Curry Salmon Patty

I don't even like salmon.
That is until i made this tastey motherfucker the other night.
Canned salmon, yellow curry paste and mayo, diced pepper - defuckinlish
Top it with Russian dressing, serve alongside Garlicky Greens, and apologize for cursing.
so sorry

Curried Salmon Patty
- 1 can pink salmon
- 1tbsp mayo
- 1/2 tsp yellow curry powder
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper, minced
- 2 tbsp flour

Drain salmon and mash with fork. Mix the curry paste into the mayo and then stir into the salmon to combine. Stir in the peppers till all mixed and next use your hands to scoop it all out and form a patty. Coat each side lightly with flour and fry in oil till golden brown on each side. Top with russian dressing (ketchup, mayo, relish) and enjoy. Salmon IS good.

Corn Chowdah

There's nothing like a good Corn Chowder - hearty and creamy with chunks of smokey bacon or salted ham...
This was not that, but came close. I didn't have cream; only milk. I didn't have bacon; only ham.
Canned corn, canned clams, this Chowdah wasn't traditional at all, but you know what? It was good.

Corn Chowdah
- 1/2 Onion, diced
- Onion Powder, Salt
- 1/4 sherry
- 1/2 c Chicken Broth
- 1/2 can Corn
- 1 can Baby Clams
- 2 tbsp fresh Thyme
-1/4 c Milk
- 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- Black PepperSaute Onions till soft. Stir in salt and onion powder, then add the sherry. Pour in broth, corn and clams, add the thyme and simmer. Lastly, add the milk, stir in the Smoked Paprika and Black Pepper, simmer till almost at a boil, then remove from heat, pour in a bowl, and yeah, you know what to do...

Chowdah

It was cold. It was late. Needed something easy. Didn't wanna wait.
Opened up some cans. Poured it in a pan. Turned up the heat. Waited for some eat.
5 minutes later, it was in the bowl. Steaming mess of Chowdah - good for the soul!
CHOWDAH
- 1/2 onion, diced
-1 can fire roasted tomatoes with garlic
- 1 can clams
- 1/4 sherry
- hot sauce
- oregano, garlic powder, onion powder
- salt, pepper, crushed red pepper

Saute the onion. Open the cans. Dump in the tomatoes. Simmer. Pour in the sherry, hot sauce, and all of the spices. Simmer. Dump in the clams. Cook till hot. Voila!
awesome

Spanikopita and Garlic Tarragon Shrimp

Had a bunch of leftover Phyllo Dough. Had spinach. Had feta.
The mission was clear, the choice was made.
Spanikopita would be had.




Just needed a main - something mediterranean to hold it down.
Garlic-Tarragon shrimp!
Marinated in garlic, sauteed with fresh tarragon, squeezed with lemon - did the trick.

Spanikopita
- 5 sheets phyllo dough
- 2 bags baby spinach or other greens
- 1/2 an onion, sliced thin
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 c feta
- onion powder, garlic powder, oregano

Saute onion till translucent, add spinach, and cook down till wilted. Remove from pan and let cool. Preeat oven to 350. Mix spinach-onion mixture with beaten egg whites, feta, and spices. Cut phyllo sheets in half, and lay individual sheets on the bottom of a greased baking dish, spraying each layer with cooking spray, then spoon out the spinach mix over top. Repeat process with the remaining phyllo sheets overtop, put it in the oven, and bake until golden and crispy.

Garlic Tarragon Shrimp
- 1 lb shrimp
- olive oil
- minced garlic
- sea salt
- fresh tarragon, minced
- 1/4 c white wine
- 1/2 lemon
Toss raw shrimp with olive oil, garlic and sea salt, and let sit while you prepare the spanikopita. When ready to cook, heat a saute pan till hot, toss in the shrimp, and once beginning to turn pink, dump in the wine and the tarragon. When cooked through, squeeze the lemon over top and plate.

Curry Dusted Seabass, Beet Puree

Last night I made an amazing dinner. It all came together, and was one of those well-rounded meals you can just pat yourself on the back for.

This was another one of those meals that just popped into my head; golden curry-fried chilean seabass over a mound of garlic spinach, topped with beet puree, with a side of sun-dried tomato polenta. I thought that the savoriness of the fish would be complemented by the salty-spinach and the sweet-earthiness of the beet. And damn was I right...

