Sunday, October 3, 2010

RECIPE OF THE DAY! SAUTEED CUCUMBERS WITH SEARED SCALLOPS

Diabetes appropriate, Low calorie, Low carbohydrate, Low saturated fat, Low sodium, Heart healthy, Healthy weight, High potassium, Gluten free.

Sweet sea scallops pair beautifully with lightly sauteed cucumbers. Try adding a handful of julienned snow peas to the cucumbers, for extra crunch. Serve simply with boiled new potatoes. This wonderful dish will delight your taste buds. ENJOY!!


Makes 4 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour


Ingredients

2 large English cucumbers (see notes below)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 teaspoons butter, divided

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 1/4 pounds large dry sea scallops, (see Tip below), tough muscle removed

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill, or flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Preparation

1.Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise, scrape out seeds with a spoon and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a colander set over a bowl. Toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt and set aside for 30 minutes to drain.

2.Heat 1 teaspoon butter and 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the drained cucumbers and cook, stirring, until wilted and beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in sour cream and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl.

3.Wipe out the pan. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons butter and 1 teaspoon oil over high heat. Add scallops, season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Gently stir the cucumber mixture into the scallops. Serve garnished with dill (or parsley), if desired.


Tips & Notes

Tip: Be sure to buy “dry” sea scallops (scallops that have not been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate, or STP). Scallops that have been treated with STP (“wet” scallops) have been subjected to a chemical bath and are not only mushy and less flavorful, but also will not brown properly. But if the only Scallops you can find are frozen ones then place them on a paper towel and pat dry.

Notes: English cucumbers:

There’s nothing wrong with the common slicing cucumber, but the English cucumber has it beat in several ways:

It is generally sold wrapped in plastic to reduce water loss, and so is usually not waxed and therefore does not need peeling.

It is usually called seedless (which is an outright lie), but its seeds are much smaller and less prominent.

It is the seeds in a cucumber (and especially in an aging cucumber) that make it bitter, so a semi-seedless English cucumber is less likely to be bitter.

It has been bred to be more easily digested than some other varieties (fewer burps).

225 calories per serving

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