Fit Fare

By Ralph Villers

My wife Patti and I both enjoy seafood, and prepare it about once a week. We probably should make it even more often, seeing that it is nutritious and usually fairly quick to prepare.

The fun part is we do this cooking routine together. I get the idea, she does the marketing, I slice and dice and, since I am doing all this from a wheelchair, she works as my sous-chef. It works out well.

Last Saturday night we had broiled scallops. It is a recipe that I put together by drawing on entrees I have enjoyed at restaurants over the years.

Ingredients

1 lb. sea scallops (there were 7)
1/4 c. bread crumbs, plain or seasoned
1/2 small onion, diced
1 small celery stalk, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 roasted red pepper, diced
1 lemon
1/4 c. white wine
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
dried thyme (to taste)

Heat oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet. Add garlic, onion and celery and cook until soft. Add roasted peppers, bread crumbs and thyme and combine with softened vegetables. Cook for several minutes, squeeze fresh lemon on top. Set aside.

Place scallops in a shallow casserole dish, add salt and pepper to taste. Pour wine around the scallops and cover with cooked mixture and drop small pieces of butter on top.

Put under a broiler preheated to high temperature. Broil for about eight minutes.

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We made oven fries on this night, but you can also serve with rice, or pasta if you prefer.

With the scallops we had a side of salad greens and a crusty French baguette.

A good wine to pair with the scallops is a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.