Green Risotto with Seared Scallops

Hello, Everyone! How was your weekend? I had so much fun over the weekend playing Connect 4 and Candy Land with my little cousins. Okay, don’t be shock of what I will say next. This was my first time playing Candy Land. I couldn’t believe what I’d miss out all these years. Candy Land is SOooo much fun! It’s a highly recommended family pass time game, with kids or adults.

On the other hand, I had risotto for dinner last night. My body was craving for lots of carbohydrate as it is recovering from a long run I did during the morning.

This is a versatile dish as it could be vegetarian or seafood by leaving out or replace a couple of ingredients. And if you don’t love peas, you can omit the peas and just have white risotto with seared scallops. Even with just a few ingredients, green risotto is rich in flavor and take no more than 30 minutes to put together. As a quick and delicious dinner, it leaves me more time to play Candy Lane to make up for the lost time.

Servings: 4
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 3/4 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp finely chopped or shredded mint
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
250g Arborio rice
12 large scallops
4 fresh mint leaves, to garnish
1 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan, to garnish
lemon wedges, to serve

Preparation:
Bring the stock to a boil and add the peas. Simmer for 1 – 2 minutes, or until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep the stock at a simmer.

Blend 1 3/4 cups of the peas with the sour cream and 1 tbsp shredded mint in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.

Please the oil in a large shallow pan over low heat and cook the onion for 4 – 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and coat. Increase the heat to medium.

Add 1 cup stock to the rice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid has evaporated. Add the stock 1/2 cup at a time until the rice is al dente and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile (5 minutes before the risotto is done), lightly season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat a char-grill pan or frying pan with a little of oil over medium high heat. Add the scallops and sear on both sides until cooked to your liking.

Fold the pea purée and whole peas through the risotto when it’s done. Divide the risotto among serving bowls or plates and place the scallops on top. Sprinkle with the remaining mint, garnish with fresh mint leaves and Parmesan. Serve with a wedge of lemon.