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Category Archives: Seafood

A Wonderful Weekend Meal of Spaghetti and Mussels

22 Jul

I had been looking at the fresh mussels in the market the last several weeks I have gone there but I didn’t buy any because it would have been too many for just Michelle and myself. I decided to break down and bought some yesterday to have for dinner and bot am I glad I did. There were so good, and this recipe is just a perfect way to make them. Make sure you have some good, crunchy bread around to help soak up some of the delicious broth that you get from the meal.

Spaghetti and Mussels with Tomato and Basil

Salt, to taste

6 ounces spaghetti (I used fettuccine, that’s what we had on hand, but anything you like will do)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, minced

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound mussels

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

3/4 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup slivered fresh basil

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well and cook until al dente, about 11 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallot and red pepper flakes and saute until the shallot is almost tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mussels, wine and lemon zest. Cover the pan and cook until the mussel shells begin to open, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until they start to soften, about 2 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.

Drain the pasta and transfer it to a warmed large, shallow bowl. Pour the mussels and sauce over the pasta. Add the basil and the extra-virgin olive oil and toss to coat the pasta. Season with salt and black pepper and serve immediately.

Just a couple of quick tips regarding the mussels. If you have never purchased mussels before, you want to look shells that are tightly closed or close when they are tapped. Avoid any cracked or broken shells or any that are just sitting in a puddle of water. Make sure they smell clean. If they don’t, you don’t want them at all. You so need to scrub them before cooking, and you may even need to de-beard them. All that is is a little weedy piece sticking out between the shells. You can give them a quick tug out or use a paring knife and cut it off. Very few of those I bought had a beard. Expect a few not to open when you cook them. It’s perfectly okay, it happens in every batch, but if they don’t open, don’t eat them. You don’t need the stomach problems you’ll have later on if you do eat them. I served the meal with a small, simple salad with some balsamic vinaigrette.

I also had a small batch of ground beef so I decided to make a few meatballs to have around since Sean is coming home and loves them with his pasta. I use a very simple recipe from America’s Test Kitchen and they come out great.

Meatballs

2 slices of white bread (use good white bread for this)

1/3 cup buttermilk

3/4 pound ground beef

1/4 pound ground  pork

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 large egg yolk

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper

Remove and discard the crusts from the bread, then tear the bread into small pieces. Mash the bread pieces and buttermilk to a smooth paste in a large bowl, using a fork.

Add the beef, pork, Parmesan, parsley, yolk, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper to the mashed bread. Stir the mixture gently until combined and uniform. Gently form the mixture into 1-inch round meatballs ( I got about 20 out of the mix)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the meatballs on a wire rack in a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Cook for approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until well browned. Remove them from the oven and either place in tomato sauce or brown gravy and serve.

It’s very easy and simple and tastes quite good. The recipe calls for a mix of beef and pork, but I only used beef this time and they came out fine. Baking them on the wire rack helps keep them from sitting in any fat and they brown nicely all over.

That’s it for today. I got a number of things at the market last week, a lot of chicken, so we’ll see what I can come up with for the week. Until then, enjoy this beautiful day and enjoy your meal!

 

 
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Posted by on July 22, 2012 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Pasta, Seafood

 

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Fast Fish Tacos and Salsa

17 Jul

Yikes, it has been unbelievably hot and humid here in New York. Every day it’s muggy and sticky and even thunderstorms don’t seem to cool it off. It certainly doesn’t make me feel like cooking at any time – morning, afternoon or evening. I also have difficulty breathing when it’s this humid, so it really limits what I can do when it’s like this (an after effect of my illness in 2009. You can see my other blog if you’re interested in more facts). The fact is, we have to eat something. There’s only so many nights you can get away with making sandwiches and even grilling can be too much in this weather. I decided to make a meal tonight that take almost no time at all to cook. You’ll actually spend more time preparing the sides than you will the main course. I have made fish tacos before, but this is a fast version of fish tacos from Williams-Sonoma.

