So Fast..... So Easy.....So Good!

Today was the hectic end to a hectic week. I rose at 6:00 a.m., got my daughter off to school and my husband off to work. I grabbed my coffee and put the finishing touches on my post about madeleines while I ran a few loads of laundry. Then, I popped into my office for a few hours to get some work done. I did my banking, picked up said daughter from school, ran some errands, stopped at the Asian market to pick up the ingredients to make Jaden's Jap Chae noodles tomorrow and....... Well, you get the picture. I was pooped!

I could see the handwriting on the wall as I was blearily wheeling my cart down the aisles of my local supermarket, trying to think of a protein to serve with my leftover fideos, (courtesy of Deb from Smitten Kitchen). The sea scallops at the seafood counter looked pretty nice. They would fit the bill.

Once home, I microwaved the fideos (sorry Deb!), tossed together a quick salad and turned my attention to the scallops. This recipe was so easy, it is almost embarrassing to write it down. It took all of ten minutes to prepare. But, you know what? It was really good! The smoked paprika added that little something extra to make this dish sing. Sometimes a recipe doesn't have to be complicated to be a winner. So, here it is.......my Smoky Seared Sea Scallops (try saying THAT three times fast!).

Smoky Seared Sea Scallops

1 lb. "dry" sea scallops*

3 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 scallions, chopped

Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat.

Sprinkle the salt, pepper and smoked paprika on both sides of the scallops.

Heat to high and place the scallops in the pan.

Sear until brown and carmelized on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Cover and cook about 1 minute more to make sure the scallops are cooked through.

Remove scallops to a serving platter.

Saute the scallions for about a minute. Pour scallions over scallops.

Serve and enjoy!

*Many times sea scallops are soaked in water and preservatives to make them last longer and increase their weight, sometimes by as much as much as 25%. This also dilutes their flavor. Dry sea scallops are not treated with any additives and are not soaked in water. They are better. Period.