Seared Scallops with Lemon Orzo

Fast, good, cheap. Pick two.
This dinner reminded me of that sign, so often seen hanging in car repair shops. Fast? Yes. Heating up the oven to roast the zucchini was the longest single component of this meal. Good? Oh yes. Even though Joe kept trying to steer me away from orzo, later he admitted he was thinking about something else and really enjoyed it. Cheap? Ha! Not so much.

Scallops are not something I frequently purchase because of the price, but when I asked Joe to pick up something from Costco that looked good, he came home with $25 worth of scallops. Even though it ended up being more than enough for 4 meals, it’s still a little pricey for an every day kind of thing.

The key to getting a good sear on the scallops is getting them dry. That way a nice crust forms. The lemon-y orzo and roasted zucchini were good side dishes. For some reason, Joe kept trying to steer me away from the orzo, but then he ended up liking it and admitted that he hadn’t really known what he was talking about. Lovely.

If you don’t mind spending a little bit more than usual, this is a very fast, elegant dish that would be great for last-minute company or if you’re just feeling fancy.

Seared Scallops with Lemon Orzo
source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in pasta, broth, wine, and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente. Stir in chopped chives and lemon juice. Keep warm.
2. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops evenly with salt and pepper. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with pasta mixture.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Oat Muffins

It's high summer, and we've got eggplant, corn, summer squash, zucchini, and tomatoes coming out of our ears. The nice thing about zucchini bread and muffins is that, not only does it use up some of the bounty, but they can also be frozen for later consumption. These are a relatively healthful version with whole wheat and oats and only a bit of brown sugar and butter. I eliminated the streusel topping from the original version to save a few more calories, and I don't miss it. But if you're making these for company or as part of a more indulgent Saturday morning breakfast, go ahead and add it. These muffins are nice and hearty, perfect for an afternoon snack with a Georgia peach.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Oat Muffins
source: Amber's Delectable Delights
Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients

⅓ cups rolled oats
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
⅓ cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoons salt
1-½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups packed grated zucchini
⅔ cups buttermilk
2 whole eggs
¼ cups butter, melted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or line with liners.
Stir together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Fold in the grated zucchini and mix until it is well coated with the dry ingredients. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and melted butter. Fold into dry ingredients stirring just until combined.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Almonds, and Parmesan

Even with only a half-share at our CSA, it's still slightly more produce than Joe and I can consume by ourselves, which gives us a great reason to have people over and take vegetables over to other people's parties. While I usually eat zucchini and summer squash lightly sauteed with a little garlic and olive oil, that can get a little tiresome. When I saw this grilled zucchini salad in the latest issue of Eating Well, I thought it would be a great addition to our Top Chef-watching party. I'm not sure if it completely balanced out the peanut butter-honey gelato, wonderful cookies from Love and Olive Oil, and the peanut butter pie, but I made a good faith effort! I altered the recipe slightly to make it a little easier. This would be perfect for a picnic or winery outing, especially since it's so good served at room temperature.

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Almonds, and Parmesan

adapted from: Eating Well August 2010

Ingredients

1 medium lemon

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp salt

2 lbs small zucchini, cut into lengthwise slices

1/2 cup sliced (or chopped) almonds, toasted

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Zest the lemon and set aside the zest. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a small bowl. Add oil, pepper, and salt, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

2. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat until hot. Oil the grilling surface and grill zucchini slices, turning once, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Arrange the zucchini on a platter and drizzle with the reserved lemon dressing. Serve sprinkled with almonds, cheese, and lemon zest