Category: SEAFOOD

Fire Day Friday: Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Now that summer is almost here, I like to grill shellfish. The seafood is fresher and grilling it brings out the best in it. This spicy marinade packs the heat of summer into these grilled shrimp.
Grilling Tip: You know how they always say to soak your bamboo skewers for 30 minutes before grilling, right? And you probably know how sometimes that works and sometimes it does not. Sometimes, the skewers still burn off. You can use a “grill shield” like the one I am using here or you can make you’re own by folding up a piece of HD aluminum foil several times to protect the skewers.
Spicy Summer Grilled Shrimp
1 lb medium count shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined
3 oz clarified butter, melted
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz sriracha sauce
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp turbinado sugar
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ shallot, finely minced
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Mix the marinade ingredients together. Add the shrimp and marinate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, fire up your grill to 450f or medium-high. 
Place the shrimp on skewers and grill 2 minutes per side.
They are done when the tails turn pink.
These disappeared with my 22 y/o son’s friends devouring them as fast as I could get them off the grill.

BAKED WHITE FISH ~ CLASSIC GOOD EATS

2 teaspoons peanut oil    
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 teaspoon paprika
2 small kiwis, cleaned and sliced thin
2-4 white fish, cleaned and scaled, 2 pounds each
salt & pepper to taste   
3 tablespoons white wine    
3 tablespoons CHAMPAGNE DRESSING (or substitute fish or chicken stock)  
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 lemon, sliced

  • This will work with other whole lean fish and cuts or ‘roasts’ of halibut or pink salmon.
  • Adjust the cooking time according to the thickness and density of the fish.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Spray baking dish well with PURE.
  • Rinse the fish well inside and out, pat dry, season lightly with salt, pepper and paprika and lay side by side in a shallow baking dish.
  • Layer lemon slices loosely over fish and season again.
  • Pour  the stock, dressing and ending with the butter over each filet.
  • Make a loose tent of foil over the tail of the fish and place in the oven.
  • Bake, rotating the pan once halfway through the cooking time, until a skewer easily enters the thickest part of the fish, 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

BAKED WHITE FISH

2 teaspoons peanut oil    
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 teaspoon paprika
2 small kiwis, cleaned and sliced thin
2-4 white fish, cleaned and scaled, 2 pounds each
salt & pepper to taste   
3 tablespoons white wine    
3 tablespoons CHAMPAGNE DRESSING (or substitute fish or chicken stock)  
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 lemon, sliced

  • This will work with other whole lean fish and cuts or ‘roasts’ of halibut or pink salmon.
  • Adjust the cooking time according to the thickness and density of the fish.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Spray baking dish well with PURE.
  • Rinse the fish well inside and out, pat dry, season lightly with salt, pepper and paprika and lay side by side in a shallow baking dish.
  • Layer lemon slices loosely over fish and season again.
  • Pour  the stock, dressing and ending with the butter over each filet.
  • Make a loose tent of foil over the tail of the fish and place in the oven.
  • Bake, rotating the pan once halfway through the cooking time, until a skewer easily enters the thickest part of the fish, 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

    CRAB PUFFS for TAILGATING TIME

    Last week Martha posted her puffs recipe with her shrimp filling and it made me think of my crab salad and it was a good thought!  The crab salad was an awesome filling!

    PUFFS recipe from Martha at Seaside Simplicity
    1/2 cup water
    1/4 cup butter or margarine
    1/2 cup all purpose flour
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    2 eggs
    • Heat oven to 425 degrees. 
    • In a medium saucepan heat water and butter until boiling. 
    • Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off. 
    • Stir in flour and salt. 
    • Cook over medium heat until mixture leaves sides of pan in a smooth compact ball, about 2 minutes, stirring vigorously. 
    • Remove from heat. 
    • Add eggs one at the time, beating vigorously until smooth and glossy. Do not under-beat! Drop by teaspoons full onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. 
    • Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
    • Once puffs are cooled completely split and stuff with crab salad when ready to serve.
    This recipe makes about 20 puffs.
    CRAB SALAD
    8 ounces Louis Kemp Crab, finely chopped
    1 stalk celery, finely chopped
    1/3 cup minced red onion
    salt and pepper
    mayo (about 1/4 cup)
    • Mix crab, celery, onion, salt and pepper together until well blended using enough mayonnaise for desired consistency.
    • Place a large scoop of crab salad in each puff.

