SHRIMP DIABLO

 Every now and then the stars align, and dinner is wonderful.  For those of you who know me, this was a "moaner" meal.  JT said it would be on the list for his "last meal".  Scott said it was the kind of meal that is so good you wiggle in your seat in delight as you eat!  Logan ate his fill of everything and complimented each component.  Why was it so special?  Was it because I had met the shrimp boat in Port A to get fresh shrimp or because I had gone to Fiesta earlier in the week and bought fresh Queso Fresca for Chile rellenos or because I carefully picked through all the center cut bacon to find the leanest?  I'm sure all those things contributed to it, but whatever the case I knew I had to blog this meal.  The Green Rice was out of an old Fonda San Miguel cookbook, and I will blog it as well because all my boys loved it.  The Chopped Salad was my own creation, and the use of the Jalapeño Ranch Dip (already on the blog) sparingly used as the dressing pushed it over the top.  Scott even ate seconds of the salad, and that is very unusual for my favorite carnivore.  Justin couldn't bear to waste it and actually ate out of the salad bowl at the end to finish it.  I know I am sounding like I am bragging, but this was a memorable meal.  Sometimes things just come together to create a dining experience that lingers in your mind for days -- especially if you are foodies, like the bunch I feed regularly.

Jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, 4-6 per person

Fresh jalapeños, bigger than your shrimp, a few more than the number of shrimp*

1/2" thick slices of cheese, slightly shorter than jalapeños **

Center cut bacon (HEB brand is thin and cooks faster), pick the leanest 1-1/2 to 2 slices per jalapeño

Make a cut lengthwise in the jalapeño down the middle slightly below the stem and above the tip.  Wearing gloves, carefully use your finger or a thin knife to scrape out the seeds and the veins, because that is where all the heat is in a jalapeño.  If it tears too much then use one of the extra jalapeños and try again. Rinsing them out inside will help get all the seeds out once you have loosened the seeds.  Press the cheese into the back of the jalapeño.  Gently add the shrimp on top of the cheese, being careful that all of the cheese is covered by shrimp so that it doesn't ooze out when cooking.  Wrap the bacon around each jalapeño, being sure to cover all the open areas with the leanest part of the bacon, especially on each end.  If there is a jalapeño that tore a little at the top use a toothpick to keep it closed.  Cover with saran and refrigerate until ready to grill.

With the grill at about 400 degrees, brush the grate with oil and space the jalapeños at least 1" apart.  Close the lid and let them cook until the bacon on the bottom looks done.  Continue turning them until all sides appear done or even slightly charred.  They will hold the heat inside so be careful of that first bite or two!

* I was concerned that the jalapeños might be too hot for Justin, so I used the small red, yellow and orange peppers that come in a bag for a few of them.  They were tasty but Justin agreed that the jalapeño flavored ones were better, and by cleaning out the seeds and veins, they weren't too hot.  Of course you never know from one jalapeño to the next how hot it will be, but the big ones at HEB generally aren't too hot.

**You can use a variety of cheeses here, just nothing too firm.  Fresh Queso Fresca worked beautifully because that is what Mexican cooks generally use in their Chile rellenos.  However, the packaged Queso Fresca we can get at HEB is the kind that crumbles and not the best to use.  Monterrey Jack, Quesadilla, Oaxaca, or Chihuahua cheeses will also work and can be found easily.  In fact I used Oaxaca in some of these jalapeños since I had some on hand.

AIR FRYER BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP

                                    
Kim told me this was an easy but tasty air fryer recipe, and she was exactly right!  I didn't have great shrimp because Favor Delivery brought me the wrong shrimp, but I decided with all the seasonings and bacon it might camouflage the inferior shrimp.  It definitely did just that, and Justin and I were both very pleased with our quick but tasty dinner.  Thanks again Kim for the recommendation!

1 lb. Jumbo size shrimp, peeled (mine were only large at best)
10 slices of bacon cut in half (I cut mine in thirds)
1 t. garlic salt
1 TB chili powder, optional*
1 TB soy sauce
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. barbecue sauce

In a medium bowl, combine garlic salt, chili powder (if using), soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and BBQ sauce; stir well to combine.

Put shrimp in a bowl and pour enough sauce over it to coat it well and reserve the rest of the sauce.  Wrap each shrimp with a piece of bacon and then skewer with a toothpick.  Once each piece of shrimp is skewered, drizzle a little more sauce over it to ensure all pieces are covered with sauce.

