Economical Scallops

I know the heading sound laughable, but these sautéed scallops are pretty economical. Considering that they are about $20 a pound I know it does sound ridiculous. Yes, they do cost more than ground beef but when you consider that the serving size is smaller and a pound can and will serve six people, it’s not really outrageous.

The key is making the scallops like a side dish or a condiment if you will. Serve them over a nice jasmine rice or some mashed potatoes and your meal is complete. This recipe is also so basic that you can add many things that go well with scallops. Veggies come to mind. Some zucchini (aka courgettes) and tomatoes would be perfect.

Bay Or Sea Scallops

Actually, either variety will do here.

Bay scallops are more pricy than the larger sea scallops. Therefore, I prefer to get the sea scallops. What I do is cut them up into pieces about the size of a bay scallop.

Another money-saving tip is that some stores sell scallop pieces. They are perfect for this recipe. I’ve seen them priced as low as $9.99 a pound and that makes this dish even more economical. They taste the same and are the perfect size so why not? Look for them in the frozen fish case at your store.

Removing Excess Flour

Here’s another little trick I picked up binge watching old Julia Child shows–and it’s a great way to remove excess seasoned flour from any meat or fish that’s in small pieces.

That fine-mesh strainer you have is excellent for this. You just dump the pieces of whatever is dusted with the flour into it, then shake it a bit and voila–no fuss or muss. Of course you have to wash that strainer, but this is such a good way to do this task that even I don’t mind that.

The Recipe

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Sautéed Scallops

Quick and delicious

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: economical scallop recipes, scallops for lent

Servings: 6

Calories: 129kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb sea scallops cut into pieces, or uncut bay scallops
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tbs oil
• 2 tbs fresh parsley chopped

Seasoned flour:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
• Mix seasoned flour ingredients in a plastic bag. Add scallops to the bag to dust with flour. Dump the scallops into a mesh strainer to remove excess flour.
• Add the scallops to the skillet and sauté until they just turn opaque. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 176IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

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Versatile Shrimp

Much like ground beef, shrimp is one of the most versatile proteins around. You can do so much with shrimp and since they’re often on sale, that’s a real bonus.

Shrimp toss is basically a pasta primavera with some shrimp added. It’s a wonderful dish and I still can’t decide whether it’s the shrimp or the pasta that’s my favorite part of this. This is one of those childhood meals I’ve always loved. And since it’s a recipe my mother favored, I’m pretty sure that is quite healthy. My mother was into healthy eating long before it became a vogue.

Tomatoes

My mother always used fresh. However, in winter, fresh tomatoes don’t have such a great flavor. The only divergence  from my mother’s recipe is that I use canned diced tomatoes–and fire roasted for a fuller flavor. I learned from Julia Child that canned tomatoes are all “summer” tomatoes and therefore are more flavorful. So I pretty much stick to the fire-roasted canned unless someone gives me tomatoes from the garden.

If you make this in the summer and you grow tomatoes, definitely use your home grown.

Pasta

This recipe is best with a straight long pasta. Regular and thin spaghetti work very well here and so does linguine and fettuccine. Because it’s a light dish, angel hair is good as well.

Try to avoid thick chewy styles such as bucatini or any tubular pasta. These are personal preferences, of course, but a thicker pasta would overwhelm the rest of the dish.

A little tip I picked up with pasta dishes such as this is always reserve a bit of the water you cooked the pasta in to toss in if necessary. A tablespoon or two seems to make these types of dishes a little oomph.

The Recipe

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Shrimp Pasta Toss

Simple but delicious pasta dinner

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lenten dinners, low fat pasta dinners, shrimp with pasta and tomatoes

Servings: 4

Calories: 488kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked spaghetti
• 1/4 cup butter
• 12 oz medium-large shrimp cleaned & deveined
• 1 small green pepper chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely minced or pressed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes drained fire roasted preferred
• 1 tbs fresh basil chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cook spaghetti per package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Melt butter in a large skillet until it sizzles. Add onion, shrimp, green pepper, garlic, salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until shrimp turns pink. Stir in tomatoes and basil.
• Place the cooked spaghetti into a large bowl and top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and toss to combine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 256mg | Sodium: 1692mg | Potassium: 512mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 725IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 323mg | Iron: 4mg

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Scallops Are A Treat

Due to the high cost, scallops are a rare treat for most of us. I admit I’m partial to the organic sea scallops my local store sells but since they cost $20 for a pound, I don’t indulge often.

