Oh Snap Shrimp!

I recently concocted this and it turned out super yummy. Fresh ingredients are a must for this one. No dried basil, garlic powder or fake lemon juice will do..use the real stuff!

Toss peeled and deveined shrimp into a bowl with a drizzle of sesame oil, the juice of one lemon, 1 tbsp of garlic, 2 leaves of chopped fresh basil, 1 tsp of hot chili paste, 1 tbsp of coconut flour and a dash or two of salt and pepper. Mix well.

The longer it sits, the more the flavors will meld together.

Saute it all in coconut oil until done.

Crab Rangoon Cups

I made this appetizer a bit back when I was craving Crab Rangoon, but wanting to be relatively healthy and not eat the fried version. Not exactly the same, but good nonetheless.

Cut egg roll wrappers into four squares. Spray mini muffin pan and place a wrapper in each hole. Brush with some sesame oil. Other will do, but I think sesame oil is always a better flavor for anything oriental.

Mix together flaked crab meat, chopped green onions, chopped water chestnuts, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Stuff wrappers and bake at 350 until lightly browned and mixture is bubbly.

Pretty Pad Thai

I recently made this and tasted so good. I can't wait to make it again.

-sesame oil
-1 egg
-rice noodles
-shrimp
-bean sprouts
-red chile pepper(optional, but we love spicy!)
-lime
-peanuts, crushed
-fresh cilantro

Sauce
1/4 cup hot water
1 tbsp tamarind paste
2.5 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
Mix well.

Cook noodles according to package and set aside. In a large skillet or wok, heat oil and add egg and scramble. Remove and set aside. Add more oil if needed and shrimp and sauce ingredients and cook until done. Add in noodles and cook until they absorb sauce. Add bean sprouts, pepper and egg and cook 2-3 minutes more. Place noodle mixture in bowls and garnish with cilantro, peanuts and lime wedges.

Shrimp Curry and Crispy Edamame

Shrimp Curry

-garlic, minced
-onion, diced
-bell pepper, diced(prefer it with red, but I had green on hand this time)
-sesame oil

Saute the above in a wok or large skillet until tender.


Add:
-curry paste
-curry powder
-garam masala
-coconut milk
And bring to a boil


Add raw, peeled and deveined shrimp and cook until pink. Add a couple of pats of butter and once melted add a slurry of water and cornstarch to thicken sauce. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve over rice.


Crispy Edamame
-frozen edamame, thawed
-salt
-pepper
-olive oil
Spread out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

I sprinkled mine straight onto the curry for a little extra layer of flavor.

Bloody Mary with Oyster Shooters

I probably gross most people out eating oysters, but I can't help it. I love them, they are good for you, low fat and a natural aphrodisiac to boot. :)

Anyway, my favorite way to eat them lately is to wrap in bacon, squirt with some fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Serve up with the spiciest of bloody marys and blue cheese stuffed olives.

Grab your chopsticks!!

My first attempt at making my own sushi went relatively well. My rolls were far from perfectly shaped, but they weren't too bad. I went with two simple rolls. Yum Yum roll which is a spicy crab mixture and nori(pictured). And I made a version of a California roll, but instead of imitation crab I used cooked shrimp...sooo much better! I somehow missed getting a picture of that one though.

Salad with Ginger Dressing



Yum Yum Roll

Salmon Pouches

I just kinda whipped this up one evening. It was healthy, quick and quite good.

On a piece of foil I placed some bell peppers & banana peppers. Salmon on top. I sprinkled with salt and pepper and some minced garlic. Then threw in some grape tomatoes and a drizzle of white wine. Make a foil pouch, stuck in the oven for about twenty minutes and viola!

I was short on my fresh veggies but I think this would be extra special with some fresh asparagus.

Salt & Pepper Calamari & Shrimp

I love the salt and pepper calamari at a local chinese buffet, so this was my attempt at making it myself. I was quite pleased with the results. The addition of shrimp was good too!


Salt & Pepper Calamari & Shrimp
Toss cleaned shrimp and squid in a little cornstarch, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Be generous with the pepper. Saute all until crispy in sesame oil and a drizzle of chile oil. Drain on paper towels.

