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Why we love scallops
Let's be real, scallops are freaking awesome and crazy interesting. Did you know that scallops swim by quickly opening and closing their shells to propel themselves forward? They also have hundreds of eyes. Pretty crazy!
But most importantly, we love scallops because they are high in protein, contain important minerals and vitamins, and they are super tasty AND simple to make!
Choosing your Summer Vegetables
We wanted to incorporate seasonal veggies into our scallops and vegetables dish. Our choices had a lot to do with personal faves, and also making the dish look colorful and therefore, more fun to our kids. Hence, zucchini, corn and green beans. That being said, you could really use any veggies you want. I think summer squash, asparagus, eggplant, peas, or broccoli would be great.
Seasoning your Scallops
To season our scallops, we kept things very simple. We didn't need any special sauces, marinades or complicated dressings. For a rich, buttery taste, you simply need salt, pepper and to cook your scallops in butter, oil or a combination of both!
We also tossed our scallops and vegetables in lemon juice for an extra citrusy kick! Note: Find out out how to juice a lemon without a juicer for this recipe.
What to serve with scallops
There are tons of sides that go great with scallops. You might consider...
- Pasta, quinoa or couscous
- Parmesan risotto
- A side salad, like our Grapefruit, Avocado and Arugula Salad
- A potato side- baked, mashed, or fries (we love our Shake & Bake Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries!)
- Garlic bread!
Other Seafood Dishes We love
How to Make Scallops with Vegetables
Step 1: Cook veggies
Prepare, season and cook veggies.
🥄 Kids Step: Help chop veggies! We recommend these safety snippers for trimming the green beans. For chopping the zucchini, we love the Curious Chef kids-safe knife.
Step 2: Prep Scallops
Dry and season scallops before searing.
🥄 Kids Step: Kids can help pat scallops with paper towels.
Step 3: Sear Scallops
Cook scallops 1-2 minute per side.
🥄 Kids Step: Kids can help flip scallops over as they cook. Using tongs for this task can be fun and supports the development of fine motor skills.
Cooking Tips
- Cook scallops last- since they cook fast, make sure everything else is done so you can eat them while they are hot!
- Pat scallops dry with a paper towel before seasoning. Wet scallops exude more moisture, giving them a rubbery texture once they are cooked. Dry scallops will sear more easily.
- Don't overcook scallops or they will be rubbery and hard to chew. We recommend cooking scallops for 1-2 minutes on each side. Once browned on both sides, remove immediately from skillet.
FAQ
Yes, shrimp would be a great addition to this meal.
Scallops are fully cooked when both sides are slightly brown and the sides look opaque all the way through.
It is best to defrost frozen scallops in the refrigerator overnight, in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. Scallops can also be safely defrosted in the microwave or under cool running water. For more details, check out the Livestrong.com article The Best Way to Defrost Sea Scallops.
To keep scallops from becoming rubbery, do not overcook them. We recommend cooking scallops for 1-2 minutes on each side. Once browned on both sides, remove immediately from skillet.
Cooked scallops will stay fresh in the refrigerator anywhere from three to four days.
Modify for Picky Eaters
- Veggies on the side! If your kids don't like their food "touching," separate the parts. Separate the veggies and the scallops.
- Add a starch! You can totally serve the scallops & veggies over pasta, rice, quinoa, whatever. Let your kids pick! Our favorite side is garlic bread!
Craft for this recipe
This paper plate seashell craft is sure to get your kids excited to eat seafood! Let kids get creative with this easy and colorful sea life craft!
Pan Seared Scallops with Vegetables and Lemon
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil divided
- 12 ounce green beans, with end snipped
- 1 large zucchini, sliced into rounds
- 15 ounce can corn, drained
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 ½ pounds scallops
- 2 Tablespoon salted butter
- 1 lemon, sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Heat a large pan on medium heat. Once heated, add 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil. Then add green beans. Cook for 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini and corn to the pan, and season the veggies with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Cover pan with a lid, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove veggies from pan and set aside.
- Pat your scallops dry with a paper towel. Season the scallops on both sides with the remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper.
- Heat the same pan on medium heat. Add butter and the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil/butter is melted and smoking hot, add the scallops. Cook scallops 1-2 minutes per side. Scallops should be golden brown. Immediately remove from pan and set aside.
Notes
- To plate...serve the scallops atop a bed of veggies, and squeeze a lemon slice over the dish. Garlic bread is a great side.
- The best way to defrost frozen scallops is in the refrigerator overnight, in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. Scallops can also be safely defrosted in the microwave or under cool running water. For more details, check out The Best Way to Defrost Sea Scallops.
- Pat scallops dry with a paper towel before seasoning. Dry scallops will sear more easily.
- Don't overcook scallops or they will be rubbery and hard to chew. We recommend cooking scallops for 1-2 minutes on each side. Once browned on both sides and they look opaque, remove immediately from skillet.
- Cook scallops last- since they cook fast, make sure everything else is done so you can eat them while they are hot!
- You can keep cooked scallops leftovers three to four days in the fridge.
Nutrition
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. While we are not certified nutritionists, we work with a Wordpress-integrated nutrition API to calculate our recipes' ingredient values.
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