Category Archives: Seafood/Fish
Szechuan Pepper Sweet and Sour Shrimp
Yummy, yummy is all that comes to mind when I read this recipe.. it is a bit involved but so worth making at home and not ordering the sticky sweet stuff from a take out restaurant…
- 1 pound small shrimp, cleaned
- 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppers
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and chopped
Roast the Szechuan peppers in a small pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Take out and grind to a powder.
Transfer the ground pepper, salt, garlic, ginger and jalapeno pepper to a mortar and pestle. Pound till a paste is formed and marinate the shrimp for 2 to 3 hours and keep aside.
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 cup pineapple, cut into small chunks
- 1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
- 1 orange pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1 inch squares
- 1 cup blood orange or regular orange juice
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
Transfer the pineapple, red pepper, orange pepper and onion chunks to a lined cookie sheet. Broil on high for 7 to 8 minutes till the veggies are a bit charred. Keep aside.
Mix the orange juice, vinegar, honey, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl, test for seasonings and keep aside.
Heat a wok like pan with the peanut oil. Add the marinated shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes on high heat. Add the charred vegetables and mix well. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and garnish with cilantro and green onions and serve with brown rice.
Fish and Chips- My Way!
Who doesn’t like a delicious plate of fish and chips?? It was my first try making this delicious English classic. It was a great attempt.. and healthier too. I made a very flavorful batter and made my delicious oven fries. I paired it with a healthy tartare sauce and minted mushy peas… recipes to follow..
- 4 cod fish fillets
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt
- ¼ cup plain flour
Sprinkle the fish with paprika and salt. Dredge with flour and keep aside.
- ¾ cup plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 small 8oz can club soda
Heat about 2 cups oil in a heavy saucepan.
Add the flour, baking soda, smoked paprika, salt, cilantro and green onions to a medium bowl. Slowly add the club soda, while whisking with a whisk until you have a thick coating batter- you may have about a bit of soda left over. Dip the fish fillets into the batter completely and immerse into the hot oil. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish. Take out the fish in a paper towel lined platter. Serve with hot oven fries.
Oven Fries
- 5 to 6 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into small wedges
Transfer the wedges to a medium saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for a minute on a roaring boil. Drain the water and transfer wedges back to the saucepan and let them dry for ten minutes. Transfer to a lined cookie sheet.
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Drizzle the oil and salt all over the potatoes and toss well with fingers. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or till the wedges are golden brown. Take out and check for seasonings. Serve hot with fish.
Smoked Paprika Fish Fry
My daughter loves fried fish- well, who doesn’t??? She loves ordering it whenever we go to London or Ireland…This one is a bit more flavorful than the ones in the restaurant…
- 2 pounds of your favorite fish, cut into 3- inch filets
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 egg white, beaten
Marinate the fish filets with the mixture of smoked paprika, ground coriander, salt and the beaten egg white in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours. Take out half an hour before frying.
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
Add oil to a frying pan, about an inch deep. Heat till 350 degrees F.
Mix the flours and salt together in a flat palate. Dredge the fish filets in the flour mixture and pan fry the fish till done. Serve with homemade oven fries.
Tartar Sauce
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon sweet relish
- 2 tablespoons dill, chopped
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mix all the ingredients together and serve with the fish.
Shrimp with Pumpkin Seed Sauce
We have a local Mexican restaurant that my daughter absolutely loves.. I on the other hand, am not a fan… well, until recently. I found a delicious shrimp dish cooked in a pumpkin seed sauce. It was creamy but extremely light- unlike a lot of Americanized Mexican dishes… this was perfect.. so I thought why not try to make it at home. It was very delicious and easy to make…
- 1 pound shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- 1 cup raw green pumpkin seeds
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
Roast pumpkin seeds in a heavy skillet on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or till the seeds are golden brown. Transfer the roasted seeds, green onions, jalapeno peppers, garlic, oregano, cumin seeds, salt and 2 cups of chicken broth in a powerful blender and blend till completely smooth. Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil and transfer the sauce into it. Cook on medium heat, stirring for 5 to 6 minutes or till the sauce thickens. Add another cup of chicken broth and continue to cook for another 20 minutes on medium heat. The sauce at this point may separate but don’t worry. Turn heat off and transfer back to the blender and add ¾ cup of cilantro and blend till the sauce is smooth again. Return to the saucepan and adjust seasonings. Cook the shrimp in the sauce and garnish with the remaining cilantro. Serve with lemon and cilantro rice.
Halibut with Tomatoes & Olives
Another super healthy recipe! I made it with halibut as it is a nice, meaty fish but it can be substituted with another fish or shrimp or even scallops. It is simply marinated in smoked paprika- which gives anything super flavor without any calories. The fish is then browned briefly and cooked in a delicious mixture of tomatoes and olives. I served this with couscous with roasted butternut squash and cranberries. The meal was delicious…
- 2 to 3 halibut filets, 4 to 6 ounces each
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Sprinkle the fish filets with salt and smoked paprika.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup olives, sliced (any kind you like)
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Juice of half a lemon
Heat a non-stick frying pan with the olive oil. Brown the fish filets briefly on both sides on high heat. Take them out and keep aside. Add cherry tomatoes, garlic and olives to the same pan. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Add the cilantro and the fish. Cook the filets for another few minutes (depending on the thickness). Check for seasonings and serve.
Deconstructed Shrimp Enchiladas with Tomato Sauce
These are soooo good! I saw some chef make a version of these on The Chew… and it looked yummy.. and very interesting as she added nutmeg to the tomato sauce- not something I associate with Mexican cooking…. So, I tweaked it to my taste and came up with this version. They are easier than traditional enchiladas as there is no assembly requires.. just dip the tortillas in the sauce and add the filling, fold in half and serve!!! Definitely make yesterday’s slaw with them…
- 2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store bought (14 ounces can of tomato sauce)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 jalapeno chili, sliced in half and deseeded
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fish stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Transfer the tomato sauce to a medium saucepan. Add the garlic, jalapeno, onion, nutmeg and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes or till the vegetables are soft. Transfer to a blender and add the fish stock and blend till smooth.
Heat the same saucepan with olive oil and add the tomato sauce and sauté for a minute. Turn heat lower and simmer, covered for 15 minutes, till the sauce is thickened. Add the heavy cream, mix well and check for seasonings. Keep warm.
- 1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and cut into half
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Heat a frying pan with the butter and olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or till the shrimp is cooked through. Turn heat off and keep aside.
- 1 large avocado, diced
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mix the avocado, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and keep aside.
- 6 to 8 6 inch tortillas, heated in a toaster oven or stove top
- ½ cup queso fresco, crumbled
Take each tortilla and immerse in the tomato sauce. Remove and place on a plate. Add some shrimp and avocado and garnish with some queso fresco. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
Coconut Shrimp Curry- Thai Style
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned, deveined and sliced in half
- 2 teaspoons tamari
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Place the shrimp, tamari and garlic in a zip lock bag. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
- 2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and the insides minced- yields about ½ cup
- 1 14 oz can light coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- Salt
- ½ lime, juiced
Heat a wok like pan and add the olive oil. Add the marinated shrimp and sauté on high heat for a minute. Take out and keep aside.
Add the onions and lemongrass. Saute on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tamarind concentrate, coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar and sriracha sauce. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fresh basil, cilantro and shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the shrimp are cooked. Taste for seasonings, add salt and lime juice.