Category Archives: Seafood

Tilapia with Chile Lime Butter

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Veronica

I have been enjoying a lot of flavorful & healthy meals lately, this being perhaps my favorite of them all. This fish is just bursting with flavor and while I enjoy fish normally, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed it to this degree, except for with my favorite salmon. But I like this fish even more than the salmon!

I don’t think it’s just my pregnancy hormones tricking me into thinking this is one of the most wonderful things I’ve ever eaten. I got the recipe from Suzie, who proclaimed it a restaurant-worthy meal (I so agree!). Her husband is super picky and usually will only eat things like pizza and burgers, but even he ate this and enjoyed it. I knew it must be good if he was willing to even taste it, let alone eat a whole serving. My hubs couldn’t stop at one piece, he had to have two. :)

The chile-lime butter is the key here – it’s your secret weapon to make tilapia, which isn’t that exciting by itself, seem like the most incredible edible thing ever. It has so much flavor that you don’t need much to make your filet absolutely craveable, so it only adds 50 (healthy!) calories to your meal. Light, fresh, totally amazing. Do it.

Tilapia with Chile-Lime Butter

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

For the butter:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped shallot (I used green onion)
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh Thai or Serrano chile, including seeds (this adds almost no heat – use more if you like it hot!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cilantro for garnish

For the fish:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tilapia fillets

Stir together butter, shallot, zest, lime juice, chile and salt in a bowl. Pat dry the fillets and sprinkle with salt. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over moderately high heat until just smoking, then saute the fillets, turning over once with a spatula until golden brown and just cooked through (4-5 minutes). Transfer to a plate.

Serve each warm fillet with a dollop of chili lime butter spread over the top. Garnish with cilantro.

Recipe Source: Two Dogs in the Kitchen

18 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Meats, Seafood and tagged best, chile lime butter, easy, fish, healthy, tilapia. Bookmark the permalink.

Southern Shrimp & Cheese Grits

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Veronica

Honestly I never intended to share this recipe, not because it’s not good (it’s amazeballs), but because when I made it, I was a MySpace blogger and the friend I got it from had already posted it on her own MySpace blog. We had the same group of foodie friends that all read each others blogs, so it seemed redundant to repost the recipe. Now I wish I had, as I now forget exactly how I did it. I like to give very specific measurements & instructions, but Cheryl gave measurements like, “a mess of shrimp.” You could never tell she’s from the south, right? :) I kept the instructions in her voice, but did change a few things for clarity.

To give you an idea of how good this dish is, Dennis, who refuses to eat shrimp, ate an entire plate and enjoyed it. He has only eaten shrimp in my presence on one other occasion (on this pizza, which is also amazeballs, if I do say so myself) and he told me he would never do it again unless it was these shrimp ‘n grits. I think that qualifies this as life-changing. :)

Southern Shrimp & Cheese Grits

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5 slices of bacon
1 mess of fresh shrimp (I used a bag of frozen shrimp, thawed)
4-8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
3 scallions, chopped
3 garlic gloves
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Fresh cracked pepper
Salt
2 tablespoons flour (for roux)
A few slices of ham

2 cups of coarse home-style grits, plus ingredients called for on box
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

Start off by frying your bacon. While that’s going, clean and peel your fresh shrimp and set them aside.

Remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside. Drain all but 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease from the pan, and add your mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes until starting to soften, then add the shrimp, scallions, garlic, and red pepper flakes, if using.

While that cooks, in another pot start your grits by the directions given on the bag. Cook until thick, stirring constantly (nobody likes lumpy grits-lol). Stir in the cheese, and set aside.

Meanwhile lets gets back to the Shrimp! After shrimp is done (it will turn pink), season with salt and pepper, then take it out and set it aside. Now we are starting on the roux (gravy). In the same pan add your flour then add your water and stir till thickened. I do this using a wire whisk or wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Dice up your ham and break up your cooked bacon. I guess my mixture was watery (I remember adding the mushrooms to the skillet at the same time as the shrimp, and I think that prevented the water from them evaporating) and I drained it and added the ham, cooked bacon, and red pepper flakes while it was in the colander. If you follow these updated instructions, hopefully you won’t have to drain yours.

Add your grits to a plate, put your sautéed shrimp & mushrooms, ham, mushrooms, on top of grits then spoon gravy on top and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Recipe source: Cheryl D.

31 Comments

Posted in Meats, My Favorites, Seafood. Bookmark the permalink.

Italian Cornmeal-Crusted White Fish

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Veronica

Some friends who like to fish gave us a couple pounds of crappie and I came up with this quick and delicious coating for it. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it turned out! Perfectly seasoned and with a slight crunch to it from broiling, the fish turned out really nice with the moisture locked in from the dressing and coating. I think you’re going to like this one!

