Sweet and Zesty Seared Scallops over Greens

If you're a scallop lover, this combination of flavors will create a party in your mouth!

You'll need:

Large Sea Scallops, equally sized, muscles removed*
Chopped Greens
Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, finely minced
Cayenne Pepper, enough for dusting
Salt & Pepper
Pat of Butter
1 Teaspoon of Orange Marmalade
 
*After rinsing and patting the scallops dry, look for the muscle on each. Sometimes it may not still be there, but if you see one remove it by gently peeling it away from the rest of the scallop. Even some of the best restaurants fail to do this step, and it annoys the heck out of me because the muscle is tough to chew and will otherwise ruin a good mouthful of food.

Dust one side of the scallops with cayenne pepper and a little salt. Set aside.

Creamy Roasted Squash Soup

'Tis the season for squash, so why not whip up a batch of this? It even freezes nicely if you make too much.

You'll need:

2-3 Squash, depending on size (I prefer butternut or acorn)
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
1 Onion (sweet vidalia works nice, but any ol' onion works), chopped
2 Small Potatoes (I used red), peeled and chopped
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
4 Tablespoons of Butter
4 Tablespoons of Canola Oil
Salt & Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Ground Ginger
1/4 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Sage
4 Cups of Chicken Stock*
1 Cup of Heavy Cream*
1 Cup of Whole Milk*

*Depending on your preferences, you may play around with the liquid portions of this soup. I strongly urge you to use some heavy cream because it puts the soup over the top, but if you only have milk on hand, that works. Also, the amount of chicken stock (or veggie stock) can be adjusted depending on how thick or thin you want the soup. Often, after refrigerating, I like to add a little more stock when reheating.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prep squash for roasting, and use whatever squash you have or like. Even a combination is nice. I'd just skip the spaghetti squash for this soup since you're going for a creamy and smooth texture in the end. No need to peel the squash. Just cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Place squash halves on roasting pan, inside part down. Roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until fork tender. Cool enough to handle, and scoop out pulp.