This $H!T was INCREDIBLE! Golden curry-fried seabass over a mound of garlic spinach. top that with an earthy beet puree.
Fantastic.

Slice some pre-cooked store-bought polenta, fry, and serve alongside.

Curry-Dusted Seabass

- 3 servings Chilean Seabass

- 3 tbsp Curry Powder

- 1 tbsp Tuermeric

- 1 tbsp Whole Wheat Flour

- 1 tsp White Pepper

- Salt

Puree

- 3 small roasted beets

- 1 tsp red wine vinegar

Puree beets with the red wine vinegar, set aside.

Sprinkle fish with salt. Mix spices with the flour and rub fish generously on each side, like a spice rub.

Heat a griddle till hot. Coat with cooking spray. Cook fish on one side until almost cooked through (will be firm and white). Flip and cook for 1 minute until crisped on second side.

Serve ontop of Garlic Spinach, topped with beet puree, with a side of fried polenta.

Enjoy with a deep red wine.

Creole Shrimp and Creamed Corn

This was one of those dishes that had it all. The spiciness of the Old Bay shrimp, the sweetness of the creamed corn, the savoriness of the sherried mushrooms and red onion. Garnished with fresh cilantro, it all came together deliciously and was easy as hell to make.

Creole Shrimp and Creamed Corn
- 1/3 lb peeled shrimp
- Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 can Creamed Corn
- 1/4 red onion, sliced
- 3 white mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 c sherry
- fresh cilantro, chopped

Chop shrimp and toss with Old Bay till completely coated. Saute onions and mushrooms until soft, add in sherry, and cook until liquid is absorbed. Set aside. Cook creamed corn until hot, and meanwhile saute shrimp until pink and cooked through. Spoon creamed corn onto a plate, top with the sherried mushrooms/onions and then the Creole Shrimp and garnish with the chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Tuna Pasta

Though not very creative, the name says it all. Tuna, pasta. Wine. Gets its own sentence.

TUNA PASTA
- rigatoni pasta

- 1/4 onion chopped

- 2 cloves galic, sliced thin

- 1 small eggplant, peeled and diced

- 1/2 can fire-roasted tomatoes

- 1/4 c white wine

- 1/8 c clam juice

- 1 tbsp capers

- oregano, basil, thyme, crushed red pepper

- 1 packet of tuna

- parmesan cheese

Boil pasta water and cook pasta. In a small saucepan, saute onions and garlic together with the eggplant. When softened, add in the wine, clam juice and spices, and when most of the liquid is absorbed, add the tomatoes. Simmer until the tomatoes are mostly broken down, then stir in the tuna and finally the capers. Serve over pasta and top with parmesan. enjoy.

Oven "Tandoori" Shrimp

This was one of those experiment meals, where you're not sure quite what you're doing, just following some idea you had some time...
For me it usually starts with some ingredient that I have on hand, and then an image pops into my head, and the unfolding meal is cooked more with my gut than my mind.
This has been the story for many of my best meals, as well of some of the more lackluster...
That being said, this attempt at Tandoori Shrimp was good, and in its own way very flavorful - it just wasn't quite what I was going for. Also, next time would use regular yogurt instead of greek yogurt, as I suspect it might create a moister shrimp and caramelize a little better.
So, it worked, but it needs some work.

Oven TANDOORI Shrimp

w/ Vegetables

(serves 3)

- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, shelled
- 1 1/2 c yogurt
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 3 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp curry
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp red chili
Vegetables:
- 1/3 each red, yellow, orange, green bell peppers
- 1/2 white onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

Combine all of the spices for the marinade, stir together the yogurt and the lemon juice, and then add the spices to the yogurt and mix well. In a ziplock bag, pour marinade over peeled shrimp, seal, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400. Heat a cast iron griddle on high, slice and then saute onions in olive oil. Slice garlic and add it to the onions and then slice and add the peppers. Sprinkle vegetables with tablespoon of garam masala when they begin to soften, push them to one side of the griddle and turn that burner off. Coat the cleared side of the griddle with oil and lay on the shrimp. Turn oven to BROIL, flip shrimp, and transfer griddle to oven to broil for about 1 to 2 minutes. Shrimp is done when pink and dry-looking on the outside (be careful not to overcook) but should be moist on the inside.
Remove griddle from oven, combine shrimp and vegetables, and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro. Serve garnished with a lemon wedge alongside Jasmine Rice with Peas, and Homemade Onion Chutney.