However, you can find scallops at a lower cost–namely pieces instead of whole or smaller bay scallops. Either will work fine in this recipe. And non-organic is cheaper too.

Of course these skillet scallops in garlic pepper sauce make a better presentation using larger whole scallops so I’m willing to bite the bullet on price for this Lenten indulgence.

A Little Bit Of Heat

That small amount of hot pepper adds so much to this dish. I admit to being partial to a small zing when it comes to seafood. The slight bit of of heat complements the sweetness of the scallops so well.

Since I grow my own jalapeños in one of my hydroponic gardens, I have easy access to fully ripe ones that are red in color. It’d be rare to find them in the produce department of any store, so red chilis can stand in here.

Now, if you’re not partial to heat in any form, just use a red bell pepper. It’ll taste just as good, but minus the heat. It’s really the pepper taste you want here so bell peppers will work very well.

Butter And Oil

Adding just a little oil to butter fortifies it so that the butter doesn’t burn or scorch so easily. It’s an old trick and one you’ll want to use here because of frying the scallops over a high-ish heat.

If you use clarified butter, that has a very high smoke point because the milk solids are all out of the butter, and it’s the milk solids that burn. Making clarified butter is pretty easy and a quick Google search will bring up how to do this. Clarified butter is also shelf stable and requires no refrigeration. Plus it lasts a long time.

I don’t bother with making clarified butter anymore. I buy ghee–which is the exact same thing. It’s pretty reasonably priced too.

If you do use clarified butter/ghee, you can eliminate the oil in the recipe.

The Recipe

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Skillet Scallops in Garlic Pepper Sauce

Great Lenten meal or anytime meal.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: garlic scallops, lenten seafood meals, scallop recipes with sauces, seafood meals with sauce

Servings: 4

Calories: 231kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 lb sea scallops
• 2 tbs butter see NOTES
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs red chili pepper finely diced (see NOTES)
• 1/4 cup white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tsp minced fresh parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Toss bread crumbs with salt in a small bowl. Dip scallops in crumb mixture to coat both sides, patting to help coating adhere.
• In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add scallops; cook 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on each side or until firm and opaque. Remove from pan; keep warm.
• Add the chili pepper to the same skillet and fry for about 30 seconds.
• Add wine, lemon juice and garlic to same pan; bring to a boil. Stir in parsley. Drizzle over scallops; serve immediately.

Notes

Any red pepper will do. I used a ripe jalapeño (because I grow them). If you don't want any heat, a red bell pepper will do.

You can also use clarified butter or ghee. If you do, eliminate the oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 886mg | Potassium: 306mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

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Shrimp Provençal: Just Sounds Fancy

Sounds fancy but it’s really easy!

“Provençal” just means “provincial.” While it may take on other meanings at times, in cooking that just means that it contains tomatoes and garlic. Simple as that.

This is a wonderful dish to serve on Christmas Eve as one of the “seven fishes.” It’s an Italian tradition to do fish on Christmas Eve, hence, the “seven fishes.” I grew up with this and even though I don’t have an Italian background, lots of my friends did. I used to love going over on Christmas Eve to share that tradition since I love fish and shellfish.

Tomatoes Fresh Or Canned

Fresh tomatoes work perfectly in this dish. You will have to skin, seed and juice them first though.

Everyone who follows me knows I recommend using fresh ingredients when it comes to veggies and herbs–except here I recommend using canned diced tomatoes; and definitely the fire roasted variety especially. The fire roasted ones give this just the flavor it needs. Do remember to drain the juice from the can otherwise the sauce will be too watery. Save that juice though. It can be used in soups, stews and many other recipes.

The Pasta

I used ziti here because I had some I wanted to use up. Any pasta shape will do here unless it’s huge, like rigatoni for instance.

This would even be nice served with spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine. Use what you have because it will work!

The only thing to keep in mind is remembering that the casserole is going to cook in a sauce so you want the pasta to be a bit under-done so it’s perfect after baking. Boiling it for about 2 minutes less than the package directions will be best.

