Shrimp Pilaf

Ding ding ding, another winner! This came out so tasty and was pretty quick to throw together. It's one that I'll probably want to make again, so I'm writing down the "recipe" before I forget what I did.
-Amanda

1 bag of shrimp (is that a pound?)
3-4 strips of bacon (optional??)
6-8 asparagus
1/2 zucchini
4-6 button mushrooms
1 carrot
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup uncooked rice
uncooked spaghetti noodles (about the amount for one serving)
olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
broth (I used shrimp, but chicken would be fine)
splash of heavy cream
italian seasonings
curry powder

Cook rice. 1/2 cup of rice to 1 cup of water, salt and a glug of olive oil. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Set timer for 15 minutes. Bam.

In a large skillet start cooking diced bacon. While bacon is frying, cut asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces. Dice zucchini, and carrot. Slice mushrooms. Mince garlic. Bacon should be about done. Add a few glugs of olive oil and all your vegetables. Stir occasionally. Add italian seasoning and about 1/4 tsp of curry powder. Break spaghetti noodles into 1/2 inchish pieces and add to vegetables. Keep stirring on medium heat. If anything starts to stick, throw some more olive oil in the skillet.

Meanwhile peel those dang shrimp. Keep the shells and stick them in your freezer for use on another day.  You don't have to do this, but if you don't you are throwing away potential free shrimp stock, just saying. (I  make stock when I have about a gallon size zip bag of shells ready to go.)

Vegetables should be cooked and starting to brown, rice should be just about done too. Deglaze the pan with some white wine vinegar. (or whatever vinegar you have on hand.)
Add shrimp to the skillet and stir it until almost cooked through. Add rice, about 1/2 cup of stock and a splash of heavy cream. Stir until shrimp is cooked through and the noodles are not crunchy. Enjoy!

Shrimp Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

At best this is labeled a WIP (Work in Progress.) But it was tasty enough to warrant a mention, so that perhaps I can work on it in the future. Tastes sort of like fried coconut shrimp.
-Amanda

Shrimp Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

4 portobello mushrooms, gills removed
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/4 stick of butter
3/4 package of cream cheese
2 cups raw shrimp, diced
splash of soy sauce
splash of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp apricot jam
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 1/2 cup toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes
salt & pepper
Olive oil

Coat mushrooms in olive oil and grill or broil to get them started cooking. Chop onion, ginger and garlic and saute it in the butter. Remove to a bowl. Mix in cream cheese, apricot jam, worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Add coconut flakes. Stir until everything is mixed well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Then add raw shrimp. Stir. Mound up on mushrooms. Place in a baking dish and cook for 15 minutes at 425 or until shrimp is cooked through.

Salsa Seafood

Have you discovered Pinterest yet? I heard friends talking about it a while back and didn't really think too much of it. Then I got an invite and have become a Pinterest Addict. I love the inspiration it provides across the board. Whether from new dishes to try, new crafts, new ways to organize your house, inspirational quotes, humorous and beautiful photos, whatever your interest, Pinterest has it covered. All this to say, I came across an appetizer on there that was the inspiration for this dish. Following it's link back took me to some diet website, but since we don't do low-fat here on this blog, I glammed it up a bit... I mean, I want a dish that'll keep me full until breakfast, not have me searching the fridge for snack food at 10pm. Adding real, healthy fats to your diet, keeps you satisfied and keeps you away from sugary cravings. (Except chocolate... just kidding... sort of.)

(By the way, this made extra salsa, but I didn't really know how to scale back, and salsa is great on a lot of things, so it's okay to have extra in my book! It'll probably make an appearance on my eggs tomorrow.)
-Amanda

Salsa Seafood

Salsa
4 roma tomatoes
1/4 red onion
jalepeno (how ever much you want)
cilantro
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
1/2 lime juice
salt

Cut tomatoes really small. I got rid of the juice from 3 of my tomatoes and left the juice of the last one. Mince up the garlic and the onion. Mix the tomatoes, garlic and onion in a small bowl. Add finely chopped jalapeno. Squeeze lime juice over top and the avocado oil. Stir, add salt as needed and refrigerate to let flavors marry.

