Asian Sesame Salmon

Remember when I made the Quesadilla Casserole?  It is currently my 3rd most read recipe.  This recipe also comes from McCormick.  They have these wonderful recipe cards with all of the premeasured seasonings and the recipe on the back.  It makes it so easy to try a new recipe without buying a ton of ingredients.

I told you last week that we like to add seafood to our meal rotation to get a little variety.  And, both of my toddlers LOVE seafood.  V frequently requests fish.

This meal was so easy and quick.  I just used some thawed salmon fillets that I had in the freezer.  Pair it with some Jasmine rice and a veggie.  I served this with garlic and pepper green beans.
Gather your ingredients:
*All of the seasonings are included in the recipe card*
2 tsp Toasted Sesame Seed
1 tsp Minced Garlic
1 tsp Minced Onion
3/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 pounds salmon fillets
Enjoy your time in the kitchen:
1. Mix honey, green onions, soy sauce and all of the spices except Red Pepper in small bowl until well blended. Stir in Red Pepper to taste, if desired. Place salmon in 13x9-inch baking dish. Spoon honey mixture evenly over salmon.

2. Roast salmon in preheated 375 degree oven 20 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork, basting occasionally with honey mixture.
Enjoy!

Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy….Shrimp

We have already discussed how much I like lemon and citrus.  I try to cook seafood a couple of times a month.  Shrimp is by far one of my favorites and usually the easiest. 
This recipe is incredibly easy and fast.  You could forget about dinner until 5pm and still serve your family at 5:30 without breaking a sweat.

All you need is a stick of butter, a package of Italian salad dressing seasoning, 3 lemons, and a pound of shrimp. I used frozen tail off shrimp.


Serve this delicious shrimp with some fresh bread, salad, and a smile.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy

Gather your supplies:
3 lemons, thinly sliced
1 lb shrimp, tail off (frozen is ok)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 pkg. Italian salad dressing mix
Enjoy your time in the kitchen:
1. Preheat oven to 400.  Line 4 sided baking sheet with foil.
2. Drizzle pan with melted butter (evenly) and layer with sliced lemons.
3. Top with shrimp and sprinkle entire pan with salad dressing mix.
4. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until shrimp is nice and pink.

Citrus and Garlic Shrimp Linguine

I really love summer meals.  They tend to be light and fresh and easy to prepare.  I have made this meal many times in my nearly 6 years of marriage.  My husband and I both really like shrimp and I LOVE anything with lemon.  Really…..I love lemon.

Another perk about this, is how quick it is to prepare.  From the time I put the noodles in the boiling water to the time I had dinner on the table was just about 20 minutes.  That is awesome.
This recipe comes from the Taste Of Home Cookbook.  It is in the seafood section.  If you don’t have the cookbook, buy it.  It is so worth it.  I has every tip about cooking I have ever seen and it is really great for trying new meals that are not over the top or difficult to make.  But I really love how it teaches all of the basics.
Citrus and Garlic Shrimp Linguine
1 pkg Linguine (1 lb)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled
5 tsp grated lemon peel (about 2 small lemons)
4 tsp grated orange peel (I just needed about a half an orange)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and tail off.  (I buy frozen shrimp)
parmesan cheese for garnish
1. Cook linguine according to package.
2. In a blender, combine the olive oil, lemon and orange juice, garlic, grated lemon and orange peel, salt and pepper.  Cover and blend well.  It will look a bit frothy and smooth.
3. Pour the citrus and garlic mix into a large skillet and heat through over medium heat.  Add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes until shrimp is cooked. 
4. Drain pasta and toss with shrimp and citrus mixture.  Serve with parmesan cheese.

Baja Fish Tacos

There is nothing really special about this recipe.  It is really the sauce that makes them so good.  I used frozen, panko crusted tilapia and just served it with all the fixings. 
Baja Fish Taco Sauce
1 cup Greek Yogurt (plain)
1 cup real mayonnaise
3 limes, juiced
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp cayenne pepper (you can add as much to your “spicy” liking)
Mix all of these ingredients together and chill while you cook the fish and chop your toppings.
I served my tacos in warmed corn tortillas with guacamole, cheese, chunky salsa, shredded cabbage, and sauce.
Side it with Mexican rice and refried beans and you have a full meal.