    Crab Salad Nigiri Sushi

    I first saw this crab salad nigiri sushi that my blogger friend Pikko had made on her blog Adventures in bento making . I thought I’d give it a try for a gathering at my husband’s work one evening. Pikko’s are much prettier, I’ll have to keep practicing. Her creation was a hit though. I put them in a deviled egg carrier to bring them in. Since we were all hanging outside behind the shop it didn’t have to be fancy.
    First off my rice cooker died on me. How frustrating. It would turn on and keep warm, but the cook button wouldn’t work. I went to check it and there it sat, all that water still hanging out on top. I transferred it to a pan and cooked it on my stove top, forgot to time it, but it turned out fine! Once in the bowl I added the already prepared sushi vinegar while it’s still warm. I don’t add much sugar at all to my sushi rice (personal preference).

    Using the stick version of the imitation crab. Chop up the crab and add mayo, I added a little wasabi powder to it, but not enough for it to be too much for those who don’t like it. I am a wasabi fan!
    It took a little while to get used to handling the sticky sushi rice, having a bowl of water on hand to help. I hand made the rice balls (I am using a rice ball maker next time, sounds like a good investment). A little adjusting on what size to make them. With scissors cut the nori sheets into strips, being careful to cut them straight because it will show if you cut it crooked.
    Wrap the strips around the rice, sealing it with water. With a tiny baby spoon I filled the cups with the crab salad. Those little spoons come in handy, good thing I saved them!
    I topped some with srircha, some with wasabi and left some without, because I know Maranda would like it plain. I have to tell you this it was funny. A couple showed up later, they came riding in on their motorcycles all noisy, just to make an entrance. (The owner’s brother and his girlfriend). She is acting all tough in her leathers. Someone is telling them what we have to eat. Now for a few of them this was the first time they’ve tried sushi. He pointed out the sushi, she says “No I only like real sushi”. Okay, alright then, now I was good, and I only said “this is real sushi”. Then I let her do her thing. After eating some 7 layer taco dip, she did try a piece and loved it. No wasabi for her, she doesn’t “do ” wasabi. Then she ate another one, then said “I wish we were here earlier and didn’t miss most of the sushi” She ended up eating the last one too. I just smiled to myself. Maranda and Wade did bring it up later, and we laughed about it.
    Thanks Pikko it was a hit.

    You can check out more of my food trials and ethnic ventures at The Tiny Skillet . Or check out The Tiny Bento for my bento lunches that are so popular in Japan!
    Have a great weekend!!

    SALMON FILLETS with TANGY MUSTARD SAUCE

    Sorry no pictures – just posting the recipe for a new friend!
    4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
    4 tablespoons FRESH minced tarragon
    Four 6-ounce salmon fillets with skin
    Salt and freshly ground pepper
    2/3 cup whipping cream
    1/4 cup Dijon mustard
    2 tablespoons creamy prepared horseradish
    • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
    • In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with 2 tablespoons of the tarragon and rub it over the salmon. Let stand for 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
    • Spray baking dish lightly with PURE.
    • Bake salmon fillets for 15-20 minutes or until just barely done (varies with thickness).
    • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the whipping cream, mustard, horseradish, the remaining olive oil and tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    • Spoon over the salmon and return to oven for 5 minutes.

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    SHRIMP SCAMPI

    I LOVE to eat Shrimp Scampi, but I have never made it or eaten it at home., at least not as an adult. I do remember as a kid how we would go down to Galveston and buy them directly from the fisherman at the end of the day. Now that’s fresh fish. It’s hard to buy what markets call “fresh” fish after you’ve done that.

    So I decided to do some research for a good recipe and see what the term scampi actually meant. I have to admit I was completely blindsided by the fact that scampi is a term that actually pertains to lobster, Norwegian lobster in particular.

    “Scampi is a culinary name for some species of lobster, notably the ‘true’ scampi Nephrops norvegicus,…” In both the United Kingdom and the USA, the word has come to define the method of preparation rather than the ingredient, although referring to quite different methods in the two countries. This being said, I think I’ll make some chicken scampi tomorrow night.

    1 1/2 pounds large shrimp
    1/3 cup clarified butter
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    6 green onions, thinly sliced
    1/4 cup dry white wine
    Juice of 1 lemon
    Fresh parsley for garnish
    salt and pepper, to taste

    • Clean and rinse shrimp, dry well and set aside.
    • Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat.
    • Cook garlic 1 or 2 minutes or until softened but not browned.
    • Add shrimp, green onions, wine and lemon juice; cook until shrimp are pink and firm, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
    • Do not overcook.
    • Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper before serving.
    • Garnish with lemon slices and parsley sprigs if desired.

