Creamy Parmesan (No Wine) Risotto with Seared Scallops

I cannot believe it has been almost 3 months since I last blogged! The reason is that I have locked myself up for the last 3 months studying for the bar exam which is now finally OVER! It is official, the last exam of my life!! So now I can get on to more fun things like cooking and baking and taking pictures 🙂 [Spoiler alert:  creamy parmesan risotto with seared scallops].

The last 3 months of my life has consisted mainly of take-out and any food I could get my hands on that required minimal cooking. In addition to consuming such toxins, a few extra pounds have decided to appear on my body. So now it is back to taking time to prepare some homemade, quality meals instead of snacking on 500 m & m's... per day. Yes, this is a true story.

So obviously my comeback meal has to be the meal of meals. You cannot come back without a bang. So today, I treated myself to an exquisite, creamy parmesan risotto with seared scallops. Yup, you read that right. A full sentence consisting of YUM.

The thing about making seared scallops at home is that you, my friend, are given automatic cooking status. These scallops turn out incredible every time. They look amazing and they taste even better. You could proudly serve them at the trendy restaurant downtown. I like my scallops to be thinner than most people do so I cut them in half but if you like to have thick scallops, then don't slice them as thin as I did. But no matter how thin or thick you like your scallops, there is nothing they go better with than risotto. Match made in heaven.

And after taking such a long break from the kitchen, I needed to ease into it. So it only makes sense that this meal takes under 30 minutes to make. Yes, under 30 minutes 😀

Creamy Parmesan (No Wine) Risotto with Seared Scallops

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★★★★★

4.6 from 8 reviews

• Author: Sam | Ahead of Thyme
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 2-3 servings 1x

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Description

Up your cooking game with this exquisite creamy parmesan (no wine) risotto with seared scallops dish that belongs on a restaurant table!

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Ingredients

Parmesan Risotto:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice or lime juice
• 4 and 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Scallops:

• 1/2 lb. scallops
• salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons butter

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Instructions

Parmesan Risotto:

1. In a large frying pan/skillet, melt the butter over medium high. Sauté the onion and garlic for about 4 minutes until soft and transleucent.
2. Add the rice and mix well until it is fully coated with the butter. The rice will look shiny once coated with the butter.
3. Pour in 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and the lemon juice and stir. Once the rice has absorbed all the liquid, bring down the heat to medium low.
4. Add one cup of chicken stock and continuously stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat, one cup at a time, with the remaining stock. This will take about 20-25 minutes.
5. Add 1/2 cup water and take the pan off the heat once the risotto is at your desired consistency.
6. Add in the parmesan cheese and parsley and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Scallops:

1. Wash and pat the scallops dry with a paper towel.
2. Season the scallops with salt and pepper.
3. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium high heat. Once the butter is sizzling hot, place the scallops in the pan. (If they do not all fit, make them in two stages).
4. Sear the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Flip the scallops over after 2 minutes or once the bottom is a golden-brown colour.
5. Cook the other side for another 2 minutes.
6. Remove from pan and serve over top of the risotto.

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• Category: Entree
• Cuisine: Italian