Baja Shrimp Bowl

 INGREDIENTS (3-4 servings)

- ~1.5 lbs XL peeled & deveined shrimp of choice
(I used Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp of the chipotles in adobo sauce
- Taco/fajita seasoning of choice
- Cooked jasmine rice

Creamy Chipotle Lime Sauce:
- 3/4 cup fat free plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp avocado mayo
- 1 canned chipotle pepper
- 1 tbsp of the chipotles in adobo sauce.
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- 2-3 tbsp of honey
- Salt and garlic powder to taste.

Slaw:
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp honey
- Salt & garlic powder to taste

Additional Toppings:
- Diced avocado
- Grated Cotija
- Fresh chopped cilantro

Note(s): Measurements are estimated. Adjust ingredients to your personal preference.

DIRECTIONS
1. Put together the sauce and the slaw then place in fridge until time to plate.
2. Add the shrimp to a bowl. Drizzle in some olive oil, add minced garlic, seasoning and add a tbsp of chipotles in adobo sauce. Mix till well combined.
3. Cook shrimp in a large greased skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side.
4. Assemble your bowl & ENJOY! 🙌🏻

Baked Chilean Sea Bass

 

• Chilean Sea Bass – I used 1 lb sliced into 2 thick portions. If your local supermarket doesn’t carry Chilean sea bass, feel free to use mahi-mahi, grouper, or red snapper.
• Butter – Unsalted melted butter.
• Salt and Pepper – Kosher salt and fresh black pepper.
• Paprika – Adds color.
• Lemon – Adds so much flavor!

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. and allow the Chilean sea bass to rest for at least 20 minutes at room temperature. Cooking it straight out of the fridge will result in uneven cooking.
2. Pat dry the fish with a paper towel and then brush it with melted butter. Season it generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a little paprika on top for color, if desired. Pour the remaining melted butter over each filet.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. How long you cook it really depends on the thickness of each fish fillet.
4. Once the fish comes out of the oven, squeeze some lemon juice over the top and enjoy it!

Shrimp Oreganata

 

• -cooking spray

• -1 ¾ pounds colossal shrimp (about 12 shrimp)

• -¼ cup dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)

• -2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• -2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano

• -2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided, plus more for garnish

• -2 tablespoons chopped garlic, divided

• -2 teaspoons lemon zest, divided

• -1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• -1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper, divided

• -1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• -1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

• -2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• -3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided 

• -1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Use a paring knife to cut lengthwise down vein side of shrimp, cutting almost but not all the way through the shrimp. Remove the vein and gently press shrimp apart to butterfly it.

Combine shrimp, wine, olive oil, oregano, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and salt in a bowl; toss to coat shrimp evenly. Let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine panko, Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper in a small bowl; stir until well blended.

Remove shrimp from marinade and place, cut side up, about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Top each shrimp with about 2 teaspoons panko mixture, pressing lightly to adhere.

Bake in the preheated oven until shrimp are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Without opening oven, switch oven to broil. Broil until topping is golden brown and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes.

ransfer shrimp to a platter. Stir together lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter and any accumulated juices from the baking sheet in a small bowl; drizzle evenly over shrimp on platter and garnish with parsley. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Shrimp

 

• 4 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves minced or pressed
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• ½ tsp. dried basil
• ½ tsp. Kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 pounds shrimp peeled and deveined*
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tbs. chopped flat Italian parsley for garnish

• Combine olive oil, garlic, seasonings, and lemon zest in a large glass or plastic bowl. Add in shrimp and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 1-3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400.
• Toss shrimp with the Parmesan in the bowl. Pour onto a 13×9 Pyrex dish or a large baking sheet. Roast at 400 for about 8 minutes, or until shrimp are pink, firm, and cooked through.
• Garnish with another drizzle of olive oil and parsley.
• *We buy the frozen kind and thaw them overnight in the fridge.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

·        1 1/2 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined

·        1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

·        1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

·        1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin

·        1 small red onion, sliced thin 

·        1 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

·        1 teaspoon of kosher salt

·        several turns of freshly ground pepper

·        2 teaspoon of chili powder

·        1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

·        1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

·        1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

·        1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika

·        lime

·        fresh cilantro for garnish

·        tortillas, warmed

1.     Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.     In a large bowl, combine onion, bell pepper, shrimp, olive oil, salt and pepper and spices.

3.     Toss to combine.

4.     Spray baking sheet with non stick cooking spray.

5.     Spread shrimp, bell peppers and onions on baking sheet.

6.     Cook at 450 degrees for about 8 minutes. Then turn oven to broil and cook for additional 2 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through.

