My two favorite scallops recipes

We use our gas grill year-round. If you don’t have one, you can sear the scallops in a pan on top of your stove. Make sure you use your kitchen fan…otherwise your house will smell like fish.

Scallops with Tropical Salsa

Feel free to substitute any of your favorite exotic fruits for the pineapple and mango in the salsa. Be sure to use large, plump sea scallops rather than small bay scallops when preparing this dish. Take care not to overcook the scallops, which can toughen if exposed to heat for too long. When properly cooked, the scallops will remain tender and moist.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup diced pineapple

1/2 cup diced mango (I’ve used nectarines)

1/2 cup diced cucumber

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

4 tsp. fresh lime juice

1 jalapeño chili, seeded and minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

16 sea scallops, about 1 lb. total

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the pineapple, mango, cucumber, bell pepper, cilantro, lime juice and chili. Toss well to form a salsa. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Brush scallops with olive oil. We grill them on a grilling tray to keep the scallops from falling through the grate. They are widely available.

(Original recipe calls for searing on top of stove.: Heat a large nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Add half of the scallops to the pan and sear, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and opaque throughout, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the scallops to a warmed plate. Keep warm while cooking the remaining scallops in the same way.)

Divide the scallops among warmed individual plates. Spoon the salsa over the tops, dividing it evenly. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Fresh & Light, by Lane Crowther (Time-Life Books, 1998).

Grilled Scallops with Avocado Cream and Salsa

The Avocado Cream tastes so rich, you'd never believe it was made with fat-free yogurt!

Prep Time: 20 mins.

Marinating Time: 60 mins.

Cook Time: 20 mins.

Servings: 6 as a main course

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice (divided)

3 tsp grated lime zest (divided)

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

32 sea scallops (about 2#)

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas cut into eighths (32 wedges)

2 firm, ripe avocados

½ cup finely chopped red onion

¼ cup plain low-fat or no-fat yogurt

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

¾ cup salsa

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp of oil, 2 Tbsp of lime juice, ½ tsp of grated zest, ¼ tsp of salt, cumin, and pepper. Add the scallops and marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the tortilla wedges in batches and cook until golden brown on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the wedges on paper towels.   (Or, if you have a gas range, you can heat the tortillas directly over the flame with no oil. Remove when they just start to char.)

Peel, pit, and coarsely mash the avocados in another medium bowl. Stir in the onion, yogurt, and remaining lime juice, zest, and salt.

Heat gas grill. When hot cook scallops using grill tray.

(If you don't have a gas grill: When ready to serve, preheat the grill or broiler. In a broiler pan, cook the scallops about 3 inches from the heat until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes.)

To serve, spread 2 tsp of avocado cream on each tortilla wedge. Top with 1 Tbsp of lettuce and 1 scallop, and finish with about 1 tsp of salsa. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Adapted from Newman’s Own Cookbook by Paul Newman and A.E. Hotchner

Joe Tresnak's Crabcakes

I grew up in Baltimore where Blue Crabs are an essential food group of their own. My father, Joe Tresnak, started feeding me the meat from steamed crabs when I was barely old enough to sit in a high chair (but not the requisite accompanying Natty Boh beer). By the time I was 6, I could pick a steamed crab by myself. Suffice it to say, crabcakes have always been a part of my life. 

For years, my husband, Bill, would order crabcakes in restaurants from Virginia to Maryland to Delaware. The menus often claimed they were “the best crabcakes in Maryland”, “the best crabcakes on the Eastern Shore”, or “the best crabcakes from you-name-it”. Bill’s assessment was always the same… “They’ve obviously never tasted yours, Kath.” To which I'd reply, “Thanks, hon.”

This recipe was originally printed on the back of the Old Bay can. Old Bay has since changed it, so don’t bother looking. Over the years, I have made a number of changes to improve the consistency, make them less salty, and make them healthier by using olive oil for cooking. Everybody who’s ever tasted them says they're THE BEST.

Not long ago, I started serving them with a Lemon-Caper Sauce invented by my friend, Joan Crowley. This sauce makes these crabcakes even better! Joan is a fantastic cook! 

