Article by Mama Jock
Shrimp Scampi Tortellini
1 package (8 oz.) cheese tortellini
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 package McCormick® Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi Seasoning Mix
1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
Cook tortellini as directed on package. Drain well.
Heat oil and butter in large skillet on medium heat until butter is melted.
Add shrimp and Seasoning Mix; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.
Add tomatoes; cook and stir 1 minute or until tomatoes are slightly softened.
Toss with cooked tortellini to coat well.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Caribbean Mahi with Banana Chutney
2 cups water
2 cups uncooked quick-cooking brown rice (such as Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Boil in Bag Brown Rice; use 1 bag)
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup canned red beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 lb. skinless mahi fillets, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 tsp. olive oil
2 TBSP mango chutney
2 bananas, peeled and chopped
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat broiler.
Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
If using Uncle Ben's Boil in Bag, drop in bag, and boil 10 minutes; remove from bag and add coconut.
Reduce heat to low.
Simmer, covered, 5 minutes.
Turn off heat; stir in beans, and set aside. (If using regular quick cooking brown rice, add rice and coconut to boiling water. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Turn off heat; stir in beans, and set aside.)
While rice cooks, combine salt, allspice, thyme, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
Arrange fish on a baking sheet.
Drizzle oil over fish. Sprinkle half of seasoning mixture over fish; turn fish over, and sprinkle with remaining seasoning.
Broil for 5–6 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
While fish broils, combine chutney, banana, scallions, and cilantro in a small bowl.
Serve rice and bean mixture topped with fish and chutney mixture.
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
2 TBSP onion, finely chopped
2 TBSP red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 TBSP butter
35 fresh mushrooms
1/2 lb. crab meat
2 cups crushed oyster crackers
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1/4 tsp. black pepper, ground
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup water
6 slices white cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
Saute the celery, onion and bell pepper in the butter for 2 minutes.
Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool in the refrigerator.
While vegetables cool, wash the mushrooms and remove the stems.
Set the caps to the side and finely chop 1/2 of the stems.
Discard the other half of the stems or use elsewhere.
Combine the sauteed vegetables, chopped mushroom stems, flaked crab meat, cracker crumbs, shredded cheddar, garlic powder, Old Bay, black pepper, salt, egg, and water. Mix well.
Place the mushroom caps in a large baking dish or smaller individual dishes.
Spoon about 1 tsp. of the crab filling into each mushroom cap, mounding the filling slightly.
Cover them with the sliced cheese (cut to fit as needed).
Place the baking dish in the oven and bake at 400-degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Serve.
Spicy Peanut Linguine with Shrimp
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup water
2 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 TBSP. rice vinegar
2 tsp. Asian chili garlic sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1/4 tsp. salt
8 oz. linguine, uncooked
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
3/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup chopped green onions, cut on diagonal
3 TBSP. roasted peanuts, chopped
Cilantro and lime wedges for serving
Prepare the sauce.
Combine the first seven ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl. Set aside.
To prepare the shrimp, heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
Toss the shrimp with 1/4 tsp. salt.
Spray the heated pan with nonstick spray and add the shrimp.
Cook shrimp until pink, about 3 minutes on each side.
Cook the pasta according to directions.
Before serving, toss together the cooked pasta, shrimp, peanut sauce, red pepper, green onions and cucumber in a large bowl. Toss well.
Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and top with cilantro leaves and a lime wedge.
Serve.
Seafood Stuffed Shells
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup crab meat
1 cup diced shrimp
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
2 TBSP butter (do not substitute)
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup asiago cheese, grated
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 cup water
1 TBSP cornstarch
Pasta:
16 to 20 large pasta shells
1 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Boil giant pasta shells in salted water until they are pliable but not quite completely cooked.
While shells are cooking, melt butter in skillet.
Add garlic and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the cream, milk, salt, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil.
Turn heat to low.
Wait 2 to 3 minutes and add cheeses.
When cheese has melted, add the lemon juice.
Stir over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
Make a slurry of water and cornstarch, mixing it well.
Add to the sauce and continue cooking until it thickens nicely. Be sure to keep an eye on it, and to stir it, because it will thicken quickly. Don't overcook it or you will have a paste.
Drain pasta shells and run under cold water until you can handle them.
Stuff with the cheese and seafood mixture.
Cover with sauce and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve.
Honeymoon Spaghetti Seafood Medley
3 1/2 lbs. of crab or lobster
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely sliced
2 TBSP butter
1 TBSP olive oil
1 lb. live mussels, cleaned
4 oz. squid, sliced
6 oz. small shrimp
1 lb. spaghetti, cooked al dente
1 handful of flat-leafed parsley, roughly chopped
1 handful of marjoram, roughly chopped
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Submerge crab or lobster into boiling water and boil for 15 minutes. Remove.
When cooled, take meat from the shell, flaking it into small pieces and removing any shells.
To make the sauce, fry the shell and legs in olive oil with the garlic and chili.
Using the end of a rolling pin, break open the shells.
Add tomatoes and a large glass of water. Simmer for 1 hour.
Pass through a sieve, season to taste, and put aside.
Boil water and add the spaghetti. Cook per directions.
In a large pan, gently fry the garlic and chili in butter and olive oil.
Turn up the heat and add the mussels, squid and shrimp. Cook 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat, discarding any unopened mussels.
Add the tomato sauce, cooked spaghetti, seafood and herbs. Mix together.
Fold a sheet of parchment paper in half to get a crease and open it out again.
Place the seafood mixture in the center of one half and brush all the edges with egg.
Bring the two sides together and seal well.
Carefully slide the parcel onto a baking sheet and cook for about 10 minutes until puffed up.
Serve immediately.
Seafood Mac and Cheese
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 lb. elbow macaroni
6 TBSP butter
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
3 cups whole milk
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 lb. coarsely chopped cooked lobster, shrimp or crabmeat, or a combination
4 cups (1 lb.) mixed grated cheeses, such as Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss and fontina
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Emeril's Creole Seasoning
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook elbow macaroni for 2 minutes less than al dente.
Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
While pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.
Transfer 2 TBSP melted butter to a medium bowl, and reserve.
Add onion and garlic to pan and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add milk and whisk until smooth.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
Cook until sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Season with 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and nutmeg.
Remove pan from heat.
Fold in seafood, macaroni and cheese.
Transfer to a shallow 4-quart baking dish.
To the bowl with reserved melted butter, add breadcrumbs and Creole seasoning.
Toss and scatter over macaroni mixture.
Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.
Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
