Valentine’s Dinner: “Hot” Bacon Scallops!

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops, does it get any better than that? Whether eating alone or with a loved one, this extravagant meal is satisfying and super easy. Serve with a simple salad of spinach leaves, finely sliced shallots, a drizzle of avocado or olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon. Roast Brussel sprouts or broccoli with lemon and fresh parmesan and you will feel like you’re in a 5-star restaurant! 

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Ingredients

1 lb. of scallops, cleaned/dried (if they are large you will slice each in half)
1 package of no added sugar bacon (check for quality)
1 Tablespoon of coconut oil
1 package of frozen spiral zucchini noodles (you can make these yourself)
1 Tablespoon of garlic powder
1 Pinch of ground Thyme
1 Lemon, sliced for garnish
Coarse sea salt for taste

Instructions

1. Lay your bacon strips out on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Heat your oven to 350° and cook the bacon for about ¾ the time so it’s not cooked fully. Once you have it ¾ of the way done, remove them and lay on a paper towel to absorb extra bacon fat. Allow to cool until they are manageable with your hands.
   
2. Heat a frying pan to medium heat and let the coconut oil melt. While the pan is heating, wrap each scallop with a slice of bacon (once the bacon is cool enough to handle). Once they are all wrapped, add them to the frying pan. Sprinkle with thyme and cook for 2-4 mins per side.
   
3. Once all the scallops have been cooked, remove and place them on a serving plate off to the side. Add zucchini noodles to the frying pan, sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. hen Cover and allow to sauté and steam for 5 minutes until tender.
   
4. Dress each serving plate with zucchini noodles first. Top with scallops and a lemon wedge on the side.

Zucchini Noodles – Zoodles!

Zoodles are the perfect gluten-free pasta. You can make your own zoodles in a variety of ways – using a spiralizer, mandoline, julienne peeler. Or just buy them in the grocery store. Sometimes they are a bit harder to find and are more common is smaller specialty groceries. But you might be surprised!

A spiralizer is a fun kitchen tool that creates curls of your favorite vegetables in seconds. It’s the fastest tool choice and requires the least amount of effort. A mandoline is another great kitchen tool but requires caution as the blades are VERY sharp! The mandoline is a quick task. It creates the best flat zucchini pasta that allows you to vary the thickness. The julienne peeler takes a little more time. But this is the one tool that you probably already have in your kitchen, so no investment needed. It slices the thinnest, most delicate noodles. What slows up the process is that you have to pull the strands apart with your fingers. 

Bon Appetit!

Dr. Tiffany Caplan & Dr. Brent Caplan 

PS: To find more ways to lower inflammation check out our cookbook “Recipes to Calm the Fires of Inflammation.” This book is full of delicious recipes that are a great supportive tool to coping with autoimmune diseases.