Category Archives: Seafood

May 08 6 comments
Main Dish, Quick, Recipes, Salad, Seafood, Spring, Summer, Vegetable, Winter

Moroccan-Spiced Tuna Salad

tunasalad2

Tuna salad is one of my go-to meals for when I’m short on time. We are on day 12 of our porch project (almost done, though!) and delicious meals that can be made in a hurry are a must. When I want classic tuna salad, I mix in lemon juice, parsley, onion, capers and mayo, but last summer I came across Kimberley’s Moroccan-spiced chicken salad and it inspired me to create my own version. I’ve been making this ever since.

The savory and sweet spices mixed with the plump raisins make this tuna salad special. It’s a snap to throw together, but tastes like a salad you would buy for a premium at a fancy deli. I add a bunch of Thompson raisins because I think they complement the spices amazingly well, but feel free to omit them if you don’t care for them or add a smaller amount and adjust from there. Make it your own! I like to make a big batch, because it tastes even better the next day for lunch.

P.S. That picture was taken on the railing of our old porch. The paint was getting chalky and flaking away. Updated pictures coming soon!

Recipe: Moroccan-Spiced Tuna Salad

Inspired by The Year in Food

Makes about 8 sandwiches

4 cans of tuna in olive oil or water (5 oz. cans)

3/4 C. mayonnaise or Greek yogurt

3 ribs of celery, finely diced

1/2 of a medium onion, finely diced

1 1/2 C. raisins

1 small lemon or 1/2 of a large lemon, juiced

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. chipotle chili powder (or ancho chili powder plus 1/8 t. cayenne for heat)

1 t. paprika

sliced bread

lettuce

1. In a large bowl, mix drained tuna and all other ingredients together with a fork. Refrigerate and allow flavors to come together or enjoy right away.

2. Scoop onto your favorite, lightly toasted bread. Top with lettuce, if you wish.

Mar 13 9 comments
Appetizer, Gluten Free, Main Dish, Quick, Recipes, Seafood, Spring, Vegetable

Coconut Lemongrass Mussels with Baby Bok Choy

It took way too long for me to get into mussels. I feel the same way about fancy mushrooms and oysters, too. When they are fresh, they need very little preparation to make them delicious. I love digging out the plump mussels and savoring the flavorful broth they bathe in. I enjoy the entire experience.

The first time I made mussels at home, I was really sick. I stayed home from work feeling just awful and then I had a sudden burst of energy and an itch to leave the house. I had made a grocery list a few days earlier with ingredients for white wine mussels and of all things, complicated baklava. Tired of sitting on the couch, I dragged myself to the market and picked up all I needed to make these two new dishes. I tinkered in the kitchen for a few hours and when the baklava was gorgeous and the mussels prepared, my body reminded me that I was really sick.

Marc walked in the door and was not expecting mussels and baklava for dinner based on the state he left me in that morning. We sat down to dinner and after taking my first bite, I realized I could not taste a thing. I could only detect temperature and slight sensations of sweet, salty and sour. I raised my fist in the air and cursed my situation. After dinner I passed out and paid the price for acting on my energy burst. I’ll never know how my first batch of mussels or baklava tasted.

Although I’ve had some delicious mussels in rich and creamy broth, I was yearning for something light and full of flavor. This recipe was just the thing. It’s incredibly aromatic with lemongrass, ginger, garlic and a hint of spice from the chile. The addition of coconut water is light and refreshing. A perfect meal as we transition into spring.

I cracked my first young coconut and it was easy once I got the hang of it. Thank goodness for tutorials on the internet! If you don’t want to take the time, substitute 1 C. of pure coconut water and just forgo the coconut flesh. I am certain it will still be delicious!

Recipe: Coconut Lemongrass Mussels with Baby Bok Choy

Adapted from Curtis Stone

1 stalk fresh lemongrass

2 T. grapeseed or other hight heat oil

1 jalapeno or serrano chile pepper, seeds removed and then finely chopped

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 bunches baby bok choy, rinsed and leaves separated

1/4 C. sweet white wine (like Gewurztraminer)

1 young coconut, flesh chopped and water reserved or 1 C. pure coconut water (here’s how to open)

sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

24 mussels or 2 pounds of mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded (instructions below)

1/2 C. coconut milk

lemon wedges for serving, if desired

Prepare your mussels

1. Some mussels will have a beard that needs to be removed. You can simply pull between your fingers towards the hinge in the back until it pulls off. You can also press a small knife against your thumb and pull between your pointer and the knife, cutting if necessary.

