Curried Shrimp

Eating this makes me feel 10 years old again...at home...my mom in the kitchen...my dad watching Walter Cronkite...my brothers trying to stuff my head into the toilet...ahh, the memories. This is the perfect 'cold-weather-sitting-in-front-of-the-fire-and-watching-a-great-movie' kind of food.

Ingredients

• 1 package puff pasty shells
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• salt & pepper
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 cups cooked tiny Bay shrimp
• 3 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups milk, depending on how thick or thin you like it

Directions

1. Cook puff pastry shells according to package directions
2. Melt butter and add flour, salt and pepper, paprika and curry - it will be a thick, dry paste
3. Slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups milk and allow to thicken
4. Add shrimp, ketchup and sherry - heat through
5. Serve in puff pasty shells or serve over steamy white rice - yummmmmmmmmmm

Feta Shrimp

Looking for a ridiculously easy meal, or a super fast appetizer? You've come to the right recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 lb raw, peeled and deveined shrimp
• 3-5 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• oregano - dried or fresh

Directions

1. Heat olive in pan until hot, but not smoking.
2. Add garlic, shrimp and about a teaspoon of oregano and saute until cooked - will only take a couple of minutes
3. Add tomato sauce and cook for about 30 seconds
4. Add crumbled feta and cook until thickened - about a minute.
5. Garnish with a littlechopped oregano and serve over rice if you like - it's very, very good.

June's Smelly (Petrale) Sole

June used to make this back in the olden days for her 4 kids - Marc, Jill, Ted and Kim (now all adults stinking up their own houses, no doubt). The problem is sole tends to make its presence known during cooking. But that's OK because it's way delicious - just don't make it the day before you have a special event at your house - OK make that 2 days before. But do make it, because it's great. June says you must use Petrale sole, but unless she's invited over, you can use whatever sole you like. I like Dover, plus it's less expensive.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound sole
• 2 tablespoons tarragon
• vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 cup bread crumbs - I like the Japanese 'Panko' crumbs
• 1 cup grated cheddar/jack mix
• 6 tablespoons melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray
3. Put in sole and sprinkle each piece lightly with tarragon, vinegar then basil
4. Bake for 30 minutes
5. Mix bread crumbs and cheese and put on top of each piece of fish
6. Pour melted butter over top of crumb mixture
7. Turn oven up to 375 and bake for about 10 more minutes
8. Remove and enjoy
9. Go out to eat the next night, and leave the windows open.

Kate's Mom's Salmon

4 Servings

Actually, it's from her mother-in-law. Kate calls this 'The Best Recipe in the World' - that's a pretty darn big title for such a simple & quick dish, so you decide.

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets
• Sauce:
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin - Japanese cooking sake
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 inch grated ginger
• For garnish:
• Thinly sliced green onions & sesame seeds for garnish

Directions

1. Put sauce ingredients in nonstick skillet and heat until the sugar has dissolved
2. Add salmon to pan (skin-side down, if there is skin)
3. Cover and turn heat to low - cook 5 minutes
4. Turn fish over and cover - cook an additional 5 minutes
5. Serve with green onions on top

Steamed Mussels

Serves 4

Here's the deal - mussels may look like a bunch of work, but they're really not. This recipe is only about 15 minutes from start to finish. And once you get the hang of them, you'll make 'em again and again. Plus they look totally impressive when served.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds fresh mussels
• 6 pieces of bacon, diced
• 1/2 of one medium onion - diced
• 2 cloves, garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon, dried thyme
• 1 cup vermouth
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup butter
• fresh ground pepper
• Bread for serving, something delicious and crusty

Directions

1. Make sure mussels are cleaned well - that means they've been scrubbed and don't have that little seaweed-like growth - it's called the beard. If they do, just give it a quick, hard little pull. All this handling will cause the mussels to close if they were open. If they don't close - don't use them. Have your fish guy make sure they are in good shape before he bags them.
2. Cook bacon about 3 minutes, then add onion and continue to cook both until onion softened and bacon cooked just starting to get crispy then add garlic and cook another 2 minutes
3. Add mussels, thyme, vermouth and turn heat to high
4. Give the mussels a good stir with a large spoon to mix all together and cover pot
5. Shake the pot occasionally to make sure the mussels cook evenly.
6. In about 5 minutes, check to see if the mussels have opened. If they haven't, give them another couple of minutes, but that's it. If they haven't opened by now - it's too bad for them. Throw away the unopened ones.
7. Take out the mussels, and cover with foil to keep warm.
8. Add the butter and parsley to the liquid that remains - allow butter to melt
9. Serve mussels in individual bowls with some of the liquid.
10. Think I'll go make some right now!