Fast Fish Tacos

  • 1 pound cod or other mild white-fleshed fish
      fillets
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Juice from 1 lime
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
  • 1 cup fresh salsa
  • Sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or fresh parsley

Directions:

Season the fish
Split the fillets lengthwise along the seam. Place the fish on a plate. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, oregano and salt. Sprinkle over both sides of the fish. Drizzle with the olive oil and lime juice.

Heat the tortillas
Preheat a cast-iron or other heavy fry pan over medium-low heat. On another burner, preheat a stovetop grill pan over medium-low heat. One at a time, warm the tortillas in the fry pan until flexible. Stack them on a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel.

Cook the fish and assemble the tacos
Increase the heat under the grill pan to medium-high. When the pan is hot, add the fish and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until golden around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes more, depending on type and thickness. Transfer the fish to a plate and cut into bite-size pieces.

Place an equal amount of the fish on each warm tortilla and top with shredded cabbage, a spoonful of salsa and a drizzle of sour cream. Sprinkle with cilantro or parsley and serve.

You could use any white fish for this recipe. I used cod because it was on sale this week, but tilapia or flounder would work just as well. I served this with sour cream, guacamole, salsa and some shredded lettuce instead of cabbage. You could also serve this with some of the black beans and rice I made last week.
I made the salsa I used myself and it is also a quick and easy recipe. The tomatoes I have purchased from Adams Farms this year have been really good so I have been using them a lot lately in many different dishes. This salsa is very easy to make and it tastes great. It will work well as a dip for chips or a topping for tacos, quesadillas or even burgers.
Tomato Salsa
1 1/2 pounds firm, ripe tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup minced red onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Granulated sugar, to taste
Set a large colander in a large bowl. Place the tomatoes in the colander and let them drain for 30 minutes. As the tomatoes drain, layer the jalapeno, onion, garlic and cilantro on top. Shake the colander to drain off the excess tomato juice. Discard the juice and wipe out the bowl.
Transfer all the contents of the colander to the now empty bowl. Add the salt, pepper and lime juice; toss to combine. Add the sugar to taste and serve.
You could make some substitutions here if you wanted. If you don’t care for cilantro (and many don’t) you could use fresh parsley instead. I have also omitted the jalapeno in the past and it still tastes great, so use it (or more of it) if that’s what you like. I have also used shallot before instead of red onion and it tastes just as good. You don’t get the bite that you often get with a red onion, but you get good flavor anyway.
That’s it for cooking for tonight. I had a bunch of bananas to use up with all this heat and got lots of ideas from people about different things to make, so I think tomorrow I will post some banana recipes that I really like. Check back and see what’s here. Until then, enjoy the rest of your evening, stay cool and enjoy your meal!
 
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Posted by on July 17, 2012 in Cooking, Dinner, Seafood, Side Dishes

 

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Tilapia For a Tuesday

10 Jul

I got some tilapia on sale at the market the other day and was looking for a new way to cook it without frying. I came across this recipe on the Food Network and it fit perfectly. I already have everything in the house, which made it even easier. It’s a very quick recipe and goes perfectly at this time year when tomatoes are ripe and tasting great.

Baked Tilapia with Tomato and Basil

Non-stick cooking spray

2 (8 ounce) tilapia fillets

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a shallow baking dish with the nonstick cooking spray.

Sprinkle the fish evenly with salt and pepper. Arrange the tilapia in a baking dish and sprinkle evenly with basil, oregano, onion powder and garlic. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Arrange the tomato slices evenly over the fish and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 to 25 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fish and serve immediately.

The fish turned out perfectly and the flavor from the tomatoes mixed very well with the fish and the spices on the fish. As side dishes, I made corn on the cob and I decided to make some black beans and rice. The black beans and rice could easily be a meal on its own if you wanted it to be. It’s not a tough recipe and takes a little longer, but you can make it ahead and re-heat it if necessary.

