Scallops with Watermelon Salsa
Last night’s dinner was the perfect warm weather meal . The flavors were fresh and light … they tasted like summer. Best of all was the easy prep, something I look for more and more.
I have a tendency to think about making dinner about thirty minutes after I probably should be serving it. Fortunately, Cooking Light and Donna Hay have lots of fast and easy recipes for me to select from. This one is from Cooking Light …. I followed it (almost) exactly the first time and then made changes that fit for us on the second round.
Scallops cook so quickly, I had everything else ready before I heated the pan. It was so fast, only half a glass of wine was consumed during the preparation of this meal.
My Alterations
We like the larger scallops, however, this recipe could be made using the smaller scallops, shrimp, or chicken. I’ve also taken the shortcut with the spices and sprinkled the scallops with Old Bay seasoning instead of the combination listed above …. still a yummy meal.
Reducing the amount of oil and eliminating the pine nuts helped to reduced the fat in the original recipe.
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1¼ pounds large sea scallops
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 cups diced watermelon
- 2 tablespoons minced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped mint, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- ¼ cup sliced scallions
- Combine mustard, coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Pat scallops dry with a paper towel; sprinkle with spice mixture.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to skillet; swirl to coat. Add scallops; cook to desired degree of doneness, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
- Toss together watermelon, onion, 2 tablespoons mint, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Combine quinoa, scallions, remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, remaining 2 tablespoons mint, and remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice. Serve scallops over quinoa mixture; top with salsa.