Recipe of the Week! Seared Scallops with Lemon Orzo

Sear the scallops while the orzo cooks. Serve this easy but impressive meal with a green salad, garlic bread, and a crisp white wine, like Barefoot Riesling... So simple. So good. Make sure you buy 'SEA' scallops and not the 'BAY' scallops. Bay scallops are about 1/3 the size and will cook very differently and much faster than the others.

When shopping for fresh or thawed scallops, look for ivory or creamy-colored meats, even as dark as a light tan; a stark, bleached white can be a sign of heavy phosphate treatment. There should be little or no milky liquid in the tray, another sign of heavy soaking. In fact, the best dry-packed scallops are often a bit sticky. A fairly strong sweet-briny aroma is also not a problem, but a fishy or sour smell indicates spoilage. {from an article on www.sallybernstein.com}

Yield

4 servings

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup prechopped onion
• 1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds sea scallops
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in pasta, broth, wine, and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente. Stir in chopped chives and lemon juice. Keep warm.

Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops evenly with salt and pepper. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with pasta mixture.