Pan Seared Scallops over Kale Salad with Mango Dressing

This recipe was inspired by a dish I learned to cook at Mon Ami Gabi's French cooking class and a recipe for Summer Dinner Salad with Scallops in the June/July issue of Cook's Country magazine.

It's perfect for any diet: low-carb, low-fat, clean, low-calorie.  You just can't go wrong with this one; it's super healthy and tastes great.

If the kale is too bitter for your taste, try it on a bed of spinach salad.  Or, you could mix the dressing with a little low-fat mayonnaise and serve the scallops over creamy broccoli slaw.

Ingredients:

• 6 large scallops
• 2-3 cups of organic kale salad (I used Harvest Sensations brand, which I found at the Whole Foods.  You can also make your own, using chopped kale, red cabbage and slivers of carrot.)
• 1/4 cup fat-free mango vinaigrette salad dressing, plus a little more for drizzling (I used Annie's Naturals.)
• Scant tablespoon of minced garlic (optional)

Directions:

• Pat scallops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat. (I used macadamia nut oil, but you can use olive or canola oil if you'd prefer.)
• Sautée the minced garlic briefly before adding the scallops in a single layer.
• Cook for 1 1/2 - 3 minutes without moving, depending on size and how hot you have your oil.  (Mine took about 3 minutes.)
• While scallops are cooking, toss kale salad with mango vinaigrette.
• Flip scallops and continue to cook, for a minute or so longer, until the scallops are firm and the center are opaque.
• Transfer scallops to a plate, and scrape the garlic and oil remaining in the pan onto the kale salad.  Toss to blend.
• Scoop the salad onto a serving platter, placing scallops on top.  Drizzle with a bit of mango vinaigrette.

Serves 1 or 2, depending on your appetite. Or, make 6 appetizers by plating an individual scallop on a small bed of salad in a pretty dish.

This post is linked up at Mrs. Happy Homemaker "Makin You Crave Monday", My Meatless Monday, Made By You Mondays, Market Yourself Monday, Whatcha Whipped Up, and Just Another Meatless Monday.