A search of back issues of magazines Cooking Light and Eating Well helped me put together a quick elegant dinner. The prosciutto-wrapped scallops sitting on a bed of sautéed spinach made a delicate entrée paired with creamy Parmesan orzo and roasted green beans with shallots.

I'm not a strict adherer of recipes, often regarding them as more of a guideline, but I stuck close to the scallop recipe. I couldn't find scallops as large as the ones in the recipe - my pound of scallops had twice as many as theirs, so I didn't cook them quite as long. The mild scallops paired well with salty proscuitto and lemony spinach.

The orzo recipe evoked vague Rice-A-Roni memories as I browned the orzo in a bit of melted butter before adding water and broth to simmer instead of boiling the pasta. The orzo absorbed the liquid and produced a creamy risottolike side dish, without all the stirring usually required for risotto.

Roasted snap peas with shallots were an easy fix, but I substituted fresh green beans for the pricey snap peas.

The meal came together in less than an hour, not too bad for a weeknight. The calorie count was about 550, again not too bad. I was feeling fairly virtuous until I added in dessert.

The Individual Chocolate Melting Cakes clocked in at about 350 calories, but what would Valentine's Day be without chocolate? They were supposed to be prepared in muffin tins, but I pulled out my heart-shaped mini cake mold for the occasion. I bought the pan years ago sure that it would come in handy. It was one of those post-holiday sale items that seem like a good idea at the time.

Unfortunately, the heart-shaped cakes didn't pop out of the tin easily, so we had raggedy-edged heart blobs. The rich, dense cake still tasted good, but the muffin tins probably produce a better presentation.

To contact staff writer Julie Robinson, use e-mail or call 348-1230.

Proscuitto-Wrapped Scallops with Spinach

Makes 4 servings

 12 large "dry" (see note) sea scallops (about 1 pound)

 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

 1 1/4 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto (about 3 slices), cut into 12 long strips

 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

 1 tablespoon lemon juice

 1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

 12 ounces baby spinach

Place rack in upper third of oven; heat broiler. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Pat scallops dry and sprinkle both sides with lemon pepper. Wrap 1 piece of prosciutto around each scallop. Thread scallops crosswise onto skewers (securing the prosciutto to the scallop) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Broil until just cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon vinaigrette in a small bowl. Place spinach in a colander and rinse under cold water.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add handfuls of spinach (with water still clinging to it) to the pan and cook, stirring, until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the spinach and add to the medium bowl; toss to coat with the vinaigrette.

Divide the spinach among 4 plates and top each portion with scallops. Drizzle the scallops with the reserved vinaigrette.

Note: Buy "dry" sea scallops (scallops that have not been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate, or STP). Scallops that have been treated with STP ("wet" scallops) have been subjected to a chemical bath and are not only mushy and less flavorful, but will not brown properly.

Nutrition information per serving: 239 calories, 14 grams fat (3 grams saturated, 8 grams monounsaturated), 47 milligrams cholesterol, 6 grams carbohydrate, 23 grams protein, 2 grams fiber, 620 milligrams sodium, 782 milligrams potassium.

From Eating Well magazine.

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

Unlike traditional pasta, this orzo isn't cooked in a pot of boiling water. Instead, it's cooked slowly in a flavorful broth that captures its starch.

Makes 4 half-cup servings

 1 tablespoon butter

 1 cup orzo

 1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

 1 1/4 cups water

 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Nutrition information per serving: 236 calories, 6.4 grams fat, 9.9 grams protein, 12 milligrams cholesterol, 82 milligrams calcium, 412 milligrams sodium, 1.7 grams fiber, 1.88 milligrams iron, 34.8 grams carbohydrate.

From Cooking Light magazine

Roasted Snap Peas with Shallots

Makes 4 half-cup servings

 1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed (about 4 cups)

 1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

 1/4 teaspoon salt

  Freshly ground pepper to taste

 2 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)

Heat oven to 475°. Toss peas, shallot, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread in a single layer. Roast in the oven, stirring once halfway through, until the peas are tender and beginning to brown slightly, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve warm, sprinkled with bacon if desired.

Nutrition information per serving: 79 calories, 3 grams fat, 0 milligrams  cholesterol, 11 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein, 3 grams fiber, 158 milligrams  sodium.

From EatingWell Magazine

Individual Chocolate Melting Cakes

Makes 8 servings

 10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

 5 eggs

 1/2 cup sugar

 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

 1/8 teaspoon salt

  Caramel sauce

  Coffee ice cream

Heat oven to 325°. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable cooking spray. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat.

In another large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and melted chocolate. Mix with a spoon until well blended. Divide the batter evenly into 8 muffin tins and bake until the cakes have just cooked through, about 15 minutes. The cakes will still look a bit moist on top.

Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes. Serve warm with the caramel sauce and ice cream.

Nutrition information per serving: 357 calories, 20 grams fat, 7 milligrams  protein, 147 milligrams cholesterol, 82 milligrams calcium, 176 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber, 44 grams carbohydrate, 2 milligrams iron.

From Real Simple magazine