Seared Scallops

A few weeks ago I got the idea to make some juicy seared scallops, but visits to three different stores left me empty handed, so I moved on to something else.  But I couldn't get those little nuggets out of my head.  After my paella posting, I thought it was time to offer you a quick-cooking recipe, and scallops definitely fit the bill.  They cook up in less than 10 minutes, including time to make a yummy sauce to go with them, making them perfect for those nights when you want to get dinner on the table in a hurry.

Now you may be asking yourself why, instead of a picture of my beautiful scallops, is there a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Well somewhere in that San Fransisco Bay lies my brand new smartphone, and the pictures of my scallops.  The phone was smart; it's owner, not so much.  I was picking my mother up from a cruise on Saturday, and while walking up the ramp to greet her, my phone fell out of my tiny jacket pocket (much to small to hold a phone, I realized too late!) and slid down the ramp and right into an opening just slightly larger than my phone, dropping into the bay.  Really??!  Yes, really.

So here's a pic of seared scallops that I didn't take (my pots are in much better shape!).  But trust me on this one; it's easy, fast and delicious!  I served them over Trader Joe's spinach & chive fettuccine and topped it with a quick, creamy sauce.  It's dinner time in no time with this one....

Seared Scallops and Pasta

Serves 2

½ pound spinach fettuccine

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

6 large scallops, seasoned with salt and pepper

½ cup dry white wine

1t minced garlic

3T lemon juice

1 tablespoon capers

1t lemon zest

1t fresh thyme leaves

2T half & half

·         Cook fettuccine according to directions.  Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, then drain and return to pot.

·         While pasta cooks, melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

·         When butter starts to brown slightly, add scallops and sear about 3 to ­4 minutes per side.

·         Remove from skillet and keep warm.

·         Reduce heat to medium and add wine to the skillet, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom.

·         Add garlic and cook 1 to ­2 minutes, stirring often.

·         Add lemon juice, capers, lemon zest and thyme.

·         Remove from heat and stir in the half & half.  Add reserved pasta water to help extend sauce if needed.

·         Place pasta in a bowl, top with scallops and pour sauce over the top.

Pour yourself a glass of Sauvingnon Blanc and enjoy!!

Box of Yum...

I love the days that I get my CSA (Community Sponsered Agriculture).  It's a little like Christmas morning to me, even though I know exactly what fruit and veggies I'm getting.  So it's exactly like the year my sister Michelle was about 11 and I was 7, and we unwrapped all our gifts a week before Christmas when our parents were out and then re-wrapped them.  Not much of a surprise Christmas morning, but still fun to have new stuff to play with.

This week I'll be playing with arugula, artichokes, butternut squash, onions, potatoes, carrots, romaine, apples, oranges and pears...

I'm thinking Butternut Squash and Apple Soup, Stuffed Artichokes, Maple Glazed Carrots, and Fig and Arugula Pizza (with goat cheese, of course).  Sounds like a good week, so come back and check out the culinary mischief...

For starters, here's what happened to the  juicy oranges and peppery arugula from the Box of Yum:

Smoky Tilapia in Citrus Sauce

Serves 4

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 teaspoons agave nectar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon tamari

1 tablespoon mirin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil

4 tilapia fillets

4 cups arugula (baby spinach works great, too)

¼ cup sliced almonds

¼ cup dried cranberries

In a small bowl combine the juices, agave, oil, tamari and mirin.  Set aside.  In another small bowl mix paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.  Rub mixture over tilapia fillets.  Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add tilapia and cook 3 minutes.  Turn each fillet, add citrus sauce and continue cooking 3-4 minutes until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.  Mix arugula, almonds and cranberries together and divide among four plates.  Top with tilapia fillet and sauce.