A great pasta for a warm day, this one can be prepped ahead of time...just the pasta needs cooking just prior to serving.
Makes 4 servings
1 small tomato
1/4 cup softened cream cheese
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
8 large basil leaves, torn
1 medium avocado
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
A few tablespoons of water on the ready
8 ounces fresh pasteurized blue crab meat (lump or back fin)
12 ounces dry spaghetti or linguine
4 single teaspoons white truffle oil or extra virgin olive oil
S&P to taste
Slice the tomato in half and then remove the seeds and pulp. Lay each half, cut side down, on paper toweling to drain a bit and then dice finely.
In a blender or mini food processor, process the cream cheese, garlic, parsley and basil to get everything started.
Add the avocado meat, lemon juice and salt and continue to process until smooth.You may need to add some water at this point. Place the mixture in a bowl and gently stir in the crab meat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap with the wrap actually laying on the mixture. At this point you can refrigerate until ready to eat...just bring it back to room temperature first.
Cook the pasta per package instructions, drain and place in a large bowl. (Save a little of the pasta water for loosening up the sauce if need be).
Fold in the avocado-crab mixture until the pasta is thoroughly coated. taste and adjust for seasoning.
Divide the pasta among 4 bowls or serving plates. Drizzle each with the teaspoon of truffle or olive oil and garnish with the finely diced tomato.Enjoy!!
Food52's contest this week is "Your Best Recipe With Tea" and I entered one that I call "Green Tea Chirashi (Scattered Rice)". It's sort of a deconstructed sushi recipe and involves tea cured salmon. I love cured salmon and make it often mainly with dill and vodka as part of the cure. It's very easy to do, but requires about 3 days "curing" time. Take a look at my recipe here:
http://food52.com/recipes/20880-green-tea-chirashi-scattered-rice
And if you decide you want to go at it without tea, try substituting the tea and Mirin with equal amounts of vodka and dill or use your imagination. Just make sure you use the salt and sugar. Enjoy!
Matt's been in town this week for the Thanksgiving holiday and we've been enjoying many of his favorite dishes...seafood stew, pork chops, lamb chops....and some fried calamari which is totally a family favorite. No real recipe for this...just pick up some cleaned squid, slice the tubes into rings and place them in a plastic bag along with flour, salt and pepper and shake, shake, shake. Heat up some vegetable oil in a large frying pan and fry the rings quickly in batches if necessary. Season with salt and lemon juice and serve with your favorite cocktail sauce. Enjoy!!!
This is a riff on a spinach and oyster soup that my dad used to make for himself on Friday night after a 12 hour day at our market. He'd always bring in any leftovers for my brother and I to share the next day. I added potatoes to make it a little heartier and swapped baby spinach leaves for the regular spinach he would use.
Makes 4 servings
2 1/2 dozen freshly shucked oysters and their liquor
1 1/2 cups clam juice
1/2 cup water
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion or 1 medium leek, whit and light green part only, thinly sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 cups diced potatoes (small dice) I used Yukon Gold
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 ounces baby spinach leaves, thick stems discarded
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine the oyster liquor, clam juice and water and set aside.
In a medium soup pot over medium heat, saute the onion or leek in the butter and olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and saute about 30 seconds more.
Add the reserved broth and potatoes to the pot. Bring up to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the cream, bring back up to a simmer and stir in the spinach. Cook the spinach until it barely wilts and then add the oysters and any accumulated juices. Bring back up to the simmer and simmer for about 3 or 4 minutes until the oysters are just done. season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
This seafood casserole was one my mom would make for Christmas, as part of a buffet and for company during the year. It's very, very rich and very retro but oh so good! Mom used lobster meat in this but feel free to use more reasonably priced langoustines in its place.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 medium green bell pepper, finely minced
1 cup finely sliced green onion
16 ounces king or lump crab meat, well picked over
16 ounces cooked lobster meat or langoustines, chopped
16 ounces cooked shrimp(preferably wild Gulf), chopped
2 1/2 cups coarsely crushed saltines
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
Tabasco sauce to taste
Combine all the ingredients and pour them into a lightly buttered 2 quart baking dish. bake in a pre heated 350F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
Whenever son Matt comes to town we make seafood pasta because it's one of his favorite meals. he likes it creamy...we like it tomatoey. This time we compromised and made one with tomato and cream (well actually half and half). We all decided that this was one of the better ones.