Preheat air fryer to 370 degrees for 4 minutes.  Spray the inside with Pam.  Add wrapped shrimp to the air fryer basket.  Cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on how your air fryer cooks, flipping shrimp over about halfway through cooking time. 

Put the shrimp on a platter or in a bowl and drizzle the remainder of the sauce over it all.  Serve immediately.

*I didn't use chili powder because the BBQ sauce I had on hand was spicy, but next time if I am using a less spicy BBQ sauce I will definitely add the chili powder.

SHRIMP BRUSCHETTA

Eric introduced us to this magnificent appetizer at one of his favorite bars in LA – The York.  He then duplicated it for our family when we were celebrating Justin and his twin sister Joni’s birthdays a few years ago.  When he sat the cookie sheet down they were all devoured in about 20 seconds.  Every time I go to LA we have to go to The York to have it, but honestly Eric has done a fabulous job making his own recipe of it. I copied it out of his blog (Thehushpuppie.blogspot.com) so the print is different -- please excuse my laziness on not re-typing this one.  If you like shrimp, tomato bruschetta, and a white wine butter sauce, you will go bonkers for this dish – we all do!!

Ingredients:

French bread or baguette (sliced)
canola oil
1 lb. shrimp (peeled and deveined)
Eric’s seafood seasoning (on the blog under Seasonings)
1 bunch/pkg. micro greens or arugula

for Tomato Bruschetta:
3-4 large ripe tomatoes, diced (more if smaller)
1/2-1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
3-4 basil leaves, diced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
black pepper to taste

for White Wine Butter Sauce:
3 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1/2 c. white wine
3/4 c. chicken broth

First, prepare the tomato bruschetta: combine diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper in bowl or tupperware and refrigerate. This may be made in advance (or I suppose you could get pre-made bruschetta, but it won't be as good).

Next, prepare toast: preheat oven to 450 degrees, slice toast and arrange onto cookie sheet. Do not place in oven yet.

Then, season and prepare shrimp.  Also, to spread the measly one pound of shrimp over the whole appetizer slice each shrimp down the middle lengthwise to create two halves. Set aside in fridge.

Now the next ten or so minutes is gonna happen fast and be kind of busy. The more kitchen help you can get the better. Toast bread for about 3-4 minutes and remove to cool slightly. Move on to sauce.

White wine sauce: whisk together butter with flour in a small saucepan on low-medium heat. Once smooth add white wine and broth. Stir until blended and continue to cook on medium heat until begins to bubble, then reduce heat to let thicken.

But wait! While you or someone else in the kitchen stirs the white wine sauce until it bubbles you must cook the shrimp.

Heat a heavy skillet with several tablespoons of canola oil on medium-high heat. Once fully heated toss in shrimp and spread evenly over the skillet. After about one minute (assuming your heat is high enough) flip shrimp with metal spatula. After about one more minute gently flip shrimp again and continue to toss and flip them for another 45 seconds to a minute until shrimp appear to have been cooked thoroughly. Be careful not to overcook them.

Finally, layer greens over toast then bruschetta, then shrimp, then drizzle with wine sauce. Serve immediately.

SEAFOOD PAELLA

Lauren loves paella, and I have always wanted to try and make it for her.  I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit and decided to give it a shot for her “Welcome back to Texas” dinner.   It does require some organization and slicing/dicing in advance, but once the paella gets going, the process is pretty seamless and the rewards are huge.

1 serrano chile, coarsely chopped

1/3 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley

10 TB olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

8 oz pancetta, cut into ½” pieces

1 lg. yellow onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, cut into ½” strips

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 t. paprika

½ t. hot smoked Spanish paprika

½ c. dry Sherry

3 c. short-grain rice*

6 c. chicken broth

3 wide strips orange zest

½ t. saffron threads

12-24 littleneck clams or mussels**

8 spring onions, trimmed (scallions work too)

8 oz. haricots verts, trimmed

12-20 large, shell-on prawns or shrimp**

Freshly ground black pepper

3 lemons, quartered

Puree chile, parsley, and 6 TB oil in a food processor until smooth; season chile-parsley oil with salt and set aside.  Prep all other ingredients and have them lined up ready to go.

