What, potatoes? Yes, potatoes. You can substitute sweet potatoes if you want.
This recipe is simple but elegant: fresh scallops seared in a rosemary-garlic olive oil, on a bed of pureed vegetables and topped with more fresh herbs and pine nuts. The scallops add a big nutritional punch to the recipe: they’re full of iron and vitamin B12, and they’re a great source of selenium, which is important for gut and thyroid health. The one thing they don’t really give you is Omega-3 fat: the fat from fish is rich in Omega-3s, but scallops are so lean that they just don’t have enough fat to deliver any significant amount.
Mixing potatoes half-and-half with cauliflower for this recipe adds all the benefits of brassica vegetables, and also cuts back on the carb content a little bit, so it fits a bit better into a restricted carb budget. (Even so, it’s definitely not keto-friendly, and if you’re doing super-low-carb, it might not work at all with your day)
If you’re looking for a light dinner, this would be just the thing. Serve it as it is, or round it out with a side salad to add some color to the meal (spinach, walnuts, and cranberries would be good here).
Scallops With Potato-Cauliflower Purée Recipe
SERVES: 4
PREP: 15 min.
COOK: 25 min.
Protein: 12g / %
Carbs: 37g / %
Fat: 13g / %
Values are per portion. These are for information only & are not meant to be exact calculations.
Ingredients
- 12 sea scallops
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 cups cauliflower florets, roughly chopped
- 2 cups russet or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- ¼ cup pine nuts, roasted
- fresh chives, minced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
- Place the cubed potatoes, cauliflower, and vegetable stock in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high. Lower heat to medium and let simmer until the vegetables are soft.
- Season to taste and purée with an immersion blender until smooth. Keep warm. This will be your mash.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and fresh rosemary and stir for about 1 minute.
- Sear the scallops 1 to 2 minutes per side, basting with the garlic and rosemary-infused oil.
- Season the scallops to taste.
- Serve the purée on small plates. Top each plate with scallops, pine nuts, and fresh chives.