Citrus Scallops

I hope all you mothers out there had a lovely Mother’s Day yesterday. The weather here in central New Jersey was picture perfect – and so was my lunch – expertly prepared by our son and daughter, who came home to help celebrate the day. My husband actually chose the recipe, clipped from a Good Housekeeping magazine he found at the gym. The kids collaborated in the kitchen to produce the delicious and healthy meal you see in the above photo. It was even served to me on a plate that said “Today is your special day,” along with their gift of a dozen beautiful roses as a centerpiece.  A special day indeed.

Here’s the recipe for the scallops:

1 lemon

1 lime

1 1/4 pounds sea scallops

3 tsp. olive oil

1 T. finely chopped shallot

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

5 to 6 oz. baby lettuce greens

1/4 c. fresh parsley leaves, chopped

1. From lemon, grate 1/4 tsp. peel and squeeze 2 T. juice. From lime, grate 1/4 tsp. peel and squeeze 1 T. juice. Set juices aside. In small bowl, combine peels, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper.

2. Place scallops on paper-towel-lined plate; pat dry. Sprinkle with citrus peel mixture.

3. Heat a cast-iron skillet until very hot. Add 2 tsp. oil until heated, then add the scallops. Cook for a few minutes only, or until opaque, turning once. Remove from pan; cover

4. To the skillet, add 1 tsp. oil and shallot; cook three minutes or until tender. Stir in Dijon mustard and citrus juices, scraping up browned bits; cook 1 minute. Toss sauce with greens; place on plates. Top with scallops and chopped parsley.

They served the scallops with couscous mixed with feta cheese, scallions, tomatoes and parsley.

The cooks at work in the kitchen:

For dessert, we walked to town and indulged at Princeton’s “Bent Spoon,” a small artisanal gelateria owned by a charming and extremely hard-working young couple, Gabrielle Carbone and Matt Errico. Some of the choices we made: coffee and chocolate gelato, chocolate and earl grey gelato, mascarpone and lavender gelato. If you’re ever in town, make sure to stop in. They’ve gotten rave reviews from many local and national publications, and once you’ve tried their offerings, you’ll understand why.

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