Category: Main Dish: Seafood

Shrimp Scampi- “Scampi alla Buonavia”

Hello! Happy Saturday. I should be doing homework but instead I want to post a recipe.

Shrimp scampi was the dish my father would often order when we went to restaurants. I made it the other night in honor of him. I miss him everyday.

This recipe was found in the book that gave me the spaghetti and meatballs recipe on this website, I have since made it my own with alterations and I am sure I will do the same to this one.

It is a truly easy dish. Deveining the shrimp is the hardest part.

The next time I make it I will serve it over pasta instead of bread as the original recipe calls for it to be served on bread.

Ingredients:

  • 3 TBS olive oil, plus more to finish
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
  • 1 pound extra-large (about 25) shrimp, completely deveined, and cut crosswise into three pieces (note: I left them whole)
  • 1 TBS fresh chives, chopped
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 4 TBS unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 1 TBS lemon juice
  • 1 TBS fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp crushed hot red pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • 6 slices of Italian bread, toasted and kept warm (or pasta)
  • 1 lemon, cut into slices

Directions:

Make sure the pan you use will fit all the shrimp in a single layer for proper heat conduction.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until light brown (about 2 minutes). Raise the heat to high and add the shrimp, toss until they are bright pink and seared on all sides (about 2 minutes). Add the chives, wine, butter, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes (shrimp should be barely opaque in the center and the sauce reduced by half). Stir in the parsley, crushed red pepper, and salt and serve over bread or pasta. Drizzle the sauce and serve with lemon slices.

I would use bread for an appetizer and pasta if you plan to make it a meal.

Enjoy!

Salmon in a Creamy Dijon Chive Sauce

I decided to give the meal kit delivery service Hello Fresh a try. I had a $30 off coupon and I knew it would give me a few new ideas for dinners. This is one of the two meals I tried. Verdict: all ingredients were fresh, the salmon recipe was delicious, the potato and zucchini recipe was bland so I will not include those. Also, the pieces of salmon were quite small and not enough to feed my family of five. They only have the choice of 2 or 4 servings. The kids really liked the sauce.

Ingredients:

  • Salmon fillets
  • Bunch of chives, minced
  • 2 lemon
  • 1 cup vegetarian broth
  • 1-2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 8 TBS sour cream
  • 2 TBS butter
  • 1 TBS olive oil

Directions:

Cook the salmon fillets by patting dry with paper towel then season all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 TBS butter and 1 TBS oil in pan over medium heat. Add salmon skin side down and cook until skin is crisp (5-7 minutes). Turn salmon over and cook until it is cooked through (1-2 minutes). Remove from pan and set aside, cover with tin foil to keep warm.

Use the same pan for the sauce. Add stock, 1 tsp mustard, and juice from 1 lemon and simmer until slightly thickened. Stir in the sourcream, 1/2 the chives and 1 TBS of butter. Season with salt and pepper and serve over your salmon. Garnish with remaining lemon and chives.

Crispy Cod Sandwiches with Red Cabbage & Apple Slaw and Roasted Potato Wedges from Blue Apron

 

 

I received a gift card from Blue Apron from a family member (thank you Pat and Fred), and I decided to give it a try for a week. 2 dishes and only one was a keeper that I will continue to make on my own. My assessment of Blue Apron was, although convenient and everything was fresh, it is over priced if you don’t have a coupon. Above pictured is the 2 meals I received from Blue Apron, pork dish is not reflected here because we didn’t really like it. Here is the recipes we all enjoyed:

Ingredients:

  • 4 cod fillets
  • 4 potato buns
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 apple
  • 1 lb. red cabbage
  • 2 russet potatoes
  • 3 TBS sweet pickle relish
  • 2 TBS red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning (they provided their own spices, but this one is a great substitute since I don’t know what was in there’s)
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch wedges. Remove and discard the core of the cabbage, thinly slice. Core the apple and cut into matchsticks. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions, thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Peel the carrots and grate on the large side of a box grater, place in a bowl with 1/4 of the vinegar, season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes

Place the potato wedges on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, toss and arrange skin sides down, roast for 28-30 minutes.