2. If any of the mussels are open, gently tap on the shell a couple of times. If it begins closes, it’s a keeper; if it doesn’t close, throw it away. Also throw away any that have cracked shells. You want all of the mussels to be alive before steaming.

3. Scrub each mussels under cold water and place in a colander. Lay a damp kitchen towel over the top and nestle a handful of ice cubes on top. This will keep them cool and moist until you are ready to steam. Buy mussels the same day you intend to use them.

Time to steam

1. Cut the leafy top of the lemongrass stalk, so you are left with a 3-4 inch piece of the light green bottom part. Using the dull side of a large sharp knife, pound the lemon grass to break it apart and release its aroma. In a large pot or  saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, add the oil, lemon grass, chile, ginger and garlic over medium heat. Once the pan heats up and the ingredients begin to sizzle, give it a stir. Then pour in the white wine, coconut water and coconut flesh (if using). Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and stir.

2. Add in the mussels and top with the baby bok choy leaves. Cover with the lid and steam for about 5-7 minutes or until mussels have opened and the baby bok choy is bright green.

3. Remove from the heat and discard any unopened mussels. Pour the coconut milk over the finished mussels and toss well. Serve in generous bowls with plenty of mussels, baby bok choy leaves and lots of aromatic broth. Squeeze fresh wedges of lemon over the mussels and enjoy!

 

Jun 14 5 comments
Gluten Free, Healthy, Main Dish, Quick, Recipes, Seafood, Summer

Copper River Sockeye Salmon and Going for the Win

salmon2

A waiter recommended Copper River Salmon to me  two years ago this month and I still haven’t forgotten the experience. There is an incredible richness to the flesh that makes this particular salmon completely different from all others. For those of you that may not know about it, this special salmon comes from the Copper River in Alaska and is only available for a few short months. They must travel 300 miles to spawn, which requires extra storage of omega-3 fatty acids for the journey. If you haven’t tried it, you really must.

We drove by Whole Foods and they had a big “Copper River Salmon is here!” sign out front. Marc and I were excited because we had honestly never thought to seek it out on our own. Duh. Then, Jen at Tiny Urban Kitchen blogged about a simple grilled preparation and it was on. If you do not have a grill, use your favorite method for cooking salmon. I’ve also included a link to an oven roasting method in the recipe.

livingroom

Want to make a girl’s day?

Recently, I entered a contest on Making it Lovely. Nicole (another Nicole!) shares inspired home design tips and other goodies on her website and recently posted a fantastic giveaway. She is giving away 150,000 American Express points and a custom design for someone in need of a makeover for their social space. Out of all of the entries, amazingly, I’m one of 10 finalist! Pinch me! If you are so inclined, I’d love your vote. No need to register or log in, just click on Nicole at the end of the post. I’m a long-shot, but hey, we’re going for it! Voting ends June 17. Thank you!

Click here to vote!

salmon1

Recipe: Grilled Copper River Salmon

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Serves 2-3

1 lb. of Copper River Salmon (or regular salmon)

oil for grill grate

salt and freshly ground pepper

1. If using a charcoal grill, light charcoal in a chimney starter until covered in thin gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Spread coals in a single layer to make a medium-hot fire. The fire is perfect if you hold your hand outstretched above the coals for 5 seconds before it is too hot. Place grate over the charcoal and using a wad of paper towel dipped in oil, rub over the grate to grease. (Feel free to use a gas grill and cook over medium-high heat or oven roast.)

2. When the grill is ready, generously sprinkle the salmon with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place the salmon skin-side down on the grill. Grill until the skin shrinks and separates from the flesh or 2 1/2 minutes (if your salmon is more than 1 1/2 inches thick, grill for 3 minutes).

