Marinated Scallops with Sauteed Bell Peppers & Lentils

Yesterday was a busy day in town for me. Before heading home I stopped by the market and bought a pound of large sea scallops (8-10). I wasn't sure how I was going to prepare them or serve with them, but I'd think about it when I got home.

I grabbed The Big Book of Potluck by mistake thinking it was one of my "challenge" cookbooks and started flipping through it, still unaware that it wasn't. I must have been really tired. The recipe for the marinated halibut steaks served with sauteed bell peppers on pages 296 and 297 looked like our kind of  food - fresh ingredients, gluten-free and easy to prepare. I had all the ingredients to make the meal, except the halibut.

No problem. I set to work making the halibut marinade and used it to marinate the scallops,  put the French (green) lentils on to cook in  vegetable stock and sauteed the peppers and onion . By by the time my husband walked in the door, dinner was almost ready and the house was filled with the aroma of garlic. Six minutes later, we sat down to a simple, delicately flavored and satisfying meal with a glass of white wine.

 

Marinade for 8-10 Scallops

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2-1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1-2 teaspoons dried parsley

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse and pat dry the scallops and place in a shallow glass dish or bowl. 
2. Pour the marinade over the scallops, turn to coat and marinate for 10-20 minutes.
3. In saute pan on medium-high heat, cook the marinated scallops for about 3 minutes each side or until the center in no longer pink. Watch closely so the scallops do not overcook.

Sauteed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:


2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 each: red, green, orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into 1/2 inch strips
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/4 cup or less of white wine
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet or wok, on medium heat, melt the olive oil and butter. 
2. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook on low uncovered until tender (about 15 minutes).
3. Stir occasionally. When tender, stir in the wine, thyme, salt and pepper.
4. Cook uncovered another 5 minutes or so.

Serves 4-6

French Lentils

(Lentils, French)  French lentils are a small dark speckled lentil, which are sometimes referred to as "green".  They are a firmer lentil that takes a little longer to cook, but they have an excellent flavor.  French lentils originated in Southeast Asia along the Indus River, where they remain quite popular. Their French name "Puy" comes from their growth in the Puy region of France. We have not found French lentils in supermarkets in the United States, but they are readily available from coops, health food stores, and many specialty food stores.  They are an excellent ingredient for soups, salads, and many other recipes, including curries.  The actual size of the French green lentils can be seen in the photo of the cup to the left.  We could not find nutritional chart information for these lentils, but like other lentils, the French green are low in fat and high in protein and fiber." All-Creatures.org

Cooking French (green) lentils is a very simple method:

1. Pick over lentils to remove debris or shriveled lentils 
2. Rinse in cold water and drain. 
3. Lentils do not need to be pre-soaked, but you can soak them for a few hours to reduce your cooking time by half.  
4. When cooking lentils in preparation ahead of time to add to a recipe or as a side dish, use 3X  the amount of water to lentils and avoid cooking them with anything acidic like vinegar, which retard the cooking process. 
   
5. Cover with water or broth and boil for 2-3 minutes (aids digestion) and reduce heat and simmer until tender (anywhere from 20-40 minutes).