Seared Shrimp and Scallops with Green Veggie Puree

So pretty, tasty, and healthy!

I got the idea for this from Bon Appetit's recipe for Pea Puree with Shrimp and Scallops.  I hate following directions though, so I made up my own vegetable puree.  This puree is jam-packed with flavor from roasted vegetables, fresh herbs, and spicy arugula.  If you wanted to make a slightly richer puree, I think green olives or walnuts would make an awesome addition.

I served this with roasted asparagus and a Sriracha dipping sauce (see below).

What you need for the Green Veggie Puree (which can be made ahead of time):

4 cups fresh Broccoli florets

1 Zucchini

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup fat-free Cream Cheese

2 Garlic Cloves

2-3 tablespoons EACH fresh Cilantro and Mint

1/2 cup (packed) fresh Arugula

1-2 teaspoons Lemon juice

Start by roasting the veggies: Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spread broccoli and zucchini across a baking sheet.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Toss with a spatula to evenly coat.  Roast for 30-45 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and slightly browned.  Let cool.

Puree roasted vegetables and remaining ingredients using a food processor or immersion blender.  Add a bit more olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate until ready for use.

What you need for the Shrimp and Scallops:

1/2 pound jumbo Scallops, rinsed and patted dry

1/2 pound large Shrimp, peeled and patted dry

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Season the scallops and shrimp lightly with salt and pepper.  When the oil is hot, sear the scallops and shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and opaque in the center.  

Serve with the vegetable puree and Sriracha sauce. Enjoy!

Sriracha Sauce:

1/4 cup plain low fat Yogurt (or fat free Greek yogurt)

2 tablespoons light Mayonnaise

Sriracha to taste

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Mix all ingredients.   (You could also just use mayonnaise instead of the yogurt and mayo mix, but this version cuts some calories)  This is tasty with pretty much everything.  So you might want to make some extra.

Green Veggie Soup

ANOTHER pureed soup.... Yep.  They've just so tasty, healthy, and the perfect lunch the next day.  I can't stop making them.  This one is composed of a bunch of green things... leeks, zucchini  cucumber, green onion, herbs...  Super healthy and delicious as well.  I served it with pan-seared filet mignon and "fake" mashed sweet potatoes.  And merlot.

What you need:

1-2 teaspoons oil olive
1 large leek, sliced thinly
1/2 head garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
2 medium/large zucchini, sliced medium-thin
1/2 large cucumber, peeled, sliced medium-thin
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken broth
1 green onion, sliced
1 cup mixed fresh herbs (I used basil, mint, and thyme), leaves only
1/2-2/3 cup fat-free cream cheese
1/2-1 cup almond milk
1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar


Start by sauteing the leek and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat.  Sprinkle in a bit of salt and pepper.  When they begin to soften, add the zucchini and cucumber.  Cook, for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally  until the zucchini and cucumber are translucent.  Add the wine and bring to a simmer.  Add the broth, partially cover, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Turn off heat.  Add the green onion, herbs, cream cheese, almond milk, and vinegar.  Puree with an immersion blender until smooth.  Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Garnish with red pepper flakes and a teeny splash of half and half.  Enjoy!

Baked Veggie Chips

Crispy, flavorful, and totally healthy.  The perfect accompaniment to any dip, or delicious on their own.  We made these to go with a brie, peaches, and hot pepper dish for a "fun supper" night (which I like to have every now and then while drinking a few glasses of wine).  They take a while, but the actual labor is not so much and the oven temperature is low enough that you do not need to be super attentive (also see note at the bottom for a quick fix alternative).

What you need:

Variety of vegetables (we used sweet potato, beets, carrots, and zucchini), sliced as thinly and evenly as possible.  A mandolin would be handy for this, but I just used a sharp kitchen knife and mustered up whatever patience I could manage (let's just say the slices were not perfect).  But, really, the thinner and more even they are, the better the results.

Olive oil spray

A couple of baking sheets 

Seasoning- salt and whatever else you want to add (pepper, garlic, cumin, seasoned salt)

After slicing the vegetables, pat them dry with paper towels to get rid of extra moisture.  Spray two large baking sheets LIGHTLY (all the vegetables are going to really shrink up and will end up greasy if you add to much oil.).  Spread the vegetables across the baking sheets so that they are just touching.  Spray lightly again and season with salt and whatever else you like (I've done just seasoned salt, just salt, and salt, pepper, and garlic on different occasions- all worked well).

Place in the oven and heat to 275 or 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cook forever.  Or 1 and half to 3 hours, depending on how thick you cut them.  Since the oven temp is pretty low, you do not have to check them too often and worry about burning.  The end result should be lightly browned, shrunken, and slightly crispy.  Once they cool a little, they will finish crisping up. 

Repeat with two more pans if you have the dedication (Two pans don't really make much because they shrink so much).

Enjoy by themselves or with the dip of your choice!

OR, IF YOU LACK PATIENCE:

You still have to suck up thinly and evenly slicing the veggies.  But I've made the beets, regular potatoes, and carrots in my toaster oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit or on a low broil in the oven for much less time (maybe 20 minutes with a possible need for flipping over).  For these, I didn't even spray the beets or carrots with oil, just added a little salt.  I did spray the potatoes though.  You have to keep an eye on them with this method because they can burn quickly.  Good luck!

Zucchini Chips

Craving something salty and crunchy, but trying to avoid fried, carbs, and empty calories in general?  Make some baked zucchini chips!  These are delicious and super healthy.  I kept seeing recipes for things like this all over Pinterest and decided to give them a try.  Trust me, they're definitely worth giving a try.

What you need:

1-2 zucchini, sliced as thinly and evenly as possible (this will take a good sharp knife and a bit of patience)
Olive Oil cooking spray
Seasonings:  Salt, pepper, garlic powder OR some sort of season-all and pepper OR whatever combination of things you feel like using

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a cooking sheet (or two) with olive oil and then lay the zucchini slices out on the pan(s).  They can be just touching, but not overlapping.  Spray again and sprinkle your seasonings on top.  Just be careful about how much salt you're using- these shrink A LOT and will end up way to salty if you use more than a tiny bit of salt.  Place in oven and bake for 1 and a half to 3 hours, or until they have become nice and crispy.  Enjoy!