Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Seared Scallops w| Warm Tuscan Beans

A healthy serving of white beans and spinach are an excellent pairing with seared sea scallops. The dish is flavored with crushed red pepper flakes for a spicy kick. Serve this alongside slices of toasted garlic bread for sopping up the oniony white wine broth and you've got a warm and comforting, yet light and healthy dish that I would deem perfect for a cold, resolution ridden January. The recipe was adapted from Cooking Light March 2009. (Recipe from 1989 Cookbook coming soon!) I halved the amount of scallops in the original recipe since I am cooking for two and not four. However, you could cook as many scallops as your heart desires. A little over 1/2 a pound was equal to 7 scallops. (Of course, this will vary with scallop size.)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 pounds sea scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
The recipe calls for one pan, cooking the scallops first and the broth, beans and spinach second. I prefer to cook the scallops simultaneously in a separate pan; understanding this creates an extra dish to clean, but this way the scallops maintain their heat and don't wait around much longer while the rest of the meal comes together.I guess you need three pans if you want to cook the garlic bread the way Cooking Light suggests. Simply heat a grill pan over medium heat and brush 1 tablespoon olive oil evenly over slices of French bread. Add the bread to the pan and cook for two minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Rub one side of each bread slice with the cut sides of a halved garlic clove and voila!
And now for the main attraction! For the broth, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the pan and sauté about three minutes. Add the red pepper and garlic, cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the wine and cook for one minute or until most of the liquid evaporates.
Stir in the vegetable stock, beans and cook for two minutes. Then add the spinach and cook for one minute or until spinach wilts. Remove the pan from heat and stir in chopped basil.
For the scallops, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the scallops evenly with salt, then add the scallops to the pan; cook two to three minutes on each side or until done. Dinner for two! A quick and easy wintertime meal.Thanks to my friends Corinne and Laura for originally passing on this recipe. I love scallops.
Other Indulge Inspire Imbibe Scallop recipes:

21 comments:

  1. Look at you... getting in that kitchen! This looks like a great post-holiday meal... nice and light.

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  2. Daisy, what a great meal...I love scallops and the way that you prepared them is just so yummie. Very healthy!

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  3. Bring.it.ON!! Can you be my neighbor?!?! This looks incredible.

    xo,
    c

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  4. I love scallops too! This looks like a great weeknight meal.

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  5. oh my gosh, that looks like my ideal meal - nice work!

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  6. This looks incredible! 2011 needs to become then year that I start to like scallops. In the meantime, I'm making this with shrimp!

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  7. I love that you're sticking to your resolution and cooking more in 2011 already! Go you! These scallops look fabulous and I have a feeling that you're going to become my go-to source for seafood recipes!

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  8. Favorite recipe EVER! I have a good feeling about this new years 2011 resolution of yours!

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  9. Love white beans and spinach. There's a place in NY that makes a nice thick tuscan bean and spinach soup. So good

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  10. I'm so excited about your new kitchen adventures this year and cannot wait to see more. PS- Can you believe I've never cooked scallops?!!?

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  11. Oh wow..that looks really yummy. I am thinking I will have to try that out. I have only cooked scallops a couple of times myself.

    debra
    http://www.takingbelize.blogspot.com

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  12. So beautiful!! Scallops were the one food growing up that I couldn't stand (to my defense, I got sick several times after eating them). Luckily, about 4 years ago I realized my stupidity and now they're one of my favorites! This dish looks so good :)

    Sues

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  13. Wow... that dish looks fantastic. I thought it was a restaurant review when I saw that first picture. I'm very impressed with the sear you achieved on those scallops.

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  14. I SO wish there were three plates and I could join you guys. I fail at searing anything and love scallops that are cooked well. Great to stop in and read your post!
    Katherine

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  15. This is gorgeous and fancy, I love it.

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  16. This looks amazing! I need to make it. :)

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  17. What a great combo! That looks so delicious!

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  18. This looks like a delicious dinner! I have never made scallops before... but now I want to try it out!

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  19. excited to see you cooking again. You always seem to find recipes that are off my radar! This looks delicious and your pics are gorgeous as always!

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