Sweet & Salty Bacon Wrapped Scallops (with Prosciutto Asparagus)

Courtesy of allrecipes.com

First of all, Nick found this recipe and has made it twice for me. Every time I devour these scallops. I know I've posted bacon wrapped scallops on the blog before, but this is my new go-to recipe. They are just heaven. It's a nice combination of sweet and salty, and who doesn't love something wrapped in bacon?  I went the extra mile and decided to make asparagus..and keeping with the theme, wrapped it in prosciutto!

• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 12 large sea scallops, halved
• 12 slices smoked bacon, halved
• 24 toothpicks
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Stir together maple syrup, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard in a bowl until smooth. Add the scallops, and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate at least one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil.
3. Arrange bacon pieces on baking sheet so they do not overlap. Bake in preheated oven until some of the grease has rendered out of the bacon; the bacon should still be very soft and pliable, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon from the baking sheet and pat with paper towels to remove excess grease. Drain or wipe grease from the baking sheet.
4. Wrap each scallop piece with a piece of bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Place onto baking sheet. Sprinkle the scallops with brown sugar.
5. Bake in preheated oven until the scallops are opaque and the bacon is crisp, 10 to 15 minutes, turning once.

For the asparagus, simply snap off the ends of fresh asparagus. I peeled the stalks a bit this time. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 375 for approximately 10 minutes. Take out and wrap each stem with a piece of prosciutto. I usually tear each piece of prosciutto in two pieces. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for another 10 minutes or so. YUM. This is a good snack.