Heat 1 TB oil in a 13” paella pan or a 12” cast-iron skillet over medium-high.  Cook pancetta, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes.  Add yellow onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 8-10 minutes.  Add garlic and both paprikas and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Carefully add Sherry; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until pan is almost dry, about 3 minutes.  Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is coated and starting to turn translucent, about 3 minutes.  Stir in broth, orange zest, and saffron and season with salt.  Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until rice is nearly tender, 12-15 minutes.

Pluck out zest and nestle clams/mussels into rice and cook until they begin to open, 12-15 minutes.  Cover pan with lid or foil and simmer until rice is al dente and clams/mussels or open, about 8-10 minutes.  Discard any that don’t open.  Remove from heat but keep covered and let rice steam 10 more minutes.

While paella cooks, heat a grill pan over medium-high, or fire up your gas grill to about 400-450 degrees.  Separately toss spring onions, haricots verts, and prawns with 1 TB oil each in bowls; season with salt and pepper.  Grill spring onions, turning occasionally, until greens are charred and bulbs are tender, about 5 minutes, less if using scallions.  Next, grill haricots verts, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and tender, about 2 minutes.  Grill shrimp until cooked through and shells are charred, about 2 minutes per side but watch carefully not to overcook them.  Finally grill lemons until charred, about 1 minute per side.

Arrange spring onions, haricots verts, and prawns over paella.  Drizzle dish with reserved chile-parsley oil and squeeze some juice from grilled lemons over it.  Place remaining wedges on top of dish and serve.

*Short-grain Paella rice is quite expensive, and I read on-line that Arborio rice could be substituted, so that is what I used. 

** This recipe makes 4-6 servings.  Judge the amount of seafood you use by how many you are serving, and how many pieces you think each will want.  I used mussels and put as many in my pan as I could without it getting too crowded and grilled about 5 large shrimp per person, but I have hearty eaters.  If you use prawns you would naturally serve fewer.

SPICY ASIAN SHRIMP COCKTAIL

I was looking for another Asian-flavored appetizer to go with the Turkey Lettuce Wraps and found this on theperfectpantry.com.  It was a nice change from the usual tomato sauce based cocktail, and it fits nicely with the South Beach diet!  Susie requested the recipe so here it is girlfriend!

1 lb. jumbo shrimp, precooked, defrosted, peeled and deveined

Juice of ½ lime

1-1/2 t. sambal oelek (chili garlic sauce)

1 t. reduced-sodium soy sauce

½ t. sesame oil

½ t. agave nectar

2 c. diced English (seedless) cucumber

1 large avocado, diced

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

2 t. roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves

In a mixing bowl combine and whisk the lime juice, sambal oelek, soy sauce, sesame oil and agave nectar.  To the sauce in the bowl, add the shrimp and remaining ingredients.  Stir gently to combine.  Chill the shrimp cocktail for 1 hour before serving. 

FISH OR SHRIMP TACOS

These are a staple in our house.  I don’t always do them exactly the same, so I will put the different versions I make.  Version two is the quicker one and the one I’ve made for years.  Eric and I tried to copy ones made at Fred’s – a favorite spot on Pacific Beach where he lived in San Diego.  Version one I usually do for company.  We obviously like both.  For a fairly healthy but satisfying meal, try them.  They are much easier to make than you think.

A filet of fish (like tilapia or mahi mahi) or 1/3 lb. of shrimp per person

Eric’s Cajun Seasoning (recipe in Seafood Section)*
Canola or avocado oil
Finely shredded cabbage (can buy in a bag preshredded) or Mexican Cabbage Slaw (recipe below)
Pico de gallo (recipe below or bought fresh at grocery store) or Mexican Tomato Salad (recipe in      Salad section)
Chipotle mayo (recipe below) or Isabella Rae Garlic Ranch Salad Dressing**
Corn tortillas
Lime wedges

Prepare everything else and have all the layers sitting out ready to serve before cooking the shrimp/fish so they are served hot.

FISH/SHRIMP
The fish/shrimp are always done the same.   For fish, lay it on a cookie sheet about 30 minutes before cooking and heavily season both sides with Eric’s Cajun Seasoning.   For shrimp, peel and devein it.  Slice it in half lengthwise – it helps it cook faster without getting tough.  About 30 minutes before cooking put these in a zip lock bag and heavily season them with Eric’s Cajun Seasoning – rub it around and keep adding it until every shrimp is coated in it.