Salmon with Pecan Coating

Salmon with Pecan Coating
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons butter, melted
5 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
6 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
salt and pepper to taste
6 lemon wedges

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, butter, and honey. In another bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
2. Season each salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with mustard-honey mixture. Cover the top of each fillet with bread crumb mixture.
3. Bake for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part, or until salmon just flakes when tested with a fork. Serve garnished with lemon wedges.

**The only change I made was to use a whole plank of salmon instead of fillets**

Linguine with Clams

Whole clams, EVOO, parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, mushrooms...
Tossed with pasta...

Crabby Artichoke Fondue...

At my dear friend Maleesa's request I'm reposting this with the recipe included.
I just kinda took two or three recipes I found and picked my favorite ingredients of each and vamped it to make my own.



Crabby Artichoke Fondue


- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
-1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 8oz shredded fontina cheese
-4oz cream cheese
-1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno peppers
- 1/2 pound crab meat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Warm oil in fondue pot. Add bell pepper, artichoke hearts, green onions and saute 2-3 minutes. Add cheeses and milk and melt on low until nice and smooth. Lightly fold in crab meat and other ingredients. Serve with cubes of warm crusty french bread.

Pan Grilled Sea Scallops

This recipe came from one of my new cookbooks that I got for Christmas, The New England Clam Shack Cookbook.

1.5 pounds of sea scallops
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 tsp olive oil
Lemon wedges

If the scallops are damp or wet, pat dry with paper towels. To make the seasoning mix, in a small bowl, combine the salt, sugar, basil, thyme, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir well.

In a large skillet heat the oil over the medium-high heat. Sprinkle the scallops very lightly on both sides with the seasoning mix. When the oil is hot, arrange scallops in the pan in a single layer, without touching. Cook, adjusting the heat if necessary, until the bottoms are nicely browned and caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn with tongs and cook on the other side until the scallops are just firm to the touch and lightly browned on the bottom another 2-4 minutes, depending on their size.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Stuffed Rainbow Trout

I made this with my daddy years ago. Jason, my hubby, doesn't really like fish so much, unless its fried and I love it. So, when he went out of town last weekend I treated myself to this. It was as good as I remembered from years ago.

4 rainbow trout, butterflied and deboned
2 medium green peppers, chopped
1 cup of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup of butter
20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups herb seasoned croutons
1/4 cup of lemon juice
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme

salt for trout


Heat oven to 350. Cook and stir(in butter) green pepper and mushrooms about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cherry tomatoes, croutons, lemon juice, salt, pepper and thyme. Lightly salt the cavity of each trout, fill with 1/2 cup of stuffing. Place remaining stuffing in a greased baking dish. Arrange stuffed trout on top. Wrap tails in buttered aluminum foil. Bake until trout flakes easily with a fork, about 30-35 minutes. Remove foil from tails. Garnish with lemon slices.

Diva Pasta- Rattlesnake Pasta

Okay, I swear we really do eat more things than pasta. That just seems to be all the new things I have been trying lately or I forget to take pictures....

Anyway, I have had this recipe stored up for a long time to try. It is my version of Rattlesnake Pasta that I had at J. Alexander's, which I loved. Well, I loved mine as well. I did use shrimp instead of chicken like I had at J's.




Rattlesnake Pasta

8 T butter
1 c heavy cream
12 T parmesen cheese
2 T flour
1 pinch of ground cayenne pepper
s&p to taste
1/4 c finely chopped jalapeno peppers
3 T minced garlic
1 lb medium shrimp
4 cups penne pasta, cooked & tossed in 2 T olive oil

Combine butter, cream, parmesan, flour, salt, pepper & cayenne. Heat slowly until thickened. Add the jalapeno, garlic and shrimp. Simmer until shrimp are cooked through. Serve over pasta.

P.S.- I didn't make that bread. I bought it at The Fresh Market. And it was fab. Kalamata olives, garlic, sun dried tomatoes...

Avocado Shrimp Cocktail

My new cilantro product find not only has me dreaming of fish tacos, but guacamole and all other things avocado. This takes me back to the Avocado Shrimp Cocktail that I made this past New Years Eve. I want one. I want one now.

Avocado Shrimp Cocktail

10 large cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp, cut in chunks
1 large avocado, peeled and chunked
lime juice, fresh ground pepper and fresh cilantro to taste
2-3 Tablespoons of cocktail sauce