Baked tilapia with lots of spice

This is an awesome recipe.  Really quick fish dish.  I made some orzo and placed the fish on top of it.  You can find the recipe
Here






Printable Version
Ingredients: In a small container combine the following spices:
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon basil
3/4 teaspoon basil
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
----------------------
2 tilapia fillets
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons diced green onions
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
In a small bowl combine the spices.
In a shallow container mix the bread crumbs, dried parsley, and green onions.
Measure 4 teaspoons of the spice mix and sprinkle that over the fillets
Add remaining spice mix the the bread crumbs, mixing well. Add the olive oil to the bread crumb mix, blending it with your hands.
Dredge the fish in the breadcrumbs, coating well. I covered one side really well.
Place the fish on a baking pan that has been covered with parchment paper and sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake 450 degrees for 15 minutes. The original recipe says to bake 6 minutes, turn and bake 4 minutes, turn and bake an additional 4 minutes. Baking it 15 minutes without turning makes all of the breading stay on the fish.

Lemon/ Butter Scallops

Scallops are one of Jud's favorite foods so on our anniversary every year, I try to find a recipe that uses scallops.  I'm not a huge fan of scallops, but this was nice and he liked it.  He grilled vegetables and that was my favorite part.

Ingredients:

 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 pound scallops Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cloves garlic, minced Juice of 1 lemon Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry. Season scallops with salt and pepper, to taste. Working in batches, add scallops to the skillet in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and translucent in the center, about 1­2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm. To make the lemon butter sauce, melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve scallops immediately with lemon butter sauce, garnished with parsley, if desired

Honey Lime Tilapia

This may be my favorite tilapia recipe . You can find it Here
I have started following some of her pinterest boards. Looking forward to finding more gems.

Fish and Marinade:
• 4 tilapia fillets (about 4-5 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 large lime)
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
Coating and Cooking:
• 1/2 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper and garlic. Place the tilapia in a gallon-sized ziploc bag and pour the marinade on top of the fish. Press the air out of the bag and seal. Refrigerate the fish for at least an hour and up to 4 hours. It helps to lay the bag in a flat dish and turn it over once or twice during the marinading time since the marinade won't completely cover the fish.
2. Before cooking, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish like a pie plate. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until rippling and hot. Dredge each tilapia fillet in the flour, coating both sides lightly. Cook the fillets for 3-5 minutes per side without moving the fish while it cooks on each side; this will ensure a more even browning. Adjust the cooking time as needed depending on the thickness of the tilapia and the heat of the skillet and work in batches if necessary so the skillet isn't overcrowded.
3. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from One Lovely Life, found via Pinterest

Pan Fried Trout with Tomato Basil Sauce

This is an easy meal for a busy day. The fish only takes about 5 min.
to prepare. The baked potato takes longer, but you can put it in the 
oven and forget about it. We were able to use cherry tomatoes and
basil from our garden.



Ingredients:
2 oz. pancetta (I used two slices of bacon)
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 -- 6oz. trout (I used tilapia)
1/4 cup basil leaves
lemon slices (optional)
Method:
Cook pancetta or bacon in a skillet. Cook until it begins to brown.  Ad cherry tomatoes, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook 3 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften. Remove from heat and stir in basil leaves.  Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes on each side. Top fish with tomato mixture. Serve with lemon slices if desired.

                                                                              

Salmon with Yogurt/Mustard/Dill Sauce

I do not know where I found this recipe because I didn't write it down. Almost none of my recipes are originals. Salmon was on sale, so I looked through my recipe file for a recipe and found this one. The sauce was really good and would go well with almost any fish.





Ingredients for the Salmon:
1 salmon filet
salt and pepper
Ingredients for the sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
squeeze of fresh lemon
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper.  Line a baking dish with foil or parchment paper. Place salmon in prepared dish and roast for 15 minutes.  To make the sauce whisk together yogurt, mustard, dill, lemon zest, and lemon. Salt and pepper to taste.

Boiled Shrimp

When I was growing-up, my dad would catch shrimp in the nets and mom would boil them and put a huge pot in the middle of the table.  This was one of my favorite food memories.  We had to peel our own shrimp, and if you didn't learn to peel fast, you would miss out.
Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp-- I peeled and deviened the shrimp . (Aren't I nice)
1/4 cup Crawfish, Shrimp and Crab Boil
Method:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add seasoning and shrimp. Let boil for 5 minutes and then turn off the heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes.  If you don't add the Crawfish boil, just boil the shrimp for 5 minutes and then take the shrimp out and serve.
Red Sauce:
1/3 cup Ketshup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, or to taste
Method:
Stir all ingredients together and dip each shrimp in as you eat.

