Category Archives: Seafood

Cornmeal Crusted Trout With New Year’s Sides

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Happy New Year!

The tradition for New Year’s Day says to “eat poor” for good luck throughout the year. Now, for different people and different parts of the country, that can be a lot of different things. Some people eat pork and sauerkraut (Gross! Sorry, but that’s just not my thing!)

Here in the South, your meal MUST include greens and black-eyed peas. Greens for wealth, and black-eyed peas for luck, I believe. Nothing seems more like a poor mans meal that Southern comfort food, and for me that includes some kind of cornmeal crusted fresh water fish. Catfish would be the standard “Southern” fish, but I think it tastes kinda like dirt (they are bottom feeders after all). My favorite for this is Rainbow Trout.

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Frying fish like this is so easy! I just take trout fillets (check for bones first!) Put them in a ziplock bag with a little flour and toss to coat. Dip the fillets, first in an egg wash, then in a mixture of half cornmeal, half flour. Fry the fillets in light olive oil over medium-high in a skillet until fillets are firm and set on a paper towel lined plate. Now that’s fish!

For the greens this year I used kohlrabi greens instead of collards (trying to use what you have is eating frugally so that counts for extra good luck I hope!) I loosely followed Paula Deen’s Collard recipe. I used a leftover ham bone I saved from our Christmas spiral ham (the leftover ham, I’m going to make deviled ham with later on today). I put that in a stock pot with 4 cups chicken stock and 7 cups water and boil for 1 hour. Then add a washed bunch of greens with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Tabasco sauce to taste. Let that boil about 1 more hour. I’ve also used bacon in this recipe, by frying a few strips of diced bacon in the  stock pot before adding the water and stock and skipped the first boiling.

For the black-eyed peas, I used a recipe that was originally meant for white acre peas ( another common Southern pea related to the black-eyed pea, that I like better by-the-way). I used a pound of fresh black-eyed peas, and about 3/4 of a pound of diced smoked turkey sausage in 4 cups vegetable stock and 4 cups water and heat to boiling in a stock pot. In a small skillet, I cooked a small diced onion with some minced garlic in 1 1/2 tablespoons butter until soft, then added that, along with a fresh thyme sprig with a bay leaf or two, some dried parsley, and dried oregano to the peas and sausage and let that gently boil for about an hour.

What is crazy to me is that since I’ve started using these recipes for greens and black-eyed peas (or more often white acre peas), it doesn’t have to be New Years day for me to eat them anymore! I used to detest this stuff! But now, they’re common side dishes!

Now off to make deviled ham!

Salmon Boxty

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It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and I’m not a huge fan of corned beef and cabbage. I wanted to try something different this year, and traditional Irish Boxty sounded rather plain, so I thought adding salmon would make it a little more like a meal. This is more like Irish boxty and salmon croquettes got married and had little bundles of crisp, moist goodness. On first try, I added way too many mashed potatoes and they turned out like mush, so make sure you watch the salmon to mashed potato ratio!

I served it with dill cream sauce (recipe follows), but a good tartar sauce would be delicious also.photo 3

Dill sauce:

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 2 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Salmon Boxty:

  • 1 pound fresh salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mashed potatoes
  • 2 cups uncooked, shredded hash browns
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used Gillian’s Gluten Free)
  • oil for frying

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place salmon on a baking sheet and top with a good drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes, then shred salmon with a fork in a large mixing bowl.

While salmon bakes, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir in the chopped onion and 1 tsp salt. Cook and stir for 15 to 17 minutes, until onions are caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To shredded salmon, add mashed potatoes, hash browns, and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Stir cooled onions into salmon mixture and stir well to combine. Form into about 12 patties. Dredge both sides in breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry patties in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Place cooked patties on a paper towel lined plate. Serve with dill sauce or tartar sauce.

Crab Cakes With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

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I love crab cakes and hated the thought that I’d have to pass them up due to the whole “gluten free” thing! The tricky part was finding a cracker to replace the saltines that you’d normally use in crab cakes. For this, I’ve used rice crackers that I thought added a richer flavor to the cakes. Of course, if you don’t have to be gluten free, just use plain saltines instead.photo 1

Cakes:

  • 1 pound lump crab
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 tsp zesty cajun seasoning
  • 3/4 cup finely crushed rice crackers
  • 1 tsp dried parsley

Combine all ingredients in a bowl being careful not to over mix or your lumps of crab will become shredded crab. Form into 8 patties and place in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.

While cakes are chillin’, make the red pepper sauce.

Sauce:

  • 12 oz jarred roasted red peppers
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 5 basil leaves
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Combine first 3 ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Blend in oil and vinegar and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown cakes 4 at a time for 3 minutes per side until golden brown and transfer to a greased baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes just to finish off cooking the cakes.

To serve, spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons onto a plate and top with 2 crab cakes. I served mine with some rosemary and toasted almond green beans, and garlic mashed potatoes. Just wish I didn’t have to share!

