Tag Archive for: Seafood

Cooking is a creative outlet for me and I probably make much fancier at home meals than most people, but not usually this fancy. This dish is special. It all started with me trying to find a way to use up the last bit of champagne in our fridge from a spontaneous celebration. After a night of sitting in the fridge, champagne is not particularly drinkable, but it is perfect for cooking! We still had some Alaskan salmon in the freezer brought home to us straight from the source…the gift that keeps on giving. That with some salad and bread to sop up the wonderful sauce made for the perfect date night in. This is my riff on beurre blanc but certainly not typical. By replacing the vinegar with extra citrus you get a bright sauce. Most of the time you would strain this sauce, but I left the shallots which added some texture. I also cut down the butter by about 75%. You still have a rich sauce, but without 3 sticks of butter. I am sure French cooking purists would not call it beurre blanc, but this is my show! This would be a perfect holiday meal and may be repeated in our house for New Years. Put this sauce on anything and enjoy!

 

Salmon with Champagne Citrus Beurre Blanc

1 + pounds of salmon (about ½ pound per person)

2 finely chopped shallots

1 clove finely chopped garlic

2 cups dry Champagne or white wine

Juice of 1 lemon, 2 tangerines, and 1 orange

1/2 stick of butter, cut into pieces

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Kosher salt

 

Preheat oven to 400°. Season salmon fillet with salt and pepper place in a baking dish. Cook for 12 minutes then turn off the heat and allow to stand in the hot oven for an additional 3 minutes.

Prepare the sauce while the salmon cooks. Add 1 T butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the shallots and garlic cook until soft and fragrant.

Add the wine and bring to a boil allow to reduce by half, stirring frequently. See the pretty bubbles from the champagne?? Add the citrus juice and simmer about 10 minutes until reduced by about half and it begins to thicken.

Reduce heat to low; gradually add butter, 1 piece at a time, stirring after each addition, until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place sauce on the plate and top with salmon. Garnish with more sauce. Serves 4.

It had never occurred to me to make shrimp cocktail at home. It is one of those things that you buy prepared for a quick and easy appetizer or meal that requires little to no prep. A sale on some shell-on shrimp and a request by Ali changed my mind. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this was and the result was pretty great. This is really just like making one of my favorite things to make: stock. The shrimp ended up very tender and flavorful. This is one I may have to play with a little more and try out making cocktail sauce as well. We used the 365 brand sauce from Whole Foods. It was fine, I would give it a solid C, but there are better jarred options out there. One of the surprising parts of this recipe for me was the lovely stock created by draining the boiling liquid. That will be in the freezer ready for something fun soon! We served these with a lovely salad and some garlic toast. Overall, a satisfying and healthy meal!

Kelly

Shrimp Cocktail

10 cups cold water

1 large onion, halved

2 carrots, quartered

2 stalks of celery

1 head garlic, halved

1 lemon, halved

1/2 bunch parsley

5 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 pound medium or large shrimp, in the shell, split & deveined, rinsed

Cocktail Sauce

Lemon wedges

Put the water, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, lemon, parsley, thyme, salt and bay leaves in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

(Ok, so we were missing a few veggies, so I spiced things up a bit with some dried herbs.) Lower the heat to a simmer, set a cover on top slightly ajar, and cook for 10 to 30 minutes until fragrant. Drop the shrimp into the liquid and turn off the heat after 10 seconds.

Cook the shrimp, stirring occasionally, until they curl and turn pink, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for medium shrimp, 3 minutes for large ones. Drain and cool to room temperature. Peel the shrimp leaving the tails on. Refrigerate if not serving right away.

To serve put the cocktail sauce in a medium bowl and surround with the shrimp, or loop the shrimp over the edge of an individual cocktail glass and top with the sauce. Garnish with the lemon and serve.

P.S. Those are my grandmother’s shrimp cocktail glasses, yep just for this dish. I love that the vintage glassware still gets used in the family!

Every year seems to have a cycle. We enjoy the holidays by indulging on some of our favorite foods, not to mention lots of party food. Then you get to good old January and feel the need to set yourself right again. I am trying to do that with more veggies and protein and less carbs and alcohol. This is a great salad to get you on the right track! I like to experiment with textures and colors to make salads more interesting. It makes salad feel like a gourmet meal and will leave you satisfied. I served salmon here, but you could use any kind of protein you like. I especially try to incorporate fish when I find a special; here in Colorado, fish can be expensive and is not always the best quality. Try this one out, the warm zucchini is a great compliment to the freshness of the salad! Do you have any ideas for going healthier this month?

