Seared Scallops & a Rye Berry Chick Pea Salad
Man, do you guys want to win that knife or what? I’m so thrilled with the response to the giveaway! Remember, you have until tomorrow at midnight so get to entering!
So, as we had discussed earlier, Thanksgiving is next week. And guess what? I’m so SICK of the food already. As a food writer, I’ve been cooking Thanksgiving meals since the beginning of November so as you can imagine, the thought, sight or smell of turkey has me ready to gag. I’m sure this will pass next week when I’m enjoying t-day at my BFF’s, but until then, my house is a turkey free zone. Instead, I’m eating things unrelated to holidays at all, like perfectly seared scallops served over a rye berry chick pea salad. See, that is the kind of stuff I want to eat.
Until a few weeks ago, I’d never actually made a scallop. I had this innate fear that they would turn out inedible, rubbery, disgusting. Perhaps it’s because I watch a lot of Top Chef (and subsequently, a lot of top chefs f up these mullosks) I was terrified. And you know what? That was the dumbest fear I’ve ever had. These are the easiest things to cook in the entire world. The only thing you have to perfect is the timing. 2 minutes on each side in a hot, stainless steel pan coated with oil. If you get the timing right, you get beautifully seared scallops that are a little crispy on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside.
Really, it’s as simple as that. In addition to timing, you need fresh scallops. I was lucky enough to get sent an entire BOX filled with amazing seafood (and a few bags of luscious scallops) from Alaska. And you know what? You’d be hard-pressed to find a fresher, better scallop than the ones caught by the tireless Alaskan fishermen.
So, scallops are incredibly delicious on their own (and low-calorie, just 35 in one!) but you need a little more umph to make them a meal. That’s where my rye berry chick pea salad came in. I had a huge bag of organic rye berries from the fabulous folks at Bob’s Red Mill that was begging to be used.
Rye berries are so flavorful and fragrant on their own, but I wanted a heartier salad. So I paired them with chopped chick peas, a honey mustard dressing and some crunchy pomegranate seeds for good measure. Then, places a few plump, juicy scallops on top and WALAH!
I’m so proud of this dish. I’ve been feeling so uninspired and unoriginal lately and this dish just proves to me that I’ve got it. That I’m creative and exciting in the kitchen. And, this fiber rich, lower calorie entree has nothing to do with any holidays. It’s just good food for a Wednesday night. I think that’s what I’m most excited about!
Sear Scallops & a Rye Berry Chick Pea Salad
Serves about 3. Salad recipe inspired by Bob’s Red Mill.
Ingredients:
For the scallops:
- 9 small – medium size fresh scallops
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the salad:
- 1/2 cup dry rye berries (will make 1 cup cooked)
- 1 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup chopped chick peas
- 1 tablespoon honey mustard
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate juice
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 2 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Heat water in a medium size saucepan over high heat. Add rye berries and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about an hour, or until soft.
- Pat scallops dry with a clean towel. While rye berries cook, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium size stainless steel skillet. Once hot, add scallops and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- When rye berries are done cooking, place them in a mixing bowl. Add chopped chick peas and pomegranate seeds and stir. To prepare the dressing, whisk the honey mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate juice, parsley and salt and pepper. Add additional ingredients to taste.
- Pour dressing over the rye berry and chick pea salad and mix well. Distrbute among two bowls. Top the salad with lettuce leaves or basil and place 3 scallops on each. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutritional information per serving (3 scallops and about 2/3 cup salad)
Calories: 410.67
Fat: 14 grams
Carbohydrates: 50 grams
Fiber: 7 grams
Protein: 18.6 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 9
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