Cajun Shrimp and Pasta

Jud really liked this dish, but I just thought it was o.k. I probably won't make it again.
Found this in the Express News from Jan Tilley's book, Healthy Meals for Hurried Families






Ingredients:
6 oz. whole-wheat angel hair pasta
1/4 cup butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 chopped green onion
1 1/2 teaspoons Tony Chachere's Spicy Creole Seasoning, or to taste (Next time I will probably only use 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon cracked fresh black pepper
1 cup white wine
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup baby spinach
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, cook for 5 minutes until almost al dente; drain.
Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and green onion. Season with Cajun seasoning and pepper, and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in wine, tomatoes and shrimp.
Continue to cook and stir until shrimp are opaque. Mix in pasta and spinach, cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until pasta is al dente and spinach is wilted.

Salmon Patties

We had these salmon patties for dinner last night.  The recipe makes about 7 nice patties.  So I had 3 left-over for lunch today.  I served them on a bed of lettuce, tomatoes, and salad dressing for lunch today.  It was really good and I will make them again.





Ingredients:
1 large can of salmon (about 2 cups)
2 Tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 tablespoon dry parsley
3 dashes tobasco
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
8 crackers - coarsely crumbled (I used about 1/2 cup of wheat germ instead)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
12 crackers crushed fine for coating the patties
(sometimes I also use wheat germ to coat the patties)
1. Remove bones and skin from salmon. flake
2. Add onion, dill, parsley, tobasco, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
3. Slightly beat 2 eggs, add to salmon mixture
4. Add wheat germ or 8 crackers to mixture, stir to combine
5. Add juice and zest of 1 lemon
6. Make patties 1/2 inch thick and 4" round. Dip both sides in fine crushed crackers, put on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
7. Fry in butter and canola oil.

Tilapia with Mango Salsa

I don't know if I have posted the recipe for mango salsa, but we love it on everything from fish-chicken-pork tenderloin. It is very versatile and oh so good. You can make the same salsa using fresh pineapple and it is just as good.


Printable Version:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/tilapia-with-mango-salsa
Ingredients:
1 ripe mango, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 of a small red onion
juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Let rest for about 15 minutes to give the flavors time to combine.

To make the fish, use a non-stick skillet and use 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter.  While this is heating,  take two talapia fillets and salt and peppered them on both sides. Then  lightly floured both sides.  Carefully, place the fillets in the hot oil/butter. Cook on both sides for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan to papper towels. Blot dry and plate the fish.  Spoon the mango salsa over the top of the fish.

Cracker-Breaded Fried Shrimp

We love fried shrimp at our house and this is a nice buttery crispy shrimp that we really enjoyed.  Hope you enjoy it as well. This recipe comes from Julianne Polaha from Tuluca Lake, California.
We found that coarsely crushed crackers work best for this recipe. Place crackers in a zip-top plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin.


Printable Version:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/cracker-breaded-shrimp

Ingredients:
2 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
1 1/2 cups crushed buttery round crackers (about 26 crackers)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2-3 drops hot sauce
1 large egg
vegetable oil
Peel, shrimp, leaving tails intact, and devin
Combine crushed crackers, flour, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and salt in a shallow dish. Stir together buttermilk, hot sauce, egg, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl until blended. Dip shrimp in buttermilk mixture; dredge in cracker mixture.
Pour oil to a depth of 2 1/2 inches into a large, deep cast-iron or heavy-duty skillet; heat to 375 degrees F. Fry shrimp, in batches, 1-2 minutes or until golden; drain on wire racks over paper towels

Ok, Fine--A Real Enchilada Recipe - Paleo Style

I decided yesterday that I was going to try to eat the Paleo diet for at least 1 month and see what happens.  I made most of this for Jud and added corn tortillas and cheese on top.  Mine is on the far right w/o tortillas and cheese.  It was more like an enchilada soup. It was really tasty though.  They are big on meat, vegetables, fruit, and nuts.  No dairy, grains, or sugar.  They call it the cave-man diet.  These are the foods that the cave-men ate, supposedly.