Seafood

4 filets of fish, I used flounder. Cod or Orange Roughy would be good too.
1/2 lb of shrimp
lime juice
ground cumin
salt

Marinade the shrimp and fish in a few pinches of cumin, salt and lime juice for 15-20 minutes. Grill fish in a non-stick pan until it is firm and starts to flake off. Cook shrimp until plump and pink. Place on a plate, top with salsa, avocado and drizzle more avocado oil and lime juice on top.

Lobster Pizza

Growing up in New England there are several foods that indicate summer is upon us…One of those foods is the LOBSTAH! Oh Lobster, how I love thee..
Now if you are ever lucky enough to have left over lobster, there are many things make with the left over deliciousness, such as the Lobster Roll or Lobster Bisque, or even Lobster Chowdah. However a lobster pizza is a great option, especially if you want to stretch a little left over lobster pretty far.

Lobster Pizza
Pizza Dough
1 Tablespoon of yeast
1 Cup of medium hot water (105-115 degrees F...hot to the touch, but not scalding)
1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 salt.
3Cups or more of flour

1 Tablespoon of yeast dissolved in 1 Cup of med-hot water, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. When it "proofs" (20 +- minutes), add 2C flour with a spoon then add, by kneading, 1C or more of flour.
Grease the bowl, turn dough in bowl, cover and let rise. Place in warmish room. Several hours later punch down the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin or with hands pressing into pan.

Let rise again then add the fixings.

Pizza Fixings
After the first amazing lobster dinner, or just with cooked lobsters, removed all meat from the shell, including the tail, claws, smaller claws and around the belly. Chop up the lobster into bite size chunks. Reserve tasty meat for later.
After the dough rises in the pan, spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce on dough and sprinkle on shredded cheese. For a nice rich blend of cheese, use mozzarella, cheddar and a little parmesan. Throw on some thinly sliced Vidalia onions. Cook pizza until 3/4 done, about 20 minutes at 425 F. Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle Lobster meat on pizza. Put the pizza in the oven for about 10 minutes more until the cheese is bubbly, crust is golden and lobster meat is hot.
Then gorge!
-Jules

A Seafood Chowder

Yesterday the temperature dipped into the 40s and it was pretty darn chilly for May in Texas. With the added rain, I was really craving some sort of warm chowder for dinner. But I didn't really have all the ingredients to make a chowder and I sure wasn't going to the grocery store in the downpour we were experiencing. This morning the girls and I made it to the store and I decided to make this chowder up for dinner, even though today the weather was already back in the high 60s and it was bright and sunny outside. A couple of weeks ago I bought a package of clams in their shells in the freezer section. I figured it'd be a good beginner way for me to learn to cook with clams, since I love them but have never cooked them. I also figured a soup would be a foolproof way to start. I'm not going to list a specific recipe here, since I just added a bit of this and that. I will list the ingredients in the order that I threw them in the pot and the method for an idea of what I did. Oh! And I also have to add, the green English peas? They came from my garden! (I'm so proud!)
-Amanda

Seafood Chowder

bacon
onion
celery
garlic
carrot
potato
curry powder
thyme
salt & pepper
butter & olive oil
flour
cream
milk
chicken stock
shrimp (frozen)
clams (frozen)
cod (fresh)
peas
parsley

I basically, cut up the bacon and fried it. Added minced vegetables and sauteed until soft. Threw in some curry and thyme. Then I added a bit of butter and olive oil and flour. Cooked that for a minute and then added my liquids. Tasted what I had to make sure the base was good. Then I added my seafood, peas and parsley. Served with another drizzle of olive oil and it was terrific!

I posted this on Kelley the Kitchen Kops Real Food Wednesday! 

Shrimp in a Cream Cheese Sauce

This dish tasted good, but I learned a lesson today. Cooked spaghetti squash does not freeze well. I had this meal planned out in my head for tonight dinner and the flavors came together except for the squash which didn't taste bad, but it disintegrated into mush. So if you make this dinner, either serve it over noodles, freshly cooked spaghetti squash or even brown rice. And if you make too much spaghetti squash in the future, well... don't freeze it.
-Amanda

Shrimp in a Cream Cheese Sauce

2 cloves of garlic, minced
8-10 button mushrooms, sliced
1 lb shrimp
8 stalks of asparagus, cut into one inch pieces
10 tablepsoons of butter, divided
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup of water
1 tsp arrowroot powder
1 tsp of dried basil or a few leaves of fresh

