Do you love summer??
I do…and I’m so excited that the sun has been shining lately and the weather is warming up because it tells me that summer is around the corner!
The other thing that reminds me of summer is pouring a big glass orange juice. It somehow brings me back to my childhood when all the neighborhood kids would gather around our old wooden picnic table and my mom bring us big pitchers of orange juice…true story! That refreshing goodness of the juice, which I know now is naturally sweet without any added sugar, I’m sure gave me the energy to climb all those trees!!!
So, to commemorate that amazing memory and to welcome in what seems to be the beginning of the warm weather to come, I’m using the goodness of orange juice to bring you this great recipe that combines the sweetness of orange juice and a quick dinner idea that will bring your family running to the table!!
Now, of course, eating a whole orange ensures you get the fibrous goodness of the whole fruit, but orange juice, in it’s liquid form, is a great way to sneak in some of your daily vitamin C which is so important when we want to ensure the health of our bones, gums and cartilage. Orange juice also provides potassium (necessary for muscle function), potassium (which helps keep the body’s fluid, electrolyte and pH balanced), as well as folate (a B vitamin which is difficult to get in non-pill form). Also, when you use orange juice in savoury dishes like this one, it adds the natural sweetness that you get from orange juice (compared to adding it with processed granulated sugar).
This recipe uses scallops which I love because they are quick to cook and are nutrient dense (they are a low fat, high protein addition to any meal). Make sure they are dried well (I place them on a tea towel topped with a paper towel to make sure all the moisture is absorbed!).
You can serve these scallops on a bed of basmati rice, or you can serve them as a mouthful of goodness in appetizer form like this:
What a beautiful table this makes! It’s quick to make, is beautifully presented and is healthy!!
Go ahead…what are you waiting for??
- 1/2 c fresh range juice
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Thai chili sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 pound (454g) scallops
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- Over medium-high heat, place a small saucepan over the flame and combine the orange juice, soy sauce, chili sauce, lime juice, garlic and ginger; bring to a simmer and reduce until slightly thickened about 10 minutes.
- Under cool water, rinse the scallops and thoroughly pat dry with a paper towel.
- Add the olive oil and butter to a large saute pan over high heat; season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper, and once the pan is very hot, gently add the scallops to the pan, making sure they don’t touch.
- Sear the scallops for about 2 minutes on each side (depending on how big the scallops are – you are looking for the scallops to become opaque but not totally white as they will get chewy); they will become beautifully brown with a nice crust (but this will only happen if you patted them dry completely before cooking).
- Remove the scallops from the pan to a dish and add the sauce to the hot pan.
- Swirl the sauce around to pick up all the juice and bits from the bottom of the pan; add the scallops back to the pan to coat with the sauce.
- Serve immediately over hot basmati rice and a side of crisp asparagus or other seasonal vegetables.
*although this is a sponsored post/ad, all opinions are my own.
