Pan-Seared Scallops Marinated with Ginger and Orange Juice on a Bed of Sauteed Pea Shoots

Well, I don't know if this really classifies as Vietnamese food except for the fact that I made it and I used nuoc mam (fish sauce). :P So all foods that I can't figure out what to label it are stuck under fusion. And if you noticed, I also created a new category for types of meat as well, which makes it a lot easier than trying to figure out what type of cuisine to stick my recipe under. This is actually the first time I've ever cooked with scallops. I saw this package of five large scallops on sale for $2.39. Wow! Less than 50 cents apiece. Yes, I know, it's probably near the end of its shelf life so I had to cook it soon. But at that price, I'm all over it. So when I started trying to figure out what to do with the scallops, I just started tossing in what I had in my cupboards and fridge. I titled it with a ginger and orange juice marinade because those are the two strongest flavors, but I could definitely taste notes of everything I used. And since serving scallops alone on a plate didn't seem particularly pretty photography-wise, I decided to serve them on a bed of sauteed pea shoots. Besides, I gotta eat some greens. Pan-Seared Scallops Marinated with Ginger and Orange Juice on a Bed of Sauteed Pea Shoots You'll need: A lot of pea shoots, washed and drained (Can be found at most Asian grocery stores. I filled up a plastic fruit and vegetable bag, and after cooking, it reduced down to a plateful.) 5 fresh scallops, or however many you want 1/2 tsp Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce) Juice of 1 small lime or half a lemon About a 1/4 cup of orange juice 1 tblsp or so of white wine 1/2 tsp of Korean chili flakes, or any other dried chili of your choosing A few twirls of freshly ground black pepper A small knob of ginger, minced A few sprigs of cilantro, chopped 1 scallion, sliced thinly Add all ingredients to bowl and let scallops marinate. Meanwhile, wash and drain your pea shoots. In a big wok, drizzle some sesame oil and toss in all of the pea shoots. They'll quickly start reducing. I just take a pair of tongs and start tossing it around until everything is cooked. Should only take a few minutes. This pile will soon look like... ...this. Arrange on a plate. Pan-sear the scallops first without the marinade. Remove the scallops onto a plate. Then pour the marinade into the pan and let it reduce into a sauce on its own. Then drizzle the sauce over the scallops. Don't turn away from the stove. The scallops will cook faster than you think and the sauce will reduce quickly. The scallops had a lovely ginger and orange juice tang, the fish sauce added depth, the chili flakes provided a slight spicy kick, and the very greenness of the pea shoots was a nice complement. Enjoy!