Category: Seafood

Hake Meuniere over Spaghetti

.With Julia Child’s 100th birthday fast approaching, the food blog world has been celebrating in the best way we know how: honoring Julia Child through her recipes.  I am currently reading a book about her life called Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz. (I will have a review of this book when I’m finished reading). I just got to the chapter which describes Julia’s first encounter with French food. Her first meal in France was Sole Meuniere, a simple but absolutely delicious dish. I couldn’t get it out of my mind, so I made a slightly altered version of Julia’s version over spaghetti. I wanted to make it with sole, but my market was all out. Hake is a similar fish, so I substituted it for the sole, so I bring you Hake Meuniere over Spaghetti.
Ingredients:
  • 1 pound fresh spaghetti
  • 3 skinless and boneless hake or sole fillets, 4 to 6 ounces
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 4 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
 
Excerpted from The Way to Cook by Julia Child. Copyright © 1989 by Julia Child. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

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Snapper with Zucchini and Tomato with Parsley Orzo

My CSA this year allows me to choose 6 items each week to be in my share. Every single time so far, I’ve chosen zucchini as one of the six. I just love it. But with 3-4 pieces of zucchini a week, I am absolutely in search of as many different recipes as I can find. Cooking Light’s latest issue had this wonderful recipe for Snapper with Zucchini and Tomato that I just had to try. They also suggest pairing it with some Parsley Orzo. Note: this recipe makes 2 servings. Multiply as needed.
Ingredients for the snapper:
  • 4 teaspoons coconut oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 2 (6-ounce) snapper fillets
  • 2 tablespoons white wine
  • 1 cup diced zucchini
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 
  • Ingredients for the orzo:
  • 1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Continue reading Snapper with Zucchini and Tomato with Parsley Orzo

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Baby Bok Choy and Coconut Rice

Tuesday I received one of my most anticipated ingredients (aside from tomatoes, can’t wait!!) from my CSA share: Fuyo Shumi, or Baby Bok Choy.  I am absolutely in love with this vegetable. It’s just a mini version of bok choy which has a cabbage flavor and is very popular in Asian cooking. I personally am not a fan of cabbage (sorry to my Irish roots), but love the subtle taste and crunchy texture of these little guys.  I’m always looking for new methods to cook salmon so this recipe from Cooking Light was the perfect opportunity. This recipe slow cooks the salmon to keep it really moist. Keep in mind you’ll need a good 30-40 minutes to make this dish.
Ingredients:
Salmon:
8 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray 
Rice:
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
Bok choy:
2 teaspoons canola oil
16 cups bok choy, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 pounds)
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup sake (rice wine)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sauce:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen)

 

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Place the salmon on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, skin side down.


Bake for 30 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Cut off all the drippings.



While the salmon is cooking, rinse the rice in cold water and drain. Combine the rice, coconut milk, 1.5 cups water and ¼ teaspoon salt in a sauté pan. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. 
Cut the baby bok choy pieces in half
 

While the rice is standing, heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy and ginger and sauté for 1 minute. 
Add the sake and ¼ teaspoon salt, cover, and cook for 2 minutes until the bok choy wilts. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Add the lime juice, rice vinegar, cilantro, brown sugar, fish sauce, and red curry paste to a bowl. Whisk to combine.


Serve over the salmon, rice, and bok choy.
Um. Yum. What an awesome dinner! The flavors go so well together. The sauce has a little tanginess that I really liked with all of the parts of this dish, but especially the rice. The salmon, because it was cooked at a low temperature, came out really moist. And the baby bok choy was crunchy, wilty, and flavorful all at the same time.
This will definitely become a staple meal for me!