Peter the Lawyer

Peter experimented one night (he's that kind of guy) and came up with this. He said: "I don't know where you're at with anchovies, but used properly they give a great depth to sauce and add little, if any, fishiness." Can you tell he's an attorney?

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-6 anchovy fillets, or 1-2 tablespoons anchovy paste
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped (peel them if you want it to be perfect)
• 1 or 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• Olive oil to saute
• 2 fillets of firm fish like Mahi Mahi, shark or swordfish
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat olive oil and saute garlic until golden
2. Add the anchovy fillets (or paste) and saute until disintegrated
3. Add the tomatoes and saute they break down stirring constantly
4. Add basil and salt and pepper and simmer over a low heat
5. Rub fish with a little olive oil and salt & pepper and grill over medium/high heat or place under the broiler for approximately 5 minutes a side
6. Plate fish and spoon sauce over each fillet

Grilled Pesto Shrimp

Serves 6

2 ingredients - OK, technically 3 if you count the stick. Larger shrimp like at least 31/40's are great. That just means there are between 31 and 40 shrimp per pound.

Ingredients

• 24 large shrimp, de-veined with shell & tail removed
• 2 cups pre-made pesto, store bought is easier
• 24 wooden skewers

Directions

1. Thread 2 shrimp onto 2 skewers - the 2 sticks keep them from spinning around.
2. Coat shrimp well with pesto and let sit about 15 minutes - reserve some pesto for serving.
3. Heat grill or grill pan
4. Cook a couple of minutes on each side and serve with extra pesto for dipping

Rainy Day Salmon

Serves 8-10

Growing up in Vancouver BC, it rained a lot. And we had salmon a lot. And sometimes we had it when it rained even. OK - so call me homesick. And one of the things I like about this is there no flipping - just cooking under the broiler until done. Boom.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sake
• 1 glove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• Juice of 1 whole lemon
• 1 whole salmon fillet - about 2 pounds, cut into serving pieces
• Green onion and sesame seeds to garnish

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except the salmon in a saucepan and bring to a boil
2. Turn down heat and simmer until slightly thickened and a bit syrupy - about 10 minutes
3. Preheat oven to broil and cover a baking sheet with foil, it's messy
4. Place salmon on the foil and baste well with the sauce
5. Broil the salmon about 6 inches away from the glowing coils until done - approximately 7 minutes for every inch of thickness, and If it starts to get crispy and a little bit black in spots, that's good
6. Remove from oven, baste with extra sauce and garnish with green onion and sesame seeds

Fresh Red Snapper Tacos

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon oil
• 1 lb. red snapper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
• Juice from 1 lime
• Corn tortillas
• Red cabbage, shredded
• Sour cream
• Salsa

Directions

1. Cook onion in oil over medium heat until softened.
2. Add Red Snapper and Old Bay, and saute until cooked - not long, less than 5 minutes
3. Add lime juice, and saute for another minute
4. Bingo - you're done
5. Spread a little sour cream on the warmed tortilla and add a little cabbage then some of the fish - top with salsa - yum

Grilled Lobster Tails

Serves 4

There's this big mystique about lobster being hard to cook. Frankly it's no more difficult than a grilled peanut butter and jelly - it's just more expensive. Try it and see.