Heat your black skillet on high heat.  Put just enough oil so that the bottom is lightly coated – about 2 TB – get it hot but not smoking.  For fish, put it in and cook it only a couple of minutes before turning.  Flip it over and cook until you can put your spatula in it and it is flakey, only 2-3  more minutes – don’t overcook.  For shrimp, put just enough of it in the pan that it is in one layer.  Cook it on one side about a minute and flip it.  Watch it carefully so that you don’t overcook the shrimp.  It shouldn’t take 3 minutes total to cook it.

If using Isabella Rae instead of mayo, drizzle a little bit over the shrimp and toss it – don’t coat it heavily. **Isabella Rae can only be bought in Austin at Whole Foods (It is in the refrigerated salad dressing section).  It is a very light, thin garlic ranch dressing – actually low in calories and fat.  We eat it on our salads any time we want a creamy dressing.  I wouldn’t use a regular ranch dressing as a substitute.  They aren’t at all the same.  Since Eric is in LA and can’t get it,  he stirs a little sour cream over the shrimp while they are hot so it melts.  If you have a favorite light creamy dressing you might try it and see if you like it.

*Eric’s Cajun Seasoning is a MUST!  It is by far the best to use on fish.  I think it’s because it has powders in it rather than all grainy spices so it actually coats the seafood.  Go to the bulk section and buy all the ingredients and put them in a spice jar.  Use it any time you season seafood.  You will thank me.  It is wonderful.  You can’t put too much – I always use a heavy hand when I’m seasoning with it and rub it into the fish.

CHIPOTLE MAYO

¾ c. mayonnaise
1 TB. cilantro, diced
3 minced chipotle chiles, seeded and diced
About 1 t. of adobo sauce the chipotle chiles come in
Juice from ½ lime (about 1 TB)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and stir well.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Spread it on the bottom of the corn tortilla before putting anything else.

MEXICAN CABBAGE SLAW
4 c. shredded green cabbage
¼ c. cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 TB cider vinegar
1 TB canola oil
½ t. salt

Mix all together early and stir well.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

PICO DE GALLO

Tomatoes, diced
White onion, finely diced
Cilantro, finely diced
Juice of a lime
Salt to taste

Don’t overdo the onion.  You want the tomatoes to be the most dominant flavor.  Stir all together and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Leftovers will keep a day or two and can be eaten with tortilla chips.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Heat the corn tortillas however you like – in the microwave, wrapped in foil in the oven, or on a comal one at a time.

VERSION ONE:

Corn tortilla spread with a small amount of chipotle mayo
Fish or shrimp – no dressing on either
Mexican Cabbage Slaw
Mexican Tomato Salad
Lime Wedges

VERSION TWO:

Corn tortilla
Fish or shrimp, with light dressing or sour cream drizzled over it
Shredded cabbage
Pico De Gallo
Crumbled queso blanco or cotija cheese, optional
Lime Wedges

CRAB GUMBO

Justin’s Mom won a gumbo contest the first year they moved to Freeport, beating out all the old timers who had lived there and made gumbo all their lives. As usual she didn’t have a recipe. I sat and watched her make it many times over the years and took notes, estimating amounts she used. I have tweaked it a bit over the years, and I made it for Justin and Joni’s 54th birthday. Hoping to put it on the blog, I made careful notes of amounts I used. I generally double her recipe so that we have leftovers since it is so time-consuming to make, which is what is listed below. If you are making it for a small crowd you can cut it in half, like Granny always did. JT said it was the best I’ve ever made so here it is. I will admit though that it never turns out the same so good luck.

10 – 12 whole blue crabs (if small, fewer if large) -- legs cut off, everything cleaned out except the shell and meat and scrubbed clean
2 cans diced Rotel tomatoes and green chiles
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 t. salt
2 TB dried oregano
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or seafood bouillon if you can find it)
20 oz. frozen okra (or about 1 lb. fresh)
XL onion, diced
3 XL cloves garlic, diced
6 TB Crisco shortening
2 sticks butter
6 very heaping TB flour
2 TB Gumbo File
3 TB Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic seasoning
1 lb. lump crabmeat, picked to remove stray shells
2 lbs. Tilapia, cut into ½” cubes
2-1/2 lbs. Medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and sliced lengthwise into 2 pieces

In a heavy large soup pot, put the crabs, 1 gallon (16 c.) water, Rotel and diced tomatoes, salt, and oregano. Bring to a boil and stir in the bouillon cubes. Let this continue to boil.

