Lets Get Fancy-- Seared Scallops Over Wilted Spinach and Parmesan Risotto

This is my first fancy dish post since starting this blog so if you try it PLEASE let me know how it comes out!!!!

This recipe comes from TasteBook.

Note: There is not nutritional info with this recipe. It was too difficult to try to enter the recipe into the calculator. However, on TasteBook's website it says 3/4 cup of the rice mixture has 302 calories, so for VSGers its going to be best that you focus on eating your serving of scallops, then spinach, then rice.

Enjoy!

ingredients

Parmesan Risotto

• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2 tsp butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 cups fat free chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Heat chicken stock in a small pot. In a medium size heavy sauce pan, add butter on medium-low heat. Add shallots, sauté about 1 minute. Add rice mixing well until well coated and transluscent, about 2 minutes. Add wine, salt and pepper and mix well until it is absorbed into the rice. Ladle 1 cup stock into rice and mix until all stock is absorbed, add another ladle, and continue adding and stirring until all broth is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Add parmesan cheese and parsley, mix well.


Seared Scallops over Wilted Spinach

• 16 oz (about 12-14) sea scallops
• salt and fresh pepper
• 2 tsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 10 oz baby spinach, washed

Wash scallops and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a medium size pan on a high flame. When pan is hot, melt 1 tsp butter and place half of the scallops in the pan. Sear without touching them for a few minutes until the bottom forms a nice caramel colored crust. Turn over and cook about another minute or 2, until the center is slightly translucent (you can check this by viewing them from the side) and the bottom is seared. Be careful not to overcook. Remove from the pan and set aside on a warm plate.
Add addition tsp butter and cook remaining scallops.

Add olive oil to the pan and sauté shallots, add spinach, salt and pepper. Toss until spinach wilts.

Serve spinach over risotto topped with scallops.