Shellfish Night: Simple Sunday Night Salad with Scallops

We missed Shellfish Night last night because I didn’t make it to the farmer’s market yesterday. I took Kate to the gym instead. She played with her friends while I lifted weights, rode the exercise bike, and read the first chapter of Senator Obama’s book, “The Audacity of Hope”.

I was craving shellfish for dinner last night — so I picked up some wild-caught scallops at Whole Foods.

It should be stated — this was not a cheap meal. It cost $15 for six scallops. That’s $2.50 per scallop. Seth ate three, I ate two, and Kate ate one.

But I think it’s worth it to pay the extra money for the nutrition we are getting. We only eat shellfish once a week. Scallops and other shellfish are extremely nutrient-dense. I think it’s very wise to eat shellfish as often as you can — ideally at least once a week, but if you can’t afford that, once every two weeks or once a month.

This salad is very easy to make. It takes a couple of minutes to saute the scallops. Other than that, all you have to do is assemble the salad. This meal is also GAPS and SCD legal.

If you can’t find wild-caught scallops, you can substitute with wild-caught shrimp or crab or even fried oysters.

Simple Salad with Scallops

(serves 2)

Ingredients:
A half-dozen scallops (wild-caught)
Enough tomatoes for two salads (I used homegrown organic Romas)
One head butter lettuce (organic if possible)
One avocado (organic if possible)
Two tablespoons butter (raw, grass-fed)
Good quality olive oil (I use Adam’s Ranch)
Balsamic or red wine vinegar
Sea salt

1. Rinse the lettuce and tomatoes. Dry or spin the lettuce.

2. Arrange the lettuce on plates.

3. Slice the tomatoes and avocado into bite-sized pieces and arrange on top of the lettuce.

4. Set a frying pan (I used stainless steel — not cast iron — for this; I don’t want black specks on my scallops) on medium heat.

5. Add two tablespoons of butter and let melt.

6. Add the scallops. Cook for one to two minutes on each side. Remove with tongs and add to salads.

7. Dress with homemade vinaigrette (made with the olive oil and vinegar).

8. Sprinkle with sea salt.