Sizzlin’ Scallops with Citrus Vinaigrette ZOODLES – you won’t believe how such a simple dish can taste so good!
Delicious plump scallops served on a fresh veggie zoodle salad, served with a citrus-balsamic dressing
This recipe comes from my #bloodyfabulous friend and former business partner, Emma.
Long term AIPers will be very familiar with Em’ from her days as The Bacon Mum, and then working with me at Conscious Autoimmunity. Despite the fact that Em’ is not currently blogging, we continue to receive emails about her recipes and we wanted a good place for her recipes to stay available, so here we are…
This is what Em’s has to say about her Sizzlin’ Scallops with Citrus Vinaigrette Zoodles
I was first introduced to this recipe by my personal trainer. I’ve adapted it slightly to bring that tang of deliciousness that comes to the table with some white balsamic vinegar.
Scallops are one of my favourite shellfish and bring back memories of my days in New Zealand (JF edit – me too!) when I would free dive for Scallops and eat them fresh out of the shell on the beach still in my wet suit… When Jo came to visit me when we were first designing our business, I had the opportunity to make these for her, as her partner is allergic to shellfish, so it was a real treat! (JF edit – it really was!)
Did you know that shellfish can also be classed as organ meats when you eat all that’s in the shell? While many people balk at offal, you’ll often find me cooking up some clams, mussels or scallops to get my nutrient density quota up!
Scallops are actually an excellent source of a very important nutrient for cardiovascular health, vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is needed by the body to convert homocysteine, a chemical that can directly damage blood vessel walls, into other benign chemicals. Since high levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk for atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, it’s a good idea to be sure that your diet contains plenty of vitamin B12 to help keep homocysteine levels low (homocysteine is also associated with osteoporosis, and a recent study found that osteoporosis occurred more frequently among women whose vitamin B12 status was deficient or marginal compared with those who had normal B12 status.)
In addition to their B12, scallops are a good source of magnesium and potassium, two other nutrients that provide significant benefits for the cardiovascular system. Magnesium helps out by causing blood vessels to relax, thus helping to lower blood pressure while improving blood flow. Potassium helps to maintain normal blood pressure levels.
I source my Balsamic Vinegar from The Olive Tap, in Long Grove, IL and lucky for you they do provide a shipping service!
As a busy single mum, Em’s special sauce is creating tasty and nutritious recipes that are super-simple to make. This baby is no exception.
When Em’ made this dish for me, I fell in love with its clean, fresh flavours.
- 12 fresh scallops
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons Ghee (or olive oil if still in full elimination)
- 3 large carrots, spiralised or julienned
- 3 large zucchini/courgettes, spiralised or julienned
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons cilantro/coriander, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- Pop salt, chopped coriander, balsamic, lime juice, lemon juice, and garlic into a jar. Screw on the lid and give it a good taste.
- Pour dressing over over spiralised vegetables and coat well. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes, allowing the dressing to soak into the vegetables.
- Rinse scallops with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
- Add the ghee or the olive oil (depending your reintroduction status) to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat.
- Salt the scallops.
- Once the pan is hot, gently add the scallops, ensuring they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1½ minutes on each side. The scallops should have a ¼-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center.
- Place Zoodles onto two then top with 6 scallops on each.
- Divide the cooking juices between each plate, spooning over the scallops!
E N J O Y !
YOU CAN FIND MORE OF EM’S RECIPES HERE: EMMA’S RECIPES