In a black skillet melt the Crisco. Add the onions, garlic, and okra and stir until real mushy, mashing the okra with your spoon while it is cooking. Add this to the crab mixture and stir.

In the same skillet where you cooked the okra, make the roux (pronounced rue). This is the tricky part of the process, but it is critical to the flavor of your gumbo. Since we are doubling the recipe I make the roux in two batches rather than one – I’m afraid to try it, and the ingredients are too expensive and the recipe is too time-consuming to take a chance. Anyway, in your black skillet melt 1 stick of the butter on medium heat. Slowly stir in 3 VERY heaping TB flour and continue stirring until it turns a dark caramel color, about 10 minutes. Some people prefer a black roux, but it will burn or scorch easily, and we like it better with a roux that is the color of a caramel, only a shade or two darker. If you stop too soon, when it is just turning the caramel color, you won’t get all the flavor you need from the roux. Like I said, this is the tricky part. You will just have to experiment until you get it right – it has taken me many years for JT to say I finally got it right! When you like the color, pour it into the gumbo being careful not to burn yourself because the gumbo will bubble like crazy when you add the hot roux to it. Do the same process to make the second batch of roux with the other stick of butter and 3 more very heaping TB of flour. Add it to the gumbo and stir well. Add the Gumbo File and Seafood Magic; stir well. Cover and turn the burner down to low, so the gumbo is simmering slowly. Cook at least 4 hours or longer, until it cooks down and thickens.

Add the crabmeat, fish, and shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 10-15 minutes. Don’t overcook the seafood or it will get tough quickly. Turn the burner off and leave the lid on and let it rest on the stove a while before serving – preferably at least an hour.

Serve over white rice with extra Gumbo File for those who want to add it to their bowl. We generally just serve it with saltine crackers.

PICKLED SHRIMP

This is always a favorite. I am always asked for this recipe by someone at the party. Make it early on the day of your party or the day before so the flavors marinate well, but don’t make it too far in advance or the shrimp will start to get tough.  Slice the onion really thin -- I like the onion on a cracker almost as much as the shrimp!

2 lbs. Shrimp, boiled, peeled and deveined *
2 medium purple onions, sliced into thin rings
1 c. vegetable oil
1-1/2 c. white vinegar
½ c. sugar
1-1/2 t. salt
1-1/2 t. celery seed
4 TB capers with juice.

Make alternate layers of shrimp and onions in a sealable container. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the shrimp and onions. Seal and place in refrigerator for 6 hours or more, shaking or inverting occasionally. Drain some of the juice and serve with crackers.

• You may either boil your own shrimp or buy a 2 lb. bag in the freezer section that has already been boiled and peeled, but be sure it is the package with the tails removed – thaw before using.

CRAB MEAT AND LOBSTER LASAGNA

Justin wanted the traditional lasagna "like Mama used to make" for his birthday celebration with his twin sister Joni. Boring!! So Eric and I decided to make two kinds of lasagna (gotta have my way ya know!) He found this recipe on the internet, and we tweaked it a little. It's a little pricey to make such a small dish, but it was really good for a change.

6 TB butter
5 TB flour
4 c. milk
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1 pinch nutmeg
½ lb. fresh spinach, cleaned, stemmed and sliced finely
8 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
2 c. Ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 t. garlic, chopped
8 oz. Mozarella cheese, grated, + ½-1 c. for top of casserole
¾ - 1 lb. lump crab meat, picked over for cartilage
1-1/2 lb. Lobster tails, cooked, meat removed and diced
½ lb. lasagna noodles, boiled and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, ½ cup at a time. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly for 4-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach and ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the Ricotta cheese, egg, garlic and Mozarella. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set side.

Grease an 8X8X2 inch square pyrex dish. To assemble, spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Season the crabmeat and lobster with salt and pepper and sprinkle ½ of it over the sauce. Sprinkle half of the remaining Parmesan over it. Cover the cheese with the pasta. Spread ½ of the cheese filling evenly over the pasta. Repeat the layers ending with a top layer of the sauce and cover with Mozarella cheese.* Bake until bubbly and golden, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

*For some reason the layering seemed difficult so here is the order: sauce, seafood, Parmesan, noodles, cheese filling, sauce, seafood, Parmesan, noodles, cheese filling, sauce, and Mozarella.

