Recipe: Fresh Mango Salsa Buddha Bowl (with Scallops!!)

With hot weather like this, I crave fresh, fruits, cold dishes. This recipe was inspired by my foodie friend Jiyan, all I saw is that this recipe is AWESOME. It is simple, tasty, goes with pretty much anything and last but not least, it adds so much color and life to your dish. I used this recipe to make a 'Buddha Bowl' which is essentially a bowl filled with lots of veggies, whole grains and healthy proteins. Most Buddha bowls are made vegetarian but for this dish, I used seared scallop. Scallop is a healthy protein, right?

Seafood has gotten itself a bad rep somehow and especially people who have high cholesterol or heart issues are often told to be cautious with seafood. The American Heart Association recommends limiting dietary cholesterol consumption to < 300 mg for healthy individuals and <200 mg for high cholesterol and/or heart disease. In a 3oz serving (about 3 jumbo scallops), there are only 30 mg of cholesterol. In addition, saturated fats actually have a greater effect on blood cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol. Scallops contain <1 g of fat per serving, part of which is healthy omega-3 fat (EPA/DHA) that may play a beneficial role in the prevention of heart disease. Scallops overall are great sources of lean protein (almost 20g in one serving) while low in calorie, fat and cholesterol.

Where most people tend to run into a bit of trouble with seafood is the cooking method and portion size. Do a quick search for recipes on scallops and most of them requires adding a whole lot of butter - healthier alternatives include using vegetable oil/margarine in place of butter or steaming instead of searing. In regards to portion sizes for seafood, a serving is about the size of your palm (3oz/75g) (so about 3 big ones or 1/2 cup small scallops).

Fresh Mango Salsa Buddha Bowl (with Scallops!!!) - 4 servings

Mango Salsa:

• 2 Mangoes, diced

• 1 Tomato, diced

• 1 Green Onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 Red Onion, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup Cilantro, Minced

Mix ingredients and let sit for at least 1/2 hour for the flavor to blend in.

Buddha Bowl:

• 2 packages of Brown Rice Vermicelli, soaked in warm water until soft (~5 mins) and then rinsed with cold water

• 1 carrot, grated

• 1 cup bean sprouts

• 1 cup peanuts, chopped

• 12 jumbo Scallops, seared

Dressing:

• 2 Tbsp. Fresh lime juice

• 2 Tbsp. Sugar

• 1 Tbsp. Fish sauce

• 1/2 tsp. Hot chili pepper, minced

• 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced

Arrange ingredients in bowl - Vermicelli, then the grated carrots and bean sprouts, top with chopped peanuts, scallops and prepared mango salsa. Garnish with Cilantro.

Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over bowl when ready to eat.

Enjoy!!

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What is your favorite seafood recipe? Do you have an awesome summer dish to share? Tag @amychowrd or #amychowrd to share your creations!