Makes about 6 servings
1 Tbl olive oil
2 Tbl butter
1/2 cup diced onion
5 to 6 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 roma tomatoes which have been peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 Tbl instant flour(Wondra)
4 cups clam juice or shrimp stock or a combination
1 cup half and half (or light cream)
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp (I used 31-40 size)
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops, cut in half horizontally if extremely large
1 cup minced fresh herbs (basil, oregano and parsley)
1 pound spaghetti or linguini
Grated Parmesan for serving (optional)
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and oil, add the onion and garlic and saute until the mixture softens and becomes very fragrant.
Add the salt, pepper and diced tomatoes. Whisk in the instant flour a tablespoon at a time while on the heat. Add the wine and then simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the clam juice, bring up to a simmer and then simmer for about 15 minutes.
While the mixture is simmering, cook your pasta per package instructions.
After the tomato mixture simmers, stir in the cream and add the shrimp and scallops. Bring up to a simmer again and then simmer for about 2 or 3 minutes until the seafood is just cooked.
Stir in the fresh herbs and serve the sauce over the cooked pasta, garnished with the Parmesan if desired.
Yesterday we went plant shopping...a few flowers, tomatoes, parsley, collards. I couldn't find everything I wanted, but I'll get back to the nursery later this week and hopefully pick up the rest. Zucchini and cucumber seeds have been planted but haven't poked through yet and the tiny laurel(bay) tree has been re-potted. So what was for dinner? I wanted something quick and easy and with a few items from the pantry and fridge, made this pasta with clams and cannellini beans. A pint of grape tomatoes rounded it off!
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 dry pint grape tomatoes, halved
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional or use less or more depending on your "heat"tolerance)
1/4 tsp ground fennel seed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 6.5 cans chopped clams drained, broth reserved
1 15.5 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 8 ounce bottles clam juice
1 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
12 ounces dry spaghetti or linguini
In a large saute pan heat the oil and add the grape tomatoes. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the tomatoes just barely begin to soften. Add the garlic, oregano, ground fennel, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper, if using, and continue to saute until the garlic softens and smells fragrant. Stir in the drained clams and beans and heat through.
While you're making the sauce, heat the reserved clam juice, the bottled clam juice and enough water to cook the pasta. (Trust me- you don't need copious amounts of liquid to cook the pasta). Cook the pasta about 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time.
Drain the pasta, reserving a cup or two of the liquid, add the pasta to the sauce and as much of the clam liquid as you like. I like a brothy sauce.
Stir in the parsley and serve in bowls.
Makes about 4 servings.
I LOVE clams...any which way - in chowder, in pasta and on their own. My local Asian market has a small fish counter where sometimes I can find pretty fresh fish, head on shrimp, fresh squid, etc. The other day they had little neck clams for 25 cents each (a bargain around here). I picked out a dozen and a half, brought them home, soaked them in cold water, salt and a little corn meal for about and hour and then laid them in an open roaster in one layer. I dotted them with butter and sprinkled them with black and crushed red pepper, and then I roasted them in a preheated 425F oven until they opened. Pour them in a bowl with all the juices that accumulate, stir in a little fresh parsley and grab a chunk of good bread to dip in those wonderful juices! Heaven!!!
Here's a great little snack or appetizer using only a few ingredients that is quick and easy to make. Feel free to switch up the cheese if you like and omit the Aleppo pepper if you want or add more if you're into a lot of heat.
2 6.5 ounce cans of chopped clams, drained thoroughly (save and freeze the juice for another use or throw some into your Bloody Mary)
1 1/2 cups finely grated Swiss cheese ( I used a domestic)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper ( or a little cayenne)
1 12 inch baguette cut into about 20 rounds
Thoroughly combine all ingredients except the bread. Spread the clam mixture on top of each bread round and bake them at 375F for 12 to 14 minutes.
No...not popped corn, but crawdaddies, mudbugs, crayfish, crawfish, breaded in a spicy flour and corn meal mix and eaten out of hand like popcorn. If you can't get crawfish tail meat, feel free to use small gulf shrimp or rock shrimp.
1 pound cooked crawfish tail meat, thawed if frozen, rinsed and drained
2 cups buttermilk
1 Tbl hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup yellow corn meal
1 Tbl cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Enough peanut or vegetable oil to fill a large frying pan about an inch
Stir the buttermilk and hot sauce together and add the crawfish meat. Let marinate for about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, make the breading by whisking the flour, corn meal, salt, pepper and cayenne together and then place in a small paper or plastic bag.
After the 20 minutes, drain the crawfish meat well.
Heat the oil in the frying pan until almost smoking. Add about a third of the crawfish to the flour filled bag and coat well. Fry the crawfish in the oil for no more that 2 minutes or until golden. Remove with a spider or large slotted spoon and drain on paper toweling. Repeat with the rest of the crawfish.
Great for summer on the deck....and easy as pie!