Crispy Salt and Pepper Trout

TROUT. that's all I have to say; TROUT.
But seriously, there are few things better than a whole, crispy-skinned Trout, with it's mild, delicate flavor, it just tastes fresh, like summer itself, and with the last days of August coming on, you should head over to your local fish counter and bring some home, do the body some good.

Like I said, I like a good, crispy-skin on my trout, and sprinkled the fish with salt and lemon pepper before briefly pan-frying one side and sticking it in the oven to bake. For flavor I brushed the flesh inside the fish with a horseradish sauce, then sprinkled it with onion and garlic powder and finally added chopped fresh dill and a sprig of rosemary. I gave the fish a minute under the broiler before serving, and they came out crispy, moist, and absolutely delicious.
If you're not used to buying, cooking, or seeing whole fish, live a little; they don't bite...

Crispy Salt and Pepper Trout
- Whole Rainbow Trouts
- Salt
- Lemon Pepper
- Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- Onion and Garlic Powders
- Fresh Dill, chopped
- Sprigs fresh Rosemary

Preheat oven to 350. Pat fish dry with paper towels, then spray skins lightly with Olive Oil cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper. Use a brush to paint the insides of the fish lightly with the horseradish sauce, sprinkle with onion and garlic powders and fresh dill and then tuck in the sprig of fresh rosemary before folding the fish closed.In a shallow cast iron skillet, heat olive oil until very hot, then melt a pat of butter and lay the fish side-by-side in the pan. Cover and bake in oven for 5 minutes before turning on the broiler and removing the lid to crisp the fish for 1 minute or so. The flesh should appear white and flaky, but moist.
Garnish with a lemon wedge and serve fish alongside Garlic "Butter" Mushrooms and Green Bean in Balsamic Butter, and if that's not a meal, then I don't know what is...

'Fra Diavolo" Style Shrimp Scampi

Have you ever noticed in restaurants how they leave the tail on the shrimp? I have always hated this, having burned or stunk up my fingers many times, going through the annoying process of peeling hot shrimp that i just want to be eating. If you ask the staff about this, as I have, they justify the unshelled shrimp as adding flavor to the dish, which I understand... Now ask me if I care?...wait for it... no!
I haven't noticed any significant difference in flavor between dishes with peeled or unpeeled shrimp, whether eating out or at home, and so, accordingly, I would never plague anyone with having to plunge their fingers into a meal that they just want to eat. However, that doesn't mean there's no pain involved! After all, 'Fra Diavolo' means "brother of the devil"...
This dish came to me out of a craving for shrimp scampi and a passion for spicy food. It combines the freshness of garden produce with the kick of crushed red pepper and chillies, and delivered in a light, but satisfying package of shrimp and pasta, is perhaps the PERFECT summer dish.
But don't take my word for it...give it a go! Pour yourself some wine, gather your ingredients, and prepare to enjoy your dinner. Your taste buds might be singing, but they're happy, trust me...Fra Diavolo Shrimp Scampi
(serves 3)
- 3/4 lb small shrimp, peeled
- 1/2 c clam juice, divided
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 dried chillies
- 2 tbsp lemon pepper, divided
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 medium vidalia onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, slice thin
- 1/2 c white wine
- 1 tsp each tarragon, onion powder, fresh oregano
- 1 c garden tomatoes, finely chopped
- fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 fresh lemon
- angel hair or linguine pasta, for 3
Peel shrimp and combine with 1/4 c clam juice, 1 tbsp lemon pepper, and the 2 tbsp of minced garlic. Let sit in fridge to marinate for at least an hour.
Fill a large pot with water, add dried chillies, and bring to a boil, then add pasta and cook until al dente.
In a large cast iron skillet, caramelize onions in olive oil, then add thin-sliced garlic, and when garlic is softened pour in the wine, clam juice and add the tarragon, oregano, onion powder, salt and remaining lemon pepper. When most of the liquid is evaporated, add chopped tomatoes, and cook until softened, then add the shrimp and a squeeze of lemon juice. Simmer until shrimp is pink and cooked through, then spoon over pasta and top with a healthy pinch of chopped basil. Serve with grated romano or parmesan and a glass of white wine.