I just have to share something funny that’s related to this recipe before we get to it. When I searched for “crappie” in the Weight Watchers points tracker online, this is what popped up on my screen:

Let’s take a closer look:

So there’s no entry for crappie, but there’s something called a “crap pie?” I don’t even want to know! I just used another white fish to calculate the points. :)

Italian Cornmeal-Crusted White Fish

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Printable recipe with picture

2 lbs. white fish, such as tilapia or cod
Italian Dressing
½ cup stone ground cornmeal
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic salt

Place fish in a Ziploc bag and pour dressing over it, about ½ cup or enough to coat the fish. Allow to marinate 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees; line a rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking oil. Combine the cornmeal, parmesan, and garlic salt in a bowl and stir well. Take fish fillets one by one and place on a plate, then sprinkle cornmeal mixture over the top. Lift with your wet hand and shake excess coating back into your bowl. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all fish fillets are coated and on baking sheet. Bake for ten minutes, then switch the oven to broil. Keep an eye on the fish and remove once golden and the fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork.

For a quick and colorful side dish, combine broccoli florets with sliced red and yellow pepper and microwave in a covered dish for 5 minutes, or until tender. Serve with a sprinkle of garlic salt over the top.

Serves 6

Per serving: 246 calories; 9.7 g fat; 9 g carbohydrates; .7 g fiber; 32 g protein; 6 Points Plus

Recipe by Veronica Miller

8 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Meats, Seafood and tagged cod, cornmeal crusted, crappie, diet-friendly, healthy, Italian, tilapia, Weight Watchers, white fish. Bookmark the permalink.

Herbed Mayo Salmon

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Veronica

I got this idea from my friend, Rossie, who I also adapted my favorite salmon recipe from. Her favorite dinner is taking a salmon fillet, sprinkling salt and pepper (or lemon pepper) on it, slathering mayonnaise on top of that and baking until browned. I love some good salmon, so when I snagged some fresh herbs on sale, I thought of Rossie’s mayo salmon and had a little fun with it.

Dennis and I both loved it! The creamy, crusty herb-infused mayo really complimented the salmon, and was quite simple to throw together. The herbs I used went well with the fish, but I bet you could substitute any others you might have on hand. Have fun!

Herbed Mayo Salmon

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4 (3-4 oz) skinless salmon fillets
Salt and pepper
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a baking dish with oil. Place salmon in baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the mayonnaise with the herbs, the spread it over the fillets. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the mayo gets a little brown crust.

Veronica’s note: When substituting dried herbs for fresh or vice versa, use this general rule of thumb: 1 teaspoon dried herbs = 1 tablespoon fresh.

Recipe by Veronica Miller, inspired by Rossie K.

*I served the salmon with Jenna’s yummy Buttery Lemon Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Nutmeg.*

I didn’t calculate the calories for this recipe and was wondering, as a reader, do you prefer the calorie information to be included or does it matter to you?

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Posted in Meats, Seafood and tagged baked, herbed, herbs, mayonnaise, recipe, salmon. Bookmark the permalink.

Crunchy Dilled Shrimp Salad

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Veronica

I’ve been making this shrimp salad for several years and especially enjoy it in the spring and summer because it is light and bright. I love the crisp crunch from the water chestnuts and the nutty crunch from the cashews. The dill & lemon balance the slightly sweet taste of the dressing and pair perfectly with the shrimp. I usually serve it on a slice of toasted bread as an open-faced sandwich so I can enjoy the visual appeal of the pretty salad while I eat it.

I omitted the cashews from this batch and decreased the dressing to 1/3 cup, which saves 50 calories per serving.

Crunchy Dilled Shrimp Salad

Printable Recipe
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1 (12 oz) bag frozen cooked shrimp, thawed and tails removed
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained
1/4 c cashews
1/2 c light Miracle Whip
3 T chopped fresh dill or 1 T dried dill
2 t lemon juice
3/4 t garlic powder
1/8 t salt

Roughly chop the shrimp, water chestnuts & cashews and mix in a medium bowl with all other ingredients. Serve immediately. If you will be serving later, omit the cashews and refrigerate. Stir them in just before serving so they will still be nice and crunchy.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Info (per serving): 187 cal, 7 g fat, 177 mg cholesterol, 560 mg sodium, 12 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 20 g protein.

5 Comments

Posted in Burgers & Sandwiches, Lighter Fare, Meats, My Favorites, Salads, Seafood and tagged cashews, crunchy, diet-friendly, dill, easy, healthy, salad, shrimp, summer, water chestnuts. Bookmark the permalink.

Quick Fish Tacos with Baja Cream

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Veronica

I have several magazine subscriptions and the ones that aren’t entirely devoted to food and recipes do include recipes and by the time I’ve gone through them, they are inevitably bristling with pieces of paper I’ve used to mark those I want to try and never do. Every once in a while, however, a recipe jumps out at me and I can’t stop thinking about it until it has been made.

Enter the May edition of Everyday Food. As soon as I saw these fish tacos on the cover, my heart began to sing. They were so colorful and seemed a perfect spring/summer meal. I had to make them.

I mostly followed the recipe except I did something a little different with the sour cream, using a recipe from my friend, Kitty, whom I owe a sincere thanks to. It is the closest thing she’s found to the cream they serve on fish tacos in Baja California and while I wouldn’t have a clue as to whether it tasted the same or not since I’ve never been to California, I can attest that it is delicious on these tacos!

