Seafood-Stuffed Sole

Ingredients:

Stuffed Sole:

• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fennel
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp. basil
• 3 tbsp. chopped shallots
• 8 oz. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and sliced into thirds
• 4 oz. bay scallops
• 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (6 oz.) sole fillets
• 1 cup dry white wine

Saffron Sauce:

• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove. minced
• 1/8 tsp. saffron threads, crushed
• 2 tbsp. hot water
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Makes 4 Servings

1. To make the sole: Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, fennel, scallions, parsley, basil, and 2 tablespoons of the shallots. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the fennel is just tender. Add the shrimp and scallops and cook  for 2 minutes or until the shrimp and scallops are opaque and cooked through.
3. Remove the mixture to a bowl and stir in the bread crumbs, egg, and lemon juice. Season with the pepper.
4.  Place the sole, skin side up, on a work surface. Divide the stuffing into 4 equal portions. Slightly mound the stuffing in the center of each fillet and roll up the fillets jelly-roll style.
5. Coat a 1-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle the dish with the remaining  1 tablespoon shallots and place the fillets, seam sides down, on top of the shallots. Pour the wine around the fillets. Cover with a piece of waxed paper.
6. Bakes for 15 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Remove from baking dish and keep warm on a covered serving platter. Reserve the cooking liquid.
7. To make the saffron sauce: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. In a cup, mix the saffron with the water and add to the skillet. Stir in the mustard, capers, and the reserved fish-cooking liquid. Cook until the liquid is reduced to about 2/3 cup. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the fillets and sprinkle with the parsley, if using.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is what I call elegant dining and you can enjoy this dish at home. Don't be intimidated by the number of ingredients by this dish. This elegant dish is very easy to prepare and can easily be made in advance. The recipe calls for scallops and shrimp but you can substitute crab meat and the sole will still be delicious. I highly recommend making an extra batch of sauce to pour over the sole and the vegetables you plan to serve with the sole. I highly recommend serving this restaurant quality meal to family and friends because it's flavorful and elegant.

Mixed Seafood Kebobs with Parsley Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt

Kebobs:

• 1 lb sea scallops (about 16) cleaned
• 1 lb. halibut filet (about 1 1/4-inches thick), skin removed, fish cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Special Equipment:

• 8 (12-inch) skewers

Makes 4 (2-skewer) Servings

1. For the sauce: Place garlic in a small saucepan and add water just to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes; strain and transfer garlic to a small bowl. Add parsley, oil, lemon juice, and salt to garlic; stir to combine.
2. For the kebobs: Thread scallops, halibut, zucchini and onion alternately onto skewers; season with pepper.
3. Generously coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Grill kebobs, turning once, until fish is cooked through and vegetables are lightly charred, 10-12 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, drizzled with parsley-garlic sauce.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. I normally enjoy the flavors of the Mediterranean but this meal came up short. It was all over the place because some of the ingredients didn't go together well. It takes skill and patience to grill anything. I used cod in place of the scallops and halibut and I slightly overcooked the cod. I wouldn't use red onions with this fish because they didn't go with the fish or vegetables. The grill zucchini was delicious and I enjoyed the parsley-garlic sauce. If I were to cook this meal, I would make the parsley-garlic sauce, coat the fish with garlic sauce and broil the fish for 5 minutes on each side. I also recommend broiling the zucchini and sauteein the onions to make this meal fly.

Seared Scallops with Summer Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs. sea scallops (about 20), cleaned
• 1/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced into half-moons
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup frozen shelled edamame, defrosted
• 1 small ear of corn, shucked, kernels sliced off cob (1/2 cup kernels)
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add scallops, sprinkle with 1/8 tsp of the salt and season lightly with pepper. Cook until golden brown on the outside and opaque inside, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add zucchini, onion and garlic; cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, edamame, and corn; cook until tomatoes begin to break down, 3-4 minutes. Return scallops to the pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste; reheat for 30 seconds, or until . stir in basil. Divide among 4 plates and serve warm.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts with or without the corn

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. The photo of this recipe looks beautiful and I was dying to cook this dish. It was not one of my finest dishes. Scallops are not my thing. They are a little to fishy in smell and taste for me. The vegetables, however, were delicious but they weren't as successful as I hoped. I had never cooked edamame before and I quickly learned that edamame HAS TO BE OUT OF THE SHELL/POD in order to be eaten. The vegetables were delicious and I would attempt to cook this dish again but use another fish like halibut or cod for a meatier meal.

Scallops Provencal

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. scallops, washed and dried
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup shallots
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 tbsp parsley

Makes 4 Servings

1. Season scallops with salt and pepper.
2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat; add oil. When oil shimmers, add the scallops to the pan, falt-side down; cook until just browned on the bottom and you can see moisture appearing on the top of the scallops, about 2 minutes. Flip scallops and brown on other side, about 1 minute; reduce heat ot medium.
3. Add shallots and garlic to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until  shallots are lightly browned, about 2 minutes (be careful not ot burn the garlic). Add wine; stir and cook until liquid starts to reduce, about 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley; serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 PTS. (4 oz. scallops per serving)

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. I have really acquired a taste for seafood and I have  always wanted to try scallops. I have also acquired a taste for French food as well. This was such a nice dish with a nice aroma. This dish  is easy to make and can be made any day of the week for dinner in 20 minutes or less and you'll feel like you're in France. You can serve any kind of side dish with rice, pototoes and vegetables served with a glass of white wine.