While potatoes are roasting make the slaw: combine sugar and  remaining vinegar and whisk until dissolves. Add cabbage and apple, stir thoroughly, season with salt and pepper, set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

While the slaw marinates, make the sauce: combine mayo, relish and white bottoms of scallions, season with salt and pepper.

Once the potatoes have roasted for at least 10 minutes, place the Old Bay Seasoning on a plate, pat the cod fillets dry, season with salt and pepper, coat with seasoning, tapping off excess. In a large , non stick pain, heat 1 TBS olive oil on medium high, add cod fillets and cook 5-7 minutes on one side, flip and cook 2-3 minutes on reverse side, or until lightly browned. Leave browned bits in the pan as you transfer fish to a plate and set aside in a warm place.

Add the buns, cut side down, to the pan you used to cook the fish, toast for 1-2 minutes, or until lightly browned

Spread a layer of sauce on the buns with the cooked fish and marinated carrots

Serve with potatoes and slaw and garnish with green tops of scallions

 

 

 

Pan-Roasted Salmon with Soy Ginger Glaze

I absolutely love a fresh piece of wild caught salmon. If I haven’t said it before, I never buy farm raised fish, no matter the cost. If wild is too expensive I buy something else. I tried this recipe the other night because I didn’t feel like getting the grill going. It is simple and incredibly delicious. I found the recipe on Food & Wine’s website and added minced garlic.

Picture above from our fabulous trip to Italy in 2018.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced (my add on)
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Four 6 ounce skinless salmon fillets (I left the skin on my fillet)
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, ginger and garlic and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the honey and mustard.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet. Season the salmon with pepper and add it to the skillet, skin side up. Cook over high heat until golden and crusty (2-3 minutes). Turn the salmon and spoon the ginger-soy glaze on top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

 

Pat’s Salmon in Tin Foil

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My children’s grandma, Pat, made this delicious and healthy recipe for the kids and my son came home and told me he liked it. It has now become a regular menu item in our home if I can find wild salmon at the store. Of course, you can use farm raised if you please. but I prefer wild.

Ingredients:

  • 4 salmon fillets and 4 sheets of tin foil
  • 2 tsp. + 2 tbsp. olive oil separated
  • salt & pepper
  • 3 tomatoes chopped
  • 2 shallots chopped
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. dried or fresh oregano
  • 1 tsp. dried or fresh thyme

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush salmon with 2 tsp. olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place each fillet on foil. Mix tomatoes, shallots, 2 tbs. olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. Spoon mixture over salmon and wrap with foil being sure it is completely sealed. Place foil packs on cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Hint; I added a little crushed garlic and chopped ginger and it was delicious.

Nonna Luna’s Rice

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I was watching The Food Network at work the other day and Giadi was making this dish with her mom. It looked good so I made it last night and it’s simple to make and tasty.

Picture above is of my BF and his daughter on our trip to Kauai.

Ingredients

  • 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, divided, at room temperature
  • 2 cups parboiled long-grain rice, such as Uncle Ben’s
  • 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds small shrimp, peeled and de veined
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
  • 1 TBS hot sauce
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat 1/2 of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and rest covered for 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Stir in the cream and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Grilled Lobster Tails

 

BBQ season calls for grilled lobster tails. I found this recipe found on http://www.savoryreviews.com. It is very simple. Use it if you are craving this delicious dish.

Ingredients:

  • Lobster tails
  • Skewers– one per lobster tail
  • 1/4 stick of butter per lobster tail
  • 1 clove of garlic per tail
  • 1 tsp of lemon juice per tail
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste

Directions:

Light your grill, you want to cook the tails over indirect heat.Then  make the garlic lemon butter.Melt the butter, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon together. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut a slit down the back of the lobster tail all the way to the tail fan. Flip over the lobster tail so that it is on its back. Making sure that the lobster is flat, insert a skewer right underneath the tail fan. Then push it through the center of the meat to the other end. Place the tails cut side down on the grill right on the edge of the heat zones. Right between the hot and cool sides of the grill. Cook for 7-8 minutes and then flip the tails. Move them over a bit just until they are not directly over the coals. Cook with the lid closed. Next baste the tails with the garlic lemon butter. Make sure to get a lot of the butter into the sliced portion of the shell. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Cook with the lid close. When the meat is opaque, it is done. Remove from the grill. Baste one more time with the butter and cover with aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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