Keeping frozen bay scallops in my freezer has been a big help during these challenging times. They are always available for a quick dinner. They’re sweet-tasting and take only minutes to defrost in a bowl of cold water.

The side dish for this quick dinner also uses ingredients from my freezer, frozen peas and butter beans.

“Butter beans” is a name given to small white or pale green lima beans. They’re sold dried, canned and frozen. Using frozen vegetables, this meal can be ready in less than 15 minutes.

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Helpful hints:

• Any type of breadcrumbs can be used.

• Canned butter beans, rinsed and drained, can be used instead of frozen.

• Baby lima beans can be used instead of butter beans.

• A quick way to chop chives is to snip them with a scissors.

Baked Bay Scallops

Olive oil spray

¾ pound bay or baby scallops

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a small baking dish (about 7 inches in diameter) with olive oil spray. Add the scallops and spread out over the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cut butter into small ¼- to ½-inch pieces and scatter over the scallops. Spoon breadcrumbs over the scallops, completely covering them. Make sure the oven is at temperature and add the baking dish. Bake 10 minutes, checking to make sure the breadcrumbs do not burn. They should be golden.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 433 calories (25% from fat), 12.1 g fat (4.5 g saturated, 3.6 g monounsaturated), 70 mg cholesterol, 35.8 g protein, 43.4 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g fiber, 730 mg sodium.

Peas and Butter Bean Salad

1 ½ cups frozen peas, defrosted

1 cup frozen butter beans, defrosted

2 tablespoons reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped chives

Place peas and butter beans in a medium-size bowl. Add the dressing and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Sprinkle chives on top.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 165 calories (9% from fat), 1.7 g fat (0.2 g saturated, 0.4 g monounsaturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 9.4 g protein, 29.2 g carbohydrates, 8.4 g fiber, 51 mg sodium.

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