Warm Grilled Shrimp and Corn Salad with Cilantro and Lime

Tags

cilantro, corn, food, gluten free, lime, salad, shrimp, summer

This salad embraces one of my favorite things about summer – fresh corn. There are several good points to this dish. It’s quick to make, especially if the shrimp is already prepared. It has complex flavors without too many ingredients. It is actually healthy for you.

Warm Grilled Shrimp and Corn Salad with Cilantro and Lime

• Garlic and Lime Shrimp Skewers
• 4 ears of grilled corn
• Cumin and smoked chipotle pepper powder
• 1 lime
• Cilantro

Cut the corn off the cob, one cob per plate Sprinkle with desired amount of cumin and chipotle pepper powder. Top with a skewer of the shrimp. Squeeze 1/4 of a lime over the corn and shrimp. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the plate. Serves 4.

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Garlic and Lime Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Tags

food, garlic, gluten free, grilled, lime, quick, seafood, shrimp, skewers, summer

I love good shrimp in the summer. Tasty and light, these skewers are great just as they are or added to salads, pasta, or even on top of nachos…

Garlic and Lime Grilled Shrimp Skewers

• 4 limes, juiced and zested
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Wooden skewers

In a bowl, combine the shrimp with the lime juice/zest, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Allow the shrimp to marinade for 30 minutes. While they are marinading, soak the wooden skewers in water so they don’t burn when you grill the shrimp. Prepare the grill. When coals are grey, place the skewered shrimp over coals. Grill approx 2 minutes on each side.

Shrimp Enchiladas

Tags

cilantro, enchiladas, food, Mexican, peppers, seafood, shrimp

I love seafood in most every form. These enchiladas were pretty tasty, though next time I will do some things differently. Instead of using the canned chilies, I think I will grill poblano peppers and onions. In place of the corn, I will use black beans. The sweetness of the corn was a bit odd with the shrimp. Otherwise, it was a great recipe. I love the cream sauce and the shrimp was not overcooked, something I had suspected.

My apologize for the less than gorgeous photo. It tastes way better than the photo portrays. 🙂

Shrimp Enchiladas (from here)

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup corn
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• coarse salt and fresh black pepper
• 1 pound raw medium-sized shrimp, cleaned, tails off
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, crushed between fingers
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 + 1/2 cup crumbled cotija, queso blanco or feta cheese
• 7-8 (8-inch) corn tortillas or about 10 (6-inch)
• Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 + 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 small can green chiles w/ juices
• 1 + 1/2 cups Sour Cream
• fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, for serving
• sour cream, for serving

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat and saute onion, garlic and corn until corn is tender, seasoning well with salt and pepper and stirring often. Add shrimp and oregano, cook until shrimp just start to curl up. Remove from heat. Mix in avocado and 3/4 cup cheese. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper. Make sauce: In a large heavy bottomed saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat; stir in flour and cook 2-3 minutes. Whisk in broth, bring up to a simmer and cook 3 more minutes. Turn heat to low and whisk in green chiles and sour cream until fully incorporated. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan. Mix about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the shrimp mixture. Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and place on a microwave safe plate and microwave 1 – 1 1/2 minutes until soft and pliable. Add about 1/2 cup filling off center to each tortilla and roll up. Place in pan. Repeat until all the filling is used. Pour the sauce over top and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup of cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes until bubbly all over. Garnish with fresh chopped herbs and serve with sour cream.

 

¡Olé!

Tags

beer, Cinco de Mayo, citrus, cod, fish, fruit, Mexican, salsa, tacos

I am so tired of hearing Republicans and Democrats bicker over immigration. I bet if Obama and McConnell sat down over plates of Mexican food and a bucket of cold beer they would get over their issues, work things out. I volunteer to act as chef for that day…

Citrus and Beer Marinated Cod Tacos with Fruit Salsa

The Fish:

• Juice and zest of a lime
• Juice and zest of 1/2 an orange
• 1/4 cup Corona
• 2 cloves of garlic, microplaned
• Cayenne powder to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb cod or other firm white fish

In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Marinade the cod for an hour. Grill over medium coals until flaky. Serve with the fish salsa in corn or flour tortillas.

The Salsa:

• 1 kiwi, peeled, quartered and sliced
• 1 mango, cubed
• 1/8 cup thinly sliced cucumber
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, diced
• 1/8 cup onion, finely diced
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Cilantro to taste

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Allow salsa to chill and the flavors to meld. Serve over the fish.

Clam Chowder

Tags

chowder, clam, food, gluten free, main dish, seafood, soup

As soon as this recipe was posted on Taste Food, I longed to make it. It just never seemed to work out though. I’d plan it out, make my grocery list and then the seafood counter would not have clams. I looked all over for celery root (used in the original recipe) and couldn’t find it anywhere, even places like Whole Foods. So instead of insisting that the recipe be exactly replicated, I bent the rules a bit. And you know what? That’s what cooking is all about. I don’t know if this chowder is as good as the original but we really enjoyed it.

Clam Chowder (a variation of a recipe from Taste Food)

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 slices bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium white turnip, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 1 pound small fingerling potatoes, cut in 1/4-inch coins
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 24 little neck clams
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add bacon and fry until the bacon is lightly browned. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add turnip, potatoes, and celery. Sauté until soften, about 3 minutes.  Add milk, cream, stock, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil. Add clams. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until clams open, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with celery leaves.

