Seared Scallops with Zucchini/Onion Cous-Cous

Since I was on vacation last week, my eating habits totally went down the drain - having French fries three days in a row is not exactly kind to your body.  So because of my over-indulgence, I wanted to cook up a healthy yet satisfying dinner this week that would put me back on the right track. 

I stopped off in Whole Foods after work the other day, and was delighted to see fresh sea scallops on special, so I got them.  I wanted to prepare them simply so I seared them in olive oil and seasoned them with basic spices.  A side of plain cous-cous with sauteed zucchini and white onions rounded out the dish and made it quite earthy.  Dan and I loved it and look forward to an encore soon.

Seared Scallops with Zucchini/Onion Cous-Cous

Seared Scallops (serves 2)
1/2 lb of fresh sea scallops (patted dry)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Italian seasoning

Zucchini/Onion Cous-Cous (serves 2)
1/3 cup of cous-cous
1 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2" pieces
1/2 medium onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
Pat the scallops dry once again to ensure a completely dry exterior.  If the scallops are even slightly moist (as mine were unfortunately), they'll stick to the surface of your pan and will fall apart.  Season scallops with salt and freshly ground black pepper as well as Italian seasoning (oregano, parsley, basil, etc). Make sure to rub in the seasoning well.

Pour oil in a medium - large sized skillet and make sure it's really hot.  Place seasoned scallops into the skillet and sear until the exterior is crispy and golden brown (about 3 minutes on each side). Turn over and repeat on the other side and remove from skillet when done.

For the cous-cous, cook it according to the directions on the box.  Sautee the chopped onions in a medium skillet with olive oil for about 5 - 7 minutes or until the onions get translucent.  Add salt and pepper and then include the zucchini and sautee for another 7 minutes until they get soft. 

When plating this dish, put the scallops to one side of the plate and fill the rest of it with cous-cous and then top that with the zucchini/onion mixture. 

Yum...just thinking about this dish makes me happy. I hope you enjoy it too.