Shrimp and Pasta Salad

'Morning!  I did some whirlwind cooking over the weekend, and came up with a couple of great summertime recipes.  Hurrah!

This one is a gussied-up version of a basic shrimp salad.  It was tasty straight from the recipe, but I amped it up by adding pasta and capers.  The pasta adds some carbs to balance things out, and is an inexpensive way to make the salad go further.  It would definitely be great with a whole wheat or gluten free pasta, so use whatever you like best!

Asian Salmon with Forbidden Rice

I thought I'd center this week's recipes around my new favorite food - black rice, aka Forbidden Rice.

Now, if you find yourself in the rice aisle at Whole Foods, you'll be overwhelmed by just how many different varieties of rice there are (who knew?!!).  But I first read about black rice a couple of months ago, and of course, the fact that it's healthier than brown rice even made it shoot to the top of my grocery list.

How healthy?  If you compare it cup for cup to brown rice, they are fairly similar in nutrition, until you get to the phytochemical content.  Just like you've heard for years - opt for the food with more vibrant and/or darker colors.  In this case, the black rice.  A spoonful of cooked black rice actually has more anthocyanin than a spoonful of blueberries.  Crazy huh.  So, when you're looking for a carb side for your meal, and rice is on your mind, you might grab black rice to add some variety and extra phytochemicals to your diet.

Salmon Patties with Lemon Sauce

I used to eat a whole lot of salmon when I lived in Oregon and then in San Diego.  But now that we're in Atlanta, we rarely eat it.  Major sad face :(  Atlantic salmon just doesn't taste as good as that from the Pacific Ocean, and it's nearly always frozen by the time it hits our grocery stores.  So, when I bumped into this recipe - using canned salmon - my salmon cravings kicked back into high gear.

This combo of the salmon patties with a hollandaise-like lemon sauce is yum!  I'll admit that it's still not as amazingly delicious as a fresh salmon patty from a restaurant sitting right on the Pacific Ocean, but it will definitely tide me over until my next trip home to Oregon :)

Enjoy!




Oregon Salmon Patties
adapted from Allrecipes
12 - 14 oz. canned salmon, boneless and skinless
1/2 c. cracker crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. celery salt

1 Tbsp. butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
salt & pepper, to taste

Drain the salmon, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid. Flake the salmon in a large bowl and add the reserved salmon liquid, cracker crumbs, eggs, parsley, mustard, dill, and celery salt.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot, and cook until tender.  Pour the shallot and butter into the mixing bowl with the salmon and stir until combined.  Shape into six patties, using a 1/4 cup measure.  Placed on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for an hour.  Pan fry in a large skillet over medium heat, or bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 minutes each side.  Makes 6-8 patties.

Lemon Sauce
adapted Allrecipes
2 Tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic
4 tsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. milk (I used almond milk)
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. dried dill

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in milk and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in lemon juice, salt, cayenne pepper, and dill.  Makes about 1 cup, enough for the salmon patties plus extra to top a veggie side.

Salmon Patties Ingredient Lineup:

Measure out by 1/4 cups and shape into patties and place on a greased baking sheet.

Lemon Sauce Ingredient Lineup:

I baked these in the oven (as opposed to pan frying) and they turned out perfectly golden!

      

Baked Coconut Shrimp

I'm so utterly pooped this week that I had no idea what I was going to make for you.  So, while I stood in the grocery store, trying to decide which ingredients might need to hop into my cart, an email from Allrecipes came through on my phone, showcasing this recipe.  Hmmmm.... The only ingredient I didn't have was shrimp, and they happened to be on sale.  Perfect!

What I love about these buggers is that they're not fried.  They're rich and flavorful, and would make the perfect snack or party food.  We tried them dipped in all kinds of sauces in our fridge, but our big favorite was just a mix of equal parts honey and dijon mustard (sound familiar??).  Bo love love loves these, and thanked me no fewer than 6 times during dinner.  I thought they were rich and definitely filling.  I might bust this recipe out again the next time we have people over for snacks.

Enjoy!

Baked Coconut Shrimp
adapted from Allrecipes.com

1lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 c. cornstarch (yes, 1/3 cup)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Old Bay Garlic & Herb seasoning
2 c. flaked sweetened coconut
3 egg whites, beaten until foamy

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Rinse and pat-dry shrimp with paper towels.  Mix cornstarch, cayenne, and Old Bay in a shallow bowl.  Pour coconut into a separate shallow bowl.  Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge it in the cornstarch mixture, dip it in the egg whites, and then lightly dredge it in the coconut.  Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining shrimp.  Bake 15-20 minutes until coconut is golden and shrimp are done, flipping over (carefully) halfway through baking.