This awesomeness was shared on Real Food Wednesday

Tuck and Roll

I had some leftover crab meat from the Crab Cakes that I made the other night, and not being one to waste, I started thinking about what I could do with it.
At first I planned to mix it in with a Clam Sauce for pasta, but I've been there and done that, and wanted to try something new...
I've seen crab-stuffed fish in the markets before, like Tilapia, Flounder or even Salmon, and thought it would be fun to try my hand at it. I didn't have a recipe, but jumped right in all the same, and the results were delicious! Light and buttery, the baby flounder rolled around the crab came out tasting like lobster, and needed nothing more than a squeeze of fresh lemon to top it all off.

Crab-Stuffed Flounder
(serves 3)

- 1/2 c crab meat
- 1 tsp Durkese Dressing, Horseradish Sauce or Mayo
- 1 tbsp Old Bay
- 3 tbsp pimentos (roasted red pepper), minced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- 3 baby flounder fillets
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- lemon pepper, onion powder, smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350. Mix crab meat and durkese dressing in a bowl, then add old bay, pimentos and parsley. Lay fillets out on a plate, and scoop a third of the crab mixture onto each. Roll each fillet, starting from the narrow (tail) end, and place seam-side down in an oiled baking dish. Brush the top of each roll with butter and sprinkle with lemon pepper, onion powder and smoked paprika. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until fish is white and just flaky, and give it 2 minutes under the broiler before removing. Serve with a wedge of fresh lemon and ratatouille.

Caked, Baked and... Devoured

Obviously, since I got home from Guatemala a few days ago, I've been on a bit of a cooking bender. While it's fun to be inside in the kitchen, it's high summer, and it's hot!

Yesterday I found myself with some leftover Creole Rice and the Cucumber Salad I'd made, and I needed something filling, but relatively light to round it all off.

CRAB CAKES!
The idea came sudden and seemed immediately perfect. But with the heat, the last thing i felt like was standing over a blazing pot of frying oil or eating something overly greasy.

But thanks to RecipeGirl, I found a recipe for Baked Crab Cakes, which let me cool off outside with a cocktail while they cooked inside. Genius, delicious.

With a few tweaks like extra veggies and a few shakes of Old Bay, these cakes came out light and fluffy, and hit the spot. I topped them with a roasted red-pepper relish aioli and garnished them with a sprinkling of minced cornichons and capers.

These were perfect with the Creole Rice and Cucumber Salad, and there was even one leftover. I'm thinking crabcake sandwhich for lunch!

Baked Crab Cakes with Red-Pepper Relish Aioli

- 12 saltines, crushed

- fresh parsley, minced

- 1 to 2 tbsp Old Bay

- 2 tbsp greek yogurt

- 1 tbsp water

- 1 1/2 cans processed crab

- 1/2 c shredded carrot

- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, minced

- 1/2 jalapeno, minced

- 2 scallions, minced

- 2 egg whites

Roasted Red-Pepper Relish Aioli

- 1 whole roasted red pepper (from jar), minced

- 2 tbsp low-fat sour cream

- 1 tbsp horseradish sauce

- 1 tbsp sweet relish

* garnish: cornichons, capers (minced)

In a bowl, crush crackers and then mix them with the parsley, old bay, yogurt and water. Knead in the crab and the veggies and mix well. Lightly beat the egg whites before adding, and then mix them with the crab until everything is well combined. Form cakes and ptthem into the fridge to cool for 20 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 425, and let the baking sheet get hot in the oven before using. Spray hot baking sheet with cooking spray and put crabcakes on. Bake crabcakes about 10 minutes before flipping and baking for another 5 to 1o minutes. Cakes should be golden brown on each side and cooked through.

Pan-Seared Halibut with Red Beet Vinagrette

For some reason, this image popped into my head yesterday of a nice piece of fish propped up on a pile of garlicy spinach, topped with a spoonful of red beet vinagrette... so i ran with it. I didn't have any recipe for the vinagrette and just made it up as I went, trying to complement the earthy sweetness of the beets with the sour saltiness of cornichons and the anchoring undertone of mustard. It could use some tweaking, but it came out well and plates were cleaned.

