Seared Scallops with Warm Fruit Salsa

Seared Scallops with Warm Fruit Salsa

YIELD: 4 Servings (3 large scallops each serving as entrée; 1 scallop as appetizer or side dish)

 

 

 

First prepare the warm fruit salsa, then the scallops:

Warm Fruit Salsa
YIELD: About 3 cups
Prep time: 8 minutes/ Cooking time: 4 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 cups pineapple, diced (if using canned pineapple, use only pineapple canned in natural juices and drain)
• 1¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped green tea, freshly brewed
• 1 tsp soy sauce, low sodium
• ½ Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• ½ tsp cinnamon, ground
• ½ tsp red dulse flakes or kelp powder.

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Sauté the garlic for approximately 1 minute.
3. Stir in diced pineapples and chopped bell peppers until translucent (not thoroughly sauteed).
4. Slowly incorporate green tea and soy sauce (slowly stirring while heat is at or near a simmer).
5. Once the ingredients are evenly blended, stir in the ground cinnamon and red dulse flakes.
6. Pull the salsa from the heat and set aside in serving bowl or container.
7. Bruise mint leaves before chopping the leaves by folding the leaves together and slightly pounding the leaves with your knife handle or use a garlic press (lightly dash the mint leaves with lime or zest to enhance flavors).
8. Fold in the chopped mint leaves and serve warm or allow salsa to rest for 30 minutes to one hour away from direct heat to allow total infusion of flavors.

Nutrition Information per serving: 77 calories  (30% from fat); fat 3g (sat.0.4g, mono 1.7g, poly 0.4g); cholesterol 0.0 mg; carbohydrate 14.3g; fiber 2.2g; sodium: less than100 mg; protein 1.1g; Iron 1 mg; calcium 18 mg.

Scallops:

Prep time: 2 minutes/ Cooking time 8 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 Large Sea Scallops
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp black pepper, ground
• 1/8 tsp ginger, powdered (or ½ tsp freshly grated)
• 4 tsp fresh sliced green onions/scallions
• Fruit salsa, warmed (see above recipe)

Method:

1. Pat scallops dry with paper towel.
2. Generously coat medium to large skillet with olive oil. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Note: a hot skillet is key to a deep golden sear on the scallops.
3. Slowly place scallops into the pan allowing scallops to cook 2 to 3 minutes per side or until done (fluctuate heat levels if needed to ensure scallops do not burn yet achieve deep golden sear).
4. Lightly sprinkle scallops with ground or freshly grated ginger just before pulling them from the heat.
5. Once sea scallops are done, serve scallops atop plated Warm Fruit Salsa (Discard any accumulated juices from scallops).
6. Sprinkle scallops with ground black pepper (or season to taste).
7. Serve immediately. (If there are juices remaining from the separate pan used to cook the Warm Fruit Salsa, you may scrape the juices over the plated scallops as a savory coating).
8. Suggestion: Serves well with brown herbed rice, and two cooked vegetables to complete the meal.

Nutritional information per serving:  202 calories  (16% from fat); fat; 4g (sat 0.5g mono 1.7g; poly 0.8g); cholesterol 47 mg; carbohydrate 17.7g; protein 24.9 g; fiber 2.2g; sodium Less than 300 mg; iron 1 mg; calcium 52mg.

 

Adapted following Memory Preservation Nutrition® program by Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Ph.D from myrecipes.com – Oxmoor House, April, 2009. Selected by Cheryl K. Franchi, MS, MBA, RDN, CSG, LD/N, FADA, FAND. Recipe tested and perfected by Chef Myron Norman, fall 2016.