Saute garlic in a tbsp of butter in a large skillet. Remove to a large bowl before it browns. Add mushrooms and a bit more butter, and them until they are almost browned. Put in your cut asparagus and saute them with the mushrooms. Add salt and pepper. Remove mushrooms and asparagus to the bowl with the garlic. Put your shrimp and more of the butter in the skillet and cook almost all the way through. Again, remove it to the bowl with the vegetables. Put the rest of your butter and cream cheese into the skillet on medium and stir it to help it melt. It will look like a curdled mess. Once it is all mostly melted whisk the arrowroot into 1/2 cup of water. When it has dissolved pour it into the cream cheese and it will magically come together. Add some fresh or dried basil. Pour vegetables and shrimp back into the sauce and simmer until shrimp is all the way cooked through. Serve over noodles, rice or freshly cooked spaghetti squash! Serves about 4.

Shrimp & Cheese Stuffed Pablano Peppers

About a week ago the idea for this dish popped into my head and I went to the store to buy the ingredients. I wasn't 100% sure how I wanted to make it and with all that was going on, it  had to be shelved until last night. But over the weekend while hanging out at my Mother-in-Law's house, we were flipping through tv channels and we saw someone make something almost identical to the dish I had created in my head. The exciting thing is it gave me confidence that it would work out. I know that stuffed pablanos aren't anything new, but it was the first time I attempted it! They were easy to put together and definitely something I'll be doing again in the future. I made two big pablanos and a very small bell pepper for my toddlers to split.
-Amanda

Shrimp & Cheese stuffed Pablano Peppers

2 large pablano peppers
1/2 block of cream cheese (sorry... I don't remember how many oz and I threw away the package.)
1/2 cup of shredded colby jack or other favorite cheese
1.5 cups of small shrimp
1/4 of a red or yellow onion
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp oregano

Roast pablano peppers. If you have a gas grill you can do it right over the flame. If you have electric, you can put them right under a high temp broiler. Either way, turn them every few minutes until the skin is blackened. Remove from heat and place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap or foil. Let sit for about 15 minutes to steam. Meanwhile chop onion into small pieces and saute them in butter. Add shrimp and cook until almost done. Remove onions and shrimp to a small bowl to cool. In a second bowl, use your hands to mix oregano, cream cheese and shredded cheeses. Add shrimp and onions and keep mixing with your hands until you have everything well incorporated.

Remove peppers from the bowl and peel off the blackened skin. Running them under cool water helps pull the skin off. Cut a slit in the peppers lengthwise and gently remove the seeds. Divide the cheese mixture in half and gently stuff each pepper with it. Bring the sides together. Place each pepper on a small piece of foil and wrap tightly. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes to melt the cheese.

Shrimp and Spinach Lasagna

I made Shrimp and Spinach Lasagna tonight for dinner. I wish I could share the recipe but again, I didn't measure. It was really good though. Basically I made a simple bechamel sauce with butter, wheat flour and milk. Then I whisked in half a block of mozzarella. I added half a package of frozen (drained) spinach. I bought pre-made whole wheat oven ready noodles and layered the noodles, with the spinach sauce, shrimp and cottage cheese (I prefer it over ricotta.) I topped it with the second half of mozzarella and baked covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for 15.Sorry, not much help tonight!!

Scallops and Swordfish

Oh YUM!  I have been taking advantage of being at home on the east coast.    Fresh summer corn and fish from the guy who sells it out of a truck on a highway!  Not nearly as sketch as you would think. 

-Jules

Grilled Swordfish and Scallops

Preheat grill

Mix fresh crushed pepper, a little salt and about 1/4 cup of olive oil.   Brush on the oil onto fish before putting it on the medium grill.  Cook fish until firm but NOT hard.  Scallops should still be a little soft.  Serve with your favorite summer veggies and enjoy!

Salmon with Orange-Rosemary Cream Sauce

Sometimes dinner comes together by an inspiration from what is in the refridgerator. Tonight's dinner was one of those. I had a couple of ingredients I wanted to use up before they turned and I think I came up with a pretty tasty dinner. I used Salmon, but I was originally going to do this with a chicken breast, I'm sure it would taste good too. Oh and my daughter Izzie ate her entire salmon fillet!

