Category: Seafood

Recipes that involve seafood

Tequila Orange Shrimp

Leave a comment

Tequila Orange Shrimp“Yes, I like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.” Well Jimmy Buffet sang this anyway. My Pina Coladas are generally of the virgin kind. I am not much of a drinker anymore, but I have found that alcohol can make some of the best cooked meals. For example, try roasting a pork tenderloin with a beer in a crock pot some time, and you will see what I mean. SOOOOO “Love Me Tender.”

Last Night I made for the first time Tequila Orange Shrimp. Between this and the Rasta Pasta, (coming next week) I had my hands pretty full.

I originally bought some shrimp deveined and with tails on, but didn’t think that they were big enough. If I am going to grill shrimp, then I want them to have some size to them. So I went back and got some fresh large shrimp from the meet counter at the grocery store. Then I had to figure out how to devein these things. The easiest way is to put the knife in the hole at the head of the shrimp and cut backwards. It was however a little time-consuming. I know, it seems like it should be obvious, but hey, I am still learning.

I first mixed the oil, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper, and lime zest together, and then I placed each shrimp in the marinade as it was ready. That was the easy part. Once they are in the mixture, they are supposed to set for 15 minutes to an hour. Of course it took me that long just to get them all in there, and this gave me the chance to work on the other recipe.

The hard part is the Tequila-Orange sauce. The recipe said to take the rest of the Jalapeno and garlic and mix it with the orange juice, tequila, and shallots. Bring this to a boil and cook until it is a syrupy consistency. The problem is that mine did not turn to syrup. I still don’t know what happened that it didn’t get to the right consistency, but I guess that will come with time and experimentation.

So the next time that you want to have a “Straight Tequila Night,” throw some in with some shrimp and orange juice, and you will find a tasty treat. So remember, “Stop worrying about whether ‘Tequila makes her clothes fall off;’ this dish will put a song in her step.”

You can Find the Recipe Here: Tequila Orange Shrimp.

Advertisement

Salmon with Mustard Cream

Leave a comment

Salmon with Mustard Cream and Pan Roasted PotatoesI have cooked many things since I started this blog. Some have been winners and others have been duds. The things that I put on here are generally what I would call successes or definite winners. This one was definitely a winner. My wife said that it had to be one of the best dinners that I have made so far.

This was one from the Cooking Light Superfast Suppers cook book that my wife got when she was doing Southern Living At Home. It is actually one of our favorite cookbooks. For one, it gives you parings like the one that I did that night. Salmon with Mustard Cream Sauce and Pan-Roasted Potates. If you can find this cookbook I would definately recommend it.

The potatoes were basically store bought potatoes wedges that you find in the freezer section of your grocery store (such as Simply Potatoes). Heat oil in a skillet, put the potatoes in it with some greek seasoning and some fresh ground pepper. It takes about 10-12 minutes to make.

The salmon is broiled and you will need a good broiler pan to make this work the best. Crack some pepper on top of it, and sprinkle it with a little lime or lemon juice. It doesn’t need very much juice to give it a little more of a ting. So don’t over do it. It says that it takes about 8 minutes, but I let it cook a little longer to make sure that it was fully cooked. I also made the potatoes and the cream sauce while it was broiling. This did in fact make it super fast and super easy.

I recommend having your Fishmonger cut the pieces to size and find some really fat pieces of meat as well. Because I did this in advance, I didn’t have to worry about size issues or trying to cut them to the weight myself. I also left the skin on the fish. I don’t know that it really helped or hurt any, but it did keep the fish nice and together when I pulled it off the pan.

This is not only a great evening dinner plan, but it is also Super Fast and Super Easy just like the cookbook says. Just remember, “The simple things in life, can be the most enjoyable.”

Salmon with Mustard Cream
4 (6-ounce) Skinless Salmon Fillets
Cooking Spray
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 Cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat broiler
2. Place fish on a broiler pan; coat fish with cooking spray, and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Broil about 8 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with fork.
3. Combine sour cream and next 6 ingredients.
4. Place fillets on plates. Spoon sauce over fish.

Yield: 4 Servings (Serving Size: 1 Fillet and about 2 tablespoons sauce.)

Cooking Light Superfast Suppers, Oxmoor House 2003

Easy Salmon Croquettes (Salmon Cakes)

2 Comments

Salmon CroquettesOh so delicious. I can remember when my mom used to make salmon cakes when I was a kid. Coupled with some Kraft Mac and Cheese (the only real Mac and Cheese) was a highlight of the evening. I once called them the Poor Man’s Salmon Cakes. We didn’t always have very much, but my mom really could cook. That is where I get some of my passion for it.

My mom made sure that I would learn how to, so to speak, wine and dine if I wanted to. I have tried it a few different ways in the past, and I didn’t realize that I was missing some of the ingredients, like egg and lemon juice. This recipe is the closest that I have come to my mom’s croquettes, and they are AWESOME and easy to make.

I used three cans of “Chicken of the Sea” boneless skinless Salmon instead of the 15 oz can that the original recipe called for. I like it this way because I can open the can and drain the juices out of it before I use them. Basically I would just press the top of the can into it and get as much of the juice out before use. Then I put them in the bowl.

I used  Saltine Crackers and crushed them in a zip lock bag. About ½ of a row of crackers equals one cup, once crushed. Add a little bit of onion, salt, pepper, egg, and lemon juice. Then pack them into little patties. The recipe said that it makes 8 patties, but I made 6. They were about 3” in diameter after I pressed them onto some parchment paper.

I got the oil hot and placed them into the pan. With a little sizzle and pop, they started to brown. I made some Mac and Cheese, and I was in HOG HEAVEN. It brought me back to the good ol’ days.

Enjoy and remember, “It doesn’t have to be difficult to be delicious.”

Click here for the recipe: Salmon Croquettes