Pan Seared Bay Scallops With Lemon Orzo

Bev is not a big fan of scallops so I used her being in Gatlinburg as an opportunity to cook up some bay scallops for just me.  We brought the frozen scallops back from Florida in one pound bags so I made two meals of them.

Since it was just me, I wanted something quick and easy but still made good use of the scallops so I combined two recipes from My Recipes to get this dish.

Orzo – Adapted from My Recipes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup prechopped onion

1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. 

2. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. 

3. Stir in pasta, broth, wine, and thyme; bring to a boil. 

4. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente. 

5. Stir in lemon juice. Keep warm.

Scallops – Adapted from My Recipes

Ingredients:

Olive oil

¾ slice of county ham diced

1 lb of bay scallops

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil on pan over high heat until shimmering.

2. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle scallops evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

3. Add scallops and ham to the pan; cook about five minutes tossing a couple of times – mine did not develop a crust.

4. Plate the orzo then the scallops and garnish with chopped green onions or chives.

I thought it was very tasty and thought the two dishes worked well together.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

2/12 Meal Date