Grilled Marinated Shrimp ll

I LOVE this shrimp! I used (defrosted) frozen shrimp and the texture didn't suffer any. My 10 year old asks for thirds and my 2 year old asks for "moooore!". Makes 2 lb shrimp. Serve with a steamed veggie or salad and cheesy garlic bread swirls or any bread , rice or pasta you'd like. YUM.

Grilled Marinated Shrimp ll (read, "the second," because it's so distinguished)

2 lbs raw shrimp
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c tomato sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
skewers

1. Peel and devein shrimp, if necessary. Set aside.
2. Mix oil, tomato sauce, vinegar, basil, salt and cayenne pepper in bowl or large ziplock bag. Add shrimp and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour, flipping shrimp once or twice.
3. Spray grill and preheat to medium heat. Slide shrimp onto skewers, piercing near tail and head.Cook shrimp on preheated grill until opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Baked Salmon with Tropical Rice

We LOVED this salmon. I bought a brand that runs a little too fishy for my taste, but this masked it so well. Even my husband, a non-fish lover, moaned in delight. Low calorie dish that even my kids loved. I thought the mango would be too much but I wanted a piece in every bite. I made some coconut rice and it was perfect! Thanks Joanna for the recipe! Makes 4-4 oz fillets.

Baked Salmon with Tropical Rice

2 Tbsp cracked coriander seed or 2 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
4 4-oz salmon fish fillets, or 1-16 oz fillet
1 Tbsp melted butter
2 c cooked white or brown rice
1 large mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp grated fresh lemon peel
Lemon wedges

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish; set aside.
2. Combine coriander, brown sugar and lemon-pepper seasoning in a small bowl; blend well.
3. Place fish (skin down if applicable) in prepared baking dish. Brush top and sides of each fillet with melted butter. Sprinkle fish evenly with coriander spice mixture, gently pressing into fish.
4. Stir the mango, cilantro and lemon peel into the rice. Spoon rice mixture around fish in the baking dish.
5. Bake in preheated oven until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2 inch thickness. Cut fish into 4 pieces, if using 1-16 oz fillet. Divide rice between 4 serving plates and place fish on top.

Smoked Salmon Sushi Roll

I crave sushi fort nightly and it gets pretty pricey. The thought of making it myself has intimidated me far too long. These rolls were SO incredibly easy and delicious! Tempura style makes it 200x better. It's cheaper than a restaurant and just as good. Note that you have to cook the rice ahead of time so it can  mostly cool off. I only had one choice of seaweed wraps that I could find and thankfully they were awesome. Makes 6 rolls. Serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and a dollop of wasabi for dipping.

Smoked Salmon Sushi Roll

2 c Japanese sushi rice
2 c water
1/4 c brown sugar
6 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
6 seaweed sheets
8 oz smoked salmon, cut into long, thin strips and separated into 6 portions
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced thin and separated into 6 portions, optional
1/2 cucumber, peeled, sliced thin and separated into 6 portions
1/4 c 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cut into thin slices
wasabi sauce or paste, optical
soy sauce, for dipping

1. Cook rice in rice cooker or on stove according to directions with 2 c water and brown sugar. Add rice wine vinegar to hot rice. Spread on large plate to cool. Cut into 6 equal wedges like you would a pie.
2. If using bamboo mat, place plastic wrap on top of it. If not, just use plastic wrap. Place 1 seaweed sheet on plastic wrap. Place 1/6 of rice on top and press as flat as possible, leaving at least 1/2 inch on top and bottom uncovered for sealing. At this point you can carefully turn wrap over so the rice is on the outside (sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds first, if desired), or leave the rice on the inside. Add a line of salmon, avocado, if using, cucumber and cream cheese to the rice, close to the bottom for easier rolling. You could even add a thin line of wasabi to add some spice. Otherwise, serve a dab in your soy sauce for dipping.
3. Slightly wet top of seaweed with wet fingertips. Roll from bottom, closing as tightly as possible. Cut roll into pieces (about 10); repeat for all 6 sheets. Serve immediately.

Blackened Mahi Mahi with Mango Sauce

I like fish and this recipe is light and fun with the right amount of sweetness. Found it on allrecipes and tweaked it. Serve with a bed of rice pilaf and steamed veggies. Serves 4.


