Paleo Valentine's Dinner - Easy Orange Garlic Scallops

My biggest challenge tonight was not opening up a good bottle of wine to go with the delicious dinner I made.  I am a wino and I would have sold my sister for a chance to open up one of the bottles I have stored away but I resisted temptation knowing that the reward of better health and a new wardrobe are in my not too distant future.

If there is one thing I do well it is cooking.  My boyfriend tells me we don't need to eat out because I can cook better than any restaurant in town.  I think it is just an excuse for him not to take me out to dinner!  I need to start burning food. ;-)  Tonight I made seared scallops in an orange garlic sauce served over a bed of wilted spinach with sauteed red cabbage and steamed asparagus in lemon sprinkled with finely chopped almonds.  This is a very easy recipe with just a few ingredients.  I hope you enjoy it!

Paleo Recipe - Orange Garlic Scallops:

1 lb large sea scallops
2/3 cup juice squeezed from fresh oranges
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
2 tsp minced garlic
2 T coconut oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Put orange juice in small pan and reduce by 1/2 over medium heat.  Pat scallops dry and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper on both sides.  Heat coconut oil on medium high and when oil is hot, place scallops in pan.  Cook for 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Remove scallops from pan, turn down heat to medium and deglaze* the pan with the reduced orange juice and juice from the 1/2 lemon.  Stir in the garlic.  Place scallops back into pan and toss with sauce, then cook for 1 more minute.

Serve over a bed of spinach and pour remainder of sauce over scallops.

Deglaze - Adding the cold liquid to the browned bits left in the pan from the scallops, salt and pepper create a wonderful sauce!