Pan-Seared Halibut with Red Beet Vinagrette
(serves 3)
- 1 1/2 lb. Halibut or other meaty white fish
- Spices (Lemon Pepper, Sea Salt, Garlic Powder)
- 2 whole roasted or boiled Beets, chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh Thyme, minced
- 3 tbsp minced Shallots
- 1 tbsp Mustard Powder or Stone Ground Mustard
- 1/4 tsp White Pepper
- 1/3 c Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 tbps Cassis liquor
- 3 to 4 Cornichon pickles, sliced very thin
Make vinagrette ahead of time so that flavors have time to combine.
In a small food processor, blend Beets, Shallots, Fresh Thyme, Mustard Powder/Mustard, Pepper, Vinegar and Cassis until smooth, adding extra Vinegar and Cassis based on texture and desired flavor. Pour into a jar, stir in thin-sliced cornichons, and let sit.
Dust top of fish pieces with spices (Lemon Pepper, Sea Salt, Garlic Powder) and cook in a hot pan, skin side down until almost completley cooked (should be white throughout). Spray top of fish lightly with cooking spray and flip carefully onto seasoned side, cooking until just crispy. Plate pieces of fish ontop of a pile of Garlic Spinach and topped with a spoonful of the vinagrette. Serve with Cauliflower-Leek Puree on the side.
Drink some wine, and enjoy.

Shrimp Tikka Masala with Lemon-Saffron Rice

Indian food is awesome. But did you know that you can make it at home?!?!?!
While Indian restaurants and their delicious, affordable buffets are ubiquitous here in Philly, it's always more fun to do it yourself, and thanks to companies like Seeds of Change and their line of Indian simmer sauces, preparing your own Indian feast is now really really easy!

Shrimp Tikka Masala

- 1 jar Tika Masala Sauce
- Fresh Shrimp, peeled (enough for 4)
- 1 medium Onion, chopped
- 1 medium Eggplant, peeled and chopped
- 1 c frozen peas
- Onion and Garlic Powders
- 2 tbsp Greek Yogurt
In a pot, saute Eggplant in oil until it begins to soften, then add Onion and sprinkle with salt. Add onion and garlic powders, stir, and cook until onions are translucent. Add sauce and broth and simmer until it comes to a boil. Add shrimp and peas and reduce to a simmer until the shrimp are pink on the outside. Turn heat off, stir in Greek Yogurt and let sit covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Lemon-Saffron Rice
- 1 c Jasmine Rice
-1 1/2 c water
- Pinch of Saffron
- 4 thin slices of Lemon
Boil water, and then stir in rice with a tablespoon of oil. Add the Saffron and let simmer until all of the water is absorbed. Turn heat off, arrange lemon slices on top of rice and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and serve alongside Tikka Masala Shrimp with Onion and Mango Chutneys on the side.

variations: use any kind of jarred simmer sauce (curry, jalfrezzi, korma...), swap out shrimp for chicken or tofu or seitan, and add any veggies that come to hand (zucchini, mushrooms...)

Clam Sauce

All families have their standard meals, and one of the favorites in mine is my father's Linguine with Clam Sauce; a delicious, garlicky white-sauce served over pasta. However, while I do love eating this dish every time Dad makes it, I must say that my heart belongs to another... RED clam sauce! It all started one night when I found myself alone in the house with a bag of fresh basil, some tomatoes, and a few too many cans of clams in the cupboard...A half hour of pondering and a few glasses of wine later, a star was born.

CLAM SAUCE

(1 serving)
- Whole Wheat Spaghetti
- 2 fresh vine tomatoes
- roasted red peppers, diced

- 1 sweet onion , sliced thin

- 4 garlic cloves, minced (love the garlic)

- 1/4 cup white wine

- 1 can baby clams (save the juice)

- 1 can baby shrimp

- capers

- fresh basil leaves, chopped

- spices (onion powder, garlic powder, salt, oregano, tarragon, crushed red pepper)

- Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated

Pour a glass of wine. Drink half of it while reading this recipe... Finish it. Refill. Start cooking!

Boil some pasta water and add spaghetti. Slice onions and garlic, and heat a skillet with olive oil. Saute onions till transparent, then season with onion and garlic powders and salt. Throw in your red peppers, then add the wine, tarragon, oregano and crushed red pepper. Add clams, clam juice, shrimp and capers and let simmer until most of the liquid has cooked down. When pasta is done, drain it and return to pot and stir in your minced garlic and chopped basil. Put pasta on a plate, spoon clam sauce on top, pour yourself some more wine, and enjoy with copious amounts of romano cheese!

variations: swap shrimp for another can of clams or crab meat. or live dangerously and do all three!