Fresh & Local Pan-Seared Scallops with Bacony Quinoa

Ingredients

4 center-cut bacon slices

1 pound jumbo sea scallops (about 12)

1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1 cup quiona, cooked normally (like rice!)

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation

Cut the bacon into 1" pieces and cook until dark brown and crumbly

Move about half the bacon grease to another pan, heat, and add onion and garlic until translucent, then add cauliflower until soft enough to cut with a fork

While that cooks, chop parsley and add to cooked quinoa

Add the cooked veggies to the quinoa as well...

Now add the smoked paprika to the quinoa along with a pinch of salt, and mix the whole thing up good-like.

In original pan with the remainder of the bacon grease, turn the heat all the way up, and add scallops

Add the lemon juice, to the pan, and cook the scallops until they are a deep brown on both sides (I didn't turn the heat up quite enough, so these didn't quite brown as much as I would like)

While these cook, crumble the bacon and mix into the quinoa

Scoop the quinoa mixture into a bowl, and toss the scallops on top and you are good to go.