Scallops with spinach and olives

I love eating and cooking scallops because they taste delicious and cook up FAST! If you need a fast yet good for you meal, this is a great one to try. I buy frozen scallops for menu planning convenience but fresh would be super tasty and make the meal even fast to prepare.

Scallops with spinach and olives (modified from cooking light magazine)

1 1/2 pounds seas scallops, rinsed

1/2 tsp salt (or less)

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 cup dry vermouth

2 TBS fresh chopped parsley

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

2 - 3 TBS butter

1/4 cup chopped green olives OR capers

1 pkg baby spinach

12 oz cooked spaghetti pasta

1. Heat large cast-iron skillet over med-high heat. Pat scallops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 TBS oil to skillet, swirl to coat. Add scallops and cook 2-1/2 minutes on each side until browned and done. Remove from pan, keep warm.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped garlic. Cook 10 seconds. Add vermouth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 2 minutes until liquid is reduced by about half. Remove from heat. Add parsley, fresh lemon juice, butter and olives, stirring until butter melts. Add in scallops.

3. Heat small amount of oil in skillet over medium-high heat and add spinach. Saute 30 seconds or so until wilted. Serve scallops with sauce over pasta and spinach.

Pierogi Bake

For all you pierogi lovers here is the dish for you! I was lucky in childhood to have a Polish Granny who made real-from-scratch pierogies and they were amazing. Don't worry, this recipe calls for frozen pierogies and is super easy and delicious. I can only imagine how yummy this would be made with Granny's pierogies....

1 (16 oz) package frozen potato and onion pierogies

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup reduced fat cream cheese

1/2 cup broth

1/2 cup (or more) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped tomato

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Arrange frozen pierogies in an 11 X 7 inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray or oil.

3. Heat small amount of olive oil in pan over med-high and saute garlic 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add cream cheese, stirring until begins to melt. Stir! Gradually add broth, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour cream cheese mix evenly over pierogies. Top with cheese and green onions.

4. Bake for 25 minutes until thoroughly heated. Remove from oven and top with tomatoes and black pepper.

Walnut-breadcrumb Pasta with a soft egg

Super delicious and pretty simple pasta dish. Great with a salad and dinner bread! Look for fresh pasta in the refrigerated section of the grocery store... it makes this recipe!

4 large eggs

1 (4 oz) piece French bread baguette, torn into small pieces

1/2 cup walnuts

2 TBS olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

9 oz pkg uncooked fresh linguine

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsely

2 TBS finely chopped fresh chives

goat cheese

1. Bring 3 inches of water to a boil in medium saucepan. Add eggs and boil 5 - 7 minutes. Drain. Plunge into ice water for 5 minutes. Drain and peel.

2. Place bread in food processor, process until finely ground. Add nuts to bread and pulse until finely ground. Heat skillet over med-high heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add breadcrumb mixture, salt and pepper to pan. Saute 5 minutes until toasted, stirring frequently.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Add pasta to breadcrumb mixture, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with parsley and chives. Add egg and cheese before serving.