3. Flip salmon gently with long-handled tongs or a spatula. Grill until salmon is opaque, yet translucent at the very center, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes (3-4 minutes if salmon is thick).

4. Cut into 2-3 pieces and serve.

Apr 10 3 comments
Main Dish, Pasta Entree, Quick, Recipes, Seafood, Side Dish, Spring, Summer, Vegetable, Vegetarian

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Grilled Asparagus

asparaguspasta

Asparagus seems to be everywhere I go lately and two things come to mind when I see asparagus. #1 is grilling asparagus with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and #2 is this recipe for creamy goat cheese pasta with roasted asparagus. I decided to bring my two asparagus loves together and grilled the asparagus instead of roasting it and combined it with the creamy goat cheese pasta.

Oh yes, these two were made for each other. The smoky asparagus contrasts nicely with the creamy goat cheese and pasta. I usually make this as an easy weeknight entree with a salad, but we picked up some beautiful salmon at Whole Foods and I turned the pasta dish into a side. We marinaded the salmon in a butter rum sauce and it was quite tasty, but I sadly didn’t taste much rum once it was cooked. I’ll include that recipe here, too. If you cannot grill the asparagus or salmon, roasting works great.  I first fell in love with this creamy goat cheese pasta dish when I made the roasted asparagus version. It’s quick and delicious.

rawasparagus

Recipe: Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Roasted (or Grilled) Asparagus

Adapted from Everyday Food

Serves 4 generously for an entree and 6 as a side dish

I’m going to share the roasted asparagus recipe below as I make it. Grilling works great if you are already grilling your protein. Place the prepared asparagus in a single layer on the grill for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally to prevent burning. It works out well to start the water boiling right before you place the asparagus on the grill. Let cool and cut into 2 inch pieces before adding to pasta.

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds), tough ends trimmed

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 T.  unsalted butter, but into small pieces

1 pound cavatappi pasta (or your favorite kind)

1 small log soft goat cheese (5-7 oz.), crumbled

2-3 T. snipped fresh chives for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces and place on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. While the asparagus is roasting, generously salt the now boiling water. Add pasta and cook al dente, according to the package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 C. of pasta water, then drain the pasta and return the drained pasta to the pot.

3. In a large bowl combine the goat cheese, 3 T. butter and 1/2 C. pasta water.  Season with salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Add pasta and goat cheese to the goat cheese mixture and toss to combine. Add more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat the pasta. Serve garnished with snipped chives.

salmonwithpasta

Butter Rum Grilled and Smoked Salmon

Recipe from about.com via frantic google search

I cut this recipe in half because we purchased 1 pound of salmon and not 2. I’m sure this cook be baked and taste great, too. I’d bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until if flakes easily in the center.

Serves 4-6

2 lbs. salmon

3 T. butter, melted

3 T. dark rum

2 T. olive oil

1 head garlic, peeled and minced

1 T. black pepper

2 t. salt

1. Set up a two zone fire in your charcoal grill (one cool side and one hot side). While grill is heating, soak your favorite wood chunks in water for at least 30 minutes.

2. Twenty minutes before you are ready to grill, lay salmon on a rimmed baking sheet and combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. Spread mixture evenly over the salmon. Let sit for 15 minutes.

3. Add wood chunks to the coals and oil your grill grates. Gently place the salmon over the cooler side of the grill. Close the lid and let the salmon smoke for 30-45 minutes, depending on the thickness. When finished the salmon should flake easily in the center. The color should be light pink without any shine.

rawsalmonwithmarinade

Feb 11 2 comments
Healthy, Main Dish, Quick, Recipes, Seafood, Summer

Crunchy Fish Wrap with Spicy Mayo

openfishwrap

I have this lofty goal of one day having a binder full of delicious recipes I can make in no time at all and when I start to think that dream is impossible, a miracle recipe like this comes along. I took a technique for fish I saw on Everyday Food and turned it into a different, but delicious recipe.

fishwraptoppings

fishinskillet

Recipe: Crunchy Fish Wrap

Adapted from Everday Food, serves 3-4

1 lb. cod filet (or your favorite white fish), cut into 1″ strips

3 T. cornmeal (medium ground)

coarse salt and ground pepper

3 T. oil (high heat, flavorless variety)

Large handful of baby spinach

1 tomato, sliced or diced

1 avocado, sliced

4 whole wheat tortillas or other whole grain wrap

Spicy Mayo

1/2 C. good mayonnaise

1 t. cayenne pepper (it’s pretty spicy, but you spread it lightly)

*Have your wrap toppings ready because the fish cooks quickly!*

1. Pat fish dry and place in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle corn meal, salt and pepper over fish and toss to coat.

