed almost 2,000 men and women for up to 10 years. From this study they concluded that drinking fruit juices three times a week lowered the risk for Alzheimer's disease by 76 percent. As opposed to drinking fruit juices less than once a week

resources: foodconsumer.org and New York Times