Seared Scallops with French Lentils and Broccoli Rabe

I have had the idea for this meal in my head for several weeks. I did not post it because I thought it might be too ambitious for a week night. I was wrong, it is a perfect week nite meal. I would recommend it for a date night. (unfortunately my blushing bride is not a fan of seafood so this is a bachelor meal for me)  It looks luxurious but takes very little time to prepare.

I was not feeling well early this morning so I stayed home from work and it looked like I would not be making  dinner tonight, but by noon I was feeling better.  I had some extra time so I decided to try this meal and see how long it would take. I ran to the market and picked up the scallops, I had everything else on hand. So here we go:

INGREDIENTS

For the scallops:

• sea scallops (fresh if you can get them) 4 to 6 per person.  This will cost you about 6 to 8 dollars per person, but that is far less than you would pay for this meal in a restaurant. Make sure scallops are completely dry before placing in the pan.
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• juice of 1/2  lemon
• salt and pepper
• splash of dry white wine

For the lentils:

• 1 cup of organic French lentils
• 2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups water   You can use all water if you like.
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 stalk of celery diced. Always try to get your celery with the leaves still attached they are very flavorful.
• 3 cloves garlic 2 minced, 1 whole
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove
• salt and pepper

For the broccoli rabe:

• 1 bunch broccoli rabe
• 3 cloves garlic thickly sliced
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• salt

COOKING

For the lentils:

The lentils will take the longest to cook so we will start with those.  Rinse the lentils under cold water and set aside. Coat the bottom of a pan with olive oil and heat on medium. When oil gets hot add the celery, onion, garlic, carrot and salt and pepper. Push the clove into the whole piece of garlic and toss into the pan. Be sure to remove it when the cooking is done.  Saute for 3 minutes, add the lentils and cook for an extra 5 minutes. Add the liquid and bring to a boil. Cover the pan,  reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning before serving.

For the broccoli rabe:

For the broccoli rabe heat a large pot of salted water to boiling. Blanch the broccoli rabe for 3 minutes. Shock in an ice bath. This will help to keep the bright green color.Drain of as much water as possible.  Heat a sauté pan on medium high add olive oil and when hot add the red pepper flakes and garlic. Add the broccoli rabe and saute for 8 to 10  minutes.Season with salt and lemon before serving.

For the scallops:

Heat a sauté pan on medium high. Add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Salt and pepper both sides of the scallops. When oil starts to shimmer add scallops and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Do not touch them before 2 minutes, and yes 2 minutes per side is plenty. If you overcook scallops they will taste like hockey pucks. Remove scallops from pan and add the wine. Scrape up the flavor bits from the bottom. Melt the pat of butter and add the scallops back to the pan. Serve immediately with the sauce and a bit of lemon juice.  Serve with a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

This meal took under an hour to prepare and it looks elegant and tastes great.  Make sure you have all ingredients on hand and you can make this special meal anytime.

Enjoy!

For more recipes visit my blog at: http://www.waltercarlingsfoodblog.com