The Recipe

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Shrimp Provencal & Ziti

Tasty and filling shrimp and pasta casserole

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lenten meals, shrimp casseroles, shrimp with pasta and tomatoes

Servings: 6

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked ziti or penne
• 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
• 3 cloves garlic finely minced
• 3 tbs unsalted butter divided
• 1 tsp oil
• 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp dill weed
• 2 tbs flour
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes drained
• 1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cook ziti about 2 minutes less directions state; drain and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
• Heat a large, deep oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and 1 tbs of the butter and heat until butter is bubbly.
• Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the shrimp, parsley and dill. Cook until shrimp turns pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan and keep warm.
• In the same pan, melt the remaining butter. Whisk in the flour and stir until no lumps remain. Cook for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Whisk in the half-and-half and cook until it begins to bubble.
• Add the drained tomatoes, lemon juice, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Stir in the reserved shrimp and cooked ziti. Top with mozzarella cheese.
• Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Notes

For EU/UK readers--"half-and-half" is an American dairy product which is 50% whole milk and 50% light/single cream. Whole (full-fat) milk can be substituted as stated in the recipe.

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Fancy Fish Cakes

Back in the day, this was a favorite Friday meal when meat wasn’t allowed on that day. Of course, things have changed radically over the years, but fish cakes still remain a perennial favorite for supper. It was in my house growing up even though our religion didn’t require the fish on Friday.

Fish cakes are generally made with some variety of white fish and mashed potatoes. They are a simple and rather inexpensive meal–which is why they are forever popular. They still are a budget meal even with fish the price it is nowadays. The usual proportions are 50-50 of fish and potatoes, but they can be more economical by using a bit more potato to fish.

These Fish Cakes Get The Royal Treatment

These fancy fish cakes adheres to the basic proportions of fish to potato, but add a lot more into the mix.

There’s a bit of crab meat added for an interesting and fuller flavor. They also contain some green onion for a really savory flavor. And the seasonings? Who can beat a bit of Dijon mustard and a dash of hot sauce? Yes, the hot sauce may be omitted, but it’s such a light touch that it really only adds a bit of flavor and negligible heat.

Make Them Crunchy

My mom used to use regular breadcrumbs to dredge her fish cakes. These, however, use Panko crumbs for an extra crunch. That’s the perfect touch for such savory cakes!

And to make sure the crumbs adhere, you refrigerate them for at least 15 minutes prior to frying.

Now, when you fry them take a bit of care as fish cakes are pretty delicate and will fall apart if handled to aggressively. Since everything is cooked, all you have to do is brown them so turning once is all that’s necessary. It’s also important not to crowd the skillet–it’s best to fry in batches if you’re making a lot.

The Recipe

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Royal Fish Cakes

Adding a bit of crab meat to these fish cakes turns them right royal!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time14 minutes mins

Chilling45 minutes mins

Course: Brunch, Dinner, Main, Main Course, Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fancy fish cakes, fish cake recipe, meals for lent

Servings: 8

Calories: 192kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb baking potatoes russet, Idaho, maris piper, King Edward
• 1 lb cod filet
• 6 green onions finely chopped
• 2 tbs mayonnaise
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 5 oz flaked crab meat
• 2 tbs parsley chopped
• dash of hot sauce optional
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tbs oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400F/200C
• Boil potatoes until tender. Drain well and mash. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
• Spray a sheet of foil with non-stick spray and put the cod on the foil, season with salt and pepper and seal the foil tightly, making a packet. Put on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes, or until just cooked through. Set aside to cool. When completely cool, carefully flake the fish into large pieces. Reserve the cooking juices.
• Spoon the cold mashed potatoes into a bowl, mix in the spring onions, mayonnaise and mustard. Add 2 tablespoons of the fish cooking juice, then add the flaked cod and stir in the crabmeat. Add the parsley and hot pepper sauce and stir until combined. Season to taste.
• Shape the mixture into 8 fishcakes, roughly 3 1/2-in/9cm diameter, this is easiest with damp hands. Place on a tray and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on a plate and coat each fishcake. Return to the tray and refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
• Heat a wide, heavy-based frying pan, add the butter and oil and fry the fishcakes over a high heat for 4 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown all over. When frying, it’s best not to overcrowd the pan, cook in two batches, if necessary.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1fish cake | Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 287mg | Potassium: 552mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg

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This seafood casserole is full of shrimp and scallops so it’s a seafood lover’s delight. Perfect for Lent.