Shrimp Enchiladas

Bill "Sling' Slingerland won first place and $1,000 in grocery coupons from H.E.B. at the Aransas Pass Shrimporee Seafood Cook-off several years ago.






Ingredients: Makes about 20 enchiladas
1 1/2 pounds cooked shrimp, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1 can Cream of Shrimp soup
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, divided
20 corn tortillas
1 cup water
3 cans salsa verde
additional grated Monterrey Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in skillet, add onions and saute' until clear, then add poblano peppers and cook until soft. Add shrimp and soup. Take off heat. Stir in cheese. Soften tortillas by steaming them over hot water. Fill tortillas with spoonful of filling. Foll and lay in a 9" X 13" pan that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. After pan is full, about 20 enchiladas, cover enchiladas with green sauce (salsa verde), then sprinkle with additional cheese. Add dollops of sour cream if desired. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
This makes about 5 enchiladas
Note: When I made it this time, I was only making it for two people. I did not have a poblano pepper or cream of shrimp soup, so this is what I did.   I added about 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. When the butter was melted, I added about 3 tablespoons of onions chopped.  After they were soft, I added 1 tablespoons of flour, stirring it until incorporated. Then I added about 1 cup of half and half along with uncooked shrimp. After about 2 minutes, I added two handfuls of fresh spinach.  I softened the tortillas in the microwave for 20 seconds.  I put about two tablespoons of filling in each of the 5 tortillas and rolled them placing them in the prepared baking dish. Top it with the salsa verde sauce and then the cheese. I did not add the sour cream this time and I only used 1/4 pound of shrimp. It was plenty for the two of us.

Fish Sticks from Scratch

I found this recipe in the Austin American Statesman. You can find it Here  Jud has mentioned in the past that he had fish stick growing up. When I saw this recipe I knew I needed to make them to revisit a memory.  These were so much better than I even hoped.  I used cod for my fish of choice.  




Ingredients:
4 slices bread ( or panko bread crumbs)
Thick milk white fish fillets such as cod, halibut, or haddock
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 pinches of salt and fresh ground white pepper (I just used black pepper)
1 large egg white
4 teaspoons oil, for cooking  ( I used my deep fryer so I used more oil)
Directions:
1. To make the fish sticks, put the fish in the freezer for 1 hour to make it easier to cut into pieces.
2. To make bread crumbs, preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cut bread into pieces and lay them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes until crispy and dry. Turn the bread into crumbs in a food processor.
3. Place flour in a shallow cake pan and mix with salt and pepper.
4. Place egg white in another cake pan and beat it lightly with a fork.
5. Place bread crumbs in a third cake pan.
6. Using a sharp knife, cut the frozen fish into sticks about 3 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide.
7. Coat the fish sticks first in the flour, then in the egg white, and finally in the breadcrumbs.
8. Pour oil into a skillet and fry the fish sticks for 5 minutes on each side over high heat until they are golden and cooked through.
9. Drain the fish sticks on paper towels and serve them hot with tartar sauce and red sauce.
* Note - I used a Fry Daddy and it only had to cook about 2 minutes. I fried 4 at a time.

Quesadillas with Shrimp and Peppers

This recipe comes from Ree Drummond from foodnetwork, and you can find the recipe Here

Ingredients:

1 cup Mexican red sauce (I used bottled taco sauce because I had it.)

12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped into 1/2 rings

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into strips

Butter, for cooking tortillas

6 flour tortillas

2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Sour cream, for serving

Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

On a large plate, pour the red sauce over the shrimp and set aside.

 

Heat a skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. Cook the onions and bell peppers over high heat until they start to get nicely browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

 

Add the shrimp with the sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry. Remove from the skillet and chop the shrimp into bite-size pieces.

In a clean skillet, heat some butter, place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on the ingredients:  cheese, vegetables, and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn't overly dry. Remove from heat and slice into wedges. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and filling ingredients. Serve with sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Note: I only used the green bell peppers. I cut the shrimp in the skillet. I cooked the quesadillas in a Panini Press and spread butter on the first tortilla and placed it in the Panini press with butter side down. Then I built the quesadilla and placed the second tortilla on top with the butter side up. Then I shut the press and cooked them about 3 minutes. 

 

Salmon with Chimichurri Sauce

My daughter told me about this sauce. It is usually made to go on steak, but it was awesome on the salmon.  This will certainly become a staple in our refrigerator.