Shrimp Florentine Pasta

My boyfriend is allergic to shrimp. And I swear knowledge of this allergy makes me inexplicably crave shrimp. All. The. Time. So I wait for weekdays to make shrimp as much as my little heart desires. Another plus is that shrimp is a super quick meal. This Cooking Light recipe took a whopping 30 minutes from start to finish. And who doesn’t like shrimp, pasta, lemon, and spinach?
Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine (I used fresh pasta so it would cook faster)
2 tablespoons Melt buttery spread (or other margarine)
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
the juice and zest of 2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions. If using fresh pasta, it will be done in 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Add Melt to a saute pan over medium heat. When melted, add the shrimp, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked. (It’s easiest to use tongs so that you can flip the shrimp after 2 minutes).
Add the cooked pasta, lemon juice and zest, black pepper, and spinach. The spinach will wilt significantly, so don’t worry if it seems like there is too much.
Cook for 3 minutes, or until the spinach begins to wilt. Serve immediately with a lemon wedge on the side.
I was not prepared for how strong the red pepper would be. If I made this again, I’d cut the red pepper in half. I actually ended up adding a tablespoon of whipped cream just to cut some of the heat.
I also wanted a bit more of lemon. I ended up adding lemon to  the pasta throughout eating the dish. But the base flavors here were good! I just need to adjust the amount of ingredients and it would be a keeper! So, to recap: more lemon, less red pepper = perfect.

Cumin Spiced Fish Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa

With Cinco de Mayo this past weekend, I couldn’t stop thinking about making some kind of Mexican-themed meal this weekend. So I was pretty excited when my boyfriend suggested Fish Tacos on Sunday. My trusty Cooking Light obviously had the perfect recipe to fulfill our craving. These Cumin Spiced Fish Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa get an extra boost of flavor from toasting the cumin seeds before grinding. If you can’t find cumin seeds, ground cumin will work for the recipe as well, just skip the toasting part.
Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound tilapia fillets
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 cup sliced peeled avocado
  • 2/3 cup finely chopped peeled ripe mango
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • the juice of one lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1/2 can black beans, rinsed
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • the juice and zest of 1/2 a lime
  • 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Continue reading Cumin Spiced Fish Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa

Rigatoni with Halibut Tomato and Basil

This recipe for Rigatoni with Halibut Tomato and Basil is loosely adapted from Marc Vetri’s cookbook, Rustic Italian Food. Last Friday, I went to Vetri for the first time. And it was hands down the best meal I’ve ever had, both food and service. I was also so terribly awkward that I’m not quite over it. Marc Vetri is one stellar chef. He opened Vetri in 1998 and 14 years later continues to wow people with the food he turns out. I was swooning over each and every plate that came out. I brought my parents for their 30th anniversary and honestly, I feel like it ended up being as much a present to myself as it was for them (sorry mom and dad!).
Vetri even came over to our table, wished my parents a happy anniversary, and signed his cookbook for me! (This is the stage where I got truly embarrassing. I absolutely turned red during this encounter. Eep). So naturally, I can’t think of anything but those delicious meals. I decided to use a recipe from his cookbook, Rustic Italian Food. I ended up using Halibut because the store I was at was out of swordfish (boo).
Ingredients:
  • 1 (16 oz) box dried rigatoni
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 (12 oz) containers heirloom tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 pound halibut, cut into large chunks
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, hand torn, plus additional basil leaves for garnish

Continue reading Rigatoni with Halibut Tomato and Basil

Shrimp Fried Rice

This dish for Shrimp Fried Rice is an attempt to make a takeout favorite a bit healthier. To do so, Cooking Light cut the amount of rice, added a bunch of veggies, and cut out some of the salt. So because of this, I think this recipe should more be called “Shrimp Fried Rice” (There’s a lot of shrimp, a little bit of fried, and an itty bit of rice. Have no fear, you won’t even miss it.)

Ingredients:
1 cup broccoli florets
7 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 cup snow  peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 cup cooked long-grain white rice, chilled
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1/4 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onions

This recipe works best with day-old rice but I didn’t have the foresight to do that. So I made my rice in my rice cooker and popped it in the refrigerator.
To make, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli to a steam basket and steam over the boiling water for 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. (I cheated and steamed my broccoli in my rice cooker after making the rice).  Add to a large bowl.

Prepare your vegetables.

 

Add 1 teaspoon canola oil to  a saute pan over medium high heat. If you have a wok, use it here. If not (like me) just use your largest saute pan. Add the peppers and snow peas and stir fry for 2 minutes.