Attention Shrimp And Scallop Lovers

If you love shrimp and scallops, you are going to love this easy seafood casserole. This is another great recipe from my friend Maria from Maria’s Mixing Bowl!

While it may not be a weekly meal due to the cost of the ingredients, you’re sure to enjoy it as a treat when you can get a good price on the shrimp and/or scallops.

There are some ways to reduce the cost. For instance, you don’t really need the jumbo IQF (individually quick frozen) sea scallops. Most stores sell scallop “pieces” for a greatly reduced price. They are perfect for this casserole. You can also use the less expensive bay scallops.

I have found shrimp at ridiculously low prices in some of my local stores. For instance, I got a 2-pound bag of raw cleaned extra jumbo shrimp for $13.98. You can’t pass up that price. However, you don’t need jumbo shrimp in this dish. The smaller and less expensive smaller sizes will do and they taste the same.

Add Regular Fish Too

If you’re not averse to regular white fish, you may add chunks of any firm, white, non-oily fish into the mix.

I used some haddock in this, but halibut, turbot or perch would be good choices too. Avoid fish such as mackerel and salmon since they are quite oily and would spoil the delicate taste of this casserole.

One Or The Other

It’s worth mentioning that you don’t have to include all of the seafood components.

For instance, you can make this with just shrimp, shrimp and regular fish, just scallops or scallops and regular fish. The casserole will taste great and it will also help to keep the cost down.

Just an aside, but this happens to be an excellent dinner during Lent.

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Seafood Casserole

This seafood casserole is full of shrimp and scallops so it’s a seafood lover’s delight. Perfect for Lent.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole recipe, Lent, scallops, seafood casserole, shrimp

Servings: 6

Calories: 271kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 8 oz haddock cleaned and skinned - see NOTES
• 1 lb scallops see NOTES
• 1 lb large shrimp cleaned and deviened
• 3- 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (or up to 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 tbs grated Parmesan
• Paprika
• Sea salt and pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spray a glass or ceramic 7 x 11 baking dish with cooking spray
• Cut haddock into about 1 1/2 in chunks and lay in pan. Add shrimp and scallops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add minced garlic to fish and shrimp
• Pour heavy cream over the fish and add Swiss cheese.
• Sprinkle with paprika and Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 15-20 minutes being careful to not over bake so the shrimp doesn’t overcook

Notes

• Scallops may be omitted.
• Any firm white non-oily fish may be substituted for the haddock

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 266mg | Sodium: 1015mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 402IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 2mg

*Adapted from Maria’s Mixing Bowl

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Pan Seared Scallops

 

Enjoy pan seared scallops at home. It’s easy once you know the secret.

Restaurant Style At Home

Ever wondered why you could try to duplicate the restaurant at home but the never came out quite right?  There’s two secrets.

First secret is clarified butter.  The second is you leave the pan on a high heat and do NOT move them around and not crowding the pan.

There are several good tutorials on making clarified butter on line.  Here’s a good video on one from Allrecipes.com

It’s best here to use a non-stick pan, and I’d recommend the newer ceramic-based coatings because they can take high heat where Teflon cannot.

The Recipe

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Pan Seared Scallops

Ever wondered why you could try to duplicate the restaurant at home but the never came out quite right?  There’s two secrets.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: scallops

Servings: 2

Calories: 333kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 8 oz sea scallops
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• coarse sea salt

Instructions

• Soak scallops in a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes. This gets rid of the milky preservative that is usually used. Drain and dry scallops very well. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
• Heat non-stick pan, and the larger the better. For 8 oz, I recommend at least a 10-inch if not 12-inch skillet. Add olive oil and clarified butter over medium to high heat until the oil/butter just begins to smoke.
• Add the scallops, salt side down, with plenty of room between each. DO NOT MOVE THE THEM. Let them sear for about 3-5 minutes or until you can see a nice deep golden brown around the bottom edges.
• At this point, you may lift them with tongs to see how well they have seared. If they are nicely seared, turn and cook for about HALF the time. Scallops should be slightly underdone, and you should see a translucent band in the center; they continue cooking after they are removed from the heat and the key here is not to overcook them. They should feel slightly spongy to the touch.
• Plate and serve drizzling with the oil/butter that remained in the pan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 445mg | Potassium: 232mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

Pan Seared Scallops

Pan Seared Scallops

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