Blackened Mahi Mahi with Mango Sauce

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 c diced onion
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 mango, diced
1/2 15-oz can pineapple chunks, drained
1/4 c red wine or beef broth
4 4-oz mahi mahi steaks
salt and ground back pepper, to taste
1/4 c blackening seasoning*

1. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and stir until softened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar, stirring until it dissolves; about 1 minute. Add mango, pineapple and red wine or beef broth. Simmer until hot, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and return skillet to stove.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in skillet. Sprinkle both sides of mahi mahi steaks with salt and black pepper. Coat steaks entirely with blackening seasoning. Cook steaks in hot oil until fish flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add steaks to plates and cover each with mango salsa. Serve immediately.

* You can make your own blackening seasoning by mixing 1 1/2 Tbsp paprika, 1 Tbsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp onion powder, 1 Tbsp ground thyme, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried oregano. Store extra in an air tight container and a cool, dark place.

New England Clam Chowder

I love clam chowder and this was fun and easy to make. I like it from the can, also, but it can get pricy to feed the whole family from a can. Most of these ingredients I have around the house...except clams, of course. But they are at most grocery stores. My kids loved it and were excited to eat clams, which didn't "even taste weird". Serve with warm, crusty bread and a green salad. Serves 6.


New England Clam Chowder

4 slices bacon or 1 c ham, chopped
3 Tbsp butter
1 c chopped onion
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 c water
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 c half and half
2 10-oz cans minced clams, undrained
2 10-oz cans chopped clams, undrained

1. Placed chopped bacon or ham in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook until bacon is crispy or ham is smoking. Melt butter then add onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour for 1 minute.
2. Open clam cans and add just the juice (it's about 2 c) to stock pot. Stir in water, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
3. Pour in half-and-half, add butter. Stir in clams. Continue to stir over medium heat just until it starts to simmer.  Serve immediately.

Fried Flounder

I've been experimenting a lot with fish and came upon this pan-fried flounder recipe. Adapted from the food network. It was one of my husband's favorite fish recipes so far. My kids loved it too! Serve over rice, make sure to pour the lemon butter sauce over the rice, too. DIVINE! Serves 4.

Fried Flounder

4 4-oz flounder fillets
salt and pepper, to taste
flour, for dredging fish
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
juice of 1 lemon, or 3 Tbsp
small bottle of capers, optional

1. Wash fillets in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle both sides with flour, or dredge in bowl of flour.
2. Place oil and 1 Tbsp butter in flat, heavy-bottomed skillet and heat on medium-high until butter melts. Place fish in oil-butter mixture and cook fish about 3 minutes each side, or until brown and crispy. Turn fish only once.
3. Remove fish to serving platter; set aside. Turn off burner. Whisk remaining 1 Tbsp butter and lemon juice into hot skillet. Pour in capers if using, liquid and all. Whisk. Pour sauce over fish fillets and rice; serve immediately.

Baked Salmon Dijon

I love salmon and this is a fun variation. We're trying to incorporate more seafood into our diet and this was a hit! My boys loooooved it. You can use whatever type of seasoned salt you like, or just use plain salt. Serves 4.

Baked Salmon Dijon

4 4-oz salmon fillets
juice of 1 lemon, or 2 Tbsp
Seasoned salt pepper, to taste
2-4 Tbsp prepared Dijon-style mustard
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c Italian-style breadcrumbs
1/4 c butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line shallow baking pan with aluminum foil. Place fillets in pan and sprinkle lemon juice over top. Sprinkle season salt and pepper, according to taste. Spread thin layer of Dijon-style mustard on each fillet with brush baster or back of spoon. Add parsley and breadcrumbs and press down gently to stick. Mix garlic into melted butter and pour evenly over the top.
2. Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Tilapia Parmesan

I like seafood to an extent, but this breaded tilapia is super savory. And it's easy! My kids and husband loved it! My kids kept saying, "Mmmmmm, I love this FISH." (They're learning that all meat isn't called chicken.) Serve with rice and a veggie. Tweaked a recipe from MOMS2398. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Tilapia Parmesan

4 4-oz tilapia fillets
2 Tbsp Sazon Completa*
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp celery salt

1. Set oven rack 6-inches from heating element and preheat broiler. Line a broiler pan with aluminum and lightly grease with cooking spray.
2. Arrange fillets on broiler pan and sprinkle with Sazon Completa. Broil in preheated oven until fish is barely opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
4. Mix butter, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, basil, ground black pepper, onion powder, and celery salt. Spread over fish and return to oven until topping is golden brown and fish flakes easily; 3 to 5 minutes more.

