Spanish Rice with Shrimp

#1, BB 2, 3 & 5

So I was cooking for my dad & hubby the other night. My dad is not a fan of veggies in any way. As I was making this, I made sure to keep the veggies on one side of the pan while still leaving enough shrimp and rice on the other side for my dad. I ended up thinking it tasted a little odd but the hubby said he liked it. I was concerned because the only spice the recipe calls for is smoked paprika. After adding some salt and pepper it was much better.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups Rice Pilaf


• ¼ cup EVOO


• 4 cloves garlic, chopped


• 1 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp


• 1 tsp. smoked paprika


• 1 cup Tomato Sauce


• 1 cup chopped Roasted Peppers


• ¼ cup chopped black olives


• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley


• 4 lemon wedges

DIRECTIONS

In large nonstick skillet, heat pilaf in 2 tbsp. EVOO. Transfer to bowl. In same skillet, cook garlic, shrimp and paprika in remaining 2 tbsp. EVOO. Add tomato sauce and peppers and heat through. Return pilaf to pan, stir in olives and cook 1 minute. Serve with parsley and lemon wedges.

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

Living with my parents has really limited my desire to cook. It's not my kitchen, it's not my equipment (well I guess some of it is mine), it's not all mine. However, it has also really made me miss cooking. Jerome and I cooked a lot, hence most of the posts on this blog. This past week, my parents went on a trip and I really wanted to cook. I even went grocery shopping to cook for Jerome and I. Of course, after a long day of teaching and grading, I just want to come home and veg out. I bought a new cookbook a week ago and it has renewed my desire to cook. It's the Food Network Magazine Cookbook. It's 250 easy recipes that all look amazing. There is a picture for every recipe and even the table of contents is the pictures!

We took the time to cook this great meal on Friday. Do not plan on having leftovers!!!! Holy cow this was amazing. We changed the recipe slightly by using shrimp without tails for easier eating. We also used Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning instead of cajun seasoning. It had nice heat without making it too spicy where we couldn't eat however much we wanted. There were no leftovers, and this recipe was meant for 4 people. =)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 2 bunches scallions, chopped
• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions

Heat the butter, olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Cajun seasoningand shrimp and cook, stirring, until the shrimp begin to curl, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes and scallions to the skillet and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the rice and 1/4 cup water and continue to cook until the rice is warmed through and the shrimp are opaque, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve with lemon, if desired.

Per serving: Calories 357; Fat 11 g (Saturated 3 g); Cholesterol 176 mg; Sodium 537 mg; Carbohydrate 40 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 23 g

Pan-Seared Scallops with Pesto and Tomato

This can either be an appetizer or main meal. I cooked it as the appetizer for my Valentine! =)

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves, plus 2 tablespoons finely shredded basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 plum tomato, finely diced
4 large scallops

Directions:
1.In a food processor or blender, pulse the basil leaves until finely chopped. Add the pine nuts, cheese, garlic and lemon juice. Turn the machine back on and add 3/4 cup of the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. Place the pesto in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
2.In a small bowl, combine the tomato and shredded basil and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the scallops and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the scallops to a plate. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the pesto on each scallop and arrange the tomato and basil around the scallops. Serve immediately.

Stir-fried Dungeness Crab with Sweet Chili Sauce and Bok Choy

Sorry, no picture again. I should have taken a picture after I plated the food. It looked so cool!! I was a proud mamma. =) One thing this recipe calls for is live crab. I got scared and then excited about this. I've never cooked with live seafood. Well, H.E.B. didn't have live Dungeness crab. It ended up working out. I would really recommend the change I made to the recipe. I bought 1 section of Dungeness crab legs for each person that look like the following picture:

It ended up being the perfect amount of crab for 1 person. There is a ton of meat in the section connecting all the legs together, and the legs themselves. Plus, the meat is so rich that it tends to fill you up. Another plus to making this change, no dealing with cleaning a crab after it's boiled. So I still have to find a recipe that I can use live seafood, weird I know. So I'm going to paste the original recipe in its entirety, including using live crab. However, I will add in bold font what I did with my alteration when it occurs. Please feel free to ask any questions or voice any concerns. It really is a very, very simple dish that tastes great!

Ingredients

• 2 live Dungeness crabs, 1 1/2 pounds each
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
• 2 fresh red chiles, sliced
• 4 heads baby bok choy, halved
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup sake
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
• Butter lettuce Intended for garnish under the crab but it tastes great with the sauce. Eat it too!! =)
• 2 chopped green onions, white and green part
• 1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
• White rice, for serving

Directions

First thing to do is "dismantle" the crabs before you wok-fry them. Toss the live crabs into salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Next, place the crabs top-side up, and stick your thumb under the edge of the top shell, pull forward and lift the shell up and off, and reserve. Scrape out the gills that are found on top of the body. Now, turn the crabs over and on the underbelly you will find the "apron," a slightly-lifted triangular flap, pull this off too. Finally, rinse the crabs of all the grey or green spongy stuff (the soft yellow matter is fat or crab butter and considered desirable by many, keep it if you wish.) Divide the crabs into quarters with a big knife, leaving the legs attached to the 4 sections. I ignored this entire section.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat until almost smoking. Add the garlic, ginger, chiles, and bok choy. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then remove to a side platter. Toss in the crab pieces, including the top shells. Take the top shells out after 1 minute, continue to stir-fry the crab for 3 minutes. I didn't have top shells so I just stir-fried the leg sections for 3 minutes. With a big spoon or spatula, remove the crab pieces to the side platter. Now on to the sauce, pour 1 cup of water into the wok, along with the brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, and sake. Stir for 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook another minute until the sauce thickens. Return the crabs and bok choy to the pan, toss everything together to coat. Cover, and cook for 3 minutes.

