Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree and Quinoa Pilaf

I wish that I could have spent some time in the garden today, but the weather did not cooperate. It rained last night and this morning, so I think it would have been too wet. Instead, I did laundry, cooked some, and lamented that the Congress got its act together and agreed on a budget, which means that I won't get Monday off. I was kind of looking forward to a government shut-down.

I have been wanting to try the cinnamon-raisin bread in Bread Baker's Apprentice, so I went ahead and tackled that project. I just had a couple of toasted slices as my dessert, and it was really delicious. I do need to work on shaping uniform loaves, though, even if it still tastes wickedly good.

For dinner I made the menu referenced in the title to this post. It seem like I have been seeing lots of seared scallops and cauliflower puree on restaurant menus, so I decided to try my own version. I roasted half of a fennel bulb in olive oil with a few cloves of garlic, letting them caramelize nicely. While that was underway, I steamed about half of a head of cauliflower (this was just for Glen and me, so I decided to save half of the head for something else) until it was tender. I also toasted some fennel seeds, grains of paradise (peppercorns would be a fine substitute), and coriander seeds. Once toasted, I ground all of the spices in a spice grinder and used them to season the cauliflower and fennel, which I pureed in the food processor with some butter and a dash of cream. I seasoned the puree with salt and added a bit of lemon juice, just to brighten the flavor.

We had the puree with some seared sea scallops, and I also made a quinoa pilaf with carrots, asparagus, and red onion, all dressed with a vinaigrette I made from olive oil, a fig-infused white balsamic vinegar, and a touch of Dijon mustard. The only downside of the whole meal was the rather bland appearance of the scallops and puree; I think I needed some parsley. A little garnish can go a long way. Fortunately, the taste was anything but bland.