Article by Christine Budd
Cheesy Hot Crab Dip
Ingredients:
8 ounce package cream cheese or Neufchatel (light cream cheese)softened
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup light or regular sour cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon grated white onion
2 (6 ounce) cans lump crab meat
1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning ex. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
½ teaspoon Worcestershire
½ lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
A few shakes of Tabasco, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Crackers, baguette slices, or tortilla chips for serving
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a medium mixing bowl and stir until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and stir again until well combined. Transfer to a small baking dish and transfer to oven.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until browned and bubbly.
Serve with crackers, baguette slices, or tortilla chips.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
Add the ingredients to a small (3 to 4 quart) slow cooker, stir to combine, and set it on LOW for 2 hours. It needs to cook until the cream cheese melts completely. Stir the dip and then let it cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
It should keep well for up to an hour on the “Keep Warm” or “Low” setting. Be sure to stir it occasionally to prevent it from burning or separating.
Tuna Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients:
4 oz pasta (or egg noodles)
2 tuna steaks (4 – 6 oz. each)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup sliced white mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
Chopped fresh parsley (optional for garnish)
Directions:
Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions.
At the same time, season each tuna steak with salt and pepper.
In a medium non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Click for a medium non-stick skillet.
When the butter is melted, add the tuna steaks to the pan. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove tuna from the pan and place on a plate. Set aside.
Add more oil to the pan if needed. Add mushrooms and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and minced garlic and bring to boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon so all of the browned bits from cooking the tuna are mixed into the sauce.
Remove the skillet from the heat, add the cream and stir well.
Return the tuna steaks to the skillet. Place back on the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until the whole dish is hot.
Place the egg noodles on two plates, divided evenly.
Top each with a tuna steak.
Spoon the mushroom sauce over each tuna steak, divided evenly.
Garnish with chopped parsley and more black pepper, if desired.
Creamy Garlic ButterTuscan Scallops
Ingredients:
28 oz scallops
2 tablespoons salted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup white wine, optional
5 oz jarred sun dried tomato strips in oil, drained (reserve 1 teaspoon of the jarred oil for cooking)
1 3/4 cups heavy cream (or half and half)
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups baby spinach leaves, washed
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
Thoroughly pat scallops dry with paper towels.
Heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat until hot and sizzling. Add the scallops in a single layer without over crowding the pan (work in batches if needed).
Season with salt and pepper to taste and fry for 2-3 minutes on one side (until a golden crust forms underneath), then flip and fry again for 2 minutes until crisp, lightly browned and cooked through (opaque). Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate.
Melt butter in the pan. Sauté onion until soft (about 4 minutes). Add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant (30 seconds). Pour in the white wine (if using), and allow to reduce to half, while scraping any bits off of the bottom of the pan. Add the sun dried tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes to release their flavors.
Reduce heat to low-medium heat, add the heavy cream (or half and half) and bring to a gentle simmer, while stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Add in the spinach leaves and allow to wilt in the sauce, then add in the parmesan cheese. Allow sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through the sauce.
Stir in herbs through; take pan off the heat and add the scallops with their juices into the pan. Mix through slightly before serving.
Serve over pasta, rice, zoodles, cauliflower mash, cauliflower rice or steamed vegetables.
Chili Lime Mahi Mahi
Ingredients:
For the fish:
4 (5 oz.) mahi fish fillets, frozen
2 tbs lime juice
1 tbs lime zest
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp dried oregano
2 tbs soy sauce
1 lime, sliced
For the asparagus:
16 oz asparagus spears, trimmed
1 tbs avocado oil
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp salt
Extra lime slices and parsley for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
In a bowl, combine the lime juice, lime zest, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, oregano and soy sauce.
Add fish fillets to bowl and marinate for 30 minutes or longer if desired.
In a separate bowl, drizzle avocado oil, salt and pepper on the trimmed asparagus.
Add both the marinated fish and asparagus to the prepared baking sheet.
Layer lime slices on top of fish.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. Serve with rice and garnish with fresh parsley and extra lime slices. Serve warm.
Bruschetta with Shrimp, Tarragon & Arugula
Ingredients:
Toasts:
1 (1-pound) loaf ciabatta bread, trimmed and cut into 14 (1/2-inch thick) slices
Olive oil, for drizzling
1 garlic clove, halved
Topping:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 packed cup arugula, chopped
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
Directions:
For the toasts: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes. Rub the warm toasts with the cut side of the garlic. Set aside.
For the topping: In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 2 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste, and add them to the skillet. Cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
In the same skillet, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes start to soften, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tarragon, arugula, mascarpone cheese, and chopped shrimp. Stir until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the toasts on serving plates and drizzle with the sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.
Flounder Stuffed with Shrimp & Crabmeat
Ingredients:
Stuffing:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
4 ozs. shrimp, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning, to taste or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
6 ozs. lump crabmeat, or more if desired
3-4 tablespoons italian seasoned breadcrumbs, more as needed
Fish:
1 lb. flounder (8 large fillets)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons paprika
1 lemon, cut into wedges for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and peppers. Sauté for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are wilted.
Add the shrimp and season with salt and Old Bay (to taste). Sauté for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and place mixture into a bowl. Gently stir in the crabmeat, then the bread crumbs a little at a time, adding more as needed to gently bind. Set aside to cool.
Place equal amounts of filling onto each fillet and roll up. (alternatively, you can place one fillet on the baking sheet, place filling atop the fillet, then place another on top, off to the side, to resemble a pocket of stuffing).
Place the fish on a baking dish (seam side down if rolled). Drizzle the fish with the butter and sprinkle with lemon juice. Sprinkle top of fish with salt, black pepper and paprika.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until fish is cooked through. Remove the fish from the oven and serve with lemon wedges. §
