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Special Diet Information

Coumadin® (Warfarin)
This recipe is NOT safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users.

Lactose
This recipe is safe for those who are lactose intolerant.

Sodium
This is NOT a low sodium recipe.

GERD / Acid Reflux
This recipe contains GERD triggers and those with GERD may wish to avoid it.

Gluten Sensitivity
This recipe is safe for those who are sensitive to gluten.

"Special day! Oh, what have I forgotten now? Now, don't panic. Is it Bacon Day?"
-Homer Simpson

The refrigerator light goes on...

This is a riff on those party hors d'oeuvres that are a scallop wrapped in bacon. I've always hated them because they are a good example of an unbalanced dish. Hey, bacon is great and scallops are great, but there's just too darn much bacon for the scallops. At the same time that's all there is. Not only does the bacon overwhelm the scallops but there are just no other flavors. Why not just put out plates of bacon? (Don't write in, I KNOW the reason.)

Look, folks love bacon but it can be easy to get too much of a great thing. This recipe offers the best of both worlds. Bacon, scallops and asparagus with a great, lemony sauce. Nice and balanced.

Shellfish and Fat and Cholesterol

For some reason shellfish has gotten a bad rap as being something too high in cholesterol for a healthy diet.   

The cholesterol in foods you eat is important and you should be careful but it is so much less important than total fat, saturated fat, sodium, total calories…  Basically cholesterol is at the bottom of the list of things to worry about. 

Shellfish, for the most part, has very little cholesterol.  Crabs, mussels, oysters, clams, scallops and lobster are very low in cholesterol – usually less than 50 mg in a serving.  Best of all there’s almost no fat in these guys.  It may be that it was cooking methods that led dieticians to make shellfish off limits.  Fried clams are a problem not because of the clams but because of the cooking method.  Lobster is a great food but the butter it is drenched in is pure fat. 

It may be that shrimp is what gave shellfish the bad name.  They have a fair amount of cholesterol – 200 mg in about 4 ounces.  While this is more than other meats shrimp has very little fat and almost no saturated fat.  As with any food that is higher in cholesterol using less fat when cooking results in a great dish that is great for you.    

Scallops with Bacon and Asparagus

Servings = 2 | Serving size =6 ounces scallops with sauce and asparagus

Cooking Time = 30 Minutes

This recipe can be multiplied by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

This recipe does not make very good leftovers.

Serve with Roasted Potatoes or Jasmine Rice or Jasmine Rice - Low Sodium Version

2	slices bacon
1 quart	water
12 ounces	asparagus
12 ounces	sea scallops
1/4 tsp	lemon zest (minced)
1/4	lemon (juiced)
1/4 cup	white wine
	fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
2 tsp	unsalted butter
2 large	leaves fresh basil (chiffonade)

Place a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Add the bacon. Cook until the bacon is crispy. Remove and set aside on a paper towel to cool. Turn off the heat.

While the bacon is cooking, place the water in a large skillet over high heat. When the water is almost boiling add the asparagus. Cook for two minutes and remove the asparagus from the water and set aside.

When the bacon is cool, slice it crosswise into very thin strips. Cut the cooled asparagus into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

Put the pan with the bacon grease back on medium high heat. Add the scallops and cook on one side for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for about 4 minutes.

Remove the scallops to a warm plate.

Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, wine and pepper to the pan with the bacon grease. Cook, whisking the bottom of the pan, for about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium and add the asparagus, bacon bits and butter. Cook for about 2 minutes, tossing frequently, and serve the mixture over the scallops.

Top with the basil and serve.