FISH AND WHITE BEAN TOSTADAS

How does the saying go -- the total is greater than the sum of the parts?  Well, actually all of the parts to this dish stand well on their own.  I've served the white beans as a side dish for other meals and the pineapple avocado salsa with chips as an appetizer.  All together they make a light but very yummy combination.  I have also used the smoked fish in this blog instead of the fish recipe here.  Experiment with the parts or the total -- you will be glad you did!

1 lime, zested and juiced, plus lime wedges for garnish
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB olive oil, plus extra for baking sheet
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. white fish fillets, such as tilapia
¼ c. vegetable oil*
8 – 6” corn tortillas*
Sauteed white beans, recipe in Vegetable Section
½ c. shredded purple cabbage
Pineapple and Avocado Salsa, recipe in Appetizer section
Sour cream for garnish
Cotija cheese, shredded (not shown in picture -- I recently added this)

Make the salsa and set aside, waiting to add the avocado until just before serving.

In a small bowl combine the limejuice, zest, garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste; whisk well. Slice the fish in half lengthwise and then crossways in about ¾” pieces. Put the fish in a baking dish and pour the marinade on top and toss to coat evenly. Marinate for no more than 15 to 30 minutes or the fish will begin to “cook” in the limejuice.

Start the white beans. While they are cooking, preheat the broiler.

Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Remove the fish from the marinade and arrange on the baking sheet, making sure to leave space between the pieces so they will broil well. Broil until just cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.

In a medium sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Fry the corn tortillas, one at a time, just until crisp, flipping halfway through to brown both sides. Drain on paper towels and salt while still hot. (Obviously you can skip this step if you buy pre-cooked tostado shells.)

To assemble the tostadas: Layer each tostada first with the white beans, then the fish. Top with shredded cabbage and the pineapple and avocado salsa. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze of a lime wedge.

*You may also buy packaged tostado shells to save time.

TUNA STEAKS WITH GINGER-SHIITAKE CREAM SAUCE

This was my Valentine dinner in 2010 and the sauce is truly yummy – it is a “moaner” and I know this because JT moaned throughout the meal!

4-6 – 6 oz. tuna steaks, about 1” thick
2 TB peanut oil
Favorite seafood or Asian seasoning *

3 TB butter
1/3 c. thinly sliced green onions
¼ c. chopped cilantro
2 TB finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, chopped
8 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
6 TB soy sauce
1-1/2 c. whipping cream
3 TB fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Season tuna steaks and refrigerate until ready to cook (may even be partially frozen). Do prep work on all veggies and set aside; measure liquids and have them ready to use.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Place tuna steaks in hot oil and sear 2 minutes. Turn tuna over and continue cooking to desired doneness, probably about 2 minutes. Watch carefully because it cooks fast and is best when it is rare – the first time I made this I let the steaks sit out after I seasoned them while I did the prep work and only cooked them a total of 3 minutes and they were totally done throughout, which is why I recommend refrigerating or partially freezing the tuna before cooking to slow down the internal heat. Transfer tuna to rimmed baking sheet; keep warm in oven.

Add butter, green onions, cilantro, ginger and garlic to the same skillet and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in mushrooms and stir well; add soy sauce and simmer about 30 seconds. Add whipping cream and simmer until the sauce lightly coats the back of your spoon, about 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Spoon the sauce onto the plate and arrange tuna atop the sauce or put your favorite rice, then tuna and top all with sauce.

*I have an Asian Spice Rub that is a blend of sesame seed, garlic, sweet pepper flakes, red pepper, green chili pepper, turmeric, and ginger, and I lightly salted it as well. The original recipe just called for black pepper, so experiment to see what you like best.

JT’S CATFISH FILET WITH CRAWFISH AND CRAB CAJUN SAUCE

When JT’s dad was in the hospital in Houston near the end of his life and JT wanted to spend as much time as possible with him, he stayed with Jimmy about 5 or 6 days. Every day he would cross the street and eat this dish he loved it so much. I finally called the restaurant asking what was in the dish explaining the situation to them. They told me the ingredients and I did my best to duplicate it. Originally I would dredge the filets in flour seasoned with the Cajun seasoning, but as time passed I have just begun to season it and pan-fry it without the flour. Experiment with it to see which way you prefer.

