Gorgeous Date Night Dinner! – Pan Seared Scallops with Herbed Butternut Squash Mash

There are some dishes that just work. Peanut butter and jelly. Birthday cake and ice cream. Cheeseburgers and fries. Well…now that I’ve got everyone salivating over junk food…

I would like to introduce another combination that is just…phenomenal.

Scallops and my Herbed Butternut Squash Mash.

Now before your eyes glaze over…allow me to just interject that this is the best meal Steven and I have eaten in a long time.

Succulent sea scallops, paired with the richest, most flavorful sweet and savory butternut squash mash! Imagine the consistency of the thickest, creamiest mashed potatoes…and then give it a touch of sweetness, and the faintest hint of herbaciousness.

You are going to be making this at least once a week…I promise.

Plus – it’s gluten free, Plaeo, Specific Carb Diet friendly and keto. And it’s downright delicious.

Here’s What You Need:

1 lb scallops, pat dry
Old Bay seasoning
2 Tbsp EVOO
Juice 1/2 a lemon

Butternut Squash Mash:
1 butternut squash, halved and roasted
3 Tbsp EVOO
4 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (removed from the stems)
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup coconut milk

12 brussels sprouts – halved

Tools:
Baking sheet
Nonstick tinfoil
Food Processor
Good Chef’s Knife
Stock pot
Large Nonstick pan

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Carefully, cut your squash in half, from top to tail. Scoop out the seeds and reserve. Drizzle the inside flesh with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the squash halves cut-side-down on a nonstick tinfoil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 60 minutes, until the skin gives easily to the touch. Let cool and then peel the skin.

Saute your shallots, carrots, celery, spices, and garlic in a stock pot. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the veggies soften. Then, add your cooked squash and stir to combine. Add your coconut milk, and then carefully transfer the hot squash and veggie mixture to the food processor and blend until you get a creamy mashed potatoes consistency. You will need to scrape the sides several times.

At this point, bake your brussels sprouts for 30 minutes on a tinfoil lined baking sheet, tossed with 2 Tbsp EVOO, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. I also like to bake the seeds from the squash on the same pan for a garnish.

To cook the scallops: you want them to be bone dry. So after you rinse them, put them on a paper towel, and dry them completely with another paper towel. Sprinkle the one side with Old Bay seasoning, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. *Old Bay has salt in the spice mixture, so you don’t need to add more.*

You want your pan to be very hot. (Stainless steel works great, here!) Add about 3-4 Tbsp Olive oil or avocado oil to a large pan. Heat until right before it starts smoking. Then starting at the “12 o’clock” position, place your scallops (seasoning side-down) one by one clockwise around the pan, being careful not to crowd the pan. Once they are all placed in, let them sear untouched for 1:45. (Set a timer, it goes fast!) During this time, sprinkle the other side with more Old Bay seasoning.

Then, using tongs, start again at the 12 o’clock position and flip each scallop going clock wise. Let cook for another 1:30.

After a minute and 30 seconds, take them off the pan and put on a plate to rest. (Otherwise they will continue to cook on the pan.) Drizzle with the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Serve immediately.

To plate, place a mound of the butternut squash mash on the plate, top with half of your scallops. Serve the brussels sprouts alongside. Garnish with your baked squash seeds and a cute sprig of thyme.

Oh my gosh, this was SO dang delicious – Steven and I both cleaned our plates!! The acorn mash is SO OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD! It’s creamy and buttery, and just the perfect hint of savory sweetness.

You see that’s the secret with this recipe: by baking the squash first, you allow the natural sugars in the squash to caramelize and develop, giving the mash this indescribable depth of flavor!

It truly tasted like mashed sweet potatoes!

Not to mention: it is an absolutely gorgeous meal! Completely worthy of a five-star-restaurant!

So do yourself a favor…make this meal! It is truly out of this world!

((And here’s one final tip for ya! It’s the meal that keeps on giving! The leftovers are phenomenal: they go wonderfully over chicken or fish, great for dipping veggies, as a sandwich spread…even as a pasta sauce! OR – with the remaining squash/veggie mixture, I added the rest of the can of coconut milk, plus 2 cups of veggie broth, and pureed it into a butternut squash soup!! So it’s a two-for-one special…which, is my kind of meal!))

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