I Love Sushi

Do you all like sushi?  My twin sister first introduced me to it, and then I took my husband.  It is now something I crave!! 

My husband and I also love the show Big Bang Theory.  Nothing is more fun for a night in than a few episodes on DVD and a full platter of sushi take-out.  YUM YUM!!

Cajun Seafood (or Chicken) Fettuccine

My aunt had been telling me about this dish for a few months.  She and my cousins really like spicy food.  As soon as she told me that the original recipe calls for shrimp and scallops, I knew I would be giving it a try.  Remember how I told you that I will try nearly any recipe with heavy cream in the ingredient list, same goes for scallops and shrimp.  You can almost guarantee that at a restaurant, I will order the seafood pasta of any sort if it is offered.

I made this recipe with the shrimp and scallops.  My aunt just doubles the shrimp and skips on the scallops.  My twin sister DOES NOT eat seafood.  I told her to add chicken. 

This dish has a kick, but a really good and flavorful kick.  The original recipe is from allrecipes.com and calls for double the spice.  I cut the spice in half and I was so glad I did.  My esophagus is sensitive, I had TUMS for dessert.
Cajun Seafood (or Chicken) Fettuccine
1lb fettuccine noodles
1/2 lb steamed scallops (bought at the meat counter)
1/2 lb steamed shrimp, detailed (bought at the meat counter)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp salt (I know it sounds like a lot, but trust me)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
*This recipe is very quick and easy.  If you buy the steamed seafood from the meat counter, the longest part of this is boiling the pasta for 12 minutes*
*If you would like to substitute in chicken, I would use about 1 lb cooked diced or shredded chicken*
1. Boil the pasta according to the directions on the package.
2. While the pasta is cooking, pour the cream in a large skillet and let cook on medium high until hot and nearly boiling.  Add the basil, thyme, white pepper, black pepper, red pepper, parsley, green onions, and salt.  Heat for 7-8 minutes until starts to thicken. 
3. Add the scallops and shrimp (or chicken) and heat through.  If you are using uncooked seafood, make sure to cook it until shrimp is pink and scallops are white all the way through.  You don’t want those to be raw.
4. Stir in cheeses until melted and drain the pasta. 
5. Pour sauce and seafood (or chicken) over pasta and mix.  Serve with a salad.
ENJOY!

Taste Test: Lemony Tuna Pasta

This recipe is out of Real Simple Magazine. 
It is light and fresh and has just the right zest and kick.  I will for sure make this again next week.
Add This one to your “I at too much at Christmas and need something light” meal list.

Lemony Tuna and Olive Oil Pasta (Real Simple, 2011)
12 oz linguine pasta (I used whole wheat)
3 Tbsp light olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 (6 oz) cans of tuna (I used water packed)
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.  Drain pasta
2.  Wipe out the pot and cook the oil, garlic and red pepper over medium heat stirring until fragrant  (3 min)
3. Add the pasta, tuna, lemon zest, salt and pepper and pasta water.  I actually didn’t add the salt and found that I loved it without that flavor.  I instead added 2 squeezes of the fresh lemon.
4.  Cook over low heat, tossing until the sauce is slightly thickened and coats the pasta.  Add parsley and serve.  *The sauce is ONLY enough to coat the pasta.  It is not a saucy dish*
Enjoy!

Salmon Chowder

It's soup season!  My aunt cooked tonight and made a family favorite.  I know it might not "sound" yummy, but trust me, I have not met anyone who does not like this yummy fall soup.  My grandma gave all of us this recipe after she and my grandpa had this soup on their Alaskan cruise. 

Salmon Chowder
1/2 cup each: chopped celery, onion, green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tblsp butter
1 can chicken broth (14.5oz)
1 cup uncooked diced, peeled potatoes
1 cup shredded carrots
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp dill
1 can cream style corn (14 3/4 oz)
2 cups fat free half and half
2 cups cooked salmon, flaked

Cook first 4 ingredients in butter until tender.  Add potatoes, carrots, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes or until vegetables are done.  Stir in corn, half & half, and salmon.  Simmer 15 minutes.
Note:  do not use canned salmon for this recipe.  I buy frozen salmon and bake it until it flakes apart, about 20 minutes on 350 degrees.