Seafood "Enchiladas"-- The reason she has the quotation marks around the enchiladas is because it has the enchilada taste, but non of the ingredients like cheese and tortillas that make it an enchilada.
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons coconut oil or grass-fed butter or ghee  I just used butter (o.k., so I cheated)
2 cups tomato puree (make your own using 4 large tomatoes pureed in a foodprocessor) I pureed some canned diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound seafood of choice such as wild caught cod, shrimp, or crab (or other protein like shredded chicken or ground beef)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Saute the onions in the butter until limp.
3. Add the tomato puree, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Mix well and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
4. Pour the sauce into food processor and process until smooth.
5. Cover the bottom of a glass baking dish with the seafood (shrimp). Pour the enchilada sauce over the seafood, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked.
6. Serve with sliced avocados, lime wedges, and cilantro.

Copycat Brooklyn Cafe Sun Dried Tomato Seared Scallops

Jud loves sea scallops so whenever I don't know what to cook, I think of sea scallops. They are really expensive, but he is definately worth it. I found this recipe while searching the internet for some copycat recipes for other things. I knew Jud would like it because he's just a scallops kind of guy.  I had some fish stock left over that I had in the freezer, so I used that for the liquid in the couscous. I added some toasted almonds and dried cherries.  Good combination.

Printable Recipe:

https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/sun-dried-tomato-seared-scallops

Ingredients:

10 sea scallops (I only made 7)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

2/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup & 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use

1 tomato, diced

1 bunch fresh basil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 zucchini, julienned (I only used 1)

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

1. If sun dried tomatoes are moist, dry in 200 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until dry.  I thought mine were dry, because they were not packed in oil, but when I put them in the blender, they were too moist. I would suggest drying them in the oven.

2. Chop sun-dried tomatoes in blender until it becomes a smooth powder, set aside in a separate bowl.

3. After you have removed the sun-dried tomatoes, don't worry about getting all of it out, add basil, orange juice, and lemon juice to blender. Blend on moderate speed while drizzling 1/4 cup of olive oil in the mixture.

4. Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic. Saute for 15seconds, do not burn, then add zucchini. Saute together, stirring frequently for 2 minutes until zucchini softens. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato and remove from heat and put in a bowl to save for later.

5. Use paper towel to clean out skillet, then add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan.  Season the scallops with salt, pepper, and sun-dried tomato powder. Add scallops to pan and cook 3 minutes on one side before flipping.  Cook an additional 2 minutes on the other side. Transfer to a paper towel.

To serve:

Mound zucchini in the middle of two dinner plates. Place 5 scallops around each mound. Drizzle vinaigrette around the dish. Garnish with fresh basil sprig and a sprinkling of tomato powder.

Because my sun-dried tomatoes were not dry enough, it wasn't a powder. When I put it on the scallops to cook, it just burned.  So I just sprinkled some on the top of the dish and thought it was great. Next time I will dry my sun-dried tomatoes in the oven for 15 minutes.

Classic Shrimp Gobernador Tacos

This was really good, but awefully messy.  I think I am going to take the left-over shrimp and stuff some puff-pastry shells for lunch tomorrow.   I was able to eat mine w/o too much mess, but on Jud's second taco he just had the shrimp on the side and ate the taco plain.
This is from Marcela Vlladolid of Food Network.




http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marcela-valladolid/classic-shrimp-gobernador-tacos-recipe/index.html

This is the recipe for the dish. You can print it right from the website.

Stuffed Bell Peppers- Shrimp

I got this cookbook when I got married and it began to fall apart about 15 years ago.  I bought another one because I loved it so much.  This recipe makes enough for 2 people.
Adapted from Talk About Good Cookbook.



Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/stuffed-bell-peppers--shrimp

Ingredients:
1/2 stalk of celery
1 small onion or 4 scallions
1/2 small bell pepper
This is known in cooking as the trinity.  It is used very often in Louisana cooking which is where this cookbook originated.
Chop the above ingredients fine and wilt down in 1 tablespoon of butter. 
Boil 1/2 pound shrimp with 1 bay leaf, salt, black and red pepper and lemon slices.  Peel, devein and chop fine. Cook 1/2 cup of rice.
Combine:
 1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 drops of tabasco sauce
1/8 teaspoon black and red pepper each
Cut a bell pepper in half lengthwise and place in a saucepan with 2" of water.  Let it boil for 5-7 minutes to soften the peppers.  While this is boiling, combine the trinity with the shrimp and tomato sauce mixture, and rice.  Stuff the bell peppers with the mixture and top with bread crumbs. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Shrimp Diablo

It's Thursday again and Jud is in doing the dishes while I put his meal on my blog.  What a guy!  This recipe comes from a book that we received as a gift, The Texas Hill Country.  I liked this meal better than Jud, but then again, I always like it when I can sit back and not have to cook or clean-up.  This recipe is from "The Texas Hill Country (A Food and Wine Lover's Paradise - Salt Lick in Driftwood.


Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/shrimp-diablo

Ingredients:
Jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied
Onion slivers
slices of seeded fresh jalapenos
Thin-sliced bacon
Salt Lick Dry Rub or your favorite rug
Salt Lick BBQ Sauce or your favorite barbecue sauce
Place an onion sliver and a slice of jalapeno inside each shrimp. Wrap the shrimp in bacon slices and season with dry rub. Place on hot grill and baste with barbecue sauce. Flip and baste again, cooking only until the shrimp turn white throughout. Serve hot, with additional sauce if desired.  Jud decided that a 1/2 piece of bacon was plenty. The part of the bacon that was under the top layer didn't get done.  2 shrimp were enough for me and 3 were enough for Jud. 

Parker's Fish and Chips

I always wondered how they got the fish so light and crisp. Well, now I know.  This would be a great batter for shrimp. From Ina Garten's Cooking Family Style



Printable Recipes:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/parker-s-fish-and-chips
Ingredients:
3 pounds fresh cod fillets (choose thick ones)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon or lime zest
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 extra-large eggs
vegetable oil
Baked "Chips" (recipe follows)
1. Lay the cod fillets on a cutting board. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Cut the fillets in 1 1/2 X 3-inch pieces.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in 1 cup of water and then the 2 eggs. I only used about 3/4 cup of flour for the three fillets that I made.  I used 1 egg and just added water until it was the right consistency (pancake batter).
3. Pour 1/2 inch of oil into a large frying pan and heat it to about 360 degrees. Dip each fillet into the batter, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Place it very carefully into the hot oil. Don't crowd the pieces. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the oil between 360-400 degrees. Cook the fish on each side for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the "chips." You can keep warm in a 200 degree oven (if you have an extra oven) while the chips are baking.  Or do as I did.  Put the potatoes on to cook first and then fry the fish about 5 minutes before the potatoes are ready.


Baked "Chips"
4 large baking potatoes, washed and  unpeeled
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Scrub the potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each half in thirds lengthwise. You'll have six long wedges from each potato. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together,making sure the potatoes are covered with oil. Spread the potatoes in a single layer with one cut side down.
3. Bake the potatoes for 30-35 minutes, turning to the other cut side after 20 minutes. Bake until they are lightly browned, crisp outside, and tender inside. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Shrimp and Grits

I have had this recipe for a while and am finally getting around to making it. We really liked it and thought it was very filling.  I only used 3/4 pound of shrimp for Jud and me, and it was plenty. I cut everything else in 1/2, but I will print the recipe like Joe has it.



Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/shrimp-and-grits

Ingredients Shrimp:
1 1/2 pounds shrimp
2 tablespoons cajun seasoning (recommended: Tone's Louisana Cajun seasoning)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
Grits:
2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup quick grits
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 1/2 ounces extra-sharp cheddar
Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 slice sugar-cured country ham
Directions:
First, peel and devein the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine cajun seasoning, paprika, italian seasoning and salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the shrimp to coat well and set the shrimp aside.
Next, make your grits. In a medium saucepan, bring water, chicken bouillon cubes and 2 tablespoons butter to a boil. Slowly add the grits, whisking often with wire whisk for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, cream, and cheese. Keep whisking for another 2-3 minutes until the grits become creamy. Don't skimp on the butter and the cream.
Saute the shrimp. In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butte. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the spice-coated shrimp, and cook only until they're just done and tender. (about 3 min.)Don't overcook. Remove the shrimp from the saute pan and set them aside in a bowl.
The roux is next. With all those wonderful drippings from the shrimp in the saute pan, add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (I cut everything in half, but felt I needed a little extra butter at this point.) and stir with a wooden spatula to make a roux. Cook for 10-15 minutes until roux reaches a medium-tan color, (it didn't take that long for me.) then slowly add the chicken stock and heavy whipping cream. Whisk together and cook for 2 minutes, then whisk in worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Set aside.
And last, a little country ham. Cook 1 center slice of cured country ham in a saute pan, and cut into cubes. To serve, and this is the best part, place a few heaping spoonfuls of cheese grits onto a plate. Top with several sizzling shrimp. Drizzle that wonderful roux sauce over top of the shrimp, and sprinkle on a few cubes of country ham. I actually added the ham to the roux and then spooned it over the top of the grits and shrimp.  Delecious!

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

This sauce would also be great on chicken or fish.  This dish takes about 7 minutes to prepare.  I love that.  I wish I had put a piece of basil on top of the tilapia for the picture, but I didn't and it is already gone.  From Allrecipes.com - Phoebe 5/12/2011



Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/broiled-tilapia-parmesan

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 tilapia fillets
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice. Add dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for 2 more minutes. Remove the pan and cover the fillets with the Parmesan cheese mixture only on top. Broil for 2 more minutes. Remove to a serving plate and serve immediately.

Sea Scallops with Saffron Aioli

I know that some of you have checked my blog to see what Jud made for dinner.  Jud loves sea scallops so he has made them twice since he retired.  He has turned into a gourmet cook.  What a guy!
We made the asparagus before, but this one is just a tiny bit different. The recipe comes from Claire Robinson - Food Network.


Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/sea-scallops-with-saffron-aioli

Ingredients:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 cup best-quality mayonnaise
kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
12-16 large sea scallops ( we only bought 7)
Freshly cracked black pepper
Directions:
Put the orange juice and saffron in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 1 minute, until orange juice is infused with the saffron; stir in the zest and remove from the heat to cool slightly. Whisk the orange mixture and the mayonnaise in a small bowl until combined. Season with sal and set aside whie you cook the scallops.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper. When the oil is rippling, add the scallops and sear, turning once, until golden brown but still opaque in the center, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the scallops from the skillet to serving dishes, drizzle with the aioli. Serve immediately.

Asparagus Salad:
Gather 1 bunch of pencil asparagus and trim 1" from the bottom.  Put them in an ice bath for 5 minutes. While they are in the ice bath, bring a large pot of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 teaspoon sugar.  Take the asparagus out of the ice bath and blanch in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.  Take out of the boiling water and drain on a kitchen towl.  Place in the refrigerator while you make the dressing.
Dressing:
1 lemon - juiced
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Mix above ingredients and then whisk in 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.  Put in a long shallow bowl
Remove the asparagus from the refrigerator and coat the asparagus with the dressing.  Then place the asparagus on a serving plate. Enjoy!

Jalapena Tilapia

I found this recipe in my recipe box and decided to try it.  There were not any dirrections, just the ingredients.  I looked-up a recipe for lemon butter and winged the rest.  You can try it like I did, or make up your own method of putting this recipe together. We liked it, but I think I would use more lemon butter next time.


Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/jalapena-tilapia

Ingredients:
2 tilapia filets
1/2 cup flour
2 oz melted butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup diced jalapena
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
pinch of salt, pepper, and garlic salt
4 oz. heavy cream
1/4 cup lemon butter
Serve over angel hair pasta and top with roma tomatoes and parsley
Method for Lemon Butter
This is the recipe that I found on food network for lemon butter
1 lemon, zested
2 lemons juiced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Splash of heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter
salt and pepper
Combine lemon zest, juice, wine, and shallot in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat until reduced by 1/2. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm. Whisk a little cream in the butter/wine mixture.  It will thicken to a nice consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate up to 1 day. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Method for tilapia and spinach sauce:
Salt, pepper, and flour two tilapia fillets on both sides.  I melted 2 oz of butter in a skillet and cooked the jalapena for about 1 min. Then I removed the jalapena and cooked the tilapia on both sides until browned. Remove the tilapia and keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Cook the angel hair pasta in boiling water for about 5-7 minutes.  In the butter that is left in the skillet that you cooked the tilapia, add 2 cups of spinach and jalapena. When the spinach has wilted, salt and pepper to taste, take off the heat.  Drain the pasta and add 1/2 cup of lemon butter to the pasta. Toss to incorporate.  To plate: Put a little pasta on the plate, add the spinach to the top and then top it all with roma tomatoes and parsley.  Place the fish to the side of the pasta and enjoy.

