Shrimp Fritters

This recipe is amazing and is not an original of mine.  It is from here.  Loved these.  These work great as an appetizer or as your protein with a salad for a meal.  Yum.

Shrimp Fritters

Ingredients:

1 lb Large Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 oz. Mozzarella Cheese (about 1 and 1/2 cups shredded)

1 Large Egg

1/4 Cup Mayonaise

2 Tablespoons Parsley

1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

2 Tablespoons Oil (to cook in)

Lemon Aioli Sauce:

1/2 Cup Mayo

1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest

2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 Garlic Clove, pressed or finely minced

Instructions:

Step 1:  Pat dry shrimp with paper towels then dice into pea-sized pieces.

Step 2:  Transfer chopped shrimp to a large mixing bowl. Add 4 oz shredded mozzarella, 1 egg, 1/4 cup mayo, 2 Tbsp parsley, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Stir together then add 1/4 cup flour and mix until batter is creamy and well combined.

Step 3:  Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add 1 heaping Tablespoon at a time (or a level ice cream scoop) and flatten out the tops of your fritters as you go so they are about 1/2" thick patties. Saute about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown on the edges and cooked through.

How to Make Lemon Aioli Sauce:

In a small bowl, add mayo and stir to remove any lumps. Add 1 tsp lemon zest, 2 Tbsp lemon juice and pressed garlic clove and stir to combine. 

Mediterranean Baked Sole

Oh, I lose control . . .when you sever filet of sole.  If you can name that song . . .you get an A++ for the day!  Of course, if you make this recipe - you will also get an A++ for the day along with a delicious fish dish.  The credit for this dish goes all to my hubby.  He found the recipe here and made it for dinner the other night.  It is magnificent - and pretty simple to make too.

Mediterranean Baked Sole

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 Lemons, 1 Sliced and 1 Juiced

½ Cup Olive Oil

½ Cup Butter (Unsalted), Melted

2 Shallots,Thinly Sliced

3 Teaspoons Chopped Garlic

2 Tablespoons Capers

1 Teaspoon Seasoned Salt

¾ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1.5 Pounds Sole Fillet (about 10-12 thin fillets)

4-6 Green Onions - Tops Trimmed and Halved Length-Wise

Dill for Garnish

Step 1:  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly oil a large baking sheet or dish and set aside.

Step 2:  In a small bowl, whisk together juice of 1 lemon, olive oil and melted butter with a dash of seasoned salt. Stir in the shallots, chopped garlic and capers.

Step 3:  In a separate small bowl, mix together the teaspoon of seasoned salt, pepper, cumin and garlic powder. Spice fish fillets each on both sides.

Step 4:  Place the fish fillets on the baking dish. Cover the fillets with the buttery lemon mixture you prepared in Step 1. 

Step 5:  Arrange the green onion halves and lemon slices on top of the fish. 

Step 6:  Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Do not overcook.

Step 7:  Garnish with dill to serve.  

And in case you are still wondering about that song lyric . . . . . you can listen to the song here.

Seafood Bisque

Happiness in a bowl.  That should be the recipe title for this one.  Decadent, sweet and tender crab and shrimp along with a savory blend of milk, tomato and seasonings . . .excellent soup for a meal.  Serve with a salad and revel in all things delicious.

Seafood Bisque

Serves 4 

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Butter

3 Green Onions or Scallions, slices thinly

1 Celery Stalk, diced fine

3 Tablespoons Flour

2 and 1/2 Cups Milk

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/2 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

1/2 Tablespoon Sea Salt

8 Ounces Crab Meat

6 Ounces Cooked Shrimp 

2 Tablespoons Sherry

Optional Garnishes:  Additional Green Onion, Chives, Parsley or a dollop of Sour Cream.

Step 1:  In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt the butter and add the green onion, celery and tomato paste.  Saute over medium heat until the vegetables are tender and the tomato paste has been incorporated. 

Step 2:  Warm the milk in a separate saucepan or in the microwave.  This will make it easier to blend into the ingredients in the next couple steps. Do not let the milk boil.  You just want it warmed.

Step 3:  Blend the flour into the butter/veggies.  It will kinda lump up into a big ball.  Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes.  

Step 4:  Little by little, add in the warmed milk.  Be sure to stir fully into the flour mixture a little bit at a time.  If you dump all the milk in at once, it will be lumpy.  If you add only a little milk at a time and stir in between - you should have a smooth soup.  

Step 5:  Once the milk and flour are all incorporated, add the black pepper, Old Bay seasoning and sea salt.  Stir until combined.

Step 6:  Add the shrimp, crab and heavy cream to the pot.  Stir until combined and heated through.  Serve immediately.

Baked Lemon Pepper Cod & Roasted Tomatoes

Let's just say that I love sheet-pan dinners.  Not familiar?  A sheet-pan dinner is where everything for the meal is cooked on one sheet-pan in the oven.  When it's done, you place the sheet-pan on the table and serve from it.  Super easy.  And easy clean up too.  In this particular one, you take cod fillets and season them generously and then surround them with grape tomatoes.  The fish is tender yet delicate and meaty while the tomatoes offer a sweet acidic balance to the meal.

Baked Lemon Pepper Cod & Roasted Tomatoes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 Pounds Cod Fillets (boneless and thawed or fresh)

2 Pints Cherry Tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Nature's Seasoning

1-2 Tablespoons Lemon Pepper Seasoning

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Cooking Spray

Step 1:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a large baking pan with pan spray.  Set aside.