 

 

Remove the vegetables and place in a large bowl with the broccoli. Add 2 tablespoons canola oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the ginger, cooking for 10 seconds. Add the chilled rice and cook for 5 minutes or until the rice is lightly browned.
Remove the rice and add to the bowl with the vegetables.
Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and Sriracha in a bowl. Set aside.
Wipe the pan with paper towels and return to medium-high heat. Add the sesame oil (I used toasted sesame oil, you can use regular as well), and swirl to coat.  Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in the soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil.
Cook for 3 minutes or until the liquid slightly thickens.
Add back in the vegetables plus the sliced green onions, stirring to combine. Cook for 1 minute and serve.
So easy right? And look at those beautiful colors!
There is a ton of flavor in this dish, and it ends with a slight spiciness. I would by no means call this a spicy dish though, it’s really great!
With so many vegetables in the dish, the rice became more a complement than the entire meal which was actually quite refreshing.
I wish I had taken the tails off the shrimp though, I wanted to just inhale this meal and the tails kept slowing me down!

Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous

Salmon and couscous were just made for each other, don’t you think? They are also the perfect choices for a weeknight meal, you’re sure to get food on the table in no time. Cooking Light’s latest issue has a recipe for Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous that sounded just wonderful. The magazine suggested making this with grilled summer squash. But I stink. And forgot to pick up the squash. Sigh. If you try the squash out with this recipe, let me know how it goes!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 cup uncooked couscous
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt $
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
Cooking spray

To make, first preheat your grill to medium-high heat. I live in the city, so I use a grill pan and it works just fine. Add the butter to a small pot over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until browned. Add the pine nuts. Cook for 1 minute stirring occasionally.
So at this stage, I was pretty sure I burnt the pine nuts. Maybe it’ll add a smokiness to the couscous?
Add the couscous and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
While waiting for the couscous to cook, combine the pepper, ground fennel seeds, ground coriander, sugar, and salt in a bowl. As a note, the original recipe called for white pepper, which I do not have. Also, I have fennel seeds that I stuck in my Magic Bullet and blend until powdery.
Sprinkle fillets with the spice mixture and place on grill, skin side up. Grilled for 4 minutes on each side.
Add the wine and broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes have passed, fluff with a fork and stir in the lemon rind, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Yep. Totally burned the pine nuts.
The salmon should be finished slightly after the couscous.
The summer squash would have been a wonderful complement. What was I thinking, making a meal without a vegetable? Oh well.
The flavors were absolutely delicious. The spices on the salmon gave so much flavor, but what I really loved was how great of a sear I got on my salmon. It looks so snazzy!
The couscous was really flavorful, the brown butter and even the pine nuts (which weren’t too burnt to eat, yay!) I love love the hit of citrus with the couscous as well.
To not burn the pine nuts, maybe cook them for about 30 seconds. I also think there’s a chance I never stirred them.. I honestly don’t remember!

Crispy Flounder and Roasted Tomatoes

These Lipman Tomatoes just keep on giving! This time around, I used their gorgeous cherry tomatoes. Cooking Light had a wonderful recipe in their most recent issue for Crispy Flounder and Roasted Tomatoes. Fish is a favorite of mine for weeknights because it cooks so quickly; this meal took me 25 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients: (this serves 2)
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
A few basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 (6-ounce) skinless flounder fillets
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While waiting for the oven to heat up, combine  the capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the cherry tomatoes in an oven safe dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes.
When there is about 10 minutes left on the tomatoes, combine the panko, parsley, and thyme in a shallow dish.
Coat the fillets with the cooking spray and dredge the fillets in the panko mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat and add the fillets to the pan.
Cook for 3 minutes on each side.
The tomatoes should finish almost the same time as the fish.
To serve, add the flounder to a plate. Top with the tomato mixture. Add some fresh sliced basil.
I love how the cherry tomatoes burst in the oven while roasting.
The capers add a little saltiness to the whole dish which is nice. I think you only need 1 tablespoon of capers though, instead of 2.
I couldn’t really tell that there was thyme with the flounder but I loved the parsley flavor. If you’re a thyme fan, try upping the amount to get more flavor.
This was one delicious meal! With the exception of the flounder, the ingredients are things I usually have on hand anyways so this is a great last minute dinner.