2. Heat oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet over high heat. Brown fish on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Do not move fish during the first 2 minutes so it develops a nice golden brown crust. If you move it too soon, the fish will fall apart.

3. While fish is cooking, combine mayo and cayenne into a small bowl and mix well.

4. Transfer finished fish to a paper-towel lined plate and sprinkle with a bit more coarse salt, if desired.

5. Heat wraps in oven or microwave to soften or use my favorite method- put wrap or tortilla directly onto a medium-heat gas burner for a a few seconds until you see some dark brown spots, flip with tongs until the tortilla is warm and slightly crispy.

6. To assemble, take a warm tortilla or wrap, spread a layer of spicy mayo over it and then layer your favorite toppings with a few piece of crispy fish. Roll tortilla and serve.

Mmmm....spicy, crunchy goodness

Mmmm....spicy, crunchy goodness

Jan 10 NO comments
Healthy, Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood, Soup, Vegetable, Vegetarian, Winter

2010 and Mushroom Tarragon Soup

Mushroom Tarragon Soup

Happy New Year! I am hoping 2010 will be an exciting year of more exercise (what a terrible cliche!) and my first full year of liking mushrooms. Mushrooms and I have had a hard relationship in the past, but I’ve decided we can make things work. Since our Michigan weather is now really cold and that white stuff is all over the ground, all I seem to want these days is soup.Maybe I want to be in one of the Campbell’s soup commercials. Remember the one with the boy that is a snowman and the soup defrosts him?

While at my parents’ for the holidays, Marc and I went to one of our favorite new restaurants, The Biscuit, and had a delicious Mushroom Tarragon soup. It was a bit creamy, but it wasn’t super thick. For me, it was perfection. It was silky and just really good. To combine my dreams of being in a soup commercial and my new found love of the mushroom, I sought to recreate the delicious soup.

After some internet research, I think I found the perfect one. It’s full of flavor and gets its creamy texture from some low-fat milk and blending half of the soup. I know I said in a previous post that I don’t like getting out my food processor or blender for soups, but after working hard to chop the ingredients, I did not want to taste the soup and feel like it might have been better. The chopping is pretty labor intensive, but it’s worth it. I promise.

Mushroom Soup Ingredients Shallots in Pot

Mushroom Tarragon Soup

Adapted from Epicurious

Serves 4-6

1 T. butter (or olive oil)

4 shallots, minced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups cremini mushrooms, minced

1 1/4 C. vegetable stock

1 1/4 C. 1% milk (you could use 2%, whole or half and half if you would like it extra creamy)

2 T. fresh tarragon, chopped

2 T. dry sherry

1 t. salt (more to taste)

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper (more to taste)

1. Melt butter (or add olive oil) in a large pot. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the mushrooms and cook gently for 4 minutes, stirring.

3. Add the stock and milk and bring to a boil (watch carefully as the milk can make this boil over quickly). Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.

4. Stir in the chopped tarragon, salt and pepper. Taste and check if you need more seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Ladle half of the soup into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return the pureed portion back to the pot and reheat slowly on medium low heat.

6. Stir in sherry. Serve immediately.

You know what else I’m resolving to do in 2010? I want to use up ingredients in my fridge before they go bad or before I’m sick of looking at them. I get very sad when I have to throw food in the garbage. Since this is my first time ever purchasing tarragon, I was trying to think of a way to use up the rest of my package. When I opened the package, there was a dandy marinade recipe inside and I quickly thought of a beautiful piece of halibut I had in the fridge. Oh yes, I used all of my tarragon and made two delicious and healthy dinners from it. Score.

