I Love Scallops! No Matter WHAT Color They Are!
Yes, scallops are one of my favorite items to cook with – but why and I mentioning color? Well, it’s all part of this week’s “52 In 22 cooking challenge!”
It all seemed so simple: a terrific, healthy sea scallop dish that I knew my wife Alex would love, because it came from her Canyon Ranch Cookbook!
This famous retreat spa focuses on heath and fitness, and we cook their delicious food regularly….for week #33 of my “52 In 22” cooking challenge, I am going to share 3 recipes for Scallop dishes prepared three different ways: all because of this:
My “Blue” Scallops!
Yes, this scallop is resting in a puddle of BLUE!
It’s a cooking disaster that I am sharing with you, but also am giving you two other terrific recipes as well! Remember, I am sharing THREE different scallop dishes for you to enjoy – one just happens to be blue!
Making A Sea Scallop Stir-Fry!
It began when I chose the Sea Scallop Stir-Fry from the Canyon Ranch Cookbook. This is worth reading, because the dish is healthy and delicious, and fairly easy, so let’s get cooking!
Ingredients:
1 pound sea scallops
6 tbl cornstarch, divided use
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tsp peanutoil
4 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup pea pods
4 oz. sake or dry sherry
Fat-free chicken stock
Lightly dust the scallops with 3 tablespoons of the cornstarch. Combine the sesame oil and the tamari soy sauce in a small bowl and sprinkle over the scallops – cover them tightly and allow to marinate for 2 hours at least.
Heat your wok or large skillet over medium high heat, add the peanut oil and cook your garlic and ginger until soft…since I always store my ginger bulbs in the freezer, I shave mine into the pan…
Here’s a look at what’s next: and I left in the short setup when Alex called “action!” because this was a simpler time before the recipe got away from me!
As you saw in the video, you add your scallops and stir-fry until golden brown, which only takes a few minutes, then take the scallops out and set aside. Chop your cabbage, gather your carrots, broccoli, snap peas and get ready to go!
Add all the vegetables to the wok and stir-fry until they are tender but crisp, about 5 minutes.
Now add all of the remaining ingredients into the pan along with the rest of the cornstarch and just a hint of the chicken stock – whisking it in to make a sauce.
Add the scallops back in, stir fry your self crazy for 2 more minutes and serve!
Easy, right?
RIGHT?
WRONG!!!!
I should have seen this coming, and most of you knew the moment I used purple cabbage – because that decision turned my dish into a BLUE SCALLOP STIR-FRY! You see, while the recipe called for shredded cabbage, I had a purple one in the refrigerator and decided to use that….but as it cooked the color began to leech out – and I ended up with blue scallops and sauce!
Yes, it turned the sauce blue as well! At least the snap peas and carrots retained their color, but the sauce became a blue mess!
Alex swears the dish tasted delicious, and it did, but I couldn’t get past the appearance!
One other thing: because of the cornstarch and a pan that just didn’t seem hot enough, I really didn’t get a sear at all on the scallops, shown here served over cauliflower rice…this is a really disappointing look for a dish!
So, I promised Alex that I’d share this recipe – first because it really was delicious – but also because I’ve always shared the disasters that have unfolded during this “52 In 22” challenge. I will share those links in a moment.
But I also wanted to leave you with two scallop dishes that looked much better:
Baked Scallops With Tomato And Pesto!
This dish is a delicious way to serve baked scallops…you just need scallops, fresh tomatoes, and fresh basil…blend the basil with ten cloves of garlic, slowly drizzling in olive oil until the blend is perfect…
Put some of the pesto in the bottom of a oven-proof pan, heat oven to 400 degrees, and then lay your scallops on top…salt and pepper to your liking…
Slice your tomatoes and layer them on top of the scallops…then add more of your pesto…
Twenty minutes in the oven and you have a delicious scallop dish to serve with a salt and crusty bread!
Here’s one more gorgeous scallop dish as well:
Seared Scallops On Sweet Potato Mash!
This is my favorite Scallop dish – seared in butter for a golden crunch outside, while the inside is creamy smooth….I did them on sweet potato for Alex, but I love them on garlic mashed potatoes as well!
Your ingredients are easy: scallops, butter or oil, sweet or regular potatoes, and ginger!
First, peel your sweet potatoes and then boil…saute some ginger in butter and add the cooked sweet potatoes and mash up….
Salt and pepper your Scallops and put them in a hot frying pan with butter:
They only take 2-3 minutes each side, and when you put them over your sweet potato mash, it’s a beautiful looking dish…
Thanks for going along with me on this wild “52 in 22” cooking misadventure…but those who follow along know that I’ve made mistakes before:
This “Crispy Mollet Egg with Asparagus” was delicious, but the process of making a “Mollet Egg” was a disaster!
Click here to see the recipe and how close I cam to “cracking up”:
How hard can making eggs be?
Well, remember when my “52 In 22” cooking challenge forced me to make one egg dish twice?
The world’s most inventive Chef managed to fool me on a simple and unique egg dish – click here to see why:
Sometimes however, even I can’t mess a recipe up…as was the case with these amazing baked eggs:
Perhaps because they were served with Chocolate Tacos!
Click here for the delicious recipe!
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Categories: 52 In 22!, Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Cookbooks, Eat This!, Fine Dining, Food, Food Pictures, Food Porn, Food Writing, Recipes, Wacky Food, World's Wildest Food
Bite! Eat! Repeat! 
HI John, I am sorry, but I am highly amused by your blue scallops. I also have this sort of cooking accident from time to time. Once, I left the baking powder out of Terence’s birthday cake and it was as flat as a pancake. That had to be given to the birds and I had to start over.
PS, all the dishes look delicious.
Robbie, Alex loved the dish and thought it was worth sharing – even with my disastrous decision…and I bet the birds were very happy that day with your delicious treat! Thanks as always for commenting!