Where has January gone?! After a very busy few weeks at work and trying hard to rebuild my social life after the rollercoaster that was 2012, it seems we are in February already! Although I cook most days, I haven’t had as much chance to try out new recipes and experiment recently.
Even if you lead a busy life and things are rather hectic, there really is no excuse to neglect your health and not cook yourself yummy, healthy meals. Trust me, you will benefit from taking half an hour out and doing something for yourself plus, your body will thank you for not filling it full of nasty processed food just because there is a perception that its ‘easier’! After receiving Jamie Oliver’s ’15 minute meals’ (review to follow!) for Christmas, I have been taking a lot of inspiration from Jamie’s philosophy and have been attempting more speedy, nutritious meals. Remember people, cooking doesn’t have to be long and laborious and really shouldn’t be seen as a chore!
With the above in mind, a few weeks ago I came up with a delicious and healthy starter which was ready in a flash!
Scallops with Bacon and Minted Pea Puree
4 scallops
Tsp flora extra light
100g frozen peas
100ml chicken stock
Handful of mint leaves
2 smoked back bacon rashers, all fat removed
Fry light
Salt and pepper
1. Chop up the bacon into very small slices.
2. Heat up a large frying pan. Add the bacon to one side of the pan and allow to cook gently, using a wooden spoon to move it around every so often to prevent it burning.
3. Heat the flora in a small saucepan. Add the peas and cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Transfer the peas to a food processor along with the stock and mint. For less washing up just add the stock and mint to the pan and grab a stick blender. Blitz the pea and mint mixture for a few minutes until smooth. If using a food processor, transfer back to the pan to keep warm whilst you cook the scallops.
5. Season both sides of the scallops and transfer to the other side of the already hot frying pan. Cook the scallops for about a minute on each side.
6. To dish up, swirl a line of pea puree on a plate, top with 2 scallops each then crumble over the cooked bacon pieces.
Such a simple and quick starter and its pretty healthy too. Plus, I really like my food to be colourful so the vibrant pea puree with the lightly caramelised scallops with the pink bacon looks really good. This starter certainly looks a lot more impressive than it actually is…one to pull out at dinner parties time and time again!