Salmon with Orange-Rosemary Cream Sauce

2, 4oz Salmon Fillets
salt & pepper

Sauce:
1/2 cup fat free half and half
zest of one orange
juice of one orange
3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs
salt and pepper
1 small clove garlic mashed

To make sauce: In a small pot, pour the half and half. Add the crushed garlic clove and the zest of the orange. Then squeeze in the orange juice. Season with salt and pepper and place the whole rosemary sprigs in the pot. Simmer on medium-low for about 20 minutes stirring frequently until the half and half reduces down and thickens up.

While sauce is reducing: Season salmon fillets and grill, I used an indoor grill pan and cooked the fillets about 4 minutes per side, but it depends on the thickness of your fillet. They are done when they flake apart easily with a fork. Pull rosemary& garlic clove out of the sauce and strain if desired. Drizzle over fish and serve. Serves 2.

Sides: Grilled asparagus with sauce drizzled over them & roasted potatoes.

Weight Watchers: 9 points for entire plate
-Amanda

Shrimp Po'boys

From Wikipedia, A po' boy (also po-boy, po boy, or poor boy) is a traditional submarine sandwich from Louisiana. It almost always consists of meat or seafood, usually fried, served on baguette-like Louisiana French bread. I love po'boys. This isn't truly authentic because usually the seafood is fried, but here I am on Weight Watchers, so I "grilled" my shrimp in a lime-cajun seasoning in a cast iron skillet. It was still finger lickin' good!

Shrimp Po'Boys
Homemade coleslaw (see recipe below)
8 oz shrimp (about 7-8 pieces per person)
cajun seasoning (such as this)
lime juice
2 french baguettes

Coleslaw
1 cup shredded cabbage
half of a carrot grated
2 tbsp mayo
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper

Oven Fries
1 large potato
cooking spray
salt
cajun seasoning

To make the coleslaw, julienne (cut into very thin strips) the cabbage, place in a bowl. Grate half of a carrot and add to the cabbage. Add mayo, apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper. Stir to mix evenly and let set in the refrigerator for a few hours. It can be eaten immediately but if you let it sit, the cabbage breaks down more.

To make the shrimp po'boys marinade shrimp in the lime juice, cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Let sit for a few minutes. Cut baguettes lengthwise in half, leaving a hinge. Toast in toaster oven or under a broiler. Preheat a cast iron skillet (if you don't have cast iron, you need at least one of these in your house, otherwise you your favorite skillet.) Place the shrimp around the skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side. Assemble sandwich by placing coleslaw and then the shrimp.

To make oven fries, peel and cut a large potato into french fry strips. Spray with cooking oil and season with salt, pepper and cajun seasoning. Place in one layer on a cookie sheet. A pizza stone or other stoneware works amazing for this too. If you have a convection oven (my toaster oven has this setting) this seems to get the fries crispier. Otherwise pre-heat oven to 425-450 degrees and cook for about 20 minutes flipping in the middle.

This meal serves 2 but can easily be doubled. Weight Watchers: 9 points for entire meal.
-Amanda

Shrimp Couscous

I love couscous and other small pastas and grains. My husband doesn't so I often take the opportunity to cook them for lunch just for myself. They cook very quickly and you can do a small amount without leftovers. This dish is so easy to throw together, takes at most 10 minutes and that includes defrosting the shrimp!

Shrimp Couscous

2/3 cup of chicken broth
1/3 cup of couscous
4 oz shrimp
5-6 button mushrooms
1 tablespoon of Italian dressing
pinch of oregano

Defrost shrimp in a small bowl under running water. Bring chicken broth and oregano to boil in a small pot. Watch closely because this little amount will boil quickly. As soon as it comes to a boil add couscous. Cover and remove from heat.

Dry off shrimp and saute in a cast iron skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. While shrimp is cooking slice mushrooms. Remove shrimp from heat and saute mushrooms. Add salt and pepper.

Uncover couscous and fluff with a fork, stir in shrimp, mushrooms and Italian dressing. Serves 1.

Weight Watchers:
couscous: 4 pts
shrimp: 1 pt
1 tbsp dressing: 1pt
-Amanda

Shrimp and Vegetable Lo Mein

I had my doubts about this recipe but I'm so glad I tried it out. It is so tasty! Before Weight Watchers, I would have probably added about double or triple the amount of shrimp, but even with the scant amount it was filling because of all the veggies. I think the leftovers will be great cold tomorrow for lunch.