Black Beans with Rice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 red or yellow pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3/4 cup dried black beans, washed, picked over and soaked if you have the time

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

1 cup chopped tomato

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Put th oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low so that the mixture bubbles gently. Cover loosely and cook, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary, until the beans are about half-done, softening but still tough in the middle, about 40 minutes (if you didn’t soak the beans, it will take about an hour or more) Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Use an immersion blender or a potato masher to semi-puree the beans in the pot. Leave at least half unpureed.

Stir in the rice, tomato and a good amount of salt and pepper. If you don’t want a crust to develop, cover the pot. Bake in the oven until the rice and beans are tender, about an hour, adding a little water if needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with parsley and serve or store, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If storing, when you re-heat, stir in a little water and olive oil just before serving.

As I said, the black beans and rice could easily be a meal as themselves. You could eat it this way as a vegetarian meal or you could add in things like chorizo, some diced cooked chicken or some shrimp.

All in all, it was a very nice meal for the two of us.For tomorrow, I do have some chicken that I am not sure what to do with yet. Check back and see what I can find. Until then, enjoy your evening and enjoy your meal!

 
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Posted by on July 10, 2012 in Cooking, Dinner, Rice, Seafood

 

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It’s a Glorious Rainbow (Trout)

21 Jun

It’s ungodly hot here in New York today. The temperature earlier this afternoon was 99; now it’s down to 94. Luckily, I am not cooking tonight as we are going out to visit some friends for the evening. Instead, I’ll post the recipe for the meal I made on Monday, which was oven-roasted trout with potatoes. It’s a very simple meal with Tuscan roots that only takes a few ingredients and not much effort on your part. It does turn out a very delicious piece of fish with some simple, but tasty potatoes. Use a really good extra-virgin olive oil if you have one for this one; it will make a big difference in the flavor for the fish and the potatoes.

Oven-Roasted Trout with Potatoes

2 fresh rosemary sprigs (I didn’t use these, I used thyme sprigs instead. Michelle hates rosemary, I grow my own thyme and it works out just as well here)

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and ground white pepper, to taste

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

4 trout fillets

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set aside 1 rosemary(or thyme) sprig and finely chop the leaves of the other. In a small bowl, combine the chopped rosemary and the garlic. Season generously with salt and white pepper.

Oil a large baking dish. Arrange half of the potato slices in rows on the bottom, slightly overlapping the slices and the rows. Sprinkle evenly with one-third of the garlic mixture, drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil and dot with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Layer with the remaining potato slices, then top with one-third of the garlic mixture, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Cover the dish and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the potatoes are almost tender, about 20 minutes more.

Remove the dish from the oven and arrange the fish in a single layer on top of the potatoes. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining garlic mixture. Lay the rosemary (or thyme) sprig on top. Return to the oven and bake until the fillets are opaque throughout, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving directly from the baking dish.

This recipe, which I got from Williams-Sonoma, was a big hit with the family. I made some sugar snap peas to along as a vegetable to round out the meal. Everyone liked it and said they would gladly east it again, so I’ll have to make sure to keep the recipe around for the summer.

Okay, it’s too hot to do any more today, so I am done. Tomorrow I am planning to make a flank steak with salsa verde, so hopefully it won’t be too hot to do it. Check back tomorrow to find out. Enjoy the rest of your day, try to stay cool, and enjoy your meal!

 

 
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Posted by on June 21, 2012 in Cooking, Dinner, Potatoes, Seafood

 

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Father’s Day Brunch, Part 2: Crab Cakes and Mussels

18 Jun

Yesterday I posted a couple of the recipes we used for our Father’s Day brunch. Today, I’ll continue with some of the things we made. This time, I’ll cover the seafood we made with crab cakes and steamed mussels. Both are pretty easy to make; they just require some paying attention so you don’t overcook them.