Ingredients

• 4 lobster tails
• 1/4 cup Finlandia butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 whole lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients except tails in small pot over low heat until melted
2. Using kitchen shears or really good scissors - cut right up the middle of the shell to towards the tail, but don't cut through the tail
3. Using the cut as your guide, take a good knife and cut all the way down through the meat but do not cut through the bottom shell
4. Pull back the sides of the shell to expose the meat and brush well with the butter mixture
5. Heat grill to medium high and grill meat-side down for approximately 5-6 minutes, then turn and cook another 3-4 minutes or until done
6. Serve with extra butter sauce

Ray's Sea Bass

Serves 4

Viewer Ray unselfishly submitted one of his favorite recipes. It's a 'must cook' item. Don't even think about it - just make it. You won't be sorry.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs Sea Bass
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Kosher salt to taste1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 nice sized tomato (not mushy), diced small
• 1-2 tablespoon fresh shredded Parmesan

Directions

1. Pre heat oven to 425.
2. Heat sesame oil in oven safe skillet over medium heat on stove
3. Add Sea Bass
4. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Because it's going in the oven and you won't be able to turn it over, you want to cook the bottom a touch.
5. While it's on the stovetop, add garlic to melted butter and drizzle over fish.
6. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over fish
7. Cover fish with chopped cilantro and a light sprinkle of kosher salt.
8. Add diced tomato to top of fish.
9. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan over the fish.
10. Remove from stove, place pan in oven and bake fish at 425 for about 15 minutes for a piece about an inch and a half thick - less time for thinner fish.
11. Serve immediately.

Scallops with Green Onions & Hoisin

Serves 4

You know how I feel about using frozen shrimp - I think they're just great. I'm the same with scallops - buy a bag and keep them in the freezer for a last minute deal. They defrost in about 3 minutes under cold running water. Hoisin is available from ANY supermarket in the Asian food section.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb scallops, defrosted and dried on paper towels
• 1/4 cup Chinese Hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 6 scallions (green onions)
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil

Directions

1. Trim green onion ends and cut into 1" pieces
2. Mix together Hoisin, soy, and sherry
3. Heat wok with oil until almost smoking
4. Put in green onions and scallops - stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes until scallops are cooked
5. Add Hoisin mixture and stir all until thickened and heated through, about a minute
6. Sprinkle with finely chopped green onion and serve over rice.

Citrus Soy Scallops

Serves 4

Too many people overcook scallops and it's time to stop. If you overcook yours, I'll have to come over and knock you in the head. You simply need lots of heat and little time.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• Juice of 2 limes
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 lb large sea scallops
• peanut oil

Directions

1. Place all ingredients except scallops in a glass or ceramic shallow bowl.
2. Mix well and add scallops.
3. Marinate 5 minutes each side at room temperature. If you marinate scallops too long, they'll get mushy.
4. Transfer scallops to a plate and reserve marinade.
5. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large saute pan over high heat until hot and almost smoking.
6. Add scallops (cook in batches if necessary to keep from being too crowded) and saute quickly until seared brown and just cooked through - about 2 minutes a side.
7. Remove from pan.
8. Add marinade to pan and boil until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes.
9. Drizzle scallops with sauce.

Shrimp with Pesto Linguini

Easy, easy, easy. So why not make it?

Ingredients

• 1 pound uncooked shell-on shrimp
• 1 pound linguini
• 1-7 ounce packaged pesto (you want to make your own... go ahead)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• Shredded Parmesan
• olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Pepper

Directions

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil
2. Add linguini, and cook according to package directions
3. Add pesto & chicken broth to another large pan, and bring to a low simmer
4. When ready, drain pasta and add to pesto mixture and mix well to coat
5. Add 1 tablespoon oil to large pan over medium heat
6. Lightly salt & pepper shrimp, and saute until pink and cooked through
7. Put pasta on a plate and top with cooked shrimp
8. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve

Shrimp Tacos

Makes about 4 or 5

I say it all the time - keep a bag of raw, unpeeled shrimp in the freezer for easy last minute recipes like this. The chipotle/sour cream/lime mix that goes with this is so good. But don't get all freaked out with the chipotles, they're not weird. You just buy them in a little can for about a buck and a half in the supermarket. Actually, buy 2 cans - I also use them in my Chicken Enchiladas.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb peeled, uncooked shrimp, (31/50's are perfect) cut into smallish pieces
• 2 limes
• 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• corn tortillas
• purple cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 small chipotle from a can, pay attention now - not a whole can of them - just one as they're hot, minced fine

