This Southwestern dish has two of my favorite ingredients; sea scallops and a spicy cream sauce. As I have mentioned, I love all kinds of foods, from all over the place, and all different ethnicities, but anything Southwestern is typically going to be one of my favorites. And there is nothing better than something rich and creamy when the temperature decides to drop a few degrees to warm you up. Normally I serve this over pasta, but tonight I served it over rice and lentils instead, which was very tasty as well. In fact, it actually lightened it up a bit and it was not such a heavy meal. I also served the potato bread and completed everything with a cool, crisp chardonnay.
Southwestern Scallops in a Creamy Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 lbs sea scallops, cleaned and rinsed
bacon, cooked and chopped
vegetables (I used the left over zucchini and yellow squash from the other day, but use what you like)
1 large shallot, sliced thin
chipotle peppers and sauce to taste, chopped fine
1 heaping TBSP garlic
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup dry white wine
cilantro, chopped
Cook the bacon first, then remove and set aside when done. Cook the scallops, shallot and garlic in the bacon grease. Add more olive oil if needed. Cook the scallops only for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until browned on all sides. You want them to be nice and soft. Remove and set aside. Saute your vegetables. Add the white wine and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the wine is reduced and most of the liquid is gone. Add the whipping cream, chipotle peppes and sauce, salt & pepper to taste. Add the scallop mixture and bacon and chopped cilantro and incorporate into the mixture, just enough to heat them up. Serve over pasta, rice, or even mashed potatoes.
If you don’t like sea scallops, you can substitute shrimp or chicken, or tofu to make it vegetarian.
