Review: Pan-Roasted Scallops with Tarragon

Hi Everyone! It's been a while since I've written anything. Have to say it's been a very busy, constantly going, no time to sit around kind of summer. It was incredible time spent with my son, family and friends. And now it's over, booooo! I'll be honest, I haven't been the strictest with my eating choices. From having a zillion of the best hush puppies evah at Miller's Seafood to yummy beer at Erie's Public House, it was a GOOD summer for so many reasons. But now, it's over and time to get back to eating clean and exercising hard.

As you know I'm always trying new, healthy recipes. It's gotta be good for you, great flavor, quick and easy to cook and most importantly...kid friendly. Not too much to ask for. While I don't always have my son eat exactly like me (yes, there are multiple kinds of Oreos in the house), he does need to eat a good healthy dinner. He understands the basics about protein, carbs, refined sugar and processed crap. So when I saw this recipe (I'm a fan of Tarragon) I thought perfect, let's give it a try.

Pan-Roasted Scallops with Tarragon

Start with:

5 tbs olive oil
2 tbs fresh tarragon leaves, rough chop (pull the leaves off the stem)
2 cloves garlic, minced (if you love garlic use 4-6 cloves or to save time you can buy pre-minced garlic in a jar)
1.25 lbs scallops (remove connective tissue if not done by store)
1/2 c fresh orange juice (roll the oranges on the counter to soften them up prior to cutting in half and juicing, it's easier and you get more juice)
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp orange zest (before rolling and cutting in half, scrape the zest off, be sure to wash the skin prior to zesting)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat 4 tbs of olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add tarragon, stir, add garlic and sauté until it begins to sizzle (love, love, love the smell of sautéing garlic).

Add scallops and orange juice. Sprinkle paprika, zest, salt, pepper and remaining olive oil over scallops. Place entire dish in oven and roast for 10 min. Remove from oven (use a mit! Yes, I had an idiot moment when I touched the handle forgetting it just came out of the oven) and remove scallops from the pan, keep warm. Over medium high heat, begin to stir the remaining sauce until it thickens (2-3 minutes). Drizzle sauce over scallops and serve. About 30 minutes from prep to serve with one pan and a couple plates. Making it an easy weekday meal. Garlic, tarragon and zest add flavor while the orange juice adds a bit of sweetness to balance out the dish. Serve with a veggie of you choice. Tonight was green beans. Took some of the sauce and drizzled over the veggies.

So, give this high protein, high flavor dish a try and let me know what you think. Welcome to Fall.

Serving Information:

Calories: 164
Protein: 17.5 g
Carb: 8 g
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 34 mg
Sodium: 679 mg