1 cup mayo
1 Tbl Sambal Oelek ( spicy fresh chili paste)
2 Tbl fresh lime juice
4 Tbl honey
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 to 2 pounds peeled, deveined cooked shrimp, tails on
Salt for seasoning
Place all ingredients except shrimp in a mini food processor and process until smooth. Taste and add salt and more Sambal Oelek if desired.
Place sauce in serving bowl and surround with beautiful shrimp!
I love sandwiches on croissants, especially shrimp or chicken salad. Here's my version for shrimp salad bound together with a white bean "mayo". On a picnic this "mayo" might hold up better than the real thing and is really delicious .
For the mayo:
1 cup cooked, rinsed and drained white beans ( Northern or Cannellini)
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil ( might need a little more)
2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp salt
Puree all ingredients in a mini processor, adding a little extra oil if necessary to get the desired consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the sandwich:
2 cups chopped, cooked peeled and deveined shrimp ( I used a one pound bag of 36-40 shell on Key West Pinks)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried dill weed
3/4 cup white bean "mayo"
Salt and pepper to taste
4 croissants, split
Combine all ingredients except the croissants. Divide the salad among them.
Mild green garlic aioli pairs well with tuna and pickled ginger...If you can't find green garlic, use a small clove of garlic. Makes a great light appetizer for 2 to 4 people!
For the aioli:
1 room temperature egg
1/4 cup sliced green garlic (white and light green parts) or one small garlic clove
1 Tbl rice vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 Tbl wasabi powder mixed with enough warm water to form a thick paste
Place the egg, green garlic, vinegar and salt in the bowl of a mini processor and process until smooth.\Drizzle in the oil with the processor running, utilizing the teeny holes on the lid. process until slightly thick.
Stir in the wasabi paste and refrigerate to thicken more.
For the tuna:
2 8ounce yellow fin tuna steaks
1/2 cup Mirin (sweet rice cooking wine)
1 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl sesame seed oil
1 Tbl agave nectar ( you can use honey also)
Sweet pickled ginger for serving
Combine the Mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil and agave nectar and place in a heavy plastic freezer bag with the tuna. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes.
Heat a grill pan sprayed with cooking spray until extremely hot. grill the tuna for no more than 2 or 3 minutes per side.
Slice and serve with the aioli and pickled ginger.
Whenever I hear the phrase "roadhouse style", I immediately think of frogs legs, breaded, flashed fried and then tossed in lemon garlic parsley butter. Though I'd try the same technique with squid. Turned out just right.
Garlic lemon sauce:
1 Tbl olive oil
3 cloves crushed garlic
4 Tbl butter
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 medium tomato, seeded cored and finely diced
1 Tbl capers in brine, drained
Gently saute the garlic in the olive oil until just fragrant.
Add the butter and let it melt slowly over low heat
Add the tomato, capers, parsley and lemon juice.
Keep warm while preparing the squid.
For the squid:
1 pound squid, tubes sliced in 1/2 inch rings, tentacles left whole (or just use tubes). Pat the squid dry with paper towels.
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
peanut or vegetable oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste for serving
Juice of 1/2 lemon for serving
In a plastic or small paper bag combine the flours and salt and pepper.
Add the squid and shake in the flour until well coated
Empty the bag of squid into a dry colander set in the sink and shake off excess flour.
Fry the squid in hot oil, in batches if necessary, for about 3 minutes, turning them with a spider or slotted spoon about halfway through.
Remove the fried squid to paper toweling to drain briefly ( If doing in batches keep the first warm in a 300F oven)
Place the squid in a serving dish, drizzle with the warm lemon garlic butter, salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze the 1/2 lemon over all. Serve immediately!
Make this super easy layered dip in minutes using prepared guacamole and some blue crab meat. Measurements are approximate in this one.
14 to 16 ounces prepared guacamole
8 ounces blue crab meat (I used backfin)
A few Tbl sour cream
About a 1/2 cup mayo (you may need to add a little more)
Ground cumin
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Sliced black olives
Sliced green onion
A little finely diced tomato
Mix the guacamole with the sour cream, a shake or two of the cumin, salt and cayenne.
In a separate bowl, mix the crab meat, mayo and a few shakes of cayenne.
Spread the guacamole evenly over the bottom of a small pie plate.
Cover completely with the crab mixture.
Sprinkle with olives, tomato, green onion and another shake or two of cayenne.
Chill and serve with tortilla chips for dipping.
This may not be every one's cup of tea but I love marinated octopus as part of a Greek appetizer (mezze) platter. I was able to find a 2 pound package of these baby octopi at my local Italian market. These were really small - about 15 to the pound and already cleaned, so no muss. They pair well with feta and kalamatas ( and a shot of Ouzo or glass of Roditis! ).
