Seared Scallops with Teriyaki Salad

You just got home and you want a healthier answer to lunch or dinner than prepared foods or take out, but what to make? These Seared Scallops with Teriyaki Salad are a quick, fresh and flavorful dish using healthy and delicious ingredients to add to your repertoire.

Ingredients

for the sauce:
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon sherry cooking wine
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced

for the salad:
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup snow peas
2 cups napa cabbage, chopped
1 cup carrots, cut into match sticks
½ cup chow mein noodles
½ cup fresh pineapple, cubed
½ cup peanuts or hazelnuts, chopped
½ cup cilantro, chopped

for the scallops:
1 pound large sea scallops (about 12) or large shrimp
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black
pepper

Directions

make the sauce:
In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Reserve half the mixture for the salad, pour the rest over the scallops in a Ziploc plastic bag and put in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Blanch broccoli and peas in boiling salted water for 1 minute, then drain. Toss with remaining salad ingredients and reserved dressing.

make the scallops:
Remove the scallops from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat until hot. Pat the scallops dry once more and put them in the pan in a single, uncrowded layer. Let them sear undisturbed until one side is browned and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the scallops and sear until the second side is well browned and the scallops are firm to the touch. Take the pan off the heat, transfer the scallops on top of the salad. Serve immediately.

makes 6 cups salad:

Recipe hint:
When you’re at the fish counter shopping for scallops, you’ll often see sea scallops labeled two ways “dry” and “wet.” Whenever you can, choose the dry scallops. “Wet” scallops have been treated with a solution called STP (sodium tripolphosphate), which gives scallops a longer shelf life. You’ll have trouble browning these scallops, because of the excess moisture. The STP solution can also give scallops a rubbery texture. “Dry” scallops sear better and taste better.

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