Category Archives: Seafood

Shrimp Curry with Coconut Milk

In my adventures of self-taught cookery, I’ve had my share of recipe success and epic fail. Though there are two cuisines in particular where the guess-we’ll-order-a-pizza end of the scale weighs a little heavier – Asian and Indian. Perhaps because there are so many spices and exotic ingredients involved, the final product can too easily have that Americanized taste to it or be just plain a la Larry David, ‘eh’. But if you’re craving pizza my friends, then skip this dish because this dish is not eh. This dish is spectacular.

It’s actually a blend of Asian and Indian cuisine, as the lemongrass hints at Thailand while the cumin, coriander and fenugreek are Indian ingredients. And best of all, it is not hard to do. Basically you hunt down (this may well be the hardest part depending on where you live), toast and grind a number of spices, saute some shallot, mix together and add coconut milk. And presto you have a very authentic-tasting nicely spiced curry recipe up your sleeve. If you’re not a shellfish person you could swap in chicken or pork, or spoon the sauce over steamed vegetables with rice.

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Blueberry BBQ Salmon

Who says us Northerners can’t get our Bar-Be-Que on? (Even if I had to google for the correct spelling.) OK I’ll admit, traditional Southern/Texan BBQ sauce feels more foreign to me than Indian Curry, French Beurre Blanc or Mexican MolĂ©. But this blueberry BBQ sauce is easy, fresh tasting and just wonderful over a healthy protein like salmon, bringing wonderful BBQ flavor to a Yankee table.

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Cool Avocado Soup with Spicy Shrimp and Chili-Lime Pepitas

Need a new way to beat the heat, other than cranking up the AC, jumping in your neighbors kiddie pool or sticking your head in the freezer? I’m telling you, you’ll cool right off with this refreshing, stunning, deeply flavored avocado soup. With a slice of grilled bread, or a cob of corn and a salad, this makes a wonderfully filling yet light summer meal or impressive first course. Though, there is always the garden hose …

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Roasted Poblano Salmon

Rick Bayless has made my summer. His recipes enable the home cook to take Mexican cooking to soaring new heights with authenticity.  This week I made  the most delicious vegetable enchilada dish – tender swiss chard, caramelized red onion and sauteed mushrooms were rolled into tortillas and doused with a tomatillo-fresh corn sauce, lightly sprinkled with Mexican queso fresco cheese. In my excitement over the dish and our very eager appetites that evening, I failed to remember to snap a shot before devouring my plate! But fear not fellow foodies – because the week prior I made this deeply flavorful roasted poblano salmon recipe and have this lovely photo to show for it!

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Sear-Roasted Salmon with Creamy Corn Sauce

Summer is here! Maybe not all officially if you go by that solstice stuff, but according to me summer begins with Memorial Day weekend. And what a terrific weekend it was – our cute little pooch enjoyed some off-lease time in the dog run, David and I got in some outdoors exercise and a traditional bbq was served up on the grill. And to kick it all off, we enjoyed this healthy summertime-fresh meal on Friday night.

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Pineapple Rice with Spicy Shrimp

The other night my husband and I polished off an entire fresh pineapple for dessert. It was sweet, juicy, citrusy and ten thousand times more addictive than even the best bowl of popcorn. Before we even knew it our toothpicks were digging into an empty bowl and we were looking at each other with puppy dog eyes thinking, no more?

I suppose this is to be expected given pineapples are in peak season. I have to admit while I’d been busy filling my winter citrus basket with clementines, navel oranges and tangerines, I’d been remiss at including our tropical friend the pineapple. They finally caught my eye when they went on sale at Fairway the other week and I scooped one up. Three days later I was back scooping up another. And then another. At which point I knew I had to get creative and make use of this incredibly delicious peak season pineapple in a savory dish.

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Light Alfredo with Fresh Fettucine and Shrimp

Photo featured on Photograzing, 2/19/11

It was over plates of Fettucine Alfredo that my husband asked my Dad for my hand in marriage, so the dish is near and dear to our hearts. One of my favorite lines from my Dad’s toast at our wedding was in reference to this moment, with ‘give me fettucine alfredo and I’ll say yes to anything!’. And I completely agree – what could be better than the mouth-feel of creamy fresh pasta, bite after decadent bite?

Unfortunately, in the past I reserved this dish for special occasions only due the cumbersome expanding waistline side effect too much alfredo tends to have. Until now that is. I came upon a recipe for a lightened version using low-fat milk thickened with flour and low-fat Neufchatel cream cheese. Amped up with zingy parmaggiano-reggiano and lemon zest, we honestly did not miss the cream. Now, who wants seconds?!

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Agave Salmon with Citrus Avocado Salsa

This bright, light, slightly spicy and subtly sweet dish helps keep the winter blues away. Citrus is at its peak this time of year so be sure to enjoy it before it’s berries and melon filling your grocery basket instead. And perhaps you’ll be able to at least imagine yourself someplace tropical to boot!

The salsa is a fusion of tastes – smooth and buttery from the avocado, sweet and acidic from the fresh fruit, and spicy from the jalapeno and red pepper. Adjust the amount of each ingredient to your liking if you want more or less heat or sweet. Over the salmon with some rice or salad on the side, it’s both a quick and uplifting weeknight meal and impressive enough for guests.

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Mahi-Mahi with Tomato, Onion, and Raisin Sauce

This light and flavorful fish is just the ticket to brighten a dreary winter’s day while still sticking to your new year resolutions for healthful eating. Steaky fillets of Mahi-Mahi stand up with ease to the juicy sweet and slightly sour tomato sauce infused with a squeeze of lime juice and a kiss of brown sugar. Hearty on its own, or with rice, polenta or crusty bread, this is a quick and satisfying weeknight meal.

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Sear-Roasted Salmon with Roasted Beet and Bulgar Salad

I make sear-roasted salmon a lot and for good reason. It’s delicious and simple to prepare, using no ingredients other than the fish itself, salt, pepper and olive oil. Searing the top gives you a beautiful golden crust that makes for a gorgeous presentation and add loads of flavor. And it’s nearly fool-proof not to overcook.

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