Scallops And Kale Salad – Foodie Friday

This week my challenge for our non-resident resident Chef Jill McCoy was to have her come up with a meal that I could make for date night. I think all couples need a date night, especially married couples. It is also helpful if the couple goes out on the date with each other and not different partners, that can really take the spontaneity right out of a relationship.

Here were the conditions I asked our Foodie Friday femme fatale to meet in creating my date night dish. It needed to have a sense of elegance. It had to be over the top healthy because my beloved like all beloveds are on a diet. It also had to be very interesting in the flavor profile and I wanted bacon in there too.

Oh yeah, it had to be filling but not so filling it would dampen the mood for bedroom activities. At my age, that's watching reruns of the Golden Girls while I put an ice pack on my knee.

Here is why this salad works. Scallops are the marshmallows of the sea. They are an elegant seafood with a very rich flavor. They are light and delicate and when cooked correctly are absolutely the best seafood item available.

Kale is a wonder green. By itself its tougher than spinach and to me tastes quite bitter but with a proper enhancement such as in this recipe you get all the great nutrition, the unique flavor and that great texture.

Raisins and pine nuts are an easy way to add another level of elegance to any dish. They are the mystery flavor and the mystery crunch that will have your guests wondering what kind of witchcraft you perform in the kitchen.

This dish is nutritious and light and it's really easy to make and it does make for a wonderful date night at home kind of meal.

**Jill McCoy is a former announcer at 97.3 The Dawg who has turned her focus to cooking. She is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu. She is currently employed in the kitchen of an international hotel in Austin Texas. Jill also maintains her own food and lifestyle blog, Salt and Pepper 2 Taste. Her blog work has been recognized by the Austin Texas Food Blogger Alliance.   She is a regular contributor to 97.3 The Dawg every Friday**