It's easiest if you use 2 hands -

one for the cornstarch (dry) and one for the egg whites and coconut (wet).

Try to just lightly coat the shrimp with coconut.

The first time I made these, I coated them so thick that you couldn't 

see the shrimp for the coconut.  They were way, way too coconutty.

Zoomed in shrimpyness.

Basil Shrimp

Guess what?  I made another recipe with lemon, ha!  Only a little bit though, if that's any kind of consolation.  I promise that next week's recipe will be completely lemon-free :)

We rated this recipe a 4 Spoons.  Pretty tastey, but not something we're dying to make again really soon.  I have another grilled shrimp recipe that I loved years ago, so I'm going to try that one again to see if it's worth sharing.  (Sidenote: Bo has already asked when we're having last week's bbq chicken next.)

Enjoy!



Basil Shrimp
adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced**
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
salt & pepper to taste

In a shallow dish, mix together all sauce ingredients. Add shrimp and toss to coat.  Cover and marinade for 20 minutes. Soak your bamboo skewers in water and preheat grill to high heat.

Remove shrimp from marinade and thread onto skewers.  Arrange skewers on preheated grill and cook for 4 minutes or until opaque, turning once.

 ** Note:  Because fresh basil is so expensive and because I can't keep a basil plant alive (I gave up after 4 attempts), I now purchase those tubes of herbs in the produce section.  They last a lot longer than bunch of fresh basil and cost about the same amount.

Ingredient lineup:

Mix the sauce ingredients in a shallow dish.

Add the shrimp and toss to coat.

Thread onto soaked skewers.

Grill on high.

Turning once, for approximately 4 minutes.

  

Honey Grilled Scallops

Last night I thought I took a bag of boneless chicken tenders out of the freezer to thaw. This morning when I went to marinate them I was greeted with a "fishy" smell! A quick menu change was in order!

Honey Grilled Scallops

Ingredients:
12 Scallops, prepared and washed
2 tablespoons Lime Juice
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon Honey
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated Root Ginger
Salad leaves to serve
Cantaloupe to serve as a side

1.) Place the lime juice, oil, honey, soy sauce and ginger in a bowl and mix well. Add the scallops, toss to coat thoroughly then cover and refrigerate 1 hour, mixing occasionally.

2.) Preheat the grill to hot.
3.) Remove the scallops from the bowl reserving marinade and place in a foil lined grill pan which has been lightly oiled. Grill for 3-4 minutes then turn and baste with reserved marinade and continue grilling for a further 3-4 minutes or until opaque throughout. Serve immediately on a bed of salad leaves.

This scallop recipe serves 4. Oh! You thought we were having one of those rare adult only dinners?

Wrong! The boys were providing us with a dinner show on the other end of the deck. We turn the heat off during summer and voila! Instant mini pool. :)

This recipe was delicious! I think next time I will marinate them much longer and see if it makes a difference. David & I gave this 4 spoons. I think it will be 5 spoons when the scallops marinate longer.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

It's been four long months since my last baja style food.  Oh, what I'd give for a few fish tacos from Rubio's right now...I saw this recipe in last month's Cuisine At Home magazine and instantly got a hankering for baja tacos.  Mmmmm...

I have to say - either I'm a shrimp taco snob or this recipe was less than stellar.  It just didn't have the oompf in it to satisfy my cravings.  It was good, but not Southern California Good.  We rated this a 3 Spoons, so I'll definitely keep looking for a baja style recipe that works for us. 

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

adapted from Cuisine At Home, issue no. 81

Tacos:

1/2 c. lime juice

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. chili powder (I used Cajun Seasoning)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

8 flour tortillas, 6" size

Chipotle Sauce:

1/2 c. mayo or sour cream

2 minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1 1/2 tsp. honey

1 tsp. lime juice

salt to taste

Red Slaw:

4 c. shredded red cabbage

1/2 c. sliced scallions

1/2 c. cilantro

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

salt to taste

Whisk together lime juice, oil, garlic, and chili powder in a medium bowl.  Add shrimp, stir to coat, and chill until ready to skewer.  Preheat grill to medium-high.

Whisk together mayonnaise, chipotles, honey, and lime juice for the sauce.  Season with salt and chill until ready to serve.