* I found Sazon Completa (Badia brand) in the international aisles of my supermarket, but you can substitute 1 tsp each of: salt, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander.

Tamara's Tuna Melts

I've never liked tuna sandwiches much, but over the years I've learned to make them quite tasty! If you let the ingredients marinate together in the fridge for at least an hour, it is even better--I mixed the tuna in the morning for a quick busy-day dinner--but it's also fabulous used right away. There's not a ton of mayo...I don't like tons of mayo. Taste and add more of anything or your own seasonings! My picky kids even love them! Serve with a salad and/or fresh fruit. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Tamara's Tuna Melts

2 cans tuna
1 - 2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 c mayonnaise
3 Tbsp dill pickle relish or diced pickle
1/2 c shredded cheese*
8 slices bread
butter at room temperature**

1. Heat large griddle to 350 degrees or heat large skillet over medium heat.
2. Open cans of tuna and drain juices well. Add tuna to medium bowl and use fork to separate. Squirt lemon juice over tuna and mix well.
3. Add mayonnaise, pickle relish and cheese and mix well with fork. Spread tuna mixture equally on 4 slices bread; place other 4 slices on top. Spread about 1/2 Tbsp butter or less on top piece of bread, depending on preference. Flip and set buttered-side down on heated griddle or skillet. Butter top piece of bread as sandwich cooks; cook until brown, according to preference, then flip and cook other side the same, about 5 minutes on each side.
4. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.

* Or you can omit the shredded cheese and add a slice on top of the tuna.
**If you don't want to melt these, you can omit the butter and toast the bread or serve on plain, soft bread.

Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon

I'm not a HUGE seafood person, but I love a good salmon steak. This recipe is tasty and is perfect alongside my mushroom rice pilaf recipe and a veggie. My husband even suggested cutting each fish steak into three pieces so the fish gets covered in more glaze. My little ones even loved it! Serves 4. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon

4 - 6 oz salmon steaks
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c olive oil
2 tsp lemon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning*

1. Mix brown sugar, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning in an 11x7 baking dish. Add salmon, turning to coat. If salmon has skin attached, lay skin-side up. Allow to marinate in refrigerator 4 to 8 hours, turning every 2 hours or so.
2. Set oven rack 6" from heat source and preheat broiler. Meanwhile, line baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Place salmon fillets on foil 1" apart. Discard marinade.
3. Broil salmon until lightly browned and fish flakes easily with a fork; time depends on thickness of salmon steaks. Let salmon sit 5 minutes before serving.

* If you don't have Italian seasoning, you can replace with 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 tsp dried basil and 1/4 tsp dried parsley.

Grilled Marinated Shrimp

I found this on allrecipes.com. Thank you, Robbie Rice. :) I accidentally used a whole can of tomato paste instead of 1 Tbsp and it was STILL fabulous (so yours will turn out less tomatoey looking :)). And while I usually prefer wheat pasta, I don't recommend it with shrimp. The textures don't go well together. Serve over lightly buttered fettuccine (or any non-wheat pasta) or rice. Serves 3-6.

Grilled Marinated Shrimp

1/2 c olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced, or 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp hot sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb large shrimp, pealed and deveined
skewers

1. In a mixing bowl, mix oil, parsley, lemon juice, hot sauce, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend well. Reserve a few spoons full for basting later on. Pour remaining marinade in a large resealable plastic bag; add shrimp and mix well. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.
2. Preheat grill to medium-low heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near tail and once near the head. Discard excess marinade in bag.
3. Lightly oil grill. Cook shrimp about 5 minutes per side, or until opaque in color, basting frequently with reserve marinade. Serve warm.

