Asparagus and Scallops- Quick Eats

By
Michelle
– January 2, 2012Posted in: recipes

This time of year it’s hot, I’ve eaten more rich food than usual and the shops are open sporadically. All this leads to a general feeling of not wanting to be in the kitchen too long. If I can get a meal on the table in under ten minutes it’s a winner in my eyes. I think the Thai’s must suffer this heat lethargy all year round, other than their laborious spice paste, most of their cuisine is so quick to prepare.

This beautifully simple stir fry is inspired by a recipe in David Thompson’s ‘Thai Street Food’. The list of ingredients are glaringly simple, yet the combination of flavours are much more than their individual parts. I’m not one to include a lot of pepper in my food, but this is the secret to the success of this dish. In David’s book, he suggests switching different greens and different seafood or poultry in this recipe. I had some frozen scallops in my freezer, which I quickly defrosted in the microwave, and a few bunches of asparagus to get through and that was all I needed.

Asparagus and Scallops

Serves 1 large or 2 small
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 bunches asparagus, woody bases trimmed and cut into 4cm length
  • 350g scallops, thawed if frozen
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced/chopped (not crushed- it will burn!)
  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce (tamari for gluten free)
  • 2 Tbsp chicken stock or water
  • ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
  1. Heat a wok until very hot. Add the coconut oil and heat until shimmering.
  2. Add the asparagus and scallops and stir-fry for 3 or 4 minutes, until the scallops begin to loose their translucent quality.
  3. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 2 minutes.
  5. Taste and add more pepper if desired
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About Michelle

Michelle is passionate about showing people how easy it is to prepare food that is healthy and packed full of flavour. She has just completed her first recipe book, Healthy Helpings: fast food for fit physiques. She began sharing her love of food in 2007, when she produced two series of the online cooking show ‘Healthy Helpings TV’, making fast food healthy and healthy food fast. In 2008 she competed in bodybuilding as a novice figure shaping competitor and she remains passionate about physique sports. She was a 2009 Australian Masterchef semi-finalist, and contributes articles to Oxygen Magazine Australia. Michelle lives with her husband on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, where she loves to search out new ingredients and food ideas from local farmers markets, health food shops and ethnic grocers, and take her two dogs on long rambles through the vineyards. Find out more about Michelle's book