HalibutwithSpinach

Tarragon Chili Marinade

Recipe from The Herbal Garden package of tarragon

I made half of the recipe and it made enough for a marinade for 1 lb. of halibut and enough left over to dress a spinach salad and spoon over the top of the finished dish. Below are the measurements I used, but you can double it if you’d like more.

1/2 pkg. of tarragon (or approximately 6 T. of tarragon)

1/8 C. chili powder (I used good quality ancho chili powder)

4 cloves garlic

1/4 C. lemon juice (I juiced 1 lemon)

1/8 honey (I had agave nectar on hand)

1/8 C. sweet molasses

1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste (I used about 1/2-1 t.)

Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor, except for extra virgin olive oil and blend well. With blender or food processor running, stream in olive oil (this was tricky with my blender, because it wanted to spit out of the top. I ended up adding a bit at a time and covering the blender completely after each addition and it worked just fine). Adjust with salt or chili powder to your taste.

Halibut with Tarragon Chili Marinade

my recipe, if you want to call it a recipe

3/4-1 lb. halibut filet (or your favorite firm, white fish)

1 batch of Tarragon Chili Marinade (recipe above)

4-6 C. baby spinach leaves

1 orange, supremed

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and add halibut filet. Cover the fish generously with about half of the marinade recipe. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wipe off all of the marinade from the halibut and discard so the sugars in the marinade do not burn in the oven. Bake halibut for 15-25 minutes or until it flakes easily.

3. Toss a few tablespoons of the marinade with spinach and add orange slices.

4. Add generous helping of salad to plate and serve halibut over the salad. Spoon extra marinade over, if desired.

We love, love, loved the soup. So flavorful and interesting from the combination of flavorful mushrooms and tarragon. We were really happy with how the halibut turned out, too. The marinade is sweet from the molasses and has a kick from the chili powder and garlic. I thought the orange in the salad really made the flavors come to life. This marinade would be really good with shrimp, pork, chicken, veggies, anything really. I like how 2010 is going already.

Jul 18 3 comments
Gluten Free, Healthy, Main Dish, Quick, Recipes, Seafood, Summer

The Perfect Weeknight Meal

raw-grilled-shrimp

We had a pricey post-anniversary celebration at Ocean Prime the other night and after we paid the bill, we decided to go to the freezer and pantry for the rest of the week. The food was fresh and good, the service was quite fantastic, but I thought it was a bit overpriced for what we had.

Each entree comes with a vegetable, but our server explained it was more of “an extension of the garnish” than an actual side. Sigh. Oh, and did I mention that an older lady at the table next to us smoked Virginia Slims all over us the whole time? Yeah, that was fun, too. Anyway, back to the freezer! We found some jumbo shrimp knocking around and I decided that I could continue my “no oven, no way” manifesto for the summer. Here’s what I came up with.

grilling-shrimp

Recipe: Spicy Grilled Shrimp

My husband had the great idea of using 2 skewers per shrimp for easier flipping. I got my metal skewers from Crate and Barrel and they worked nicely. Make sure to protect your hands once the grilled shrimp is ready, the metal skewers will be hot! These have a nice flavor and you can dial the heat up or down by how much hot sauce you use.

20 jumbo raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

3-4 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. smoked paprika

2 T. garlic salt (I used roasted garlic salt that I found at a seasoning shop)

2-4 T. Cholula (you can use Tabasco, Frank’s or other hot sauce)

1. If using a charcoal grill, start your coals in a starter and when they have turned white, add them to your grill and prepare a medium hot fire.

2. Peel and devein the raw shrimp. For the jumbo shrimp, insert your skewers on opposite ends of the shrimp (about 2 inches apart). Add 6 shrimp per pair of skewers and make sure to skewer them evenly. Transfer skewers to a large plate or rimmed baking sheet.

3. Drizzle one side of the shrimp with half of the above olive oil and Cholula. Sprinkle half of the above amount of garlic salt and smoked paprika on the shrimp. Turn and repeat on the other side.

4. Once your grill is ready, put the shrimp on the grill. Grill for only about 2-3 minutes per side or until the shrimp turns pink. Serve immediately.

finished-shrimp