From start to finish, this meal was on the table in fifteen minutes. So easy! So simple! So gorgeous! So light! So delicious! I often forgo simple recipes like this, believing that the more time and effort and ingredients that is involved makes the end product that much better. As this recipe proves, that’s not always the case.

Quick Fish Tacos
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Printable recipe with picture

1 pound boneless, skinless tilapia fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper
12 corn tortillas
1/2 small head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 small white onion, finely chopped
lime wedges, for serving

Baja Cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lime peel
Pinch of salt

Heat broiler, with rack in highest position. Pat fish dry with paper towels and gently coat with oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Broil until fish is browned on top and flesh is opaque throughout, 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the Baja Cream ingredients together and set aside. Toast corn tortillas over a kitchen burner using tongs or wrap a stack of 6 at a time in damp paper towels and heat in the microwave for 40 seconds to 1 minute. Divide fish evenly among tortillas and top with cabbage, cilantro, and onion. Serve with Baja cream and lime wedges. SERVES 4.

Per serving (3 tacos): 440 cal; 14.9 g fat (4.2 g sat fat); 35.9 g protein; 42.8 g carb; 6.9 g fiber (NOTE: NUTRITIONAL STATS ARE BASED ON THE ORIGINAL RECIPE, WHICH ONLY USES 1/4 CUP OF SOUR CREAM. I know, who could possibly only use ONE teaspoon of sour cream on their taco?! I need at LEAST a tablespoon-hahahahaha!)

Recipe source: adapted from “Fish Tacos with Cabbage & Lime” from Everyday Food, May 2010

22 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Main Dishes, Mexican, Seafood and tagged baja cream, cabbage, cilantro, easy, fast, fish tacos, healthy, lime, quick, recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Shrimp & Scallop Scampi with Linguine

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Veronica

My friend, Suzie, shared this recipe with me, which she got from The Quarterdeck restaurant in Cape Cod, MA via The Food Network. That’s a lot of vias, but I’m glad it made its way to my kitchen! It is a delicious meal, and you really will feel like you’re eating at a fine restaurant when you dig in!

Shrimp and Scallop Scampi with Linguine
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

Kosher salt
1 pound linguine
12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 large sea scallops, tough foot muscles removed
Freshly ground pepper
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for garnish
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup torn fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook as the label directs.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the shrimp and scallops dry, then season with salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons butter to the pan and cook the shrimp until golden on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn the shrimp and add half of the garlic; cook until the garlic is fragrant but the shrimp are still translucent, 1 to 2 more minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.

Add the scallops to the skillet and cook until golden on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn the scallops, add the remaining garlic and cook 1 to 2 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook until the sauce is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan, then add the basil and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter; season with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl. Toss with the shrimp, scallops and sauce; garnish with parsley and lemon.

Veronica’s Notes: If you buy frozen scallops, you will not have to remove any foot muscles–they are ready to cook. I used a pound of regular sized shrimp in place of the jumbo, chicken broth in place of the wine, 1 1/2 T dried basil in place of the fresh and served with roasted asparagus on the side.

Recipe Source: The Food Network

12 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Main Dishes, Pasta, Seafood and tagged linguini, scallop, scampi, shrimp. Bookmark the permalink.

Shrimp Tacos

Posted on May 16, 2009 by Veronica

This is a wonderfully light summer meal that has the feel of gourmet without the fuss.

Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Corn on the Cob
Printable recipe

Salsa
1 1/2 cups seeded, chopped tomato
1 cups seeded, chopped cucumber
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Filling
8 oz green beans, trimmed
1 tsp fajita seasoning, divided
1 lb medium to large shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 tbsp olive oil

8 6-inch corn tortillas

Corn
4 corn on the cob in the husk
few spritzes of fat-free butter spray
few dashes ancho chile pepper

Directions
1. Combine salsa ingredients & set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Toss rinsed green beans with 1/2 tsp of the fajita seasoning in a bowl and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.
3. Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with the remaining 1/2 tsp seasoning and put the corn on the cob in the microwave with the husks still. Cook them on high for eight minutes.
4. Add to the shrimp to the skillet after the green beans have cooked for 5 minutes and cook another five minutes or until the shrimp are no longer opaque.
5. Shuck the corn, leaving the husk on the end to use as a handle. Spray with butter & sprinkle with a light dusting of ancho chile pepper (adjust to suit your heat preference).
6. Heat the tortillas: Wrap the stack in a fairly damp paper towel and microwave on high for 80 seconds (a good rule of thumb when heating tortillas in the microwave is 10 seconds per tortilla).
7. Assemble the tacos: Divide shrimp-and-bean-mixture between warm tortillas and serve with salsa & an ear of corn on the side.

Serves 4

For those of you without a kitchen scale, this is what 8 ounces of green beans (and me with a hormonal lip zit) looks like.

Raw Swimps

Happy Swimps

I hate cucumbers so I didn’t expect to like this salsa, but it blew me away! I couldn’t believe something so simple could be so good. I plan to use it in many a dish to come!