5-6 catfish filets, or fish of choice (pick the thinnest ones)
Eric’s Cajun seasoning (recipe in Blog in Seasoning section)
Olive oil, about 2 TB
Butter, about 2 TB
3 cloves garlic, diced
6 green onions, diced
3 TB fresh Italian parsley, diced
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 c. heavy cream
½ fresh lemon
½ lb. crawfish tails*
½ lb. lump crab meat

Heavily season both sides of the fish with the Cajun seasoning and set aside. In a heavy skillet melt the olive oil and butter. Add the garlic, onions, parsley and tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, about 5-7 minutes. Add the cream, juice of the lemon and Cajun seasoning. Reduce the heat and simmer until the cream has reduced and is somewhat thickened, about 30-45 minutes. Add the crawfish tails and crabmeat and cook until heated through, about 3-5 minutes.

In a black skillet put equal parts olive oil and butter, (about another 2 TB each). Pan-fry all the filets of fish on medium high, watching carefully to be sure it doesn’t burn. It may be necessary to turn the fish more than once if your filets aren’t extremely thin. Optimally this should only take about 5 minutes to cook the fish – test for doneness by opening the thickest part of the fish.

To serve put a large serving of Cajun rice (recipe in Pasta section), a fish filet and generously top all with the Cajun Sauce.

*The picture was taken when I made it for Scott's birthday, and he isn't a fan of crawfish.  I sliced shrimp lengthwise in half, seasoned it with Eric's crawfish seasoning and quickly stir-fried it; then I added it when I added the crabmeat.  

ERIC’S CAJUN SEASONING

Go to the bulk section and buy all these ingredients and put them in a spice jar so that you can use it any time you are doing fish.  It is critical to fish or shrimp tacos, but I also use it anytime I am cooking fish.  I think because the garlic and onion are in powder forms instead of salt forms they coat the fish/shrimp better than any other seasoning I have ever bought.  Once you have a jar of it you will never use anything else, and you will thank me (and Eric) for introducing you to it.

1/3 c. salt
¼ c. garlic powder
¼ c. black pepper
2 TB. cayenne
2 TB. thyme
2 TB. basil
2 TB. oregano
1/3 c. paprika
3 TB. onion powder

TUNA GRILLED WITH ONION, BLACK OLIVE & CAPER COMPOTE

For Mother's Day a couple years ago my children gave me a cooking class at Whole Foods.  It was so fun, and this was my favorite dish we made that day.  The family loved it, and I loved showing off my new skills!

¾ “ thick tuna steaks
3 TB extra virgin olive oil
2 t. fresh thyme
salt and pepper

Combine tuna steaks, olive oil, and thyme in a 1 gallon zip-lock bag. Marinate under refrigeration for up to 2 hours. Remove from oil, drain, then season with salt and pepper. Grill on a very hot, very clean grill for 3-4 minutes.


ONION/OLIVE AND CAPER COMPOTE


½ c. olive oil
1-1/2 c. onion, sliced thin
4 cloves garlic
½ c. Kalamata olives
¼ c. capers
2 anchovies, minced
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
1 t. fresh thyme
2 TB fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Heat 2 TB olive oil, in large sauté pan. Add onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes more. Remove from heat and place in a medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients.

SHRIMP SCAMPI

Generally scampi is served over pasta, and this recipe works well for that.  However, we really prefer to scoop up shrimp and juice and eat it on slices of warm bread.  Yum!  The bulk of it can be done early in the day and refrigerated which is another added plus for serving this dish to company.

2 lbs large, fresh shrimp
½-3/4 lb. Lump crab
1 stick butter
¼ c. olive oil
4 TB finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 t. chopped basil leaves
3 t. oregano leaves
1 t. salt
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
¼ c. finely chopped shallots
Juice of one fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges
Cayenne

Shell and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails attached. Slit each shrimp down the back, being careful not to cut through, and spread open to simulate a butterfly. Place the shrimp in a shallow baking dish that is large enough to hold them in one layer. (I use my large All-Clad skillet arranging them in a circle closely together.) Pick through crabmeat to be sure there are no shells in it and spread over shrimp. Sprinkle cayenne over crab and shrimp. I generally do this earlier in the day and cover and refrigerate until ready to serve because it needs to be eaten immediately when it comes out of the oven.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the shrimp/crab mixture. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 5 minutes and then broil for 5 minutes more. Watch carefully and cook just until shrimp turn pink.

If desired squeeze lemon juice over servings.