Shrimp and Vegetable Lo Mein

8 oz shrimp, sliced in half
6 oz spaghetti noodles
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp grated ginger
1 cup of julienned carrots
6 oz of snow peas (I didn't have this so I used frozen sweet peas)
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
1 small sweet red bell pepper
4 medium scallions thinly cut
1 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp of sesame oil (divided in half)
1 tsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp of sugar or honey
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Two minutes before it's finished, add the shrimp. Drain the spaghetti and place in a large bowl that has the scallions in it (to wilt them with the heat.) Toss the noodles with 1/2 tsp of sesame oil.

While the pasta is cooking chop your veggies: Garlic, carrots & sweet red pepper. Drain and rinse your bamboo. Set veggies aside. Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl: Soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, water and cornstarch.

After your pasta is drained and placed in a large bowl, spray the pot with cooking spray and cook your vegetables just slightly, you still want them to be crsip, about 6-8 min. Pour over sauce and continue cooking until it thickens. Toss vegetables with pasta and chopped parsley and serve. Makes about 1 3/4 cups per serving.
-Amanda

Amanda's Easy Chicken "Curry"

While probably not anywhere near authentic to a real Indian curry dish, this one is easy and tasty. That is if you like the flavor of curry. There are probably 1000's of different curry blends so if you had it once and didn't like it, well, try a different one! Going to a good spice store like Penzey's is always a good way to try new curries, they will have more varieties than the grocery store and you can ask the sales people for advice. This dish was made with a super mild curry, hardly any heat at all. To top it off, Maddie (20 months) practically licked her plate. Izzie (also 20 months) liked it but I think she filled up on snack and wasn't that hungry at dinner! (Oh and one more thing... this will smell up your house for a day or so, curry is strong, but not unpleasant!)

Amanda's Easy Chicken "Curry"

3 chicken breasts*
1 bell pepper
1 onion
2 carrots
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 16oz container of Greek Plain Yogurt
3 Tablespoons of Curry Powder (I actually measured!)
salt to taste
splash of chicken broth (if you have an open container in the fridge, or a bit of water)

Cube bell pepper into 1 inch pieces. Dice onion into a large dice. Cut carrots into rounds. Mince garlic. In a large skillet saute the veggies on a med-high heat until they start to get tender. Add chicken and season with salt. Cook for a minute or two. Pour in yogurt and add curry. Add just a bit of chicken broth or water to loosen the yogurt, but you want the sauce thick so don't add too much. Cover and simmer on LOW for 20-30 minutes. Pull out a cube of chicken and cut in half to make sure the chicken is done. Check salt and curry by tasting, you may want to add a bit more of either. Serve over white rice. Serves 4.

*I have done this exact same recipe with shrimp and I love it that way too!
-Amanda

Easy Butter Dill Salmon

This meal was clocked in under 30 minutes. Super easy and fast. Tasty too. Well, at least my husband and one of my daughters thought so. Izzie ate all of the fish off of her plate and begged me for my fish too! Maddie finally came around and ate it, but begrudgingly.

Easy Butter Dill Salmon
with Roasted Asparagus & Zucchini Rice

1 cup rice
2 cups of chicken broth
salt and pepper
1 small zucchini
3-4 sprigs fresh oregano (or other favorite herb) (you can use dried if you wish)
a bit of butter

1 bunch of asparagus
olive oil to coat
salt, pepper & garlic seasoning

4 salmon fillets
1 tbsp butter
salt, pepper
chopped fresh (or dried) dill
2 tsp lemon juice

Pour rice in small pot. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper. Put burner on high to bring to a boil. Cut zucchini into small squares. In the skillet that you will later cook the fish in (I used a cast iron skillet) saute the zucchini on high heat in a bit of butter. Try to brown the edges. Rice should just be at a boil. Add zucchini and cover. Lower to a simmer and cook for 15 min.

Prep asparagus by cutting or snapping off the tough ends. Place in one layer on a cookie sheet. If you have a toaster oven this is perfect so you don't have to heat up your big oven. Either works fine though. Drizzle olive oil over asparagus. Add salt, pepper and garlic seasoning. If you have a real lemon for the fish grated lemon zest is also great to add to the asparagus. Place in oven (or toaster oven) and cook for 15 minutes on 475.

