Five-Spice Scallops

From EatingWell: December 2006 — Subscribe Now!

You could also serve the scallops over Asian salad greens dressed with sesame oil and rice vinegar for a simple dinner.

8 servings

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Diabetes appropriate | Low carbohydrate | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

1 pound large dry sea scallops, quartered (see Note)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon five-spice powder, (see Note)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Preheat broiler.
Toss scallops with oil, five-spice powder and salt. Broil on a baking sheet until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve with toothpicks.

Tips & Notes

Notes: We prefer "dry" sea scallops (not treated with sodium tripolyphosphate, or STP). Scallops treated with STP ("wet" scallops) are mushy, less flavorful and will not brown properly.
Often a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns, five-spice powder was originally considered a cure-all miracle blend encompassing the five elements (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty). Look for it in the supermarket spice section.

Nutrition

Per serving: 61 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 19 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 0 g fiber; 164 mg sodium; 183 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Protein, magnesium, potassium, selenium.

Exchanges: 1 1/2 very lean meat