Jen/Juniperr: Teacher. Biker. Scientist. Fiber Arts fanatic. Animal lover. Craft-a-holic.
Jaryn: Rockstar. Baker. Chef. Outdoor lover. Adventure Seeker. World Traveler. 
I’m a pretty competitive person, I freely admit it. This causes me to make bets with people quite often. I had some pictures that I wanted the guy I’ve been dating to help me hang up in my living room. He told me we’d need picture wire. I live pretty close to a CVS and he suggested we just run to CVS and pick up some. Not so fast my friend, CVS isn’t going to have picture wire I told him. He persisted that he thought they would. To which I replied, “wanna make a bet?” Hands were shook and off to CVS we went. Along the way we determined that the payoff would be whoever lost had to cook dinner for the other person. I was fully prepared to bask in winner’s glory. When we got to CVS he walked straight to the home section and plucked a box containing picture wire off the rack. I was flummoxed. Who knew drugstores carried picture wire? He later told me smugly that he would have bet me $5 million dollars he was so sure. Punk. Alas, my pictures were hung and I made him a very tasty dinner to settle our bet.
Seared Scallops over Cauliflower Puree with Wilted Spinach and Roasted Asparagus
Cauliflower Puree
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower (about 3 lbs.), cut into florets
2 Yukon gold potatoes (about 8 ounces), peeled and diced
kosher salt and fresh pepper
1/2 cup of butter
1/2-1 cup of half and half or fresh cream
Directions
Set up a collapsible steamer over a pot of water. Toss the cauliflower and potato and put in the steamer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and steam the potatoes and cauliflower until completely tender, about 15 minutes stove top. Cool slightly. Puree the vegetables using a blender or food processor, in batches if needed, with butter and a couple tablespoons of cream, until smooth and creamy. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
Meanwhile, cook 4 strips of bacon in the mircrowave, for about 4 minutes until the bacon is crispy. Chop up into small pieces and reserve. Save your bacon drippings for your spinach.
Roasted Asparagus
1 lb. of asparagus
salt and pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the bottom ends of the asparagus and give them a good wash.
2. Lay the asparagus spears out in a single layer in a baking dish or a foil-covered roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the spears, roll the asparagus back and forth until they are all covered with a thin layer of olive oil. Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Roll the asparagus around so that the ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. Place pan in oven and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice before serving.
Seared Scallops
1. Since I live in the midwest, fresh scallops are hard to come by. Most of the ones found in the grocery stores have been frozen before and are soaked in a liquid that keeps them looking white. They need to be rinsed thoroughly and patted dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of butter to the pan.
3. Add your scallops, making sure not to crowd the pan, which lowers the pan’s temperature.
4. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side until they have a golden caramelized color. Be careful not to overcook them because once you take them off the heat they will continue to cook.
Wilted Spinach
Add your leftover bacon grease,from cooking the bacon earlier, to a pan over medium heat. Add in a bunch of spinach and season with salt and pepper. Once the spinach wilts, take off the heat.
To assemble:
Add a generous portion of cauliflower puree on the plate. Top with wilted spinach and asparagus. Then add your seared scallops. Garnish by sprinkling your chopped bacon over the top. Enjoy!
The DIYnamic Duo 