Shrimp And Mushroom Stuffed Flounder

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The seafood counter had some beautiful flounder fillets come in and I knew I wanted some for dinner, but was not wanting to spend the money for lump crabmeat to stuff it with, so I thought “What about stuffing it with shrimp?” $17 for half a pound of crab versus $10 for a full pound of fresh shrimp was a no brainer. Time to come up with something new and here it is!

  • 3 flounder fillets, about a 1/3 a pound each
  • 3/4 lb fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half
  • 4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 slices of bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp cajun seasoning
  • a few turns salt and pepper
  • extra cajun seasoning and panko for topping
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a fry pan and add mushrooms, garlic, and onions. When mushrooms start to soften, add shrimp and cook until shrimp start to firm up. Remove shrimp mixture to a mixing bowl. Wipe out fry pan and return to heat with the bacon. When crisp, remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and pat to remove some of the grease, then add to the mixing bowl with the shrimp. Add mayo, breadcrumbs, seasoning, and salt & pepper, and stir to combine.

Place flounder on a piece of wax paper or foil and pat dry. Spoon 1/3 of mixture across the center of one piece of flounder and roll up to resemble picture above. Place on a greased baking sheet and top with a sprinkle of cajun seasoning and panko. Repeat with remaining flounder fillets.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with a salad and your favorite oven-roasted veggie.

Potato Chip Salmon With Spinach Cheddar Sauce

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This was one of those “not sure what to make for dinner” nights, and I had a bag of seasoned pepper potato chips in the pantry and leftover spinach dip in the fridge and decided to play with my food. It turned out better than expected! I think not only is this good for salmon, but it would work well with boneless, skinless chicken breasts!

  • 1 1/4 lb salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 strips
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 tsp water
  • 2 1/2 cups seasoned waffle potato chips, crushed
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 tbsp spinach dip
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine beaten egg and water in a mixing bowl and pour breadcrumbs onto a plate. Dip each piece of salmon, one at a time, first in egg mixture, then coat with crushed potato chips. Place salmon on a greased baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes, or until salmon is firm and flakes easily with a fork. While fish bakes, prepare the sauce.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pan, then whisk in the flour. Cook and stir continuously for 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk constantly until sauce is thickened, then remove from heat. Stir in the spinach dip, cheese, white pepper and salt.

To serve, spoon about 3 heaping tablespoons of the spinach sauce on to a plate then place a piece of salmon on top. Drizzle the top of the salmon with an extra spoonful of sauce. Serve with a salad and a twice baked potato. Yum!

Blackened Mahi Over Mashed Potatoes With Mushroom Wine Sauce

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So many fish dishes, so little time! I had planned on adding a bunch of fish dishes for Lent, but I’m such a painfully slow typist, I’m afraid they won’t make it on here before Easter! But I think Fish on Friday is a good idea all year round anyway!

This is my tribute to The Metro Diner’s Wednesday lunch special. It’s two of my favorite things all rolled into one dish, fish and mashed potatoes! I cheated and used prepared, refrigerated mashed potatoes in this, but you can always use homemade, or substitute red beans and rice if you don’t care for the potatoes. Serve it with a salad and you’re good to go!

For the mahi:

  • 4 6oz portions mahi mahi *
  • 4 tbsp blackening spice (I used Emeril’s Essence)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the sauce:

  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 half medium onion, chopped
  • 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 3 tbsp white wine
  • 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 tsp blackening spice
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • dash cayenne (Optional)
  • Mashed potatoes or red beans and rice for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the mahi portions from the fridge and pat dry. Sprinkle the top of each piece evenly with 1 tbsp blackening spice and 1/4 tsp thyme.

Melt butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, place mahi in the skillet , seasoned side down, and sear 5 minutes. Remove mahi to a foil lined baking sheet (seasoned side up) that’s been sprayed with light coating of cooking spray. Place in preheated oven for 15 minutes while preparing the sauce.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter then add onion and garlic. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, then stir in mushrooms. Cook for 7 minutes or until mushrooms are soft. Stir in flour, and cook for 1 minute before stirring in the wine. Cook and stir for 1 minute more, then slowly stir in the vegetable broth. Season with the blackening spice, thyme, pepper, and cayenne, if desired.

Place a portion of fish over 1/2 to 3/4 cup of mashed potatoes or red beans and rice, and pour 1/2 cup of mushroom sauce over top!

*If mahi isn’t available, tilapia or swai is a good substitute.

 

Caribbean Salmon With Pigeon Pea Succotash And Mango Bacon Cream Sauce

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This is the reason I carry a piece of paper in my pocket at work! I came up with this plantain chip crusted salmon after learning salmon was going on sale. I knew I wanted to use mangos with it, in a sauce or salsa, but figured out I wanted to try a mango bacon cream sauce after watching an episode of “Chopped” that very night. The pigeon pea succotash was inspired by a co-worker who first introduced me pigeon peas and rice. This is a really great, easy dish, and looks great too! 