Crab Cakes

1 pound fresh or pasteurized crab meat, picked over for shell pieces

6 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs

4 scallions, green parts only, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or basil

1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Gently toss the crab, 4 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs, the scallions, parsley and Old Bay together in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise and gently combine using a rubber spatula. Season the crab mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold in the egg. If necessary, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs as needed until the mixture just clings together. Divide the crab mixture into equal portions and shape each into patties. Transfer the patties to a large, plastic-wrap-lined plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until the patties are firm, about 30 minutes.

Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Coat the crab cakes lightly with the flour. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet until shimmering. Gently lay the chilled crab cakes into the skillet and cook until crisp and brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges or tartar sauce.

You can make the patties the night before and chill them overnight if you want. Chilling them really helps to firm them up and they hold together much better as they are cooking. I tend to go with the less is more as far as ingredients for crab cakes. So many that you get have way too much seasoning, vegetables, or especially breadcrumbs that you can’t even taste the crab meat. This one recipe seems to work the best to make delicious crab cakes.

On to the steamed mussels. These are great as an appetizer, but would also be great for a main course over pasta or rice with some crunchy bread to help you soak up the broth.

Steamed Mussels with White Wine and Garlic

5 tablespoons butter

3 shallots, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups dry white wine or vermouth

1 bay leaf

4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the wine and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes to let the flavors blend.

Increase the heat to high and add the mussels. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mussels open, about 5 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to a large serving bowl, discarding any that refuse to open. Whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and parsley into the broth, then pour the broth over the mussels.

A couple of quick notes about mussels. Most mussels and clams you buy nowadays are farmed and pretty clean already, so you don’t have to worry too much about grit. Many are even debearded already, but you want to check them and make sure if they need it. If they do, you can simply pull the beard away with your fingers or a butter knife. When you buy the mussels, give them a smell. If they don’t smell clean, don’t buy them. The shells should also appear to be moist. Don’t use any that have a cracked shell. Store them set over ice in a bowl in the fridge and plan to use them the same day you bought them. Most importantly, if any don’t open, don’t eat it, it’s a bad mussel and not worth the stomach ache you will have after eating it. There are always a few that don’t open, and 4 pounds yields a lot of mussels, so don’t sweat it. (I wish I had gotten a picture of the mussels, but I didn’t sorry.)

Okay, so we’ve covered the seafood, the sausage and the quiche. Tomorrow I’ll go over the coffee cake, banana bread and fruit salad and I think we’ll have covered everything. I am making trout tonight, so I’ll post that recipe on Wednesday. Check back tomorrow for the tasty cake recipes. Until then, enjoy your day and enjoy your meal!

 
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Posted by on June 18, 2012 in Appetizers, Cooking, Seafood

 

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Fried Catfish Redux and Bacon Braised Green Beans

11 Jun

I took the weekend off from blogging to spend some time with the family and have fun, but now its back to it! Tonight I made some fried catfish. I have made catfish before, and you can find the recipe here, so today I wanted to try something slightly different. Every recipe I could find really suggests that frying catfish is the best way to make it, and while it may not be the healthiest way to go, I have to admit it does turn out good. As I was searching around, I sent a Twitter message to America’s Test Kitchen asking them for some advice, and they shot back to me this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated for Pan-Fried Catfish. I broke out my trusty cast iron for this one since the one I have has higher sides than a regular skillet and works well when frying with oil. I find myself using the cast iron pan for most everything lately. It really retains heat well and I can throw it in the oven to roast as well. Anyway, back to the catfish:

Pan-Fried Catfish

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fine-ground cornmeal

 Salt and ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 large eggs

2-3 cups vegetable oil (I didn’t use this much, I cut it in half and it was fine)

2 catfish fillets, skin and dark fatty flesh just below skin trimmed, fillets cut in half lengthwise (I didn’t do this either; since it was just Sean and I for dinner tonight, I left the fillets whole and Sean and I split one and I saved the other for another meal)

Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet, place the sheet on the middle oven rack and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place 1/2 cup of flour in a wide, shallow dish. In a separate wide, shallow dish, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cayenne. in a third shallow dish, whisk the eggs with 1 tablespoon of oil until uniform.

Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. Drop the fish in the flour and shake the dish to coat. Shake the excess flour from each piece, then, using tongs, dip the fillets in the egg mixture, turning to coat well and allowing the excess to drip off. Coat the fillets with the cornmeal mixture, shake off the excess, and lay them on another wire rack set of a rimmed baking sheet.

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large heavy bottomed pot or cast iron pan over high heat until the oil reaches a temperature of 400 degrees. Place two catfish fillets in the oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the oil between 385 and 390 degrees. Remove the fillets from the oil with a slotted spoon and lay them on a plate lined with several layers of paper towels; blot to help remove any excess oil. Transfer the fried fish to the wire rack in the warm oven. Bring the oil back up to 400 degrees and repeat the cooking process with the remaining fish fillets. Serve the fried fish with lemon wedges or dipping sauce.

Since I only made the two pieces, I didn’t have a second batch to make, but if you have larger pieces of catfish you may want to cut them down and do them in batches so as not to crowd them into the pan when cooking.

I had bought some fresh green beans in the store yesterday, so I thought I would make them as well and wanted to jazz them up a little bit, and what jazzes things up better than bacon? I got this recipe from the Food Network’s Anne Burrell. It’s an easy recipe, but takes a little time so you may want to get it started before whatever you are serving  it with.


Bacon Braised Green Beans

Extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 pound bacon, diced

2 garlic cloves, smashed

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 pound button mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (I omitted these, other than me, no one in my house eats mushrooms, so out they went)

Salt

1 pound string beans, stems removed

1 cup chicken stock

Coat a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the bacon is crispy, about 5 minutes. When the garlic has become golden brown and very aromatic, remove it and discard.

Add the mushrooms (if using) to the bacon pan, season with salt, to taste, and cook until they become soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans and the chicken stock, season with salt, to taste, cover and cook over medium low heat for 40 to 45 minutes. If the liquid reduces too much during the cooking time, add some water to make up the difference. Remove the lid and cook until almost all of the liquid is reduced. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

It’s not hard to make, it just takes a little longer than I thought it would. I reduced the liquid all the way down to almost nothing because it allowed the bacon to crisp up again and pick up the flavor from the chicken stock. I also served the dish with some white rice. All in all, I think it turned out pretty well.

I have a steak to cook tomorrow; I’m not sure how I am going to do it yet, but I’ll come up with something. If it’s nice enough out, I may throw it on the grill. Check back tomorrow and see what happens. Until then, enjoy your evening and enjoy your meal!

 
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Posted by on June 11, 2012 in Cooking, Dinner, Seafood, Side Dishes, Vegetables

 

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Poppin’ Some Popcorn Shrimp

01 Jun

Sean has been asking me to make popcorn shrimp for weeks now. I had to search around to try to find and easy recipe to use and I found this one at America’s Test Kitchen. Sean got skeptical when he saw that there was clam juice in the batter, but once they were done and he was eating them, he didn’t mention it all. As a matter of fact, there were very few leftover at all. It’s a very easy recipe but does call for some deep-frying, so be careful with the hot oil. I just used my deep cast iron skillet instead of a Dutch oven and worked out just fine for me.

Popcorn Shrimp

1 1/2 pounds medium/large (31 to 40 count) shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails discarded

3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil (I didn’t use nearly this much, maybe 1/2 of that, and it was fine)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons pepper

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups bottled clam juice

Toss the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of oil, lemon zest, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning in a large bowl. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Heat the remaining oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, cornstarch, remaining Old Bay seasoning, pepper, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir the clam juice into the flour mixture until smooth. Fold the marinated shrimp into the batter until evenly coated.

Working quickly, add a quarter of the shrimp, 1 at a time, to the oil. Fry, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain the shrimp on a paper towel-lined plate, then transfer the shrimp to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place the shrimp in the oven to keep warm. Bring the oil back up to 375 degrees and repeat with the remaining shrimp.

