Cooking fish at home is not necessarily my forte. I can cook a pretty mean skillet seared salmon and I feel quite confident with a shrimp saute, but when it comes to thinking outside of the box and taking seafood to the next creative level I sometimes get stumped!

Luckily, when I need a dinner idea to satisfy our twice a week seafood goal I can turn to the newly released cookbook The Easy 5 Ingredient Pescatarian Cookbook from my friend and dietitian colleague, Andy DeSantis.

When a cookbook title highlights the limited number of ingredients you’ll need I am totally game, and I couldn’t wait to try out some of the recipes. Before getting to the recipes though, Andy does a fabulous job outlining the benefits of a pescatarian diet and how it can impact your overall health. He expertly highlights how fish is high in nutrients that promote heart and brain health, as well as weight loss and reduced inflammation.

The book also helps calm the nerves of anyone who’s not familiar with seafood shopping and provides guidance on wild vs. farmed fish, fresh vs. canned, and all the tools you’ll need to stock your pescatarian kitchen. This guide is comprehensive and a delight to read, so if you’re looking to incorporate more seafood, as well as other nutrient-dense produce and foods into your diet, you must pick up your own copy!

I truly had a difficult time deciding which recipe to make first, but after paging through the entree section I landed on scallops. Tired of always doing a simple sear, I went with the Pistachio Encrusted Scallops that provided a fun twist on a simple, elegant piece of seafood. However, seeing as Danny is allergic to pistachios, I adapted and used ground walnuts- the recipe tip even suggests making this sort of swap to suit your needs! We served these golden brown bites with some oven roasted asparagus and lemon kissed quinoa for a mighty delicious meal for two.

I’m giving you a sneak peak of the recipe- with my own adaptations and scaled down for two- but seriously, you need to order this cookbook for yourself!

Walnut Encrusted Scallops- serves 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound sea scallops, cleaned

• sea salt and black pepper for seasoning

• 1/2 cup crushed walnuts

• 2 tbsp grass fed butter

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

1. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season them lightly on all sides with salt and pepper.

2. Place the walnuts in a large bowl and dredge the scallops in the crushed nuts, making sure to coat all sides.

3. In a large skillet, heat the butter over high heat.

4. Sear the scallops until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes, and then turn them over and cook for another 3 minutes.

5. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice alongside roasted asparagus with garlic, and fluffy quinoa flavored with lemon zest, salt, and pepper.