15-20 minutes 
2 people
By Doreen Colondres
A fun way to enjoy carrots. Trust me, this puré tastes like sweet potatoes. You can also combine the carrots with cauliflower or add a pinch of ginger, serrano chile, jalapeño o ají amarillo. This is an easy to make recipe full of color, nutrition and flavor with the look of a very fancy dish from an upscale restaurant. But you can do it in 15 minutes. Scallops are ready in 5 minutes and they are packed with protein and nutrition. Buen provecho.
What you need:- 1 lb. fresh scallops (8-10 pieces)
- 1 lb. carrots, peeled, cut in 1/4” size (organic or heirloom)
- 1 white onion, peeled and small diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Using a medium size pot on med-high heat, add 1 tbsp. of olive oil and cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Then add the garlic, the carrots, chile or ají (optional), lower the temperature, cover and simmer for 7-10 minutes until carrots are tender.
- Transfer to a blender and process until rustic smooth. Season with salt and pepper and then set aside until you cook the scallops.
- Rinse the scallops with cold water, thoroughly pat dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Add 2 tbsp. of olive oil to a 12-14 inch sauté pan on high heat. Once the oil begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear them for 2 minutes on each side. Flip only once, they should have a golden crust texture on each side while still being translucent in the center.
- Serve immediately on top of the puré and finish with fresh cilantro, the juice of half of a lemon or watercress (optional).