7.     Squeeze juice from fresh lime over fajita mixture and top with fresh cilantro.

8.      Serve in warm tortillas.

Skillet Seared Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce

• -4 (6 oz) skinless salmon fillets (about 1-inch thick)
• -Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• -2 tsp olive oil
• -2 garlic cloves , minced
• -1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• -2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• -3 Tbsp + 1 tsp unsalted butter , diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
• -1/2 tsp honey
• -2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• -Lemon slices for garnish (optional)

1. Remove salmon fillets from refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepared garlic lemon butter sauce. In a small saucepan melt 1 tsp butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until lightly golden brown, about 1 - 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice. Let sauce simmer until it has reduced by half (to about 3 Tbsp), about 3 minutes. Stir in butter and honey and whisk until combined. Set sauce aside.
2. Dab both sides of salmon dry with paper towels, season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a (heavy) 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering add salmon and cook about 4 minutes on the first side until golden brown on bottom then flip and cook salmon on opposite side until salmon has cooked through, about 2 - 3 minutes longer.
3. Plate salmon (leaving oil in pan) and drizzle each serving generously with butter sauce, sprinkle with parsley and garnish with lemon slices if desired. Serve immediately.

Salmon with Sweet/tangy marinade

-1.5 pounds salmon filets   

-1/3 cup brown sugar
-1/3 cup water
-1/3 cup soy sauce
-salt and pepper
-garlic powder

Season salmon fillets with garlic powder and salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Or, bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Skinny Bang Bang Shrimp

• -1 lb shrimp (about 50 shrimp), uncooked. shelled, and deveined.
• -10 skewer sticks (optional)
• -3 T plain greek yogurt
• -3 T chopped green onion, plus more for garnish
• -1½ T sweet Thai chili sauce 
• -½-3/4 T sriracha sauce

Combine yogurt, onion, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha in a bowl and stir well. Set aside. Grill shrimp a few minutes per side.  Brush each hot skewer liberally with the sauce, on both sides and then serve immediately

Salmon Yakitori

Scott made this the other night and it was great.  I'm not usually a big fan of salmon, but even I loved it.

-1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets (he used boneless, skinless fillets)

-lemon pepper to taste

-garlic powder to taste

-salt to taste

-1/3 cup soy sauce

-1/3 cup brown sugar

-1/3 cup water

-1/4 cup vegetable oil

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Baked in a 450 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until fish gently flakes. 

Tuna Casserole

I know some people don't care for tuna casserole, but we love it.  My family devours it when I make it and leftovers don't last long in our home. I've recently been asked for my recipe by a couple different peeps so thought I'd post it on the blog.  This is a recipe that I usually just eyeball and I throw things in as I go along making it a little different every time.  However, last time I made it, I jotted down the general measurements.  This recipe reminds me of my childhood.  We ate a lot of tuna casserole growing up!

-6 ounces egg noodles, cooked, rinsed and drained (about half a bag)
-1/2-3/4 cup chopped celery
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1 stick margarine, divided
-8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms or one can of mushrooms, drained
-12 ounce can solid white albacore tuna (or canned chicken works too)
-1 can mushroom soup
-1-1 1/2 cup milk
-2 cups shredded cheese (co jack or cheddar works best)
-1-1/12 sleeves of Ritz crackers, crushed (about 35-50 crackers)
-salt and pepper

Saute celery, onion and mushrooms in a 1/2 stick of margarine until tender.  Meanwhile, combine noodles, tuna, soup, milk, and cheese together.  I add in enough milk to make the consistency a little soupy.  Add in onions, celery and mushrooms along with melted margarine.  Gently mix and then smooth into a casserole dish.  Melt the second 1/2 stick of margarine and combine with the crushed Ritz crackers.  Layer the cracker crumbs over the noodle mixture.  Bake (uncovered) for 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees or until it starts to bubble.
*A bag of frozen mixed veggies cooks up great in here as well!  Just stir them into with your noodle mixture.

Tilapia, Broiled Broccoli, & Rice

This is one of my favorite last minute dinners...you can get it all done from start to finish in about 15 minutes and it's very healthy.

I am NOT a fan of fish, but I will eat (and actually love) tilapia and orange roughy. They are both very mild, white fish and don't taste too "fishy."

TILAPIA
-Tilapia or Orange Roughy filets
-Butter or margarine
-Lemon pepper seasoning

If needed, defrost your tilapia or orange roughy filets. Lay on a baking dish (sprayed with Pam) and dot each filet with a couple small pats of margarine. Sprinkle generously with lemon pepper seasoning. Place under broiler for 8-12ish minutes or until fish gently flakes with a fork.

BROILED BROCCOLI
A friend of mine who does Weight Watchers introduced this to me a couple years ago and I think it's been the only way we have made broccoli since. It's so much better than steamed broccoli (in my opinion).

Cut up a head of broccoli into bitesize pieces and lay on baking sheet. Spray the broccoli with olive oil. (I have one of those handy sprayers that you fill with oil and them pump with air courtesy of Pampered Chef. I'm sure you could also just drizzle a little olive oil and that would be fine.) Season with some salt, freshly ground pepper, and a little garlic powder. Place under broiler and broil until the tops of the broccoli get a little brown...about 10 minutes. Make sure to check it after 5 minutes...you don't want to burn it. You can broil this at the same time as the fish!

RICE
I am lazy and finish this meal off with some 5 minute brown "Minute Rice." Can't beat it.