Place 1 tablespoon of butter in reserved skillet. Place burner on med-high heat and let it get really hot, but don't burn the butter. Quickly salt, pepper and put dill on fish. Place skin side down in butter. Don't touch and poke at it! Let it get a crust. Salt, pepper and put dill on second side of fish while it is in the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip once and cook another 3-4 minutes or until done. Squirt lemon juice on fish and serve. (Serves 4)
-Amanda

Coconut Shrimp Fritters

For anyone who does not like shrimp or they are trying to get their kids to eat shrimp, this is a great way to introduce the flavor, if not the texture. I wanted to make Coconut Shrimp for John and I for dinner, but in the past the only way the girls have eaten shrimp is if I mince it tiny and even then, not so much. These came out so great that I wish I had made them for John and I instead of the traditional coconut shrimp that I made for us. (My breading didn't stick. I'll have to work on it...) The only problem is that I was making these fritters up as I went along and I didn't pay attention to quantities. So I'll do my best to replicate, but please use some judgment on how much to use of any ingredient. I only made four of these for my twins (two each.)

Coconut Shrimp Fritters

6-8 small shrimp
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs + extra for rolling balls in
1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes + extra for rolling balls in
dash of chili powder (I didn't use very much and it wasn't spicy)
salt & pepper
1 egg (or egg beaters)

In a small bowl beat egg. In a food processor or magic bullet process shrimp, panko crumbs, coconut crumbs, chili powder, plus egg (you may not need the whole egg.) The mixture should be gooey and sticky. You should be able to pinch off a bit. Perhaps a bit more than an inch wide. Too thick and they won't cook all the way through. In a second bowl mix some more of the bread crumbs with coconut flakes. Roll your sticky ball in the crumb & flake mixture. Place on a cookie sheet. Coat with cooking spray. Turn broiler on HI. Place cookie sheet in the middle of your oven. Cook 5 minutes one side, turn and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Homemade Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

1 small can of pineapples with juice
1 tsp soy sauce
1 small clove garlic
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (I store it in the freezer so I can grate as I need)
3-4 drops of sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch

Place all ingredients in a food processor or magic bullet and process until smooth. Bring to a boil in a small pan. Serve as a side to Coconut Shrimp Fritters.
-Amanda

Shrimp Scampi

This dish is easy enough to do in under thirty minutes with two 19 month old toddlers running around your feet. It is also tasty enough that you will think you paid a lot of money for it at a fancy Italian Restaurant. By the way, it isn't in the low-fat category...

Shrimp Scampi

20 pieces of shrimp
1 pint of grape tomatoes
20-30 large fresh basil leaves
3 tbsp butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
dash red chili flakes
salt & pepper
pasta of your choice

Prepare pasta to package directions. (Salt the water!)
In a cold skillet place chopped garlic and chili flakes. Add oil and butter. Turn stove to medium-low heat to let the garlic & chilis infuse with the oil. While the garlic is "simmering" in the oil, cut grape tomotoes into halves and quarters depending on size. Place in oil, carefully so you don't splash. Increase heat to medium and let simmer until tomatoes start to burst open. (While tomatoes are cooking, chop your basil.) Increase to medium-high heat and add shrimp, salt and pepper. Sautè shrimp until almost done and then add chopped basil. Drain pasta add to shrimp and toss to coat. Serves 2 but can be easily adjusted for more. This is a fluid recipe, you can add a bit more or less oil to your prefrences, I don't really measure!
-Amanda

Salmon Patties

Amanda will not appreciate me posting this recipe, it is one of the two things I cook that she will not eat.  The other is meatloaf.  I'm not sure what her hang up is, these are not exotic or weird taste sensations.  Kinda all American basic home cooking in my opinion.  Anyway, I love this meal... it is easy; usually on the table in less than 30 minutes. And it is a great one to fall back on when you have forgotten to thaw some meat. I usually serve it with macaroni and cheese and this time I also served a smaller version of greek green beans or fassoliakia. (Although Amanda calls them southern green beans and I'm not sure why.)

Salmon Patties

1 can (15 oz) salmon

4 slices bread (finely crumbled) or 1 cup cracker crumbs

2 large eggs

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (I often use 2 or 2 chopped scallions)

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp dill weed (fresh if possible)

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste Drain salmon. Crumble with fork. Combine all ingredients. Shape into 6 - 8 round patties. Pan-fry on both sides in oil until golden brown. I usually do mine on my griddle. Serve with cocktail or tartar sauce.