Step 2:  Prep the grape tomatoes by washing them.  You can leave them whole, but I prefer to cut them in half.  Set aside.

Step 3:  Center the fish fillets on the baking pan.  Place the tomatoes around the fillets (it's okay if they touch the fish . . .just don't put them on top of the fish).  

Step 4:  Drizzle the olive over the tomatoes and fish.  Season the tomatoes with the Nature's Seasoning.  Season the fish with the lemon pepper.  

Step 5:  Place the sheet, uncovered, into the oven and bake for roughly 15 minutes.  When the fish is done, it will flake easily with a fork.  

Enjoy!

Salmon with Pesto & Tomatoes

I can't decide what I love the most about this dish:  the ease of it or the flavors.  Not gonna lie.  I really love this dish.  You take a slab of salmon and slather it with pre-made pesto and add tomatoes . . .easy peasy.  And, even clean up is a cinch because you bake it in a foil packet!  I served mine with some sliced avocado on the side . . .healthy was the theme!

Salmon with Pesto & Tomatoes

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 Pound of Salmon (without bones)

2 Tablespoons Pesto

8-10 Grape Tomatoes (washed and halved)

Tinfoil

Instructions:

Step 1:  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Layout a piece of tinfoil twice the length of the salmon.  Place the salmon (skin-side down if it still has the skin) on the left-side of the foil.

Step 2:  Spread the pesto on top of the salmon and top with the grape tomatoes.

Step 3:  Fold the tinfoil over the salmon/tomatoes and close up the edges (there should only be three edges of the foil to fold/close).  Place packet on top of baking sheet.

Step 4:  Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and carefully open the foil packet.  The fish should flake easily with a fork.  To serve, using a flat spatula, remove the fish from the foil and place on plates.  If there was skin on the fish, the skin should stick to the foil.

Easy Clams Linguine

Mmmmm....a delicious, garlicky bowl of pasta  that will leave you slurping up the extra sauce from the bowl.  Very easy, amazingly delicious.

Easy Clams Linguine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 Cans of Minced Clams with Juice

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Butter

1/2 Cup Onion, Finely Diced

4 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 Teaspoon Oregano

1 Tablespoon Basil

1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 LB Linguine, Cooked

Parsley to Serve

Parmesan Cheese to Serve

Step 1:  In a large pan, melt the butter and add the olive oil.

Step 2:  Add the garlic and onion to the pan.  Cook until the onion is soft, but not browned.

Step 3:  Add the lemon juice, crushed red pepper, oregano, basil and Old Bay.  Stir until combined.

Step 4:  Add the clams with juice.  Simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 5:  Pour the sauce over the cooked linguine.  Top with a little parsley and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Amazing.

Crab and Cucumber Salad

In a quest of always trying to be a little more healthy, check out this delicious and refreshing, Asian-inspired crab salad.  So crisp and tasty with lettuce, succulent imitation crab and a little zip from a homemade vinaigrette dressing.  Perfect for a luncheon.  I originally found the recipe from Loius Kemp.  I have modified it just slightly by using romaine lettuce and powdered ginger.  I also thought this would be even better if I had topped it with some crunchy chow mein noodles . ..but I was all out.  So, I added them to the recipe regardless.  YUM.

Crab & Cucumber Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

8 oz. Imitation Crab Lumps

4 Cups Romaine Lettuce 

1/2 Cup Cucumber, seeded and diced

2 Green Onion or Scallions, sliced

1 Teaspoon Sesame Seeds (white or black)

1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon Ginger Powder

1 Teaspoon Honey

2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil

Crunchy Chow Mein Noodles (optional)

Step 1:  Create the dressing.  In a small bowl, add the honey, rice wine vinegar, ginger and sesame oil.  Mix together until well blended.  

Step 2:  Assemble the salad.  On two large plates or salad bowls, divide the lettuce.  Top the lettuce with the cucumber and crab.  Drizzle the dressing onto the salad.  Top with the sesame seeds, scallions and chow mein noodles.  

Enjoy!

Oysters Rockefeller

Talk about a real treat!  This past weekend we made Oysters Rockefeller.  And OMG.  They were amazing.  And let me tell you, oysters are far easier to open/shuck than clams.  If you love seafood, this is a very easy one to prepare at home.  Fresh, succulent oysters topped with a warm, garlicky, gooey yet slightly crunchy topping.  Oh my gosh . . . now I want them right now!  The original recipe I used is here.  However, I just had to make it my own . .. and here it is:

Oysters Rockefeller

Creates 12 Oysters 

1 dozen oysters, shucked

2 TB Butter

1 Large Teaspoon of Chopped Garlic

1/3 Cup Breadcrumbs

1/4  Cup Spinach (frozen, crumbled - not the kind frozen in a block)

2-3 Green Onions, sliced

1-2 Dashes of Tabasco

2 Tablespoons Parsley, chopped

1/4 Teaspoon Tarragon

1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Step 1:  Shuck the oysters keep the oyster on the half shell. You can discard the other half of the shell.  Place shells with oysters on them on a large baking sheet.

Step 2:  In a saucepan, melt the butter over low.  Add in the garlic, spinach, green onion and tarragon.  Saute until the spinach is hot.

Step 3:  Next, add the parsley, Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs to the spinach mixture.  Stir to combine and remove from heat.

Step 4:  Top each oyster with a heaping spoonful of the mixture.  Be sure to use up all the mixture.

Step 5:  Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.  Serve immediately.