Boiled Shrimp

I have a great memory that comes back to me whenever I have boiled shrimp .  My mom and dad used to own a little place in Double Bayou with 3 of his brothers. (I think the name has changed since then). It was out of Anahuac.  The men would go out in the boat and use their seine to catch us shrimp for dinner.  They would take them out of the net and turn them over to the women. (Isn't that just like the men).  The women would put on a huge pot of water to boil and in 3 -5 minutes, we would have the freshest boiled shrimp you could possibly have.  My mom would take a huge bowl and fill it with ice.  Then she would put the shrimp on top.  We would clean our own shrimp and eat them with red sauce.  It probably isn't fair to Jud that I had this early training on cleaning shrimp, but all is fair in love and food.  I served it with a toss salad, but the shrimp were all we had at that famous meal in Double Bayou.  Oh, and don't forget the red sauce.

Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/boiled-shrimp


Ingredients:
Enough water in a large pot to boil the shrimp
1 pound shrimp--with the shells still on - (I used the easy peal from the grocery store)  My man does not have a boat or a seine.
I used some crab, crawfish, and shrimp boil. (It comes in a mesh bag that you throw in the water.
1 teaspoon red pepper
3 tablespoons salt
slices of lemon
I did not see that these additions added the spice that I wanted and my mom never added anything.  Maybe if I had boiled the water with the spices longer, I would have tasted the difference.
Red Sauce
catsup
prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pecan Crusted Tilapia

I forgot to take a picture of this dish, but it was really really good and you should definitely try it if you like fish.  Recipe comes from Cooking Light's 2004 Cookbook

Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/pecan-crusted-tilapia


Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 (6oz) tilapia or snapper fillets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
4 lemon wedges
Method:
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a shallow dish. Combine buttermilok and hot sauce in a shallow dish. Dredge 1 fillet in flour. Dip in buttermilk mixture; dredge in bread crumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining fillets, flour, buttermilk mixture, and breadcrumb mixture.
2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 fillets; cook 3 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and fillets. Serve with lemon wedges. Yield: 4 servings

Sea Scallops Dinner

It's Thursday night and Jud made this incredible dinner.  When he retired, I told him that I would love it if he cooked 1 meal a week.  He has either cooked or taken me out to eat every Thursday.  He is a great cook and I love his meals if only that I don't have to cook. And he does the dishes. What a lucky girl I am.  Jud made 4 scallops per person and it was perfect for us.  The only secret to this great salad was the dressing. It is Garlic Expressions. They have it at H.E.B.
From Fine Fighter Fare Cookbook - Shannon Sweet

Ingredients:
1 pound scallops
8-oz. package angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound heavy cream (16oz) or half and half
2 tablespoons dijon style mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
Cook pasta according to package directions. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add scallops and cook until just opaque. (about 2-3 minutes on each side) Remove scallops from pan and keep warm. Add cream, mustard and dill to the pan. Heat through. Remove pan from stove and add scallops. Combine scallops and sauce with angel hair pasta. Toss well.

Shrimp Creole

When you have cooked for 40 something years, you are bound to make a mistake every once in a while. I thought I had bought the right amount of everything, but when I got to the part about 3 pounds of shrimp, I had only bought 1 pound. No problem, right!  Wrong.  I didn't 1/2 everything until I got to the part about 3 - 14 oz. cans of tomatoes.  I thought I had more than enough liquid so I just added 1 can of tomatoes.  Don't do what I did.  This was about inedible because it was about a 5-alarm fire. Jud got out his regular peppers to have with the dish, and quickly put them back.  I froze 1/2 of the liquid, so when I make it again, I will add a can of tomatoes and it will be about right, I HOPE!!  Recipe Comes from Fine Fighter Fare Cookbook.
Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/shrimp-creole
Ingredients: I would guess that this recipe would serve 6-8.