Maple-Mustard Grilled Salmon

Tags

fish, food, grilled, maple, mustard, salmon, summer

This is one of my new favorite recipes. I have made it several times and we just love it. The glaze is tasty and compliments the fish without over powering it. I can’t wait to make it on the grill.

Maple-Mustard Grilled Salmon (a version of this recipe)

• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black peppe
• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on

Preheat oven to 400 degrees or prepare grill for medium heat. Combine all the glaze ingredients in a bowl. On a plate, top the salmon fillets with half of the glaze. Place on grill. Allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Top with the rest of the glaze and finish grilling. Fish should be flaky when done. Serves 4.

Vietnamese Quinoa and Shrimp Salad

Tags

Asian, cucumbers, food, main dish, quinoa, red bell peppers, salad, seafood, shrimp

This week I am making a concerted effort to plan my meals for work. I usually just depend on leftovers but they never seem to last long enough. This salad caught my eye because the awesome flavors and the ability to make it in advance.

Vietnamese Shrimp Quinoa Salad (from The Crafty Cook Nook)

The Dressing:
6 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp Asian fish sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, plus more if desired

The Salad:
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 small cucumber, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Add quinoa, salt and 1-2/3 cups water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool.

Combine the lime juice, Asian fish sauce, vegetable oil, sugar and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add shrimp to the dressing and let marinate until ready to assemble the salad.

When quinoa is cool, add red bell pepper, carrot, cucumber and scallions to the bowl. Right before serving, add the dressing, shrimp and cilantro and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, sugar or crushed red pepper flakes if necessary. Serve cold. Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side.

Tilapia with Lemon Shallot Sauce

Tags

fish, food, lemon, sauce, seafood, shallot

Things have been really busy around here. Lots of work and life responsibilities. I am sorry I haven’t been very prompt responding to comments. Regular posts have been difficult to complete and sadly there has been more than one fast food drive through meal. Equally as disturbing is the fact that this trend will probably continue for the next week or so. I long for a long weekend at home. Until then I will continue preparing meals like this one.

Tilapia with Lemon Shallot Sauce

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 of a lemon, juiced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper both sides of the tilapia fillets. Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed skillet (not non-stick). Fry fish until cooked through and flaky (about 2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the filets). Remove fish and set aside.  In same pan, melt better and add shallots. Saute until they are tender. Add lemon juice and allow to simmer another 2 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust flavors as needed. Spoon over the fish.

Spicy Shrimp Tostadas

Tags

black beans, food, main dish, Mexican, onions, peppers, shrimp, tostada

I am on a bender- a Mexican food bender.

I don’t need an intervention.

I have complete control.

I swear.

Spicy Shrimp Tostadas

• 1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Spices: cumin, Old Bay, salt, pepper, cayenne, chili powder, etc
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced thinly
• 2 poblano peppers, sliced thinly
• 2 onions, thickly sliced
• 1 can black beans, seasoned with spices and warmed through
• Pam
• 4 tostada shells (you can make them at home this way)
• Garnish with cilantro, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, cheese

Place your vegetables on a baking sheet and broil on low until they start to blacken on the edges, about 10 minutes. Spray a skillet with Pam and add the shrimp. Sprinkle with desired spices. Fry until just cooked (overcooked shrimp is gross!). On a plate, layer your tostadas in this order: tostada shell, black beans, peppers and onions, shrimp, cheese. Repeat. Serves 2.

A Quick Lunch of Fish Tacos

Tags

cilantro, corn, fish, lime, Mexican, seafood, tacos, tilapia, tortilla

Tonight is the Academy Awards ceremony. I confess I rarely watch and I have no plans to tonight. One video short caught my eye – Fresh Guacamole by PES.

I have no idea if it’s Oscar worthy but I think it’s fun. The only thing I would add to the guac is cilantro. I wonder what the illustrator would have chosen to represent it? Lego palm trees? Model train landscaping?

This next video, entitled What If Animals Ate Fast Food, is pretty cool too. I don’t think it’s nominated for anything but it made me laugh.

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I have never been one to eat boring food. Until recently, I didn’t even eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Not even as a kid (though now my palate appreciates the salty/sweet combo). When I am home and it is lunch time, I either eat leftovers or I create something quick and tasty. Pasta with pesto and various veggies. A sandwich on good bread, with quality meats and cheeses, loaded with flavor and veggies.

Food is as much about nourishment as it is about flavor and satisfaction. People overeat because what they eat is not very tasty. They compensate by eating more to fill the void. How many times have you found yourself reaching the bottom of a bowl of microwave popcorn and thinking “Jeez, I ate all that already?” Mindless eating at it’s finest.

These quick tacos take no more than 5 minutes hands on time and about 10 minutes baking time. The result is tasty and healthy. The cost to you is minimal.

Quick Fish Tacos

• 1 tilapia fillet
• Lemon pepper seasoning
• Salt
• Pam
• 2 corn tortillas
• 1/2 avocado
• Toppings – cilantro, onion, lime juice, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray the bottom of a small glass baking dish with Pam. Place the fillet in the pan. Sprinkle the desired amount of salt and lemon pepper seasoning on the fish. Spray top of fish with more Pam. Bake until fish is flaky (8 to 10 minutes).

Steam your two corn tortillas between two moistened paper towels for about 20 seconds in the microwave. Place half of the fillet in each tortilla. Top with your avocado and other desired toppings. I used cilantro, onion, and lime juice. Serves 1.