Joe Tresnak's Crabcakes

1 pound crabmeat

2 slices bread, chopped fine in a food processor

1 tsp Old Bay

¼ tsp salt

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp Worcestershire

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp baking powder

2 eggs, beaten

Light olive oil (I use olive oil because it is healthy, but I use the light variety because it has little olivey flavor of its own)

Pick through crabmeat thoroughly for shells. Mix with bread crumbs.

Combine other ingredients in bowl. Add to crabmeat, and toss together until evenly distributed.

Form into flattened cakes, approximately 2-½ to 3 inches in diameter. Place on a plate and refrigerate for about an hour. (This will help bind the cakes so they don't fall apart when cooking.)

Pour about 1/8 inch light olive oil in large frying pan. Sauté in light olive oil until browned. Refresh oil as necessary when turning, or if you need to cook more crab cakes. Drain on paper towels.

Joanie’s Lemon Caper Sauce

1 cup + 2 Tbsp light mayonnaise

4 ½ tsp drained capers

4 ½ tbsp chives

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ tsp grated lemon peel

Combine all ingredients. Serve in a small bowl.

Fantastic Vegetarian Chili and Puttanesca

I bought Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook after reading a review. She dedicates this book to her late father in memory of the many fun times they spent cooking together. Her recipes are all healthy—many of them vegetarian, but not every one. (Just no red meat.) I’ve made a number of recipes from it, all of them good.

This week, I tried her Vegetarian Chili. So good. So good for you. The flavor is so rich and satisfying, you’d never believe it’s made with only veggies and beans.  It ranks up there with my Guy Fierri recipe for Turkey Chili. I'll send you that one if you like.

I also particularly love her Penne Puttanesca.  I’m posting both recipes here for you. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili

“My kids like this chili with rice,and we grown-ups top it off with a tablespoon of creme fraiche (or yogurt), some chopped scallions and cilantro, and a dash of hot sauce.” — Gwyneth Paltrow


2 tablespoons extra virgin

olive oil

1/2 large yellow onion, peeled and finely diced

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 large red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3/4 teaspoon mild chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground

black pepper

1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo *

1 – 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with their juice

1/2 cup French lentils, rinsed and drained

1 – 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 – 14-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Big pinch coarse salt

3 tablespoons tomato paste*


Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper. Cook, stirring, for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Add the chipotle and stir to combine.


Turn the heat up to high, add the tomatoes and their juice, crushing them a bit with your wooden spoon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.


Add the lentils and beans. Fill one 14-ounce can with water and add it to the pot, along with the salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 40 minutes.


Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 20 more minutes, or until the lentils are soft and the flavors are melded.


Serves 4 

Active preparation time: 1/2 hour


Total preparation time: 2 hours

My tip for chitpotle in adobo... you will never use a whole can without blowing the back of your head off. I buy a small can, then separate individual chilis...or half chiles depending on the size...and freeze them in individual snack-size zip-lock bags. Do the same with small portions of tomato paste—1–3 tablespoons per bag.

Penne Puttanesca

3/4 pound (3/4 box) penne

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

Pinch red chile flakes

5 olive-oil packed Spanish anchovies

1 heaping tablespoon salt-packed capers, rinsed

1/3 cup pitted niçoise olives

2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce  (I use Rao's Tomato Basil—THE BEST you can buy in a jar)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

A few tablespoons pasta water, to thin

1/4 cup torn fresh parsley, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt generously. Drop in the penne. Cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and chile flakes. Cook for about 1 minute, adjusting the heat if necessary to avoid burning the garlic. Add the anchovies and stir for another minute, or until they begin to break down. Add the capers and olives, crushing them gently with the back of a wooden spoon, and cook for 1 minute, or until quite fragrant—it should smell divine. Stir in the tomato sauce and black pepper. Turn the heat to high, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium and let it bubble for about 10 minutes, or until quite thickened. The penne should be perfectly cooked at this point. Drain pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water. Add pasta to the skillet with the sauce and stir to coat, adding a bit of the pasta cooking water if necessary to get the sauce to the right consistency. It shouldn't be too thick, but also not too soupy. Scatter the parsley over the pasta, add a bit more fresh black pepper, and serve.

Make it vegan: Leave out the anchovies.  (I advise to leave them in.)

Serves 4. Active & total preparation time: 15 minutes

You can make the sauce ahead of time.