For the marinade:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbl dried oregano
1 Tbl salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Combine all ingredients and set aside.
For the octopus:
2 pounds baby octopus (about 30 ), thawed if frozen
Juice of one or two lemons, depending on your taste for citrus
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
Combine the marinade and octopus and marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge.
Grill the octopus on high heat on a gas grill in a grill pan for 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Let cool in a bowl and then drain in a colander ( they exude a little juice after cooking)
Cut them up into bite size pieces and the dress them with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano. Chill for at least and hour before serving.
My first introduction to squid steaks was about 30 years ago at The New Hellas Cafe in Detroit's Greektown. The owner would often bring samples of what he was cooking in the kitchen to our table. This particular night he came out with a breaded squid steak served with a tomato and onion relish...it was so good that I had to learn to make it myself. You can find frozen squid steaks at many Italian and Asian markets.
For the relish:
2 medium tomatoes, seeded, cored and finely diced
1 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
Combine all ingredients and set aside.
For the squid:
2 squid steaks, thawed if frozen
1 cup milk
1/3 cup flour for dusting the squid
1 egg beaten with 2 Tbl water
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
lemon wedges (optional)
Soak the squid in the milk for 30 to 40 minutes.Remove and pat dry with paper towels.
Set up a breading station of a bowl of flour,a bowl of beaten egg and a bowl of seasoned crumbs.
Dredge each steak in the flour, then egg and then the crumbs.
Saute the steaks in a large pan in the olive oil for no more than 3 minutes per side until golden.
Serve immediately with the relish and lemon wedges if desired.
This is my Dad's recipe...something we all enjoyed at summer BBQs. You have to love seafood cooked in citrus to truly enjoy this. Super simple with few ingredients, but oh so good!! This makes 4 appetizer servings.
1 pound boneless, skinless salmon, preferably center cut, cut in thin slices on the diagonal
1 1/2 lemons
sea salt
white pepper
12 medium white button mushrooms ( or more if you like - just increase the olive oil a bit)
4 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl minced fresh dill
dill sprigs for garnish (optional)
thin slices of preserved lemon for garnish ( optional )
4 small salad plates
Toss the thinly sliced salmon gently with the juice of one lemon and a light dusting of sea salt and white pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, thinly slice the mushrooms and toss with the juice of the half lemon, the olive oil and a little more sea salt and white pepper.
Arrange equal portions of mushrooms and salmon on each of the four plates.
Sprinkle the salmon with the minced dill, garnish and serve immediately.
Here's a fun appetizer idea ( or even lunch ) taking the flavors of buffalo wings to shrimp with a little crunch.
12 peeled and deveined (26 - 30 count or larger) shrimp, tails left intact.
12 wonton wrappers
1/4 cup of your favorite hot sauce ( I used Cholula )
3 ounces softened cream cheese
2 Tbl crumbled blue cheese
1 Tbl finely minced chives
peanut or vegetable oil for frying
Marinate the shrimp in the hot sauce for about 20 minutes.
Thoroughly combine the cream cheese, blue cheese and chives in a bowl.
Take a wonton and with your finger wet all 4 edges with water.
Spread about 1/2 tsp of the cheese mixture in the center of the wonton.
Take a shrimp, pat it dry with a paper towel and place it in the center of the wonton, leaving the tail hanging over the edge.
Fold the top side of the wonton over the top of the shrimp, pressing firmly along the whole top. Fold the sides over the shrimp, wrapping tight, being especially careful to seal the tail end. Repeat for remaining shrimp.
Heat enough oil in a large frying pan for shallow frying Fry the shrimp quickly on both sides until nicely browned. Transfer to paper towels to drain a bit.
Place the wontons in a baking pan and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 10 minutes. Cool a few minutes before serving with hot sauce blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping.
Get out your spoons and crusty bread! This shrimp and scallop pasta is really garlicky and brothy...and soooo good!
1 pound raw medium to large peeled and deveined shrimp
1 pound raw sea scallops, halved crosswise if very large
3 Tbl olive oil
8 cloves minced garlic
1 15-16 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups clam juice
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
6 -8 julienned basil leaves
8 ounces dried pasta
In a dutch oven, saute the garlic in the olive oil on low heat for a minute or two, until the garlic gets fragrant and softens a bit. Add the tomatoes, wine clam juice, black pepper, and red pepper, bring up to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the scallops and shrimp, bring back up to barely boiling, stir in the basil, and turn the heat off. Cover and let "steep" while preparing the pasta according to package directions. Serve the sauce over the pasta in bowls.
Note: The Chuck Muer House Bread is perfect with this!
