Scallops With Couscous A Quick, Delicious Dinner

Fresh sea scallops served on a bed of spinach-flavored couscous make a quick dinner that takes about 20 minutes.

Scallops, which need very little cooking, should be prepared so that the inside remains creamy. Prolonged cooking will shrink and toughen them.

The secret to searing the scallops is to make sure your skillet is very hot. The scallops will only need a couple of minutes to cook this way. If your scallops seem very large, check for doneness by slicing into one. If the meat is opaque, they are done; if translucent, cook another 30 seconds.

When you buy them, scallops should smell sweet, should not be sitting in liquid and should show no signs of browning.

One of my favorite items in the produce department is prewashed spinach. I love fresh spinach, but washing the sand and dirt meant I rarely used it. Hydro-jet washing has come to the rescue; still, I give the spinach a quick rinse and spin dry.

For this recipe you can cook the spinach in a saucepan or microwave. I’ve given directions for both. In either case, no added water is necessary.

Frozen leaf spinach can be substituted for prewashed fresh, but be sure to thaw and drain it before using.

Seared Scallops with Spinach Couscous

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup couscous

1/2 pound fresh scallops

10 ounces fresh, prewashed spinach

4 scallions, chopped

2 medium garlic cloves

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped chives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil. Add couscous, stir, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Rinse scallops in cool water, drain and set aside. Lightly rinse spinach, spin dry and remove large stems.

Place in large saucepan, cover and cook on low for 3 minutes. If using microwave, place in microwave-proof bowl, cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove spinach, place on chopping board and coarsely chop.

Using the same pan, saute scallions and garlic in white wine for 1 minute. Add mustard and mix well. Fluff couscous with a fork and add to spinach. Add Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet. When it’s smoking, add scallops and saute on high for 2 minutes, turning after one minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place spinach couscous on individual plates and spoon scallops over top. Sprinkle chives over scallops.

Yield: 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 476 calories, 35 grams protein, 46 grams carbohydrate, 13 grams fat (24 percent fat calories), 11 grams fiber, 47 milligrams cholesterol, 714 milligrams sodium.