Tag Archives: seafood

Vera Cruz with Tilapia

Main Course, Seafood/ Fish, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

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During a conversation with my sister-in-law a while ago she told me about a wonderful fish dish she prepares for her family. I had never heard of Vera Cruz but it seemed interesting and simple to make. I guess I am behind the times because when I told a few of my friends about wanting to try out the dish for the blog they said they often make the dish.

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Since I did not want to be the only one left off of the Vera Cruz boat I thought I would come up with my version of the standard recipe. The only real difference between my version and the standard version my sister-in-law shared are the few additional seasonings I used. As always my crew likes a little heat so I added some to the sauce.

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I was pleasantly surprised at how the Vera Cruz with Tilapia turned out and even more surprised that my youngest son really liked it. Typically, my son likes fried fish versus what he would consider to be baked fish. Once his plate was cleaned from eating the Vera Cruz with Tilapia I could only smile then I let my sister-in-law know what a great recipe Vera Cruz with Tilapia turned out to be.

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Vera Cruz with Tilapia

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets
1 small onion sliced
1 small green pepper sliced
2 scallions diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 jalapeno pepper diced (remove membrane and some seeds)
1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato puree or sauce
¼ cup capers
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season fish with a little salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Melt butter along with olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Add two pieces of fish and brown lightly on both sides. Place fish in a long casserole dish. Repeat with remaining fish and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium then add onion, scallions, green pepper and garlic to the pan. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir for 1 – 2 minutes until veggies soften a little and watch carefully so that garlic does not burn. Add roasted tomatoes and tomato puree/ sauce along with remaining seasonings. Simmer over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Pour mixture over fish and sprinkle with capers. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes until fish is fully cooked.

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Shrimp Summer Rolls

Appetizers, Seafood/ Fish, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , ,

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My family and I love Asian cuisine and the spicier the better for my hubby and youngest son. I have limited experience making Asian style foods but thought I would try my hand at making Shrimp Summer Rolls. We often eat Vietnamese spring rolls whenever we go to the Cheesecake Factory and recently found handmade spring rolls at one of our local grocers that sells fresh sushi daily.

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I wasn’t sure what kind of wrap to use for the spring rolls but discovered Blue Dragon Rice Pancakes which are used for summer rolls. Turns out spring rolls are not too hard to make. Although the rice pancakes are delicate, they roll easily. Once I rolled a couple of spring rolls I really got the hang of it. The test of whether or not I had done a good job of making Shrimp Summer Rolls was in the taste. In my opinion and fortunately the opinion of my family they tasted as good as the fresh summer rolls we get at the local grocer.

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Since this was my first attempt at making Shrimp Summer Rolls I took that as a very nice compliment. My next goal is to make fresh Shrimp Summer Rolls as good as the Cheesecake Factory. Now that is saying something! In the meantime, I can at least say my Shrimp Summer Rolls are pretty tasty. Next time I think I will try frying the summer rolls. Stay tuned.

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Shrimp Summer Rolls

Ingredients:
1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 pkg Chinese noodles
1 pkg rice pancakes
1 pint snap peas
1 cup shredded carrots
2 heads butter lettuce
3 cups cold water
1 tbsp sriracha sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp oyster sauce
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
juice from ½ lemon

Prepare Chinese noodles according to package. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a medium size non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Add shrimp, sriracha sauce and lemon juice. Season with a little salt and pepper. Stir shrimp until they turn pink. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside in a small bowl. Add carrots, snap peas and a little more salt and pepper (add cayenne pepper if you really like heat) to the frying pan. Stir and let cook for 1 minute. Add oyster sauce and mix with veggies until they are well coated. Reduce to low heat and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Dampen a clean dish cloth. Add water to a large bowl. Place 1 rice pancake in the cold water until it softens and becomes pliable (about 10 – 15 seconds). Lay rice pancake on the dish cloth and add two pieces of butter lettuce to the pancake. Place a small amount of Chinese noodles in the center of the lettuce. Top with a little bit of the snap peas and carrots mixture then layer three shrimp on the veggies. Fold one end of the rice pancake towards the center over the shrimp then fold the sides towards the center as well. Gently roll up the pancake like a cigar. The pancake will seem delicate but should roll easily. Tuck in the sides as you roll the pancake if necessary. Chill for 30 minutes or serve immediately.

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Crab Cakes

Seafood/ Fish, , , ,

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Whenever we go to Baltimore, Maryland I try to have at least one meal that includes Maryland Crab Cakes. Maryland blue crabs are big, meaty and the crab meat is sweet. It’s not always easy to find Maryland blue crab meat but you can still find delicious lump crab meat at your local grocer or Costco. I usually go to Costco because the price for lump crab meat is less than at my grocery store and there are less shells to pick out. Because lump crab meat can be a little pricy I don’t prepare a lot of crab dishes. But when I am in the mood for a nice seafood dinner and can’t get to Maryland I will splurge and make crab cakes or crab imperial.

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It has taken me a few years to create a crab cake recipe I found worthy enough to post. Most of my previous recipes just didn’t have the right balance of seasonings. The recipes were so bad (yes, I can admit they were bad) that I was the only one forced to eat the crab cakes. I say forced because the family didn’t like them and I could not bring myself to toss out all of the crab meat I had destroyed.