For the salmon:

  • 4  6oz. salmon fillets, skinned
  • 6 oz. plantain chips, crushed (Sold in bags like potato chips)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
For the succotash:
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 15oz. can pigeon peas, drained
  • 1 15oz. can black beans, drained
  • 1 11oz. can crispy corn, drained
  • 1 jarred roasted red pepper, chopped
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the cream sauce:
  • 1 mango, peeled and chopped
  • 4 slices cooked bacon
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Start with the salmon. Place crushed plantains in a bowl and beaten eggs in another. Dip salmon in eggs first, then crushed plantains, coating well on all sides. Place coated salmon on a greased baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes. While salmon bakes, prepare succotash and cream sauce.

For the succotash, heat oil in a medium sauce pan, over medium heat and cook onion until soft. Add garlic and cook and stir for one minute more. Add remaining ingredients for succotash, cover, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until serving.

To prepare the cream sauce, place mango and bacon in a food processor and pulse until well blended and smooth. In a sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring continuously for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in cream, and cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in mango and bacon mixture.

To serve, place a piece of salmon over 1/2 cup of succotash and pour a tablespoonful at a time of cream sauce around the salmon, about 4 tbsp total, (more or less to taste). Enjoy!

Shrimp And Grits

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A Southern tradition. I’ve had several versions of this and have yet to find one I don’t like! This is my version, taking my favorite ingredients from the Shrimp and Grits I’ve had at restaurants and from recipes I found on the internet. Sometimes I surprise even myself and with this recipe, I did just that! It was so good, I can’t wait to make it again!

I used fresh local shrimp in this dish, and I’m a firm believer that you should always buy seafood from the U.S., not the farm-raised stuff from Thailand! Not only does it taste much better, but you’re helping out an industry that has been dwindling because of the bad economy and outrageous gas prices!

For the grits:
  • 1 cup quick cooking grits
  • 3 cups water
  • 4 oz roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
  • 8 oz bacon, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 2 lbs fresh 21/25 shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 8 oz cooked Andouille sausage, chopped into half moons ( I used Johnsonville “New Orleans Brand”)
  • 2 tbsp white wine
  • 6 tbsp flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning

Start the grits. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, stir in grits, and cook on low for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and roasted red peppers. Keep warm while preparing the gravy.

Place bacon in a stockpot and heat over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Add onion, green pepper, and celery to the bacon grease. Cook veggies for about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and the sausage. Cook until shrimp are firm and pink, then remove from the pot. Set aside and keep warm. Pour in wine then stir in the flour. Slowly stir in milk, then Cajun seasoning. Cook and stir continuously until thickened, then remove from heat. 

To plate, pour 1/4 of the grits on a plate, then 1/4 of the shrimp, then cover with gravy. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Repeat with remaining ingredients for 4 servings. Enjoy!

“Crab” And Broccoli Bake

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This is an oldie but goodie! I’ve been making this for years and it never gets old. I love imitation crab meat, I guess that comes from eating so many California Rolls as a kid! This is an easy make-ahead dinner that doesn’t cost a lot, but looks like a fancy gourmet meal!

  • 3/4 lb imitation crab meat
  • 1  12 oz package frozen broccoli florets
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 tbsp shredded cheddar
  • shredded parmesan cheese
  • crushed buttery crackers

On the day before you plan to serve, place crab meat evenly in 4 oven safe ramekins. Prepare broccoli according to package directions, and distribute evenly on top of the crab in the ramekins.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic, and cook until mushrooms are soft. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Continue to cook and stir until mixture becomes thick and starts to bubble. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese. Pour evenly over ramekins. Cover ramekins with foil and refrigerate over night.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the covered ramekins on a baking sheet for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and crushed crackers. Serve with pasta or a salad. Enjoy!

Salmon Katsu

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Since it’s the new year, I’m going to make an effort to eat fish at least once a week, and though it maybe fried, it is in fact, fish for dinner! This is always a go to dinner when I want something quick without a fuss, and if you don’t like salmon, you can always make this with boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets, or tilapia or flounder fillets. I serve it with katsu sauce, and this past time I tried ponzu as well, and I still like the katsu sauce the best. A bok-choy salad with Asian dressing, and a boil-in-bag of white rice goes great along side!

For the salmon:

  • 2 lbs salmon, skin removed and cut into 1 inch strips
  • 1 cup panko
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • vegetable oil for frying

For the sauce:

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp mustard powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • dash pepper

To prepare fish, fill a large skillet 1/3 full with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Place the panko in one medium mixing bowl, and beat 2 eggs in another. When the oil is hot, dip salmon the beaten egg, then the panko. Fry in batches of four at a time, about 1 to 2 minutes per side until salmon is firm. Place on a paper towel lined plate.

To prepare sauce, pour all ingredients for sauce in a small mixing bowl. Serve along side the salmon. Eat it while it’s hot!