Fish Sandwich

I have to admit, the following "recipe" is more of a dinner suggestion, or idea and much less of a recipe. The simple fact is that I'm not sure how long I cooked the fish. I started to bake it at 350º but then noticed it was not browning, so I bumped up the temp to 425º. That wasn't working either. So, I put it on the top rack, turned on the broiler and finally got the correct results. I wanted a crispy oven "fried" fish. I think my problem was I used frozen fish that I defrosted. It was too water logged (even after blotting with a paper towel.) If I try this meal again (and it ended up being tasty so I probably will!) I'll use fresh fish. I still want to write it down, because it is a good idea, and that's what my blog is mostly about.

Fish Sandwich

2 pieces of cod or other firm fish (apparently, like I said, fresh will work best)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
salt & pepper
fish seasoning (I used one called Chesapeake Bay)
1 egg
dash of milk
2 buns
tartar sauce

In a small bowl, whisk egg, milk and some salt and pepper. In a food processor (or magic bullet!) pulse oatmeal a few times to grind it to smaller pieces. Mix it in a bowl with the flour, seasoning and salt and pepper. Pat fish dry. Place in egg mixture, let it drip off, place in flour mixture. Cover, and dust off excess. Repeat for a double coating. Place on a cookie sheet that you spray with cooking spray. Repeat with second fillet. Spray both fillets with cooking spray and broil(?) until the fish is browned and flaking apart. Put on bun with tartar sauce. Serves 2.
-Amanda

Shrimp Stuffed Eggplant

OK, so I forgot to take a photo of it all plated pretty.  I did manage to get one before we went back for seconds. 

I’ve been gardening lately.  Let me tell you a secret.  When you grow a vegetable from a seed you have a different relationship with your food. Babying it as a seedling, holding your breath as you transplant hoping you won’t damage the roots, watching out for pests, watering and weeding. Well, let’s just say you get a little attached.  And so when it finally blooms and sets fruit you get a little excited. Then you still must continue to water and weed and harvest in temperatures around 105 gazillion degrees… when you do have a harvest you DO NOT waste. A carrot I bought at Krogers may shrivel up and mummify in my fridge but a carrot from my garden WILL be eaten. 

This recipe was a very successful attempt at finding a way to like eggplant other than fried.  Why did I grow eggplant if I don’t particularly like it except fried?  Well, because I do like them fried.  The problem was I bought a “gourmet mix”  which had four different types of eggplant seeds all mixed together. Of course I wanted to try one of each so I planted a bunch of the seeds hoping to get at least one plant of each type and that means way more eggplant than I originally planned on.  So far, I have had Purple Blush and Snowy White eggplants.  The purple blush is much milder and to me much better than the standard big blackish purple eggplants I usually see at the store. 

Please note that not only did the eggplant come from my garden, but so did the green onions, and the herbs; the thyme, sage and the basil.  My basil was blooming so I cooked with the blooms.

 INGREDIENTS 

• 1 large eggplant, halved lengthwise
  
•     (Or three small home garden grown purple blush eggplants!)
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided 
  
• salt and pepper to taste 
  
• 8 - 10 medium shrimp - peeled, deveined and chopped 
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 
  
• 3 or 4 chopped sage leaves or to taste
  
• 2 –3  cloves garlic, chopped 
  
• 2 green onions chopped 
  
• 1/4 – 1/2 bell pepper chopped 
  
• 1/2 cup white wine 
  
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 
  
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  

This photo shows most of the ingredients I used. Except for the shrimp. And the wine. Mostly it is a not so subtle method of showing off my beautiful garden produce.  

DIRECTIONS 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant, chop, and reserve. Coat shells with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper; set aside. 

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Sauté onion, bell pepper, garlic, basil, thyme and sage until wilted. Stir in the reserved chopped eggplant. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until eggplant begins to turn golden in spots. Pour in wine, and cook 5 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl, and mix in the bread crumbs and chopped shrimp. If mixture is dry, stir in more olive oil. Stuff mixture into eggplant shells. 

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and return to oven just long enough to melt cheese.  

Serve with a fresh green salad and you’re all set. 

Here's a photo of the eggplant stuffed before they went in the oven. Because my eggplants were a bit small, I had more stuffing than space so I went to the garden and harvested a Snowy White eggplant to use for the last of it. 

- Karen