Pan Seared Scallops on a Broccoli Puree with Cilantro Lime Rice

Alright, so for a long time I use to not be a fan of seafood but the past few years I have slowly developed a taste for it.  I bought some frozen scallops about a week ago, so today when I was deciding on what to make I decided to give these a go (plus they defrost faster than chicken or beef).  The result was pretty healthy and pretty delicious :)

I made Pan Seared Scallops on a Broccoli Puree with Cilantro Lime Rice and it was all pretty simple.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of frozen scallops, defrosted and dried off with a paper towel 
• Olive oil or cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper for taste
• 2 cups of broccoli 
• 1/4 cup of skim milk
• 1/4 cup of chicken broth 
• 2 tbsp of Parmesan (optional...I left this out because I forgot but this would give the puree some more flavor)
• 2 cups of jasmine rice (or whatever rice you want to use) 
• 1/4 cup of cilantro - chopped 
• 1-2 limes - juiced

Directions:

Broccoli Puree:

1. Steam two cups of broccoli until tender
2. Add to food processor and pulse until smooth
3. Slowly add the milk and chicken broth until everything is combined
4. Taste, add salt, pepper, and parmasan until desired taste

Cilantro Lime Rice:

1. Cook rice as directed - I used a rice cooker because let's face it I'm Asian and I own one =)
2. When rice is done transfer to a big mixing bowl and add juice from 1 lime and the cilantro
3. Taste, if it is not lime-y enough for you then add more lime, I used juice from one and a half limes
4. Add salt, ground pepper, and red pepper flakes and combine

Pan Seared Scallops

1. Make sure the scallops are dry.  I kept mine on a paper towel 
2. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper on one side
3. In a pan (I used a 6") over medium high heat, add about 1 to 2 tsp of oil, only enough to coat the bottom of the pan, you do not want to add too much or you will end up boiling the scallops in oil 
4. When a drop of water sizzles in the pan, you are ready to add the scallops
5. Add scallops in a clockwise direction (starting with 12), since I had a 6" pan I only cooked 4 at a time
6. Allow the scallops to sit in the pan for about a minute or until golden brown then flip and and allow that side to cook about a minute as well
7. Transfer scallops to a paper towel to drain off the excess oil

3 scallops, 2 tsps of puree, and 1/2 cup of cooked rice equals about 5 WW pts. =)

Enjoy! I know I'll be having some for lunch tomorrow too

-Julia