Beat the clock and beat the carbs
Scallops and broccolini are topped with delicious garlic butter
At first glance, the cover photograph of Toronto blogger Valerie Azinge’s 30-Minute Low-Carb Dinners: 75 Easy-to-Prepare Meals that are Healthy, Delicious and Fast (Page Street Publishing/ Canadian Manda Group, $32.95) looks as if lamb chops are sitting on a bed of mashed potatoes.
Not so fast — since this is a book of low-carbohydrate recipes, potatoes, pasta, rice, bread and sweet foods are taboo. The pictured purée is not potatoes, but curry-flavoured cauliflower — one of dozens of flavourful, fast and uncomplicated food ideas from Azinge.
Her pepper steak recipe has a sauce made with Grand Marnier, her pork loin recipe is cooked with peaches, her chicken burgers are spiced up with Cajun seasoning and the book’s kale frittata recipe is enriched with aged cheddar cheese. Azinge writes a popular cooking blog at mydigitalkitchen.ca.
Broccolini: In a saucepan, bring 4 cups (1 L) water with salt added to a boil over high heat. Add broccolini and boil for 2 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Immediately drain broccolini and immerse in a bowl of ice water for 2 to 3 minutes. Heat frying pan over medium-high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, sauté garlic for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Drain broccolini and add to pan. Stir 1 minute, until coated with garlic. Remove from heat. Keep warm.
Scallops: Pat scallops dry with paper towels and press out excess moisture. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Sear scallops for 3 minutes, then turn and sear the other side for another 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. In the same pan, melt butter over medium heat, scraping up any brown bits. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add broth and let simmer until it reduces, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn heat off, return scallops to pan and coat them in the sauce. To serve, top with parsley and add broccolini.