Next Dinner For Review - July 23, 2007

[cjs]

By a unanimous vote (of three ), our next dinner to be reviewed will be - Pan-Seared Scallop Salad from C@H's SmartCarb Cookbook - page 21, or recipe below.

Nutrition for this is: 19 carbs (as is); 3g fiber; 215 cal; 11g total fat; 326 sodium. (so for those of us trying to be good - the points for this dinner are 5 )


Pan-seared Scallop Salad
C@H SmartCarb Menu Book
Makes 4 salads

Sauté; Remove:
4 slices thick-cut bacon diced
Sear:
12 sea scallops, patted dry
Sauté:
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
Add and simmer:
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 T. brown sugar
Stir in:
Seared scallops
Reserved bacon pieces
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
Serve Over:
6 cups fresh spinach

Options for different carb counts:
Under 20 carbs:
The Salad as is above
Under 40 carbs:
Above salad served with 1/2 cup orange supremes
Under 60 carbs:
Above salad served with 1/2 cup angel hair pasta


Sauté bacon in a large pan till crisp.
Remove bacon to a plate, drain, reserving the drippings (this will get Bill’s attention!)
Add 1 T. of drippings back to the pan and increase the heat to high.

Sear the scallops 2-3 min. on each side till golden.
(have the pan really hot so the scallops sizzle when they hit the surface. THEN, leave them for about 2 min. before turning – DO NOT MOVE THEM AROUND)
Remove to a plate.
Add another 1 T. of dripping to the pan, reduce heat to medium.

Sauté onion and pepper till soft, about 5 min.
Add tomatoes, vinegar, and brown sugar. Simmer 3-4 min.

Stir in reserved scallops and bacon.
Finish by adding the parsley and seasonings.

Serve dressing and scallops over fresh spinach.

...and maybe we don't need to be so good, anyone have any ideas for desserts?

[TwilightKitten]

This looks really good, but the last time I got scallops (from Whole Foods!) they were gritty. Should I shop elsewhere or is there something I should have done to remove the grit?

[pjcooks]

Can't wait to try this one! Thanks for posting the recipe, I can taste it already.

Tammy, I've had some gritty bay scallops in the past, I'm assuming (and you know what they say about those who assume) you mean the texture of the scallop itself was gritty, not something you can rinse off. Something interesting to look into. If I find anything, I'll let you know.

Dessert- strawberry shortcake screams out to me, haven't done that in a while, and it is summer. Maybe with some Grand Marnier macerated berries, a nice healthy dollop of whipped cream-maybe I'll just skip dinner and have dessert

PJ

[TwilightKitten]

Quote:

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you mean the texture of the scallop itself was gritty, not something you can rinse off. Something interesting to look into. If I find anything, I'll let you know.

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Yes, that's exactly what I mean...the grit is inside the scallop...blech, it was really disgusting and turned me off scallops for a while. I don't think I've had one since.

[cjs]

I don't think I've ever run into that -gritty scallops. huh. Only thing I can think of to do is talk to the butchers at Costco and tell them - maybe they have heard this from others...

ohhh, strawberry shortcake sounds great - haven't made it this year.

[pjcooks]

Quote:

---

This looks really good, but the last time I got scallops (from Whole Foods!) they were gritty.

---

Did a little checking, it's possible they weren't harvested properly. Equipment and technique play a big part in this, and some tiny broken shell bits and other grit could have been forced into the muscle.

The seafood store is literally 30 seconds down the road. When Mike opens tomorrow, I'll ask him what he thinks.

There's always new stuff to learn, isn't there? I'd definately give them another chance

PJ

[TwilightKitten]

Quote:

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The seafood store is literally 30 seconds down the road. When Mike opens tomorrow, I'll ask him what he thinks.

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Thank you so much for all the research! I can't wait to hear what he has to say.

[Mare749]

This sounds great, especially with this hot spell we got. 93 degrees today and it's suppose to be like this all week. We took the grandbabies to the beach today. At least there was a nice breeze coming off the lake.

So, I'll probably be making this sometime this week. Did Jean decide on a review day? How does Monday the 23rd sound?

[pjcooks]

Yes, that's the date, Maryann! July 23rd.

PJ

[pjcooks]

"Thank you so much for all the research! I can't wait to hear what he has to say. "

Tammy, that's the verdict, improper handling, excessive force and/or faulty equipment can all contribute to gritty scallops. This "significantly reduces the quality of the scallop"-ya think??

I hope you have better luck next time. Come to think of it, I don't think I've had bay scallops since I experienced that. You expect to find some sand in your steamers, but not your scallops.

PJ