Seared Scallops with Lemon Orzo

Great dish, light and healthy too.



Sear the scallops while the orzo cooks, or until just before the orzo is done since the scallops don't take long. Serve with a green salad and a crisp white wine.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 4 1/2 ounces scallops and about 3/4 cup pasta mixture) Ingredients
Cooking spray
1/2 cup prechopped onion
1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
fresh lemon juice
olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops
salt
black pepper


Preparation

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in pasta, broth, wine, and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente. Stir in chopped chives and lemon juice. Keep warm. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops evenly with salt and pepper. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with pasta mixture.

The Scallops with the Orzo in the background

My final product!

Nutritional Information
Calories:
480 (10% from fat)
Fat:
5.1g (sat 1.7g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:
60.9g
Carbohydrate:
45.5g
Fiber:
2.2g
Cholesterol:
122mg
Iron:
1.1mg
Sodium:
875mg
Calcium:
95mg
Cooking Light, JULY 2007