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    CRAB LOUIE with OOMPH!


    I bolded the OOMPH ingredients that are
    different from my day to day recipe.

    CRAB SALAD & HOMEMADE 1000 ISLAND DRESSING
    CRAB SALAD
    8 ounces Louis Kemp Crab, finely chopped
    1 stalk celery, finely chopped
    1/3 cup minced green onion
    salt and pepper
    mayo (about 1/4 cup)
    1 teaspoon Frank’s Red Hot Pepper Sauce
    Romaine lettuce
    Roma tomatoes, sliced
    Snap peas, halved
    pickled beets, sliced
    hard boiled eggs, sliced

    • Wash lettuce, peas and tomatoes. Arrange on plate. Salt and pepper.
    • Mix crab, celery, onion, hot sauce, salt and pepper together until well blended using enough mayonnaise for desired consistency.
    • Place a large scoop of crab salad over the romaine mix.
    • Serve over chopped romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes and snap peas.
    • Top with dressing.

    1000 ISLAND DRESSING
    1/2 cup mayonnaise
    2 tablespoons ketchup
    1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
    2 teaspoons sugar
    3 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
    1 heaping tablespoon minced red onion
    1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    salt and pepper

    • In a mini blender blend all ingredients to desired consistency.
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    Spicy Chipotle Shrimp Over Sweet Corn Cakes

    Welcome to Simple Saturday!

    I’ve been participating in a challenge this month, do you think you could eat on a Dollar a Day? (Check out the link for details). I’ve been doing the challenge but with an unfair advantage – I allowed myself to use anything I already had on hand. It’s turned out to be more of an “eat from the pantry and freezer month” than anything else so far.

    Here is last night’s yummy, frugal and very simple recipe. It was definitely the Meal of the Week!

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WPbjJzRqviA/S7-qngfQFUI/AAAAAAAAGzI/8kg8KfIKdok/s1600/chipotle+shrimp+corn+cakes.jpg

    Chipotle Shrimp – 1 pound of shrimp marinated overnight in bottled chipotle sauce (with one teaspoon of cornstarch added). Put shrimp and marinade in large, deep skillet, add a can of diced tomatoes. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally while preparing corn cakes.

    Corn Cakes – 2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix, 2/3 cup milk, 2 eggs, one can of sweet creamed corn and 1/2 can regular sweet corn. Mix and prepare just as you would pancakes.

    Spoon shrimp and sauce over corn cakes and serve with fruit smoothies. Trust me, it’s a perfect combo, it was delicious – except for the fact that I used shrimp I had in the freezer that had been cleaned and shelled, but it didn’t occur to me that it still had the tails on until dinner was ready. Be sure to take the tails off if you try this, duh!

    We have two birthdays at Our Krazy Kitchen this week – be sure to stop by to wish our Tuesday host Min and our Wednesday host Chaya a Happy Birthday!

    Have a great weekend 🙂

    PAN FRIED RED SNAPPER with WHITE WINE LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

    When I was in college there was a local grill that did the most amazing fish I’d ever had. I hate to admit that was before Cajun or Blackened became popular. I spent many years trying to duplicate their red snapper after they closed their doors.

    PAN FRIED RED SNAPPER with LEMON BUTTER
    1 pound Red snapper, cut to portion size
    1/4 cup red onion, minced
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 large very ripe lemon, juiced
    zest from the lemon
    3 tablespoons butter

    1 teaspoon sweet paprika
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
    1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    1/2 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
    1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
    1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

    • Rinse and dry the fish fillets with paper towels.
    • In a mortar & pestle grind all seasonings together until they are a fine powder and well blended.
    • In a large skillet melt the butter.
    • Saute’ the onions, garlic and lemon zest until fragrant.
    • Arrange onions and garlic towards edge of pan.
    • Arrange fish in center of skillet.
    • Sprinkle with the seasonings.
    • Cook for 4-5 minutes.
    • Turn fish, sprinkle with the remaining seasonings and cook another 4-5 minutes.
    • Add lemon juice and cook another 1-2 minutes.







    aprons 3

    Wonderful Tuna Casserole: Lovin’ From the Oven

     In my memory, tuna casserole is often dry, tuna-y and slightly gross.  It’s a cheap meal, but it isn’t always something to rave about.  Until now.  This just may be the best darned tuna casserole you will ever eat. 
    Tuna Casserole:
    2 cans cream of celery soup
    1 cup sour cream
    1 cup milk
    2 small cans tuna, drained
    2 Tbsp dried parsley
    1/4 tsp garlic powder
    1 tsp onion powder
    1 small jar pimentos, drained
    salt & pepper to taste
    16 ounces cooked egg noodles
    1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