1/3 cup oil, or 4 T. unsalted butter (I used 1/2 butter, 1/2 canola oil)
2 cups onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
1 3/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
2-3 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 jar Heinz Chili sauce
2 cups stock (seafood is best, chicken or beef will do)
1- 28oz can tomatoes and 1- 14.5oz tomatoes
4 Tablespoons sugar
3 - 3 1/2 pounds shrimp (fresh uncooked) peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon Gumbo File' - optional
5-6 cups rice
In a large stockpot, heat oil, Add 1 cup of the onions and cook over high heat about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until onions are a rich brown color but not burned. Add the rest of the onions, bell pepper, celery, garlic and butter. (I didn't need to add additional butter)
Cook, stirring often, until the rest of the vegetables start to get tender- be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan when stirring. Then add curry powder, chili powder, white pepper, cayenne, black pepper, salt, thyme, basil, and oregano; stir well and let mixture heat about 5 minutes or so. While pot is heating, open cans of tomatoes. Pour into pot, add tabasco sauce, chili sauce and stock. Stir to mix well. Let simmer about 10 minutes or so, then stir in sugar. Turn heat to medium-low and let simmer for 1 hour. Pour in shrimp and cook for 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp. Cook until shrimp are plump and pink. Stir in file- if using. Serve over cooked rice.

Grilled Tilapia with Lemon Butter, Capers and Orzo

This is a recipe that I have had for a while, but just decided to make it this week.  Jud and I both liked it better than the stuffed flounder.  I think we just like tilapia. And anything with lemon butter, caper sauce is better. This was a winner. This recipe is for 4 people so I cut everything in 1/2 since I only cooked 2 tilapia. This recipe comes from Bobby Flay, 2007 Food Network


Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/grilled-tilapia-w-lemon-butter-orzo

Ingredients:
1 lemon, finely zested
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Splash heavy cream ( I used 1/2 and 1/2 because I had it)
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound orzo, cooked al dente (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup drained capers
Directions:
Combine the lemon zest, juice, wine and shallot in a small saucepan over high heat and cook until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and let cool. Whisk together the cream, butter, and wine mixture in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The lemon butter can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Heat the grill to high. I used a large non-stick fry pan.

Brush the fish on both sides with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fish for 3-4 minutes per side or until lightly golden brown and slightly charred. Toss the orzo with a few tablespoons of the lemon butter and 2 tablespoons of the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the orzo to a platter. Remove tilapia from the grill and immediately place the fillets on the orzo and top each fillet with some of the lemon butter and capers. Garnish with the remaining parsley.

Stuffed Flounder

This was in my mom's recipe box and I have just gotten around to trying it.  I so wish she were alive so I could ask her if she actually stuffed the flounder.  The flounder I got was so thin that I decided to just put the stuffing on top of the flounder and cook it that way.  I guess I'll never know if this is how she did it, because I can't ever remember her cooking this dish. I know it was one of her favorite things to order in a restaurant.  So this is for you mom.

Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/stuffed-flounder
Method:
1/2 cup each of finely chopped onion, celery, green bell pepper. Add 1 can crab meat.
Saute in 1 Tablespoon butter until slightly wilted. Mix with 1 1/2 cups of crumbled cornbread. 
Add 1 can crab meat. I actually bought the imitation crab meat that you find in the grocery store with the crab. It is really cheap. Moisten with chicken stock. (about 1/2 cup) Mom didn't say how much. She says to just add until it looks like stuffing you make for Thanksgiving. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Place this stuffing mixture in an oven-proof dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.  Remove from oven and put the stuffing in the uncooked flounder and bake 400 degrees for 25 minutes.  As I told you, my flounder was too thin to make a pocket to put the stuffing in so I just mounded it on top of the flounder.  I served it with some red sauce.