Fall is in the air

 Fall has fell upon boulder colorado, the leaves have changed and the air has lost its summer scent to be replaced by a crisp cool fall breeze. It is quite uncommon for it rain for more then a few days in boulder but this last week it has been rainy and gloomy which brought about my craving for a fall inspired recipes.  The first thing that popped into my mind was to try a making a soup i found a easy recipe for seared scallops with pumpkin soup, for me this is best of both worlds i can incorporate my obsession with seafood while using ingredients of the season. For a side i paired the soup with a steamed artichoke. Instead of using traditional melted butter for dipping sauce i used greek yogurt and added in sautéed shallots and garlic its a healthier and personally a much tastier option then butter!

What you will need:

12 oz fresh sea scallops
1 can (15 oz) unflavored pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp roughly chopped hazelnuts
8 to 10 chives, chopped
1 cup chicken broth ( I added 2 cups for more flavor)
1 Tbsp honey ( the recipie calls for this but i added 2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 

Put it together:

1. Toast chopped hazelnuts, either in the oven (10 minutes at 400°F) or on the stove in a stainless-steel saute pan (5 to 7 minutes over medium heat, shaking often so they don't burn). Set aside. 
2. Combine pumpkin, honey, butter, and broth in a medium saucepan, and heat the mixture on low until it's warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep the mixture warm. 
3. Preheat a cast-iron skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and season them with salt and pepper to taste. Add oil to the pan, and then add scallops. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until they're firm, browned, and caramelized. 
4. Pour soup into wide-rimmed serving bowls. Add scallops and hazelnuts, and garnish with chopped chives. ( i added greek yogurt to the garnish for an extra kick!)

 To Steam the Artichoke:

Cut off or trim end of artichoke stem. If desired, snip thorny tip off each leaf. Wash artichokes, taking care to shake out excess water so they will not be soggy when steamed. Place in a vegetable steamer, covered, over boiling water you only need the water to be slightly seeping through the steamer. Steam for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on size. The artichokes are ready when one of outer leaves can easily be removed

To prepare the dipping sauce

You will need:

 one 7 oz container plain Fage total 2% greek yogurt 

1/2 shallot

1 clove garlic

combine the shallot and garlic in sauce pan will olive oil sauté for about 5 minutes or until very lightly browned, then simply added to your yogurt and stir!

this will serve 4 artichokes 

~The recipe i adapted the soup  from (http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/pumpkin-soup-recipe) says it makes 2 servings but mine served 3 people 

-Chloe Heller