What’s great about scallops is they can be made in mere minutes. What’s not so great is their mild flavor allows for a sea-sized list of side dishes. Before you drown in options, consider completing your meal with a quick-cooking whole grain-and-veggie blend. The greens and grains go in one pot for an easy-breezy dinner recipe that you’ll eagerly dive into.
Spinach Quinoa with Seared Scallops
Makes 2 servings (quinoa makes 6 total servings)
Macros for 1 serving (1/2 cup cooked quinoa + 4 scallops):
380 calories | 19.4 g protein | 36 g carbs | 17.3 g fat | 4.1 g fiber | 1.8 g sugar
Quinoa
1 cup Vitacost Certified Organic Quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup pine nuts
½ Tbsp. ghee
2 cups spinach, chopped
¼ cup yellow onion, chopped
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 ½ tsp. lemon zest
Scallops
8 scallops
½ Tbsp. ghee
Flavor God Everything Seasoning
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Toast pine nuts on baking sheet for 8 minutes.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook garlic and onion in ½ tablespoon ghee, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
- Pour mixture into a large bowl, add toasted pine nuts, spinach, parsley, lemon juice and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Stir in quinoa and reduce heat to low. Let simmer with lid on until all liquid is absorbed, about 8-12 minutes.
- Spoon quinoa into large bowl with other ingredients and let it sit about 5 minutes. Stir to combine.
- To prepare the scallops, melt ½ tablespoon ghee in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Make sure scallops are completely dry, sprinkle with seasoning on both sides and place in heated skillet. Cook scallops about 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Serve immediately with quinoa and enjoy!