Chimichurri Sauce  Ingredients:  Find the recipe Here
1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
 3-4 small garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (can substitute 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
I added 1/4 teaspoon dried dill and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.  I thought it would be a nice addition for the fish.  I was right.  I love when that happens. 
Method: Add parsley, fresh oregano, and garlic to the food processor. While food processor is going add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add dill and mustard if desired. Serve immediately. Can refrigerate for 1-2 days. Return to room temperature to serve.

I left the salmon on the counter to get to room temperature while I made the chimichurri sauce. Then I salt and peppered both sides of the fish. Add 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a skillet, I used my cast iron skillet. When it gets hot, medium high, cook it on each side about 3 minutes, depending on how done you like your fish.

Creamy Pico de Gallo Shrimp

I got this recipe from Becky Upchurch. She found it in the May 2012 issue of Express News. Can't believe I am just now trying it.  It will be my go to shrimp dish. I used a serano pepper that we got from a friend. Thanks Bill and Becky. I cut this recipe in 1/2.





Printable Version
Ingredients:
12 large wild-caught (16-20 count) shrimp--cleaned (I used about 8 because I was just making it for 2)
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup purple onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and diced
2 Tablespoons dry white wine
1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 Tablespoon cilantro, diced
1/2 cup heavy cream
Juice and zest of 1 lime
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a hot pan, melt butter and sear shrimp for 30 seconds on each side. Remove shrimp and set aside. In same pan, saute' onion, garlic, jalapeno until onion becomes soft. 4 minutes. Deglaze pan with wine. Let wine reduce by 1/2. Add tomato, cilantro, cream, lime zest, juice of lime, salt pepper and shrimp. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly. Taste for seasoning. Serve over rice.

Crispy Potato Patties with Creole Shrimp

Here is another recipe from my "Good Housekeeping" November 2014 issue. I made this recipe just how it is in the magazine. I cut everything in 1/2 since I was only making it for the two of us.  







Printable Version
Ingredients:
3 cups cold leftover mashed potatoes
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 large stalks celery

1 small green or red pepper
4 cloves of garlic 
1 Tablespoon plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
 1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
1 pound large (16-20 count) shelled, deveined shrimp
2 teaspoons Louisana-style hot sauce
Sliced green onions, for garnish
1. Form potatoes into patties. Brush tops with egg and sprinkle with 1/2 of bread crumbs, pressing to adhere. Turn patties over and repeat on other side. Place patties on large platter and freeze 20 minutes. Meanwhile, chop celery, bell epper and garlic.
2. In 4 quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high heat. Add celery, pepper, and Creole seasoning. Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Add garlic. Cook 2 minutes, stirring. Add tomatoes. Heat to simmering. Reduce heat to maintain simmer. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. While sauce simmers, in 12-inch skillet, heat 1/2 cup oil on medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add potato patties to pan. Cook 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown, adjusting heat as necessary. Transfer to paper towel lined platter.
3. To saucepan, add shrimp and hot sauce. Cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are opaque throughout and cooked, stirring occasionally. Serve shrimp mixture over potato patties; garnish with green onions.

Melt-in-your-Mouth Salmon Fillets with Convection Oven

I finally got to use my convection oven.  If you have a
conventional oven, just check it after 10 min. at 450
 degrees.  I have been trying to make salmon, because
I know it is good for us, for years, and this is the first
time that we actually liked my salmon.  I usually just
order it at a restaurant. Now I know I can do it. Yea!
I think one of the keys to the success is a very hot oven.
The other key is not to overcook it. The following is the
site where I found this recipe.  melt-in-your-mouth salmon


Printable Version

Ingredients:
5 salmon fillets (skin left on one side) ( I used Sockeye salmon)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or as needed)
2 teaspoons dried dill weed (or to taste)
2 teaspoons lemon pepper (or to taste)
seasoning salt (to taste)
lemon wedges
Directions:
1. Wash the salmon well under cold water then pat dry using paper towels.
2. In a bowl mix together mayonnaise with dried dill and lemon pepper until combined.
I didn't have dill weed or lemon pepper so I grated a little lemon zest and pepper into the mayonnaise mixture instead of lemon pepper.  I substituted a pinch of Itallian seasoning and a pinch of fresh rosemary diced fine for the dill weed.
Using a bnrush coat all sides of the salmon fillets generously with mayonnaise
4. Place a well-greased rack into a greased baking dish and set the salmon (skin-side down) onto the rack
5. Sprinkle the top of the fillets with seasoning salt.
6. At this point you can cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
7. Set the convection oven to heat at 425 degrees (must be a hot oven)
8. Bake the salmon for 5 min. then turn off the heat and let rest in the oven for 2 minutes. (do not turn the salmon. The recipe says to cook for 20 minutes, but we checked it at 5 min. and it was almost done.
9. Serve the cooked fillets with lemon wedges.