Kara Age Scallop Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

A while back, I received a box of Kikkoman Kara-Age Soy-Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix and make these wonderful Kara-Age Popcorn Shrimp. The box came with two bags of Kara-Age seasoning and I’ve been holding on to it waiting for the perfect recipe to use it. I found a recipe for a Seared Scallop Salad that sounded wonderful by itself, but I thought the Kara-Age would be an awesome addition, so here is my recipe for Kara Age Scallop Salad with Honey Lime Dressing!
Ingredients for the Honey-Lime Dressing:
The juice of 3 limes
5 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Salt, to taste
Ingredients for the Scallop Salad:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 lbs dry sea scallops
1 packet of Kikkoman Kara-Age Soy-Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix
1 bag of mixed greens (I used a baby spring mix)
2 cups chopped vegetables of your choice

So,  I’m having a busy week, which means I wanted the quickest recipe possible. Pre-washed bag of mixed greens? Check.  Seafood so it cooks quickly? You bet. Pre-chopped assorted vegetables? Oh my.
Trader Joe’s has containers of a “healthy 8 chopped veggie mix” that includes broccoli, carrots, green cabbage, red cabbage, jicama, green bell pepper, radishes and celery. Sounds good for a salad to me! (If you want, chop up whatever makes you happy and put it in this salad. I was just being super lazy).
First make your dressing. Whisk together the lime juice, honey, vinegar and salt until the honey is incorporated (I find this to be easier if the honey has been microwaved for a few seconds).  Set aside.
Add the salad greens and vegetables to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
Add the kara-age mix to a large ziplock bag. Add the scallops, close the bag, and shake until the scallops are fully coated.
Heat the peanut oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add some of the scallops to the skillet (no more than 5-6, you don’t want them to crowd). Cook the scallops for 4 minutes until golden brown.
Flip and cook for another 4 minutes. The scallops should be opaque throughout. (Cut one open to check).
Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining scallops.
To serve, add the greens and vegetables to individual plates and place the scallops on top. Mix to dressing and drizzle on top.
This recipe should make 4 salads.
Easy, right?
For so little effort, a dish should not taste this good!
The honey lime dressing was perfect with the slightly bitter salad and the kara-age.
The kara-age added hints of ginger, soy, and garlic which really complemented the dish. It also added a nice sear to the scallops.
Depending on how few/many scallops you add to the plate, this could be an appetizer or the full meal. After taking the photos I added 1-2 more to make it my dinner for the night.

Grilled Striped Bass with Bacon Vinaigrette Red Smashed Potatoes and Sauteed Butter Thyme Mushrooms

Grilled Striped Bass with Bacon Vinaigrette Red Smashed Potatoes and Sauteed Butter Thyme Mushrooms. Whew. By the time you say the title of this post you could have cooked most of this meal. Fish is a perfect weekday choice because it is so darn quick to cook up. I managed to make all parts of this meal in 40 minutes which was awesome! If you wanted to cut the time for this meal even more, you could doctor up some of those refrigerator mashed potatoes from the supermarket, but I really like home made mashed potatoes so I went for it.  No one is surprised to hear that this menu comes from my trusty Cooking Light.
Ingredients:

2 (8-ounce) striped bass fillets
salt, divided
freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 slices center-cut bacon
2 large shallots, finely chopped and divided
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound red potatoes
2 garlic cloves, halved
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 (8-ounce) packages presliced baby bella mushrooms
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Begin with making the mashed potatoes. The original recipe has you peel and cube the potatoes. I really like the skins of potatoes so I altered the recipe to be smashed instead of mashed. Feel free to check out the original recipe here if you’re not into the skins. Add the potatoes and the halved garlic cloves to a large pasta pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil.
While waiting for the water to come to a boil, prepare your other ingredients. Chop the shallots and fresh thyme. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 cup of the chopped shallots to the pan. Cook for about 1 minute.

