Article by Mama Jock
Maple and Mustard Seared Tuna Steaks
3 TBSP. maple syrup
1 1/2 TBSP. Dijon mustard
1 TBSP. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
4 tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
Cooking spray
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Combine syrup, Dijon mustard, juice, oil and red pepper in a shallow dish, stirring with a wisk.
Reserve 4 tsp. syrup mixture.
Add tuna to remaining syrup mixture, turning to coat.
Let stand 10 minutes, turning once after 5 minutes.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
Coat pan with cooking spray.
Remove tuna from marinade; discard marinade.
Sprinkle tuna with salt and black pepper.
Add tuna to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
Remove tuna from pan.
Cut across the grain into thick slices.
Drizzle with reserved 4 tsp. syrup mixture.
Serves 4.
Spinach Stuffed Flounder with Mushrooms and Feta
8 large mushrooms, diced
8 oz. fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped
1 TBSP. feta cheese
4 flounder fillets
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an unheated medium skillet with no-stick spray.
Heat the skillet over medium heat.
Add mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until the liquid released from the mushrooms has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Add the spinach to the skillet; cook until spinach has wilted.
Remove from heat and drain all excess moisture.
Sprinkle the feta cheese over the vegetables, then stir it in.
To assemble the fish rolls, place 1/4 of the spinach onto the wide end of each fillet.
Carefully roll the fillets around the spinach mixture.
Use toothpicks to hold the end of each roll in place.
Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray.
Place the fish rolls, seam side down, in the baking dish.
Add 2 TBSP. of water and loosely cover with foil.
Bake in oven 15 to 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork.
Serves 4.
Hot and Spicy Shrimp
2 lbs. extra-large shrimp
Salt and pepper
2 TBSP. vegetable oil
4 TBSP. unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup beer
1/2 cup clam juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, sliced thin
2 TBSP. Frank’s Red Hot sauce
Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 TBSP. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.
Cook half of the shrimp without moving until spotty brown on one side, about 1 minute; transfer to plate.
Repeat with remaining oil and shrimp.
Melt 1 TBSP. butter in empty skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic; cook until fragrant.
Stir in beer, clam juice and any accumulated shrimp juice, scraping up any browned bits.
Bring to a boil and cook until sauce is reduced to 1/3 cup.
Return shrimp to skillet; cook, covered over medium-low heat until shrimp are cooked through, 2 minutes.
Off heat, stir un cilantro, scallions, hot sauce and remaining butter.
Serves 4.
Mahi-Mahi with Red Pepper Sauce and Potatoes
4 mahi steaks
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
3/4 lb. new potatoes (about 12)
1 cup bottled roasted red bell peppers, rinsed, drained
3 TBSP. slivered almonds
7 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 small garlic clove, crushed
Chopped parsley
Rinse mahi; pat dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.
Place a vegetable steamer in a large saucepan filled 1/3 full with water; bring to a boil.
Add potatoes; cover and steam for 12 minutes.
Place bell peppers, almonds, 2 TBSP. olive oil and garlic in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth.
Add remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper; pulse to combine.
Heat 1 tsp. oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
Serve with potatoes and sauce.
Garnish with parsley.
Serves 4.
Foil-Baked Mediterranean Flounder
4 flounder fillets
4 large lemons
2.5 oz. drained, pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
16 grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 small red onion, cut in half, thinly sliced
2 TBSP. fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Thinly slice 3 lemons.
From remaining lemon, grate 2 tsp. zest and squeeze 2 TBSP. juice.
In a small bowl toss olives, tomatoes, onion, basil, oil and lemon zest and juice until well combined.
Sprinkle both sides of the flounder fillets with salt and pepper.
Cut 4 12x18 inch sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Place 1 sheet of foil on work surface.
Arrange 3-4 lemon slices in a single layer on half of foil sheet; place 1 fillet over lemon slices and top with 2/3 cup olive oil mixture.
Fold over to cover fillet and olive mixture.
Fold edges several times to seal tightly.
Repeat with remaining foil sheets, lemon slices, fillets and olive mixture.
Place foil packets on rimmed baking pan.
Bake 14 minutes or until fillets turn opaque throughout.
With kitchen shears, cut an “X” in top of foil packets, then carefully pull back to open.
Serves 4.
Shrimp Marinara
2 TBSP. olive oil
1 TBSP. minced garlic
4 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp. minced fresh oregano or marjoram
or 1/4 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Salt to taste
1 lb. spaghetti
1 1/2 lbs. medium to large shrimp, peeled
Start the water for the pasta.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low.
Add the garlic, cook, stirring occasionally until golden.
