Seared Scallops, Sweet Potato, and Pecan Salad

Ingredients

• Vinaigrette:
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• Dash of salt
• Dash of freshly ground black pepper
• Salad:
• 3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound sea scallops
• 6 cups gourmet salad greens
• 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 cup pecans, toasted

Preparation

1. To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.
2. Preheat oven to 400°.
3. To prepare salad, arrange the sweet potato in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat potato with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until potato is tender, turning once after 15 minutes. Cool completely.
4. Sprinkle scallops with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add scallops, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Combine sweet potato, greens, grapes, and red bell pepper in a large bowl. Drizzle vinaigrette over potato mixture; toss gently to coat. Place 1 1/3 cups salad mixture on each of 6 plates; divide scallops evenly among salads. Sprinkle each serving with 2 teaspoons pecans.