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As I have said many times in the past, simple is usually the best way to go. Instead, of adding too many ingredients and seasonings I kept this crab cake recipe low key. The result was a good tasting crab cake without a lot of filler. The simple seasonings allowed the natural sweetness of the crab meat to shine through. Now, when I decide to make crab cakes I’m not forced to eat them. I can just enjoy eating them and so does my family.

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Crab Cakes

Ingredients:
1 lb lump crab meat pick out shells
1 egg lightly beaten
1 stalk celery diced
1 scallion diced
1 tbsp red onion diced
1 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp worcestershire
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp lemon zest
½ cup panko bread crumbs
4 – 5 dashes of hot sauce
juice from ½ lemon
paprika
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add ingredients (except the paprika and olive oil) to a large bowl and gently mix until well blended. Try not to break up lump crab meat. Form crab mixture into a round patty. Drizzle a little olive oil over each patty then sprinkle with paprika.  Spray a rimmed baking sheet  with cooking spray.  Drizzle a little olive oil onto the baking sheet then add crab cakes.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the crab cakes are golden in color. Can also fry the crab cakes in 2 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Brown on each side for 3 – 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

 

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Seafood Gumbo D. Marie Style

Seafood/ Fish, Soups/ Salads / Stews, , , , , ,

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I have only been to New Orleans once but that was enough to make me a fan of good down home Louisiana seafood gumbo. Nothing truly compares to the gumbo you get from the folks who created this delicious goodness. Although I have tried gumbo in several restaurants in the North East, I have not found one that can top the real down home version. Not even mine. However, my recipe will still make you want to go for a second bowl.

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Rich with seafood, spicy and filling my gumbo may remind you of soft jazz and hot summer nights. That is what I remember from my trip to New Orleans.

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Soft jazz, funky jazz, Cajun music and Zydeco flowed from every venue as we walked up and down the streets. The smells coming from the restaurants!?! What can I say except that my mouth was watering all day long.

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If you ever have an opportunity to experience the culture and foods of New Orleans, take it. I am sure the trip will be memorable whether it’s because of the food, the music or the friendly “Nawlins” people. No matter what, you will remember…..

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Seafood Gumbo D. Marie Style

Ingredients:
3 tilapia fillets cut into bite size pieces
1 lb lump crabmeat (remove shells)
1 lb langostinos
1 lb large sea scallops cut in half
2 lbs ex-large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 12 oz bottle of good Beer
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp olive oil

Veggies
¾ cup celery chopped
1 cup red pepper finely chopped
1 cup green pepper finely chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper seeded chopped
½ cup minced shallots
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 small onion chopped
½ cup fresh parsley chopped
1 15 oz can black beans rinsed
1 15 oz can small white beans rinsed

Spices
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ small cans tomato paste
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf

1 cup of Okra is optional. If adding okra to the dish, trim off only the stem. Do not cut off the top of the okra or it will become slimy. Add along with seafood and gently stir into the Gumbo.

In a heavy pot heat oil over medium heat until hot. Saute red pepper, green pepper, celery, shallots, onions and garlic until onions are soft. Slowly stir in beer and chicken broth. Add Worcestershire, parsley, seasonings and tomato paste. Whisk until well blended. Add beans, fish, crabmeat, langostinos and scallops, . Place lid on pot and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Lay shrimp on top of mixture 15 minutes prior to serving and cook until they turn pink. Gently stir shrimp into gumbo mixture.

Grab a piece of crusty bread or cornbread and eat up!

 

 

Salmon and Penne Pasta

Pasta and Grains, Seafood/ Fish, , , ,

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On days I want to be really healthy and stay away from red meat or pork “the other white meat”, I turn to my one true favorite – salmon. Since my hubby and son love pasta so much I knew if I added salmon to a pasta dish they would love it.

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Preparing pasta is simple and so is fixing salmon. As long as you pick out a nice salmon fillet and have the right seasonings you will be golden.

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The right seasonings means you need to pull together a combination of spices that will make the dish pop and your taste buds do a little dance in your mouth. A little heat from red pepper flakes or cayenne will usually wake up the taste buds but to make them dance you need more.

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Garlic, capers, mixed peppers and lemon juice. Bitter, salty, sweet and sour. Something to tickle each taste bud and brighten up the dish. Splash a little cream into the mix and you will not be sorry you decided to make something healthy.

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Salmon and Penne Pasta

Ingredients:
4 salmon fillets
1 box penne pasta
2 garlic cloves chopped
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp starchy water from pasta
1 bag fresh baby leaf spinach
5 tbsp butter
1 tbsp capers
1 tbsp parsley
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp seasoned salt
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ red pepper sliced thin
½ green pepper sliced thin
½ yellow pepper sliced thin
½ cup half and half
½ cup heavy cream
Juice from one lemon
½ tbsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare pasta al dente as directed on box. Set aside. Reserve 2 tbsp of starchy water from pasta.

Season salmon with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Place 1 tbsp butter on each salmon fillet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through but still moist. Set aside to rest.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil to a small frying pan. Add fresh peppers and saute until slightly browned.

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large frying pan along with olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium then pour in heavy cream along with half and half and starchy water. Simmer for 2 minutes then add sauteed peppers, capers, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest and remaining seasonings. Stir to blend. Add spinach and let it wilt. Once spinach wilts stir in pasta to coat with sauce.

Place pasta in a bowl and top with salmon. Pour a little sauce over the salmon then enjoy.

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