We saw a recipe for a simple scallops and spinach, but after deciding it was a bit bland we riffed gently on this combination a bit to come up with the following. It has the advantage of being incredibly quick if you're using frozen spinach and scallops, and has a rich flavor without much at all in the way of spicing.
1 pound frozen scallops (or fresh equivalent)
1 pound frozen chopped spinach (or fresh equivalent
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped and roughly minced
2 tablespoons EVO (or butter)
juice of one lemon
3 cloves garlic, pressed
Start your brown rice well ahead of time. Start your scallops defrosting if they're not already thawed. The cooktime for the main dish is less than 10 minutes.
The spinach can be cooked in advance and set aside. I simply stir-fried mine in a dry, hot wok over medium heat, then removed to a glass bowl.
Add EVO or butter to the pan and heat gently. My taste-tester preferred EVO; I think a little butter (maybe 50/50?) helps a bit here but if you want to go all healthful on us, by all means just use EVO.
Sauté the scallops and rosemary on medium high heat for about a minute, stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice, and toss and stir constantly until the scallops are almost but not quite done (as ever, don't overcook), 2-4 minutes probably. Add the cooked spinach and pressed garlic, stir to combine thoroughly and heat, 1-2 minutes.
Serve immediately over steaming brown rice. Makes about four medium servings for a "one dish meal".
Apropos of the garlic: it would be wrong to carmelize it by cooking it in the oil before adding to the scallops. By adding it into the end you get the zestiness of the garlic without permeating the whole dish, especially the scallops.
The scallops: either bay or ocean scallops will do here; smaller may be better to get a consistent dish, however.
Variation: try lime juice instead of lemon (I sort of prefer this, but my taste tester insists lemon is better).