Combine cabbage, scallions, cilantro, oil, and vinegar for the slaw.  Season with salt and chill until ready to serve, up to one hour.

Thread shrimp onto metal or soaked bamboo skewers and grill for 1-2 minutes per side.  Remove from skewers and serve on warmed tortillas with cabbage slaw and chipotle sauce.

Shrimp Creole

This is a favorite of mine (and hubby's).  It takes a little time to chop all the veggies but it smells so yummy when simmering on the stove.  I wish I could take credit for this  recipe but it comes courtesy of Betty Crocker.  (and I promise one of these days I'll learn to take better pics of my creations!)

Ingredients:
2 pounds uncooked fresh or frozen (thawed) medium size shrimp in shells
1/4 cup margarine or butter
3 medium onions, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 medium green bell peppers, finely chopped (1 cup)
2 medium stalks celery, finely chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup water
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsely
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 bay leaves
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
6 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:
1.  Peel and devein shrimp.  Cover and refrigerate.
2.  Melt margarine in 3 quart saucepan over medium heat.  Cook onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic in margarine about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender.
3.  Stir in water, parsley, salt, red pepper, bay leaves and tomato sauce.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low.  Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.
4.  Stir in shrimp.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium.  Cover and cook 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and frim.  Remove bay leaves.  Serve over rice. 

Serves 6
Hubs and I rate it 5 spoons

 from Life in the BAT Cave

Mix & Match Fish and a Chocolate Cobbler

Way back in the day, before I met Bo, I didn't know how to cook fish.  So, I never ever cooked it - ha!  Don't get me wrong, I l-o-v-e salmon, and sushi is just about always a yummy option.  But then I met Bo, and he's a cowboy and a hunter and a fisherman, so of course, he loves fish too.  Voila!  Reason to learn how to cook it!  I've slowly been adding fish to our dinner rotation, and I now serve it a couple of times every week. 

This recipe is always my go-to when I'm in a hurry or didn't make a trip to the store for fancier ingredients.  It started out as a Sea Bass recipe, and then I tried it Salmon, and then I tried it on Tilapia.  I'm guessing that it'll be yummy on just about any kind of fish.  It's so quick to throw together - and healthy - that I keep going back to it.  As such, we give it 5 Spoons Way Up High.

The dessert recipe here is..well..Interesting.  But good!  The best way I can describe it is that it's a cakey brownie with a built-in fudge sauce.  I'd never made a "pudding cake" before, so this was all new to me.  I included photos of each step so that you can see how it looks, but if you were to just throw this together, it would be really quick.  I'm thinking that it would be a fabulous chocolately comfort food to whip up after dinner some night.  We give it 4 Spoons, but only because we both love good ol' brownies so, so much.

Enjoy!

Mix & Match Fish

1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. Old Bay Garlic & Herb seasoning
3 Tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 filets sea bass (or salmon or tilapia!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a shallow baking dish with Pam.  In a cute* bowl, throw in everything but the fish.  Melt it in the microwave.  Stir. 

Bake fish for 10 minutes**, then flip. Dump on butter garlic mixture and bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until easily flaked with a fork.  Yum.

* Hey, if we're in a hurry, throwing together some semblance of dinner, we may as well make it a cute experience, right?
** My Tilapia filets were thin, so I only baked them 7 minutes per side.

Ingredient Lineup:

Dump the mixture onto the filets and continue baking.

Dig in!

Chocolate Cobbler
courtesy of Allrecipes.com
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. white sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 c. boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in an 8x8 inch baking dish while the oven preheats.


In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 c. sugar, and 2 Tbsp. cocoa. Stir in milk and vanilla until smooth. Spoon this batter over the melted butter in the baking dish.  Stir together the remaining 1 c. of sugar and 1/4 c. cocoa. Sprinkle over the batter. Slowly pour boiling water over the top of the mixture.

Bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven, until set (but still a little jiggly). Serve warm with ice cream.

Ingredient Lineup:

The dry ingredients.

(They look harmless enough, right?)

After melting the butter in your pan, add in the cocoa-milk mixture.

(Those burbling bubbles worried me a tad.)

Then pour over the cocoa-sugar layer.

(Is it just me or could this be Barbie quicksand?  Just me?)

Then pour over the boiling water.

(Eeeeeeek.  This doesn't look promising in the least!)

(You ought to click-zoom just to see how weird this looks.)

Holy Mackerel!  This looks gooood!

Whoa.  I had no idea that this would be on the bottom!
It doesn't get much better than a built-in fudge sauce.

Who wants a scoop?