Super easy to make and they taste really, really good. The coating is nice and crunchy, not oily at all and the shrimp is cooked perfectly. We had it with some french fries and Sean and I both loved it. I will definitely be making this one again, maybe as an appetizer for a party.

It’s just a quick recipe today. Tomorrow we’re off to a barbecue, so no recipes tomorrow, but I am hoping to make Greek Lamb Kebobs on Sunday, so we’ll see how that one goes. Check back and see what it’s like. Until then, enjoy your evening and enjoy your meal!

 

 
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Posted by on June 1, 2012 in Appetizers, Cooking, Dinner, Seafood

 

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A Fez Style Fish For Mother’s Day

13 May

We’re going out for Mother’s Day today and I am making the fish portion of the meal for those that don’t eat red meat. I was wondering what to make earlier in the week, when luckily I came across this recipe in the New York Times on Wednesday and it sounded perfect. It’s from a restaurant in Marrakesh  at a hotel called La Mamounia and it’s a simple, all in one baked fish. it sounded light enough and easy to make and it will make a great summer dish. I went off the board a little bit with the fish. The recipe calls for sea bass or fluke, but when I went shopping yesterday the halibut looked the best so I am going with that.

Baked Fish, Fez Style

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 pinch saffron threads, crushed

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 pounds fish fillets (4 fillets): sea bass, fluke, hake or halibut

1 pound large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, in 1/2-inch thick slices

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 red bell pepper, cored and slivered

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

Combine the garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, paprika and saffron in a dish big enough for the fish. Mix the vinegar, lemon juice and tomato paste in a small bowl. Add to the dish and mix. Place the fillets in the dish, turning to coat the fillets, cover and set them aside to marinate, 2 hours at room temperature or 3 if refrigerated.

Place the potatoes in a saucepan, add water to cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain.

Brush a baking dish that can go to the table and will hold the fish in a single layer with a little of the oil. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the potatoes in the dish, season with salt and pepper, and place the fish fillets on top of the potatoes. Scatter the peppers and tomatoes over the fish. Add a little more salt and pepper. Spoon any excess marinade over the fish, strew with the olives, drizzle the remaining oil and bake about 30 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through. Serve.

I think it will be a very nice meal and everything is made and served in one dish, which it makes it even better. I’ll add some pictures later as I put it all together. I hope to actually have some recipes this week to post. It’s been a little crazy around the house the last few weeks. Michelle has been working a lot, I have been working a lot and Sean has been studying for tests so we haven’t had a lot of time to put into meal planning, but hopefully we’ll do that. I know I have the makings for a meat loaf and I bought some chicken breast so we’ll be doing something with it this week. Stay tuned to find out. I hope everyone out there has a wonderful Mother’s Day and all the Moms out there should enjoy their day and enjoy your meal!

 
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Posted by on May 13, 2012 in Cooking, Dinner, Seafood

 

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A Hectic Week Ends with Shrimp & Grits

30 Mar

It’s been a pretty crazy week here so I haven’t had much of a chance to post any recipes lately. Sean has been sick all week, we’re trying to prepare for a trip to Charlotte next week and to top it all off, I won a trip from Guinness for a trip to Dublin! (I still haven’t gotten over the shock of that one). In between all that, I did manage to cook the meat loaf dinner this week. If you would like the recipe I use, you can check a previous post I did on it right here. For tonight, I am going to make a recipe I saw on the Food Network website for an easy Shrimp and Grits. I am not a big grits fan, but Michelle loves them so we thought we would give this one a try. This recipe cheats a little by using instant grits, but feel free to use whatever works best for you.

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits

3/4 cup instant grits

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Juice of 1/2 a lemon, plus wedges for serving

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, covered. Uncover and slowly whisk in the grits, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic and cayenne pepper, if using, and cook, tossing, until the shrimp are pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the heat and add 2 tablespoons of water, the lemon juice and parsley; stir to coat the shrimp with the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Divide the grits among shallow bowls and top with the shrimp and sauce. Serve with lemon wedges.