 

By now your water will hopefully be boiling. Reduce heat for the pasta pot and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Go back to the saute pan. Add a 1/2 teaspoon salt and the mushrooms to the pan, stirring occasionally. Cook for 13 minutes or until the mushrooms are brown and the liquid has evaporated.

While waiting for the two to cook (and if you have room on your stove), add another saute pan over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove from heat and add to a paper towel. Reserve 1.5 tablespoons of the drippings in the pan. Crumble the bacon.

Add the crumbled bacon and 2 tablespoons shallots back to the pan, cooking over medium heat for 1 minute stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon sugar.

Back to the mushrooms. Add the wine to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until the liquid almost evaporates.

Stir in the thyme and cook for 30 seconds and remove from heat.

 

Drain  the pasta pot and return the potatoes and garlic to the pot. Mash using a potato masher or a large fork. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and mix to combine.
We haven’t abandoned the Vinaigrette! Take the mixture and slowly add the olive oil to the vinegar mixture, stirring constantly to get an emulsion.

 

Last but not least, we have the bass. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and add to the grill pan skin side up. Cook for 4 minutes. (You can set your table during this time).

 

Flip the fish and cook for another 4 minutes.

Serve drizzled with the bacon vinaigrette.

 

Multi tasking at its finest! I hope my directions made sense. It’s not nearly as confusing as it sounds. You kind of bounce around between things based on when you have the opportunity to do so.
So whoever thought of the idea of bacon vinaigrette is one awesome person.  It was smoky and slightly tangy. I actually put some on my mashed potatoes as well (which I highly suggest).
This was my first time having bass and I really enjoyed it. Despite doing a whole lot of nothing to cook it, the fish was flavorful and had almost a buttery taste to it.
The mushrooms were awesome as well! I added a bit more fresh thyme once it was on my plate for a little more flavor and some color.
Sorry my photos are so crummy. First, it’s not exactly the most colorful meal I’ve ever made. Second, the smell of bacon made my antsy. I needed to eat this ASAP 🙂
I hope you’ll forgive my lack of photography skills due to the calling of bacon.

 

Shrimp Ceviche on Jalapeno Parmesan Crisps

I’m really on a canape/appetizer kick. I used these Jalapeno Parmesan crisps to make canapes with Black Bean Mango Salsa on top, but really wanted to make something with shrimp incorporated in it. I found this Cooking Light recipe for Ceviche de Camaron and used it as a base for this recipe for Shrimp Ceviche on Jalapeno Parmesan Crisps. Traditional ceviche is usually fresh raw fish marinated in lemon or lime juice. I actually steamed the shrimp before marinating them in the lime, so it is not an actual ceviche, but the general idea of it is still present.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped red onion
6 cups water
3/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided
1 pound medium shrimp
1 cup chopped peeled cucumber
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mild taco sauce
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon sriracha or other hot sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
Jalapeno Parmesan Crisps (Kitchen Table Bakers)

I didn’t read the recipe correctly before buying my ingredients, so I actually asked the seafood place to peel and devein the shrimp. Well, the original recipe required boiling the shrimp and then peeling them, so I had to change it up a bit. Click the link above for the original recipe if you’d like.
Bring 6 cups of water with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice to a boil in a large pot. When boiling, add the shrimp to a steam basket and place on top. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
Remove the shrimp and combine with 1/2 cup juice, plus the zest from the limes, in a large bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
While waiting for the hour to pass, chop your onion, cucumber, and cilantro. Take the chopped onion and rinse with cold water in a colander.
Add the onion to a medium bowl. Stir in the cucumber, ketchup, taco sauce, cilantro, hot sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce and salt.
Refrigerate until the hour has passed for the shrimp. When the hour is finished, stir in the shrimp and lime juice.
Top each Parmesan crisp with one shrimp and a teaspoon of the onion cucumber mixture.
Aren’t these fun?
So I realized after taking these photos that the shrimp still had their tails. I wouldn’t suggest serving the shrimp on the crisps with the tails on.
However, if you serve the ceviche in a bowl or wine glass with the crisps on the side, keep the tails on for presentation.
The shrimp managed to maintain a really nice citrus flavor despite being pre-cooked.
The cocktail sauce on the shrimp had a nice spice but didn’t deliver much heat (the Parmesan crisps were spicy enough for me) so if you like it really spicy, add a bit more hot sauce.
I did think corn kernels would go great with this as well. Next time I make it, I think I’d throw in some frozen thawed corn kernels for extra texture.