Directions

1. Mix well sour cream, chipotle and juice from 1/2 a lime in small bowl - set aside
2. Heat pan well then add oil
3. Add shrimp and stir fry quickly - the shrimp will cook fast
4. When almost cooked, sprinkle with Old Bay then squeeze juice from half a lime on top
5. Give 'em a quick mix and you're done
6. That's it. I like to put everything out and let people make their own. Put some of the chipotle sour cream on a tortilla, add a little cabbage, add the shrimp and squeeze a little more fresh lime juice over the top.
7. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Susan Sbicca's Blue Crab Cakes

Serves 5 (two each)

Susan's restaurant in Del Mar, Sbicca (how convenient, she named it after herself) is an American Bistro. What exactly is that you ask? Susan says it's a play on comfort food - things that are recognizable...a little Asian, a little Mediterranean...a little bit of all the great things that make up America. Whatever it is, it's all good. But the best way to find out is to just go there yourself.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Blue Crab meat
• 3/4 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 ounce teriyaki sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Panko crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs - regular will do but these add a nice texture and crunchiness)

Directions

1. Saute celery and onions in butter until onion are transparent
2. When cool, add to crab meat - then add remaining ingredients and mix well
3. Stir in Panko crumbs
4. Add a little oil to your pan and heat
5. Shape into small patties and fry until golden on both sides

Tequila Shrimp

This one is so quick and fun to make. Once the flames burn down you can added greek yogurt and chipotle to add even more flavor to the dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound large shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup tequila
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat
2. Add shrimp saute quickly until almost done - then add garlic
3. Saute for another minute, then remove completely from heat and add tequila
4. Allow alcohol to burn off briefly and carefully return to heat (there's a good chance here will be flames - just be careful)
5. Add cilantro, salt & pepper - stir briefly and serve (you can add greek yogurt and chipotle to add even more flavor to the dish).

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Pasta Puttanesca

Serves 6

This dish was named after Italian prostitutes, who would come into restaurants late after a long night of work. The chefs would prepare a simple meal of leftovers. Obviously the ladies liked it, and the dish is now a common item in many restaurants. Don't worry, eating it won't cause you to buy extra high heels and install a streetlamp in front of your house.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon anchovy paste - don't leave this out!
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 5 ounces Kalamata (Greek) Olives, coarsely chopped
• 28 oz can Italian tomatoes, chopped
• Any fresh pasta
• Fresh grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a pan
2. Add anchovy paste and garlic and saute for about one minute
3. Add tomatoes, capers, olives and red pepper and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes
4. Using a fork or big spoon, mash the tomatoes in the pan - you want the sauce thick and chunky
5. Serve over pasta and top with fresh parmesan

Smoked Salmon, Dill And Goat Cheese Pizza

Serves 4

Bring on the brunch baby, cuz this is one of my favorite things to serve.

Ingredients

• 1 - 10 oz pre baked pizza crust
• Olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped fresh dill
• 5 ounces soft goat cheese
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces smoked salmon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons capers, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Brush crust lightly with olive oil.
3. Spread goatcheese over the crust, sprinkle with 1/2 the dill then top with sliced onions
4. Bake until cheese melts and crust starts getting crispy about 12 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, top with salmon and remaining dill

Tuna Tacos with Mango

Makes 6

I'll be the first to admit that tuna tacos don't really sound very good - but they are. In fact, they're deeelicious.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe mango, diced small
• 2 tablespoons red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 fresh lime, squeezed
• 3/4 pound yellow fin tuna, uncooked and diced medium
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• corn tortillas
• 1 tablespoon oil

Directions

1. Mix first 4 Ingredients and set aside
2. Heat oil to almost high
3. In medium pan and add tuna
4. Saute quickly & when almost done stir in seasoning
5. Put in a warmed tortilla and add mango salsa
6. That's all - ok, so it wouldn't kill you to add a little extra squeeze of fresh lime