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(713) 523-3483 (dive)
5808 Newcastle Drive
Houston, TX 77401

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Vyper Novo Lite Special

THROUGH MAY 31, SAVE ON A NEWVYPER NOVO LITE!


Perfect for helping you take your diving to the next level, the nitrox-ready Vyper Novo dive computer includes enhanced features like wireless air integration, a digital compass, and gas switching, all primed and ready, right out of the box. And through May 31 only, you can get a deep deal on all Vyper Novo Lite computers.

But why stop there? Go big and bundle with a Transmitter to save even more!


All told, you save $50 off the Vyper Novo Lite, and $100 off when you splurge on the package.

This spring, go big or go home and Vyper your dive.

Dive Mom – I want One!

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Chef Recommended – Orzo Risotto with Shrimp

I was looking for something different to make this weekend while Ann is out of town visiting her Mother; and would you believe, a fun email arrived with a suggestions for me — Risotto with Shrimp. Ann doesn’t eat shrimp so it was perfect! This recipe comes from Jenn Segal a reformed Chef. Her website and her similarly named cookbook is “Once Upon a Chef.” I love risotto but I don’t make it very often. This recipe uses orzo which is easier to make than using true risotto. This one also ready in under an hour! Jenn provides step-by-step instructions on her website.

Let me know what you think. I will let you know how it turned out in the comments. Here is her recipe:

Orzo Risotto with Shrimp, Peas & Bacon

By Jennifer Segal

Adapted from The Ultimate Meal Prep Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen

Rice-shaped orzo is cooked like risotto in this easy, one-pot pasta dish.

  • Servings: 4
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 Minutes
  • Total Time: 45 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 5 slices (5 oz) bacon, diced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-1/2 cups orzo
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • Heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning, such as Emeril’s Essence
  • 2 pounds extra-large (21/25) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 cup frozen green peas (no need to thaw)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions

  • Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Do not brown. Stir in the orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, salt, pepper, and Cajun/Creole seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring once midway through, until the orzo is nearly tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Stir the shrimp and peas into the orzo (it will be quite creamy/brothy at this point; that’s normal). Cover and cook over low heat until the shrimp are opaque throughout and the orzo is tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Off the heat, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, the lemon juice, and chives. Right before serving, stir in the crispy bacon. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, then spoon into bowls and serve.

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Chef Recommended – Easy Vegetables

Dive Mom has been asking for more vegetables and fewer desserts in our Chef Recommended posts so being the cooperative person that I am I am posting two very easy vegetable treats.

Steamed Green Beans

This can’t be any easier. Bring home a bag of fresh green beans and trim the ends off (I prefer to do it on a bias with a pair of kitchen scissors). Set up your steamer and boil the water. When you are ready to put them on, add about half a cup of white wine or brandy to the water and then steam your beans. Don’t overcook them, you want them to be crispy. Now put them in a dish and add a little olive oil and salt to taste. This is a great time to try that herbed salt you have up in the cabinet. Cover and let the salt finish its work for about fifteen minutes and then serve.

Spaghetti Squash

Split the lengthwise and remove the seeds (save those for Dive Mom). Lightly apply some Olive oil and salt to the inside of the squash and lay face down on a roasting pan or cookie sheet. Cook for about thirty minutes until the fibers are easy to separate and look like angel hair pasta. Scrape out these fibers into a large serving dish and add butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste. In our house, we like lots of butter and cheese so we tend to layer the butter and cheese to make sure everything gets a good coating. As a hint, use your microplane for the cheese and it will coat better with less cheese (or it will allow you to add more.) Cover for about fifteen minutes and then serve.

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Chef Recommended Charcuterie

https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/charcuterie-board/

As we all begin to come out of hibernation and venture out into our backyards to rejoin small groups of friends, it is the ideal time to put together a Charcuterie board or a sampling of your favorite cheeses, meats and crackers. But, how do you put together the perfect spread?

What is a Charcuterie Board?

To get started, perhaps we should look at what a Chacuterie Board is. Food and Wine magazine said, “…more than a bunch of meat on a plate, charcuterie is a culinary choose-your-own-adventure story. Imagine the savory goodness that is a charcuterie board: an array of cured meats, tangy pickles, sweet jams, cheese, fresh fruit, and your own personal culinary wild cards, paired with beer or wine to complement the flavors and textures.” To put it simply, it is a collection of cheese, cured meats, crackers, bread and a few fruits. For my part, I like to add some nice dark chocolates to the mix.

How do I put it together?

Let’s look at this a little closer…

  • Select your favorite “board” to build on. This can be a large cutting board, a large tray (remember those trays you have tucked in a closet?), a plate or even a bit of butcher paper on your table.
  • Add your bowls and large cheese wedges. This is where you put bowls to contain your pickles, spreads, olives and cheeses you want people to cut for themselves. If you are using a tray or your table, you may want to put a small cutting board under the cheese to protect the surface.These items take up space so you want to place them first rather thna trying to “squeeze them in.”
  • Now add in the bread or crackers. These take up a lot of room so putting them down now lets you build around them.
  • Lay in your cured meats and pre-sliced cheeses. By outting in pre-sliced cheeses your add some different colors and keep people from taking large slices of your block cheeses. It also keeps things moving faster. For the cured meats, put in several types at different locations of the board to give it a more colorful appearance.
  • Time for fruits and chocolate. Fill in the gaps with the fruit and chocolate. Everyone loves fruit and chocolate so tuck them around to fill in the gaps. I especially love bright red and green grapes.

Some other ideas…

Make some special bread to add to your presentation. But remember, to keep it simple. You want to enjoy the gathering not work as the caterer for people gathering in your backyard. You don’t have to use exotic or expensive cheeses, you can use simple good quality cheese and meats.

If you are feeling adventurous, try making a Fougasse and building around it. And while I would love to make this in my own brick, wood fired oven, I have yet to convince Dive Mom to let me have one at home or at the office. So, you can make it in your oven on a pizza stone.

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Dive Guide Candidates at BBL

This weekend saw our newest Dive Guide candidates, Wylie and Jessica, brave the cooler waters of Beautiful Blue Lagoon to help Eric and Madison enjoy themselves on their first dives since open water training! At least that was the story we were working under. They were in charge of briefings, tours and logging for the day and making sure theri new divers had a really fun time. Three dives into 61oF water along with some surface antics made for a full-day of training and evaluations.

But through it all, Wylie and Jessica kept cool heads and a positive attitude while working with their “bubba” divers. They did a really awesome job and it will be a real treat to have them join our staff.