    Blend the sour cream and soup.  Add the milk and stir until creamy.  Combine with all the remaining ingredients except the cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle on the cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

    Join me over at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker for Irish Soda Bread

    Faux Grilling – Salmon Skewers with Maple-Mustard Glaze ala Year on the Grill


    Before I get to the post, I have a question for you ladies… Actually two…

    Remember me, Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. I am the guy who gave you ladies advice on pleasing your man with two ROMANCE POSTS…

    So…

    Did any of you get diamonds for Valentines Day???

    and

    Did any of you make Moink Balls for your man???

    If you answered “no” to both those questions, you have no one to blame but yourselves. I did my best for you.

    But that is old business. Time for today’s post with an explanation of what I call “Faux Grilling”.

    It has just been too cold, windy and nasty around here to do any grilling. Unusual for Kansas, but I really can’t remember a day since Christmas when it was above 40 degrees. I did my mandatory, “I can still grill in the cold and snow” session just to prove I could. But it is just no fun.

    So, I started “Faux Grilling”. It is pretty easy. I have made Moink Balls, shrimp, pineapple wrapped in bacon (that’s a post for another day) and now Salmon skewers. So, I guess it is time I explained the process.

    You need skewers. The flat kind work best so the do not roll. If you don’t have flat skewers, you can use 2 of the long “toothpick” style and create a flat type. In the photo on the right, I am showing the look that you want. I skewered the meat, and suspended the skewers between the sides of a small casserole dish. These were single round toothpick style, and my first efforts at “Faux” grilling. They worked… OK, but when I moved to flat skewers, I was able to turn them and grill top and bottom…


    Like this photo to the left. the blades of this skewer are flat, combined with the heads in the shape of bulls and shrimp, I am able to turn the bacon wrapped pineapple (that’s a post for another day), and get both sides “grilled”.

    Once I have the meat positioned correctly, I just put them in the oven, set on broil and instead of direct heat grilling over coals, I am direct heat grilling under a heating element.

    But it works the same. Notice the char marks, similar to grill marks. You lose those beautiful grill marks, but the taste is as close as I can get and not get my fingers frostbit.

    Til I move to a tropical Island (next week), as long as I live in Kansas in February, this is as close to grilling as I am going to get.

    But before I leave you for the week, I want to share this quick, easy and great tasting recipe. This post is part of a cultural exchange program called TASTE AND CREATE! Once a month, Taste and Create pairs you with another blogger. You are asked to look over their blog and cook something from it. This month I was paired with Marthe from the Netherlands. Her blog, CULINARY DELIGHTS was great fun to look over. While she is native born Dutch, she does write in English, and very well. You would never guess this was her second language. Marthe makes lots of cupcakes and cookies; plays along with Tuesdays with Dorrie and Craving Ellie in My Belly. She started blogging about the same time I did. It was fun to get to know her.


    Plus, I was reminded of my youth. 35 years ago, when I was in high school, I dated the foreign exchange student from the Netherlands. You can file this under too much information, but that Dutch girl was the first I ever… Well, you know the rest, better keep the details to myself. Suffice it to say, anything Dutch always makes me smile just a bit.


    But, I digress. here’s Marthe’s recipe for

    Salmon Skewers
    with
    Maple-Mustard Glaze


    4 salmon skewers (ready bought President’s Choice, 320 gram)
    1/8 cup maple syrup
    1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard (we used regular non-grainy Dijon mustard)
    1/4 tsp salt
    1/8 tsp pepper
    In a small bowl whisk together maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper; brush half over salmon skewers. Place skewers on grill over medium-high heat; close lid and cook, brushing once with remaining maple mixture until salmon is done, about 10 minutes.
    .They came out PERFECT. Nice and flavorful, cooked to just the flaky stage (I did 7 minutes on each side, flipping the skewers once… same as I would on a grill). I loved the mustard sauce. Very easy and wonderful taste. I plated these with some Chinese Garlic noodles with snow peas. This is also one of the recipes I read on CULINARY DELIGHTS. Marthe’s blog is worth a look. I posted the details of the noodles on my “real” site today, so head over to MY YEAR ON THE GRILL to see how to make them!

    Come back next week to see what I come up with during the next few days. It might be my first post after moving to the US Virgin islands… should be interesting.