I guess it has been awhile since we last dined on scallops. I was thinking it had not been all that long ago, but apparently, I was wrong. I love, love, love scallops. They are among my favorite seafoods. I could eat them everyday and never get tired of them. They are also very healthy for you. Spicy Southwestern Scallops Not only do I love scallops, but I also love anything in a cream sauce, loaded with vegetables. I know, it is super fattening, and not the healthiest sauce option, but we all have to have some vices, right?! Fortunately, I do not eat foods in a rich cream sauce everyday. I would weigh about 600 pounds if I did. Every now and then, though, it is just fine. The other day, I made a spicy scallop dish in a rich creamy sauce that was decadently delicious; spicy scallops a la crema.
Spicy Scallops a la Crema
1 1/2 lbs sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry
5-6 slices bacon, chopped and cooked
3/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 TBSP garlic
1/4 red onion, sliced very thin
3 cups baby spinach, stems removed, chopped
1/4 cup sweet Spanish peppers
salt & pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
1-1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
olive oil and/or butter for cooking
2-3 TBPS butter
cooked pasta
Cook the bacon to your desired level of crispiness. Usually when adding bacon to a dish, I like it a little crispier than if I am just eating bacon by itself. Set aside and reserve the grease.
Cook the scallops in the bacon grease and add either more butter or olive oil, as needed. Cook the scallops for about 2-3 minutes per side. If cooking a lot of scallops, cook in batches.
Once the scallops are cooked, remove them and set aside. Again, using the same pan, and adding either more butter or oil as needed, saute the vegetables and add the seasoning,
Add the cream and mix well.
Once the cream is mixed in, you may need to adjust the seasonings if needed. Then add the bacon, scallops and Spanish peppers. Add the remaining butter to the sauce to finish it and make it really rich and creamy. Combine well and serve over your favorite pasta. You can use any kind of pasta you like, but this is a heavier sauce, so a heartier pasta will be best. For this dish, I used farfelle or bowtie pasta.
Dinner was served with cheese bread (I left it to my husband to cook while I was at work, and it got slight over done. It still tasted good though.) and a crisp chardonnay with hints of apples and melon. Decadently delicious!
That looks amazing, like 5 star restaurant amazing! Loving this weather–supposed to be in the 50s all weekend! God bless!
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WOW!!!! Thank you. I CAN cook 5 * recipes if I want to, but I prefer to cook rustic style.
I am loving this weather too. Enjoy it while you can. I think it is supposed to snow again Monday though.
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Dang Jeanne, just in time for din-din!
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Are you hungry yet? 🙂
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Thank you. Enjoy. 🙂
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Such a wonderful dish, I love it. A perfect dish for Friday night dinner! ✨
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Thank you.
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Have you ever thought about creating an ebook or guest authoring on other
blogs? I have a blog centered on the same subjects you discuss and would
really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my audience would appreciate your work.
If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e mail.
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Sure. That would be awesome! I do not know how to do an ebook, but it’s never too late to learn. My email address is ljbjej@q.com. Please send my more information. I would love to hear from you.
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