Fresh From The Sea

Lemon-Glazed Swordfish Skewers 

Ingredients:
6 eight-inch wooden skewers

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp chili paste

2 tsp fish sauce, optional

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp sea salt

1 pound swordfish

18 snow peas

18 grape or cherub tomatoes, preferably red and yellow

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

2 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp water

8 mint leaves, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes.  

2. In a medium bowl, mix lemon juice, zest, chili paste, fish sauce, sugar and salt. 

3. Place swordfish in lemon mixture and marinate for 30 minutes.

4. Place a small pan of water on to boil and prepare an ice bath.  When the water boils, place snow peas in and blanch for 30 seconds.  Remove to ice bath then drain and pat dry. Set aside.

5. After the fish marinates for 30 min begin assembling the skewers but do not discard marinade.

6. Place a fish piece on skewer and slide to the end.  Then wrap a snow pea around a tomato and slide onto skewers.  Repeat until you have three pieces of fish and three wrapped tomatoes then finish with a forth piece of fish.  Repeat for all six skewers.

7. Place skewers in a dish and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper.

8. Heat in a ribbed grill pan to medium hot.

9. While pan is heating, place marinade in a small sauce pan and heat.  Mix corn starch and water to make slurry and add a little at a time to hot marinade until a creamy glaze is formed.  Set aside.

10.  When grill is hot, spray with nonstick spray then place skewers on grill.  Turn a quarter turn every minute or so until the fish is cooked to desired doneness, no more than five or six minutes total.

11. Turn grill off but leave skewers in place and brush on glaze, turning and brushing until all sides are covered.

12. Cut mint leaves into strips.  Serve fish over cooked rice topped with mint strips, if desired.

Yield:  6 skewers

Haddock Sliders

Ingredients:

Canola oil, for frying

6 2-ounce pieces haddock

1 cup flour

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup 2% milk

1 cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs

2 6 slider buns, toasted

Tartar Sauce, for serving

Cocktail Sauce, for serving

Dill sandwich pickles, for serving

Instructions:

1. Preheat oil in a cast-iron skillet filled halfway with canola oil.

2. In one shallow dish, add the flour.  In a second shallow dish add the buttermilk and 2% milk.  In a third shallow dish, add the cracker meal. Dredge the fish into flour, then the milk and then the Panko crumbs.

3. Fry the fish until golden brown and cooked through, 5-7 minutes.  Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate.

4. Place each piece of fish on a toasted bun and top with Tartar Sauce on one side and cocktail sauce on the other side. Serve with pickles and a side of coleslaw, if desired.

Yield:  6 sliders

Classic Steamed Mussels

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil

6 Tbsp. minced shallots

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 pounds mussels

½ -¾ cup dry white wine

1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp. butter

2/3 cup chopped mixed parsley and cilantro (divided use)

Instructions:

1. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat.  When the pot is hot, add the oil, shallots and garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring. 

2. Add the mussels, wine, Old Bay Seasoning, lemon juice, half of the parsley and cilantro and cover with the lid and shake the pot.

3. Cook shaking the pot often, until the mussels open, about 4 minutes.  (The larger the mussels, the longer they will take to cook.)

4. Reduce the heat to medium-high.  Reduce the liquid by one-third and then turn off the heat.  Divide the mussels and sauce among 4 big soup plates.

5. Garnish with the remaining herbs and serve immediately with garlic bread to sop up the juices.

Yield:  4 servings

Scallops Thermidor

Ingredients:

12 sea scallops

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ cup coarsely chopped onion

½ cup sliced mushrooms

2 cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup dry vermouth

1 cup half and half

½ cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp parsley

Paprika, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat sauté pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add olive oil.  Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper and sear for 4 minutes per side.  Remove scallops from pan and keep warm.

3. Sauté onions and mushrooms on high heat until lightly browned.  Reduce heat to medium-high and add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.

4. Add vermouth, stir to get all the brown bits from the bottom of skillet, reduce heat.  When most of the liquid has cooked off, add half and half. Bring to boil for 3 minutes.  Turn off heat, leave pan on burner and add cheese.

5. When cheese is melted, stir, add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve scallops in individual shells or soup bowl. Serve sauce over scallops. 

Yield:  2 servings

Grilled Shrimp Salad with Creamy Mango-Lime Dressing 

Ingredients:

Salad Dressing:

Trimmings from 2 ripe mangoes

Juice of 1 small lime or 2 Tbsp

½ cup light mayonnaise

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp sugar

Add orange juice to thin if necessary

Shrimp Marinade:

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp garlic salt

1 lb. medium shrimp, cleaned, deveined 

Salad:

1½ cups trimmed and sliced asparagus, blanched

6-8 cups mixed baby greens

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 large fresh ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into cubes

2 celery stalks, sliced

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Instructions:

1.  Place trimmings from mango, lime juice, light mayonnaise, olive oil, garlic, sugar and orange juice in a blender and pulse until well blended and smooth. Pour into a salad squeeze bottle and set aside.