White Fish Salad

I used tilapia and it was soooo tasty! :D My husband and I made noises as we ate. I also used spinach because we didn't have Romain lettuce. Halibut, or any white fish, would work well with this. And my kids LOVE fish this way! The dressing makes it spectacular! It's best to marinate the fish for at least one hour before cooking, but it's not absolutely necessary. I marinate less and it's still great. Serve with crusty bread (I've served with quesadilla wedges even). Serves 4.

White Fish Salad

Fish
2 large fish (halibut or tilapia or any white fish) steaks
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt, or seasoned salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tsp olive oil

Salad
4 - 6 c Romain lettuce and/or baby spinach, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and rinsed
1/4 c shredded carrots
1/4 c shredded cucumber
any other veggies you might like

Dressing
1/4 c olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp ground cumin


1. Place fish in bowl or airtight container or zip-lock bag with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Let marinate up to two hours. Heat 3 tsp olive oil in small fry pan over medium-high heat. Add fish, DISCARDING THE MARINADE, and cook through, about 4 minutes each side. Let sit a minute, then cut into pieces or flake apart. Set aside.
2. Add lettuce or spinach to individual serving bowls. Set aside.
3. In small bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Stir until well mixed. Pour over each bowl of lettuce, add carrots and cucumber and any other veggies you might want and toss to coat. Sprinkle flaked fish pieces and garbanzo beans on top and serve immediately.

Tuna Noodle Casserole (from scratch)

No canned soup in this recipe! It's hearty and has such a good flavor! As far as tuna casseroles go, this is the best I've ever had. My boys didn't like it (they don't like tuna, go figure), but it is a great grownup dish. Serves 6-8. Give it a try!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

5 Tbsp butter, divided
1 (8 oz) pkg uncooked medium egg noodles
1/4 c chicken broth
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced and chopped
1/2 tsp crushed marjoram or thyme leaves
1/4 c flour
2 c milk
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
2 (6 oz) cans tuna
1 c frozen peas, thawed
4 Tbsp bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 c shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 8x8 baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, cook according to package directions, and drain. Set aside.
3. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add chicken broth. Stir in onion, celery, and garlic; and cook 4-5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and mix in mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, or until most of liquid is absorbed.
4. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in medium saucepan over medium to medium-low heat (closer to medium); whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk and nutmeg; continue cooking until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Add 3/4 c cheese, stir until melted. Pour sauce over mushroom mixture and stir in tuna, peas mushroom mixture, and cooked noodles until well mixed. Transfer to greased baking dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
5. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter in small bowl, mix in breadcrumbs and sprinkle over casserole. Top with remaining 3/4 c cheese. Bake 25 minutes uncovered, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Shrimp Francesca

Francesca is a genius. She won an award for this and I see why. This shrimp dish is DIVINE, like something from a fancy restaurant. :D If you like shrimp you HAVE give this recipe a try. It's so good and EASY! I don't normally like canned artichoke hearts, but they were so good. The shrimp is pretty rich; I drooled as I chewed. :D Mmmmmm....Serve hot over hot angel hair pasta (I'd suggest white, wheat pasta is a little to heavy with shrimp) lightly coated in butter and seasoned with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper and a steamed vegetable. Serves 4.

Shrimp Francesca

1 lb fresh uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined*
1 8-oz can artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs**
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tbsp)
6 Tbsp butter
10 garlic cloves, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp finely shredded imported Romano cheese or grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish.
2. Arrange shrimp on bottom of baking dish. Gently squeeze any liquid out of each artichoke heart and break into quarters, arranging in spaces between shrimp. Sprinkle parsley and breadcrumbs over shrimp and artichoke. Sprinkle lemon juice over crumbs.
3. Melt butter with garlic in small sauce pan over medium heat; drizzle butter over breadcrumbs. Sprinkle Romano or Parmesan cheese evenly on top.
4. Bake uncovered until crumbs and cheese are lightly browned and shrimp turns orange-pink, 10-12 minutes.

* You can use frozen and defrosted but I'd highly recommend fresh shrimp. The texture and taste are so much better.
** to make 1/2 c Italian breadcrumbs, mix 1/2 c bread crumbs, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp dried parsley, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp dried oregano, 1/8 tsp dried basil.