Scallops with spinach over risotto and peperonata sounds pretty fancy, no? Not like the kind of meal you’d cook for just you and your kid (whom you forgot doesn’t even like scallops), right?

Tonight’s meal was totally ad-hoc. No recipes, no fuss, quick. I love when this happens, when dinner comes out seeming really special even though there was little effort or planning involved.

For the peperonata, I sauteed an onion in generous olive oil, added a sliced pepper when the onion was soft, added chopped tomatoes when the pepper was soft, threw in a couple of glugs of vinegar, a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar and let it simmer until it got thick and saucy.

The risotto was more like mock-risotto. Not as creamy as the real, time-consuming, hands-on version, but perfectly adequate for topping with sweet, fresh scallops and savory sauce.

The scallops were cooked like this, with a little spinach thrown into the sauce at the last minute. I served the spinach and scallops over the risotto and then poured the pan sauces over that.

• Mock Risotto •
a quicker, less hands-on, version of risotto (for busy nights when you don’t have time for the real deal, or for when you’re feeling lazy)

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup arborio rice
2-3 cups broth
3 gulgs of white wine
a strand of saffron or three
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the rice and saute for a couple of minutes. Add 3 or so glugs of white wine and stir until it’s pretty much gone. Add a cup of broth and simmer, stirring occasionally. When the broth has cooked down, add another cup of broth and a strand or two of saffron. When the second cup of broth has cooked down, test rice for doneness. If it’s still tough add another half cup of broth and simmer. Continue adding broth by the half cup until the rice is cooked through and a bit saucy, not dry. Season with salt and pepper.

If you’re not serving with scallops, you can add a handful of parmesan cheese before serving.

We had an appointment this evening which was poorly timed, to interfere completely with dinner. It seemed the best option would be to get everything all ready to cook when we got home, or to go out. Nobody wanted to go out.

If you prep this meal ahead of time, which should only take 20-30 minutes, everything can be done in as long as it takes you to boil a pot of water and cook the pasta.

On the menu: Pasta with Tomato Ginger Salsa and Creme Friache, Grilled Shrimp, done in the broiler, plain pasta for Rose, and a simple salad.

To make ahead, just prepare the tomato and ginger sauce and set aside. Thaw your shrimp and coat with the butter spice sauce, put in an oven-proof pan (if broiling), and pop in the fridge until ready to cook.

When you get home, immediately boil a pot of water. I fill my pot half way and use the electric kettle to boil the other half of the water to cut the boiling time in half. Heat your broiler.

Get a box of washed greens and drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. When you put the pasta on to cook, warm the sauce over low heat. Then put the shrimp in to broil, they only take a few minutes. Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce and creme fraiche. You’re done!

I don’t know why this never occurred to me before. You know how I love salad, bread and cheese for dinner but Shane and Rose find it inadequate? Well, why not just have Shane pick up a steak on his way home? I would say genius, except that it took me so long to think of it.

Shane and Rose had a ribeye (from The Butcher Block in Sunnyside), cooked in the grilling pan. I made a tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella salad, and steamed asparagus with butter. We also had Fromage D’Affinois*—which I think is a totally dreamy, creamy cheese—goat gouda, and a baguette.

*You can read all about Fromage D’Affinios (as well as other cheeses), over at the website of one of my favorite cheese shops, Murray’s.