KIM’S SHRIMP IN A SNAP

3 lb. Unpeeled, large raw shrimp
1-16 oz. bottle Italian dressing
1-1/2 TB freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 lemons, halved
¼ c. chopped fresh parsley
½ c. butter, cut up

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place first 4 ingredients in a 13X9-inch baking dish, tossing to coat. Squeeze juice from lemons over shrimp mixture, and stir. Add lemon halves to pan. Sprinkle evenly with parsley. Dot with butter.

Bake for 25 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes, or until shrimp turn pink. Do not overcook. Serve in pan with hot bread to sop up juices. Makes 6-8 servings.

SEAFOOD STUFFED EGGPLANT

There is a guy that looks like Santa that works at the seafood counter at Central Market.  You can look at him and just know he knows food.  I was buying lump crabmeat from him, and we started chatting -- the "foodies" that we obviously both are.  Anyway he gave me the idea for this dish, and as always I was so pleased to have a new variation of seafood, which we love.

2-6 or 7” eggplants
2 stalks celery, diced fine
2 thin slices onion, diced fine
¼ red pepper, diced fine
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Handful fresh parsley, diced fine
Chives to taste, diced fine
1/3 c. fine seasoned breadcrumbs
½ c. lump crabmeat, picked to be sure there are no shells in it
½ lb. Crawfish tails, diced
½ lb. raw shrimp, peeled, deveined & diced
1 egg
Breadcrumbs
Butter, melted
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Slice eggplants in half and hollow out. Place in a casserole sprayed with Pam.

Dice the insides of the eggplant and add to the celery, onion, red pepper, salt and pepper. Saute in olive oil about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The last few minutes add in the parsley and chives. Take it off the heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs crabmeat, crawfish tails, shrimp, and egg. Stuff in the hollowed shells. Sprinkle with additional breadcrumbs and drizzle with butter. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes or until the center is 135 degrees.

FETTUCINE ALFREDO WITH SHRIMP & CRAB

1 stick butter
1 TB garlic, crushed
3 oz. pkg cream cheese
1 pt heavy cream
1 egg yolk
Parmesan cheese, grated, about 1/3 c. or to taste
Large to extra-large shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
Lump crabmeat, picked for remaining shells, about ½ to 1 c.
Fettucine noodles, boiled according to directions on package

In heavy pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and sauté a couple minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted. May need to lower heat, depending on cooktop. Add cream and egg yolk, stirring to be sure it doesn’t stick. Shake in cheese and continue stirring until thickened. About 5 minutes before serving add shrimp and crabmeat. (Amount of shrimp depends on the size of shrimp and how many you are serving.)

Serve over fettucine noodles.

CRAB CAKES

1 lb. Lump crab
4 TB plain bread crumbs (approximately)
1 heaping TB Dijon mustard
2-3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 shallot, grated
Cayenne pepper, to taste (I put lots)
2 TB fresh dill
2 TB fresh parsley
Dash worchestershire sauce
Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood seasoning, couple of shakes, optional
Breadcrumbs
Fresh lemon
Cocktail sauce

Pick through the crab to be sure there is no shell in it. Gently mix all the ingredients together, being careful not to stir too much. Form into flat circles about 2” in diameter and ½” thick. Dip in breadcrumbs.

In a nonstick skillet over medium heat brown one side, flip over and brown other side. Remove from pan; squeeze lemon over each one and serve with cocktail sauce.


STUFFED SHRIMP


Crab cake mixture
Jumbo shrimp, butterflied
Egg, lightly beaten
Breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
Cocktail sauce

Lay butterflied shrimp flat and pile a heaping TB of the crab stuffing on top, pressing it gently into it. Dip in egg and cover with breadcrumbs. Be careful not to get breadcrumbs on shrimp before egg or it won’t stick well. Pat it down so it isn’t too loose. Set on cookie sheet, cover and refrigerate at least an hour so it will firm up a bit. Deep fry about 1 minute, or until golden.

Serve with cocktail sauce.

BRINE FOR SMOKED FISH

1 gallon water
½ c. salt
½ c. brown sugar
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
½ t. black pepper
2 Bay leaves (remove before marinating)

Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool. Marinate fish filets 4-12 hours. Set out of marinade for 1 hour before smoking. Smoke at 200 degrees on greased racks about 2 hours, depending on the size of the filets. We have an electric smoker that has a water bowl in the bottom of it. Fill it with:

1 c. dry white wine
1 TB dried parsley
1 lemon, cut in wedges
Heavy sprinkle of cayenne pepper