Scallops & Cauliflower with Lemon Basil Sauce
Scallops & Cauliflower with Lemon Basil Sauce
Scallops and cauliflower drizzled with a light and tangy lemon basil sauce. One of those weeknight dinners that will give you all the feels!
Ingredients
- A dozen fresh sea scallops
- 1 packed frozen cauliflower (I used Trader Joe's frozen rainbow cauliflower) OR 1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 2 TBSP capers
- 4 TBSP olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- Lemon Basil Sauce
- 1 cup fresh basil, lightly packed
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Prepare your sauce first: Add the basil, garlic cloves, lemon juice salt and pepper to a food processor and blend. Slowly stream in the olive oil and continue to blend until fully incorporate. Set aside.
- Step 2 If you’re using frozen cauliflower, follow package instructions for thawing. Heat 2 TBSP of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the cauliflower and capers to the pan and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with tinfoil to keep warm. **Alternatively, for fresh cauliflower, you can roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Add the capers and continue roasting in the oven for 5 more minutes.
- Step 3 Season your scallops generously with salt and pepper on one side. Heat the same skillet over medium high heat and add remaining 2 TBSP olive oil to coat the pan. Add the scallops when the pan is hot, but not smoking.
- Step 4 Place the scallops seasoned side down, arranging clockwise around the pan. When you put the first scallop down, start a timer for 2 minutes. Avoid overcrowding the pan if you can – you may have to cook them in batches, but I had just enough room for 12 scallops. Season the unseasoned side of the scallop (facing up) while the scallops are cooking.
- Step 5 After 2 minutes, flip the scallops (they should have a golden crust) and cook for 2 minutes on the other side until they are firm but not rubbery.
- Step 6 Top the cauliflower with the scallops. Heat the basil lemon sauce in the microwave for 30 seconds and drizzle over the scallops before serving.
Is it sad when the highlight of your week is a trip to Trader Joes? I certainly hope not! But it does say a lot about how this week has gone… I have been so overwhelmed this week juggling the kids and getting us back into a “routine” after vacation. To make matters worse, my 17 month old came down with another bad fever/cold so I’ve been a wreck trying to take care of him and keep him comfortable – especially when my 3 month old is also going through a majorly needy stage. When it rains it pours! How I find any time to cook is an all out miracle at this point, but at the end of the day, we gotta eat!
Since we were in desperate need of a restock, I picked up a lot of goodies at TJ’s (it’s amazing where $250 can disappear to…) and this meal features two of them: wild fresh sea scallops and rainbow cauliflower. I don’t know what inspired me to pair these two together, but I had a vision and it came together, so let’s leave it at that. I very rarely buy my seafood at Trader Joe’s because I’m very picky about the freshness and quality, but these scallops really surprised me. They were second to the sea scallops I get at the local farmers market, but definitely as good as any scallop I’ve ever bought at my local fish counter. Pair with pan fried cauliflower and my delicious lemon basil sauce (which also goes GREAT with salmon!) for a simply delicious weeknight dinner.
Scallops cook up so quickly that this dinner was on the table in 20 minutes, I swear. Honestly, photographing this dish took the longest! The sad part about that was realizing that while back in July I still had natural light I could shoot in, now that it’s mid September it’s dark by 7 pm. Can you tell I’m in denial about the changing seasons? So instead, I had to shoot using my “cube” – which thankfully is one of the best investments I have made for the blog. At some point, if I ever have free time again (is that a joke?!), I really need to post about all of the equipment – like this staging box – that we use in our day to day for the blog. I’m telling you, for any aspiring blogger who’s struggling with shooting at night, it’s a gamechanger!
Until then, at least I can be proud that I got a post up this week. What can I say, I celebrate the small victories! Hope you enjoy this great new recipe straight from our kitchen!