Pecan Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus and Potatoes

I have a confession. Despite cooking most nights a week (and making leaps and bounds over the past year and a half as to what I am able to cook) I still struggle to pull an entire meal together at one time, i.e. a protein and two sides. Unless it is a one-pot kind of meal, I tend to just make the protein and be done with it, or I make a huge batch of the side and have that as my dinner. So with Cooking Lightt’s April issue including 40 Meals Under 40 Minutes, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to tackle making an entire meal. I used their Hazelnut-Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus and Roasted Red Potatoes as a base for this meal – Pecan Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus and Potatoes.
Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 (6-ounce) halibut fillets, skin still on
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 lemon wedges
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 handfuls of small potatoes (I used red, fingerling, and purple) – Very scientific, I know

Continue reading Pecan Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus and Potatoes

Crispy Herbed Shrimp with Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes

Have you ever opened up a food magazine, and have decided by a photo only that you want, no need, to make that recipe? I didn’t even look at the title, or read the ingredients, before I had earmarked this recipe to make. Shrimp, asparagus, and tomatoes? This is right up my alley. The best part of cooking with seafood is that it’s almost always a quick meal. This Cooking Light recipe for Crispy Herbed Shrimp with Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes can be made in only 40 minutes, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Shrimp:
  • 3/4 cup panko, divided
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Chive Aioli:
  • 1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes:

  • 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup sliced shallots
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • Cooking spray

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Salmon Croquettes with Lemon Tarragon Aioli

I am so excited to share this recipe with you. I loved it so much! I found this recipe from Saveur and knew I had to try it. This recipe is perfect for a Friday night meal, but I suggest making them ahead of time if you can. They need to be chilled for at least one hour so that they retain their shape when cooking.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup white wine
3 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning, divided
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1  1-lb. boneless salmon filet
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
4 scallions, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
Juice of 1 lemon
Canola oil for frying, or olive oil to pan fry

To make, add 4 cups water, wine, 2 tablespoons Old Bay, and 1 tablespoon salt in a large saute pan (make sure you have a top for the saute pan). Bring to a boil.
Add the salmon, skin side down.
Turn off the heat and cover the salmon. Let the salmon cook in the liquid for 10 minutes. Transfer the salmon to a plate skin side up and let cool. The salmon will not be fully cooked through.
Peel off the skin and discard. Break the salmon into small pieces and place in a bowl with the remaining Old Bay and salt as well as the bread crumbs, butter, scallions, eggs and lemon juice. Stir and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Using a 1/3-cup measuring cup to evenly size the croquettes, form the 1/3 cup mixtures into patties with your hands.  Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (I ended up with 8 patties plus one little baby patty).  Refrigerate for at least an hour (I refrigerated mine overnight).
You can fry the patties in canola oil in 1/2″ of oil at 325 degrees, but I decided to just pan fry mine in a little olive oil. Cook for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel to remove excess oil then serve.
Serve with a wedge of lemon and a lemon tarragon aioli. To make the aioli, add 1/2 cup mayo, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay in a food processor. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve.
I served three croquettes per person with 1 teaspoon aioli.
I loved the flavor of this so so much! The Old Bay comes through in the salmon croquette, and an extra squeeze of lemon on top brings this from good to great.
The aioli was really nice with it too! I had some tarragon in my fridge so I decided to make it and I was afraid tarragon wouldn’t go with the salmon. That wasn’t an issue at all; they worked great together!
This is a great quick night meal if you have the ability to plan ahead and prep the night before. If not, just make sure to give yourself a good 2-3 hours to make the whole thing which doesn’t make it very feasible for a weeknight.
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