To serve, line a large platter with butter lettuce leaves, and arrange the crabs with the top shell back on top so it looks roughly like a whole crab again - cool right?! Again, no shells. I just placed the crab leg sections on the butter lettuce. Put the bok choy around the crab and pour the sauce all over the top. Garnish with the green onions and peanuts. You'll need crab crackers, mini forks, a side bowl for the shells, a stack of napkins, and bowls of warm lemon water to clean your hands. Serve with steamed white rice. Our white rice was on the side due to lack of space on the plate. We poured some of the extra sauce on the rice, fantastic. 

Bucatini a La Surf and Surf

This is a recipe from Guy Fieri. Jerome and I made this for my family and everyone loved it. We did not have to make any alterations for the picky eaters or my grandparents who have specific dietary restrictions. If your family likes seafood, this is for you guys!

P.S. Bucatini is a hollow spaghetti. We used regular spaghetti and it was perfectly fine.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound bucatini
• 1 cup pancetta, diced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 16 Manila clams, scrubbed
• 1/2 bottle dry white wine
• 12 to 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 sprig thyme, leaves chopped
• 1 pound 16/20 shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on
• 1/2 pound calamari, cleaned and cut into rings
• 1/2 pound large bay scallops, cleaned, patted dry
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, and add a handful of salt. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and stir to keep it from clumping together and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add the pancetta and cook until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Drain fat from pan.

Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to pan over medium heat, add garlic, shallots, red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Then add clams, white wine, tomato sauce and thyme to the pan and cook, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until clams have opened. Season the shrimp, calamari, and the scallops with salt and pepper and raise the heat to medium-high. Add the seafood and cook until the shrimp just starts to turn pink and the squid and scallops become opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the pasta into the pan and toss until coated with the sauce. Transfer the pasta and shell fish to a large serving platter and garnish with the basil, parsley, pancetta, and coarsely ground black pepper. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve immediately.

Cajun Catfish Wraps with Slaw

This is a Cooking Light Recipe. So fast, so easy, so good!!

Ingredients

• SLAW:
• 3 1/2  cups  thinly sliced red or green cabbage
• 1/4  cup  light mayonnaise
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  cider vinegar
• 1/2  teaspoon  sugar
• 
  WRAPS:
• 1  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon  paprika
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  dried thyme
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  dried oregano
• 1  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 4  (6-ounce) farm-raised catfish fillets
• 1  tablespoon  butter or stick margarine
• 4  (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

Preparation

To prepare the slaw, combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl; cover and chill.

To prepare the wraps, combine flour and next 7 ingredients (flour through red pepper) in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour mixture. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets; sauté 5 minutes. Turn fillets over; cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Heat the tortillas according to package directions. Cut each catfish fillet lengthwise into 4 pieces. Arrange 4 fillet pieces on each tortilla; top each serving with about 3/4 cup slaw, and roll up.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

397 (27% from fat)

Fat:

11.7g (sat 3.7g,mono 3.9g,poly 2.7g)

Protein:

35.6g

Carbohydrate:

36.6g

Fiber:

3g

Cholesterol:

106mg

Iron:

4.7mg

Sodium:

918mg

Calcium:

126mg

Catfish Po'boys with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce

I found this recipe in a Cooking Light cookbook that I bought. Jerome and I loved it! And because it's a Cooking Light recipe, you know it's good for you!!


Ingredients
SAUCE:
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar


CATFISH:
1/4 cup Thai chile sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) farm-raised catfish fillets
Cooking spray


REMAINING INGREDIENTS:
4 (2 1/2-ounce) hoagie rolls, split and lightly toasted
2 cups shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage




Directions
To prepare sauce, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low. Add hoisin sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, and sugar; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; set aside.


Prepare grill or broiler.


To prepare catfish, combine chile sauce and garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add catfish; seal and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.


Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Place fish on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Cook 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.


Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over bottom half of each hoagie roll; top each serving with 1/2 cup cabbage, 1 catfish fillet, and top half of roll. Serve immediately. (Makes 4 servings)

Seafood Lasagne

This is a recipe that my mom made all the time when she was taking a meal to someone who had a baby or trip to the hospital. She would make a double batch so we could have some too. It is a lot of work and time making the cheese sauce and how long it takes to bake. HOWEVER, it is soooooo worth all the effort. It is great to make ahead of time and store in the freezer. It goes great with garlic bread. It is also the best meal for leftovers. I have never enjoyed a meal reheated the same as when it's fresh. This will be a crowd pleaser. I made it for my in-laws (parents, brother) who were skeptic & a very picky sister-in-law. They loved it. I hope you will give this a try.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup margarine or butter


• 2 cloves garlic, crushed


• 1/2 cup of all purpose flour


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 2 cups milk


• 2 cups chicken broth


• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)


• 1/2 cup sliced green onions


• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves


• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper


• 8 oz uncooked lasagna noodles (9 to 10 noodles)


• 1 cup creamed cottage cheese


• 1 can (7 1/2 oz) crabmeat, drained


• 1 can (4 1/2 oz) tiny shrimp, drained


• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat margarine in saucepan over low heat until melted; add garlic. Stir in flour and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in mozzarella cheese, onions, basil and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted. (Making this cheese sauce takes awhile but so worth it. You really do need to stir constantly so it doesn't burn to the bottom.)

Spread 1/4 of cheese sauce (about 3/4 cup) in ungreased 13x9x2 baking dish; top with 3 to 4 uncooked noodles, overlapping if necessary. Spread cottage cheese over noodles in dish. Repeat with 1/4 of the cheese sauce and 3 or 4 noodles. Top with crabmeat, shrimp, 1/4 cheese sauce, the remaining noodles and cheese sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. bake uncovered in 350 degree oven until noodles are done, 35-40 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.