 

Salmon with Zucchini Mixed Green Salad

4 Cups mixed green salad mix

3 Zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

2 Carrots, shredded

1 Tomato, cubed

½ Avocado, cubed

1 Can sliced hearts of palm

1 oz. Goat cheese, crumbled

¼ Cup Vinaigrette (3 parts olive oil, 1 part balsamic vinegar, 1 T Dijon mustard, 1 clove crushed and peeled garlic, salt and pepper)

1 lb. Salmon

1/3 Cup Marinade (4 T each citrus seasoning, orange juice and apple cider vinegar; 2 T each soy sauce and lime juice, olive oil)

 

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a shallow dish and add the fish. Allow to marinade 1 hour to overnight turning several times.

Preheat your broiler. Place the zucchini on a lightly greased sheet pan. Sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Broil for about 5-7 minutes until golden (although I like them well done.) Wash and dry the vegetables and combine in a large bowl. Add the hearts of palm and goat cheese.

Combine vinaigrette ingredients in an airtight container and shake well.

Place the fish under the broiler for about 15 min (keep a close eye on anything you broil as it can burn quickly.) Remove the garlic then toss the salad with the desired amount of salad dressing.

Top with the zucchini and fish.

Enjoy!

I have been taking a bit of a break and enjoying the holidays at home with the fam. Our white Christmas got the better of me and I am nursing a bit of a cold. In honor of my NC State Wolfpack winning their bowl game last night (and my need for comfort food) I thought I would share a Southern treat with you today–Shrimp & Grits. Outside of the South, grits are a bit understood, but I promise this recipe will make a convert out of anyone. The key is to get the right ingredients and a little bit of patience, what you will get is creamy goodness perfect for cold winter. I hope you are enjoying your holiday season!

Kelly


Shrimp and Grits

For the Grits:

1 Cup Stone-Ground Grits

4 Cups Water (plus a little if needed)

2 Tablespoons Butter

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Small Grating of Nutmeg

Dash of Tabasco

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

½ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

For the Shrimp:

1 Pound Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined

6 Slices Bacon

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Cups White Mushrooms, Sliced

1 Bunch Scallions, Sliced

1 Clove Garlic, Pressed

Juice from 1 Lemon

¼ Cup Vermouth (or White Wine)

Dash of Tabasco

2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Chopped

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Pour the grits into a large bowl and cover with cold water. Skim off the chaff as it floats to the surface.

Stir the grits and skim again until all the chaff has been removed. Drain the grits in a sieve.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add salt and slowly stir in the grits.

Cook at a simmer, stirring frequently, until the grits are done, about 40 minutes. Add more water about ½ cup at a time if they are not quite getting tender. They should be quite thick and creamy. Remove the grits from the heat and stir in the butter, cheese and spices. Serve immediately or keep warm over a double boiler for 30 minutes.

While the grits are cooking, prepare the shrimp. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Dice the bacon and fry in a large skillet until browned. Drain on paper towels.

Pour off the excess fat, leaving a couple tablespoons to cook the shrimp. Add olive oil if you need additional fat. Heat over medium-high heat, add the shrimp and cook until they begin to color, turning once. Remove then add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the scallions and garlic.

Then add the bacon and shrimp back. Add the lemon juice and Vermouth to deglaze the pan. Allow to simmer about 1 minute then add Tabasco, parsley, salt and pepper.

Serve shrimp over the cheese grits.

Enjoy!

Like most of the nation, we are feeling the heat this week. I know, I know, I shouldn’t complain. After all, we are in Colorado and have relatively low humidity, but it is still H-O-T. So my usually creative menu is uninspired. I don’t feel like cooking (or even thinking about turning on the stove.) So what to do? Mary had an inspired idea requiring no cooking at all: Poisson Cru. Think sushi-grade tuna with all kinds of goodness. This recipe is inspired by one of our favorite athletes, pro surfer, Laird Hamilton. I find him one of the most inspiring athletes ever. His book is amazing and a great read. This recipe is awesome for a hot day when you don’t want to worry about cooking. It takes about 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes to marinate. If you have never tried (or prepared) raw fish, this is a great recipe to try. There is so much flavor and the texture is perfect. We served this with toasted French bread, but you could eat it on its own, with crispy won tons, etc. The possibilities are endless. We usually make this more in the Poke style with a teriyaki-like sauce while this incorporates coconut milk in the Tahitian style. Both are wonderful, but I have to say; this hit the spot! How are you beating the heat?

Kelly & Mary

Poisson Cru

Based on ‘Force of Nature‘ by Laird Hamilton

½ C Coconut Milk

½ C Fresh Lime Juice

2 Scallions, Chopped

1 Large Tomato, Diced

1 Small Cucumber, Peeled, Seeded, and Diced

2 Carrots, Diced

*Zest of 2 limes

1 lb. Sushi-grade Ahi Tuna, Cut Into ½” Cubes

Crushed red pepper to taste

Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Fresh mint leaves (optional)

 

In a large glass bowl, combine the milk, lime juice, scallions, tomato, cucumber, carrots, *zest, salt and pepper.

Add the tuna and let marinate for 15 minutes.

Drain the excess liquid and serve immediately.