Pan-seared Scallops with Blueberry Chutney and Arugula Salad

It is without a doubt that scallop is my favorite shellfish. And my dream of cooking a scallop dish has come true (at a very expensive cost - literally)!

This recipe will take a lot of preparations compared to the usual dishes I posted here. But hey, it's all worth it.

Blueberry Chutney

Place about 100 grams of blueberries in a casserole. Add 1 small glove of crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger powder, a dash of cayenne powder and 1/4 cup cider vinegar. Simmer for five minutes over medium fire. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup water. Continue simmering until thick over low fire. Do not dry up all the liquid. Set aside.

Arugula Salad

Sprinkle some salt on your arugula salad, then toss before washing on running water. Drain and let it dry. For the dressing, combine 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lime juice (rind optional), salt, white pepper and 1 egg yolk. Mix thoroughly.

Bed of veggies

Roast the bell peppers over low fire (yes, of your stove. that's legal. and acceptable) as shown in the picture. Make sure that all sides are roasted. If a grill is not available, use tongs to hold the bell over the fire. Once done, let it cool a little. Using a pairing knife, scrape the burnt skin. Remove the seeds and slice thinly.

Grab some sun-dried tomatoes and slice as thinly as the bell peppers. Sauté both ingredients in olive oil until the tomatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Searing the Scallops

Now here comes the star! Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Season the scallops with sea salt and a few dashes of white pepper. Make sure the oil is really hot before placing the scallops on the pan. Each side will take about 2-3 minutes to cook. (Cook it longer and you'll eat rubber).

Follow this: bell peppers and sun-dried tomatoes at the bottom, scallop on top, blueberry chutney above. Place some arugula leaves at the side and drizzle with the cream cheese dressing.

Happy eating!

I'm on Twitter @imavjavier

Go and Share!

Quick Spinach Salad

I came home one night uber exhausted. Worse, my stomach was crumbling like crazy! I had several options on what to eat. I could cook a meal from what's available at home. But it's gonna take some time to thaw frozen food and prep the other ingredients. I was tired so I scrapped the idea right away.

Well, there's always been canned goods. But...they're meat. And it wouldn't be satisfying to eat them without rice. Rice! Extra calories at night? No good.

I opened the fridge again and there, miraculously, appeared a bundle of spinach! I immediately grabbed Popeye's power food and hand cut the leaves from the stems. I made about 1.5 cups. Then I sprinkled some salt before washing them .

While draining the leaves, I mixed 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 1 teaspoon cider vinegar. I squeezed a quarter of lime and added 1/2 teaspoon of tarragon.

I tossed the leaves in a bowl, poured the dressing and added some sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers and feta cheese, which I found in the fridge (that refrigerator is truly magical).

After eating, oh my! I felt as strong as the Sailor Man! :) Toot! Toot! Haha!

I'm on Twitter @imavjavier

Go and Share!