Like So Many Things, I Meant to Do This Last Week

I have a great recipe for a low-cal, impressive looking and delicious dinner that is ready in a flash. it has several easy versions - you pick.

Before you start: you will need shrimp or sea scallops, or chicken. For the sea food, you can buy large bags of frozen shrimp or scallops at Wal-Mart, Costco and  at some grocery stores.  Take out five or six large scallops per person, and you will have to judge the shrimp according to the size.  Thaw scallops at the last minute if you need to by running cool water over them in a collander for five minutes or so. You can put the shrimp into boiling water to cook quickly,  as long as you don't over cook, and then remove shells once they have cooled.

Other things you will need: a light vegetable oil, or rice oil; kale (of course;) soy sauce or teriyake, small sweet peppers in various colors (bags of red, orange, yellow and purple can be found in the grocery store fresh veggie department;) teriyake or soy sauce; and quinoa. Let me explain quinoa. if you haven't been introduced.

Quinoa ( pronounced keen-wa) looks and acts a lot like a grain, especially rice.  It is actually a pseudocereal, related to spinach. It is rich in calcium and iron, and can be found in the grocery store rice aisle , either in the slow cooking form or the 90 second quick-cooking pouches.  The company that makes those is called Seeds of Change, and makes Quinoa and Brown Rice with garlic. You will cook one pouch for two or three servings, just before you layer the chicken or seafood mixture on top to serve.

A word about the teriyake or soy sauce.  These are highly salty and you don't want much, but either makes an excellent flavoring. As for the cooking oil, don't use enough that you need to blot the oil from your fish or seafood. And don't use a spray oil.  The scallops, especially have a very delicate flavor, and absorb other flavors, and you don't want them to taste like chemical propellant.  

For scallops:You will want to use a non-stick pan, ten inches or more, and preferably two inches deep. You can use a shallower saute pan if you must. Very lightly coat the pan with a little oil. Cut at least six small peppers into thin strips and begin to saute them in the oil, but be sure the skillet temperature is medium is set to medium to medium high. You can add water if anything seems to be sticking. 

Tear up pieces of kale into bite size pieces. Put in the scallopsin a single layer and add the kale. Lightly sprinkle soy sauce or teriyake. The scallops will need to cook only a couple of minutes on each side, just until they are lightly browned and the centers are opaque.The kale will be soft and the peppers will have started to brown.

For shrimp:  Toss the cleaned and shelled shrimp  in the pan with your kale and peppers for a few minutes to very lightly brown. Sprinkle a little teriyake or soy sauce over the mixture and stir.

For chicken: Cut raw chicken breasts into small chunks and toss them in a deep skillet in a little oil, with a sprinkling of teriyake or soy sauce. No breading, please. I always make lots more chicken than I need for that one meal because the chunks make it easy to serve the 3 ounce sized amounts that Weight Watchers specifies for a single portion.

Once your meat or fish and pepper mix is cooked, immediately spread it over the serving of quinoa on the plate and serve. For a salad, use your imagination. I would suggest  mandarin orange sections and spring onions (use some of the green tops) with bacon bits (just a few go a very long way.)

If you want a really great pan, I suggest the green enamel no stick skillet advertised on t.v. ads. I have had expensive French enamel cast iron kitchen ware, and this is better, and lots cheaper. I bought mine at Bed Bath and Beyond. They have great coupon discounts. I know it is non-stick, but the light coating of oil adds a little flavor and color.

Don't think of these dishes as suitable only for  company. And not only for grown-ups. Kids need to eat subtle sophisticated food, too, and they often need to have small amounts offered repeatedly before they will try it. Something like twenty times. No "eeeuw's." Just a "no, thank you" will do, but it stays on the plate until dinner is over. Don't even get me started on "plates" and the concept of "dinner."The chicken version is perfect for this. Nuggets, you know.