It’s a very simple meal. The prep time and the cooking time should only take you about 30 minutes in total and it will make a nice dinner.

Well it’s back to the crazy week for me. More medicine to pick up for Sean, start packing for Charlotte and we have a party to attend tomorrow, so I won’t be cooking anything tomorrow. There won’t be a meal plan for next week since we are leaving to travel on Tuesday, but I do plan to blog while we are gone and post some recipes and ideas that a few readers have asked about. If you have anything you would like to see or read about, feel free to leave me a comment and I’ll see if I can fit it in for next week’s writing. Thanks again to everyone for following along. Have a wonderful Friday, enjoy your day, and enjoy your meal!

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2012 in Cooking, Dinner, Seafood

 

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It’s a Baked Fish Friday!

23 Mar

It’s Friday, so that means it’s time for our seafood meal for the week. it doesn’t get much easier than this one. i am making a very simple Baked Tilapia, with Brown Rice and a nice veggie dish of Sautéed Snap Peas, Asparagus and Peas with Herbs. First, the fish dish. There’s very little to do with this one, so it can be done quickly.

Baked Tilapia

7 tablespoons butter

4 (6 to 8 ounce) tilapia filets

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lime, finely grated zest and juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large cast iron pan, Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Rinse the fish and pat it dry; season the fish with salt, pepper, lime zest and lime juice. Add the fish to the cast iron pan and place 1 tablespoon of butter on each filet. Cook the fish in the oven until tender, about 8 to 12 minutes.

For the side dishes, they are both pretty easy to make. The first is Brown Rice. You can substitute brown rice for white rice in just about any recipe, just keep in mind that brown rice takes longer to cook the white rice. To me, tastewise, it isn’t any better or worse than white rice, just a little different, and it has much more nutrition than white rice, so I am trying to introduce it more into our diet. This is just a simple recipe on the stove top for the brown rice.

Brown Rice

1 1/2 cups brown rice

Large pinch of salt

Put the rice in a small saucepan with water to cover by about 1 inch. Add the salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently. Cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, checking occasionally to make the sure the water is not evaporating too quickly. When the liquid has been absorbed, taste and see if the rice is tender or nearly so. If not, add about 1/2 cup more of liquid and continue to cook covered.

When the rice is tender, you can serve it or turn the heat off, or keep it at an absolute minimum, and let it sit for 15-30 minutes, during which time it will become a bit drier. There are a lot of things you can add to the rice at this point, like a little butter or extra virgin olive oil, some fresh herbs, grated cheese, some shrimp, or instead of cooking in water, cook in some kind of stock. Once the brown rice is cooked, you can use it as a substitute for white rice in recipes like pilaf.

Now on to the vegetables. This is a recipe that I literally picked up at Willams Sonoma. They had a recipe card on the counter for it and it looked really good, so I thought I would try it. It is Sautéed Snap Peas, Asparagus, and Peas with Spring Herbs and Salt. It’s a great showcase for some spring vegetables.

Sautéed Snap Peas, Asparagus and Peas with Spring Herbs and Salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 small leek, white and light green portions, thinly sliced

3/4 pound sugar snap peas, cut in half

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, spears thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups fresh shelled peas (you can use frozen if you can’t find fresh)

1/4 cup water

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as chives or parsley, or a combination

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas, asparagus and shelled peas and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are evenly coated with the oil, about 1 minute. Add the water and cook, stirring the vegetables occasionally, until the water has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and remove the pan from the heat. Add the lemon zest and herbs and stir until evenly distributed. Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Yummy, yummy! It’s a pretty easy meal to put together. If you’re looking to save some time, you can always use white rice instead of the brown, but I think it goes nicely with the fish.

I have no plans for dinner tomorrow since we have plans for the evening, but I do hope to have our menu plan for next week set for tomorrow, so I will be posting that. Until then, enjoy your evening and enjoy your meal!

 
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Posted by on March 23, 2012 in Cooking, Dinner, Rice, Seafood, Vegetables

 

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