Add the tomatoes; raise the heat to medium-high; let bubble for 10 minutes.
Add half the basil, the oregano, pepper and salt.
Stir and taste for seasoning.
Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer while you cook the pasta.
Just before the pasta is done, add the shrimp to the sauce; cook until the shrimp are firm and pink, about 5 minutes.
Remove 3 or 4 shrimp from the sauce and set aside.
Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce and top with the remaining basil and the reserved shrimp.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Sauteed Soft-Shell Crabs with Tomatoes and Capers
Tomatoes:
2 TBSP. olive oil
1 shallot finely chopped
1/2 clove garlic, chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 TBSP. fresh basil
2 TBSP. unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in saute pan; add shallot and garlic.
Cook 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and basil; stir until juices are released.
Capers:
4 TBSP. capers
Flour for dredging
Peanut oil, 1/4 inch deep
Rinse capers, dry them and sprinkle with flour.
Heat oil; fry capers until light golden brown and crisp.
Drain; discard oil.
Crabs:
8 soft-shell crabs
Milk for dipping
Flour for dredging
Salt and pepper to taste
3 TBSP. peanut oil
Parsley for garnish
4 lemon wedges
Dip crabs in milk, then in flour; season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in large skillet; saute crabs, starting with the shell side, down first, for a few minutes.
Turn over; saute 1 to 2 minutes.
Drain on paper towels.
Divide the tomatoes on the plates topped with the crabs.
Sprinkle with the fried capers; garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.
Serves 4.
Sauteed Scallops with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce
2 TBSP. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. sea scallops
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a large skillet over high heat until almost smoking.
Add the olive oil and garlic.
Place 2 to 3 scallops at a time, turning them as they brown.
Season them as they cook and remove them to a bowl as they finish.
Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce:
1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup whole milk
1 TBSP. each of minced garlic and shallots
1 bay leaf
1 TBSP. unsalted butter
1 TBSP. flour
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 TBSP. lemon juice
Reduce first 6 ingredients by half in small saucepan.
In 1 qt. saucepan, heat 1 TBSP. butter on medium heat until foamy.
Sprinkle in the flour, stirring a couple minutes with a wisk until tan but not browned.
Slowly add the reduced mixture to the roux, stirring quickly to incorporate.
Keep wisking to blend completely.
Lower the heat and wisk in the butter, 2 TBSP. at a time.
Add lemon juice, salt and white pepper.
Add more clam juice or water if the sauce is too thick.
Serve with the scallops.
Makes 2 cups.
Serves 4.
Tuna Hash
1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 TBSP. Dijon mustard
2 TBSP. chopped fresh dill
2 TBSP. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups cubed hash browns
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers red or green, chopped
1 lb. skinless tuna fillet, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 cups baby arugula
Lemon wedges, for serving
Mix the yogurt, mustard and dill in a small bowl.
Heat 1 1/2 TBSP. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the hash browns, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper; cook until browned.
Transfer to a bowl.
Heat remaining 1/2 TBSP. olive oil in the skillet; add the onion, bell peppers and 1/4 tsp. salt.
Cook until golden brown.
Add the tuna; cook stirring occasionally, just until heated through.
Return the hash browns to the skillet to heat through, then remove from the heat and stir in 3 TBSP. of the yogurt mixture.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir 1 TBSP. water into the remaining yogurt mixture and toss with the arugula in a medium bowl.
Serve the hash with the salad and lemon wedges.
Serves 4.
Baked Whole Striper
4 medium yukon potatoes
4 TBSP. olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs thyme, leaves only
3/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Salt and black pepper
2 to 3 lbs. striper, head on, scales removed, gutted
1 lemon, juiced
Parsley, chopped for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place potatoes in a small pot; bring to a boil, add salt and cook for 10 minutes.
The potatoes should still be firm.
Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a roasting pan until it almost sizzles.
Add the onions and peppers; cook until the vegetables are soft and browned.
Add the garlic; cook another 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the wine, scraping the bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil.
Season the fish with salt and black pepper inside and out.
After the broth and vegetables have been boiling for 5 minutes, place the fish in the pan, add the potatoes and place in the oven; bake about 30 minutes, basting the fish with the pan juices 2 or 3 times during cooking.
Change the oven setting to broil, remove pan from the oven and then remove the fish from the roasting pan.
Place the fish on a baking tray and place under the broiler 3 to 5 minutes, or until brown and crusty.
Be careful not to scorch the fish.
Transfer the fish to a serving platter.
Add the lemon juice to the bell pepper and potatoe mixture and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the mixture over and around the fish.
Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Serves 3.