2.  Mix ingredients for the shrimp marinade. Marinate shrimp for 15 minutes. 

3.  Boil 3 qts water in a medium saucepan.  Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water for 2 minutes, drain, refresh in cold water, and drain again.

4.  Arrange lettuce on a platter.

5.  Arrange pine nuts, asparagus, mango cubes, celery and red onion on top of lettuce. Place in refrigerator.

6.  Preheat grill on medium-high heat. Place shrimp on grill 2-3 minutes per side until opaque. Do not overcook.  Place on top of lettuce.

7.  Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

8.  When ready to serve, drizzle some of the Mango and Lime Dressing over the salad and serve the rest on the side.

Yield:  4 servings

Source:  Hypertension Cookbook for Dummies, R Rust. and C. Kleckner, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. December 2011

Garlic Butter Rainbow Trout

Ingredients:
1 pound trout filet

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp minced dill, optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cut two sheets of foil.  It has to be big enough to wrap the trout.

3. Cover the baking sheet with the aluminum foil and place the trout in the center.

4. Fold up all 4 sides of the foil, then season the trout with salt and pepper.  Drizzle the melted butter over the trout until evenly coated.

5. Top with minced garlic and fresh dill.  Fold the sides of the foil over the trout.  Cover the fish completely.

6. Bake for about 13 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Open the foil and broil for 2-3 minutes for a golden color.

Yield:  4 servings

Source:  www.primaverakitchen.com

Serve with mashed cauliflower or roasted Brussels sprouts or green beans

Seafood Creole

Ingredients:

¾ tsp oregano

½ tsp ground white pepper

½ tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp basil

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 cup peeled, chopped tomato

¾ cup chopped onion

¾ cup chopped celery

¾ cup chopped green bell pepper

1½ tsp minced garlic

1¼ cups chicken stock

1 cup canned tomato sauce

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp hot pepper sauce

2 bay leaves

1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp

1 pound bay scallops

1 pound favorite white fish fillets, cut into bite-size pieces

Instructions:

1. Mix together oregano, white, black and cayenne pepper, thyme and basil in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Melt butter and oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; stir in tomato, onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic.  Cook and stir until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in chicken stock, tomato sauce, sugar, hot pepper sauce, and bay leaves.  Reduce heat to low and bring sauce to a simmer. Stir in seasoning mix and simmer until the flavors have blended, about 20 minutes.  

4. Gently stir in shrimp, scallops and fish; bring sauce back to a simmer 

and cook until the shellfish and fish are opaque, about 20 more minutes.  Remove bay leaves to serve.

5. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Yield:  6-8 servings

Salmon Pinwheels

Ingredients:

½ cup whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp whole-grain mustard

1 Tbsp chopped shallot

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp chopped rinsed capers

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried

1/8 tsp salt

1¼ lbs center-cut salmon filet, skinned and cut lengthwise into 4 strips

4 tsp mayonnaise

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Coat a 9”x13” baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Mix breadcrumbs, oil, mustard, shallot, lemon juice, capers and thyme in a small bowl until combined.

3. Working with one at a time, spread 1 tsp mayonnaise on a salmon strip.  Spread about 3 tablespoons of the breadcrumb mixture over the mayonnaise.  Starting at one end, roll the salmon up tightly, tucking in any loose filling as you go.  Insert a 6-inch skewer through the pinwheel to keep it from unrolling. Place on a lined baking sheet..  Repeat with the remaining salmon strips.

4. Bake the pinwheels until just cooked through, 15-20 minutes.  Remove the toothpicks before serving.

Servings:  4 

Steamed Mussels in a Coconut Curry Broth

Ingredients:

1½ pounds mussels

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

2 Tbsp red curry paste

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

¼ cup low-sodium chicken or seafood stock

2 green onions, sliced

Baguettes for serving

Instructions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter is melted, stir in the onions, garlic, salt and pepper.  Stir and cook for 5 minutes, until slightly softened.  

2. Stir in the curry paste and continue to stir until it is distributed throughout the onions.  Cook for 5 more minutes.  

3. Stir in the coconut milk and stock, stirring until smooth.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat to medium low.  Add the mussels and toss. Cover the skillet and cook just until the mussels open, about 5-6 minutes.  

4. Garnish with sliced green onions.  Stir the mussels well so the broth makes it into the shells.  Serve with baguettes.

Yield:  2 servings