Recipe for Scallops and “Rice”
If you've been following What's for Dinner? Wednesday for a while, you know I love scallops!
For Valentine's Day this year Mr. Fit Armadillo made one of my fave scallop recipes of all time that you can find HERE in case you were eyeing it on instagram.
What you might not know is that our Valentine's Day dinner was inspired by another healthy scallop recipe I enjoyed a few days earlier.
While skiing in Whistler, I had the pleasure of enjoying many amazing dishes that were cooked by our friends. Most of them I ate too quickly to document (cross-country skiing burns a lot of calories!). But the scallop recipe? I was able to snag a pic of it and it's sneaky side dish.
What do I mean by a sneaky side dish?
When I first saw my plate, I thought we were having scallops on a HUGE bed of rice. I was hanging out with a bunch of Indians, but I'm not a big rice fan so I tried to politely request a little less on my plate. That's when I found out, we weren't eating rice at all - it was cauliflower!
Not only was this dish super tasty, it's a great way to sneak in some veggies so I knew I had to share it.
Here's What You Need for the Scallop Recipe:
Ingredients for "Rice"
-2 heads of cauliflower
-1 tbsp butter
-1/2 cup milk
-salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for Scallops
-1 lb scallops (half dollar size is ideal or 10-20 per lb)
-sea salt
-pepper (lemon pepper is ideal)
-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-1 tsp peanut oil, grape seed oil or other high smoke point oil
How to Put it All Together:
Step One: Make your "rice." Steam the cauliflower until it's tender.
Step Two: Mash the cauliflower and add in butter, milk, salt and pepper. Or, use a food processor for a smoother constancy. You can add or subtract milk depending on your desired creaminess. That's it!
Step Three: Cook your scallops! Our chef says: "The secret's in the sear. That's a lot of S's!" But a great way to remember it, right?
Start by preparing your sauce. Bring your balsamic up to a simmer and reduce it to low heat cooking until it starts to thicken.
Step Four: Season the scallops with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle a skillet with your oil and bring it to high heat.
Working in batches, add your scallops to the smoking hot skillet in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and translucent in the center (for about 2 mins per side). Keep the temperature high as to sear not steam.
Step Five: Put it all together! Prepare your dish so your scallops rest on a bed of cauliflower and drizzle the balsamic on top.
I hope you enjoy this scallop recipe that I found to be super yummy in my tummy and maybe tricking a non-rice loving friend with the cauliflower?
I'd love to hear what you think when you try it! Leave a comment below to let me know your thoughts and if you've ever been fooled by a sneak side dish:
