Shrimp Bruschetta

During lent season I try to come up with as many seafood food items as possible. These shrimp bruschetta are perfect for appetizer during lent.  Easy to make and so flavorful. I got the idea from my sister in law. 

Ingredients: 

2 loaf of French bread (cut at an angle into 1 inch thick) 

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (chopped very finely) 

1 cup mayo 

1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's 

1/2 teaspoon pepper 

1 cup Mexican cheese mix 

Dried parsley 

Paprika 

Direction: 

Preheat oven to 350 

In a large bowl mix the chopped shrimp, mayo, Tony Chachere's, pepper together. 

Taking a teaspoon of shrimp mixture and spread it over the sliced bread. 

Sprinkle a little cheese, dried parsley and paprika on each sliced 

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. 

Serve hot 

                     Sliced bread 

                     Peeled Shrimp 

                     Finely Chopped Shrimp 

                 1 cup Mayo 

      Shrimp and Mayo mixture with tony 

                 Chachere's and pepper 

    Shrimp mixture spread on top of sliced bread 

              Sprinkle of paprika 

            Sprinkle of Mexican cheese 

            Sprinkle of dried parsley

                 Shrimp bruschetta 

Salmon Burger

Lent season is here so I have to come up with many seafood items to cook since we can't eat meat on Fridays. 

My daughter loves bake salmon but we never used up the whole salmon slab so I always try to find something to make to use up the extra salmon that we have. 

SALMON BURGER 

Ingredients: 

• 2 lb fresh skinless and deboned salmon, cut into small chunks
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumb
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 2 TB finely chopped red onion
• 4 TB mayonnaise
• 2 TB dijon mustard
• 3 TB chopped fresh cilantro and parsley 
• 1 tsp salt or Tony Chachere's (I like the creole  taste) 
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 tablespoon butter or olive oil

Instructions

1. Pour the bread crumbs in a large bowl. Add the finely chopped chunks of salmon to the bowl. I chopped mines finely with a knife.. If you prefer you can use a good processor and pulse it a few times.
2. To the salmon and breadcrumbs add the remaining ingredients: lemon juice, red onion, mayonnaise, mustard, fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Stir the ingredients together.
3. Form the ingredients into hamburger patties.
4. In a large skillet (I use a large cast iron skillet), over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoon of butter or olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the salmon burgers and cook for 5 minutes on each side, until lightly golden brown.
5. Serve wth hamburger buns. 
6. I like to dress mines with mayo, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, cilantro and Dijon mustard. 

Enjoy!! 

Crab Cakes

Every time we are at a restaurant my daughter would order crab cakes if its on the menu.  So I had to learn how to make them quick ;) Last night we went to a restaurant and it costed $15.95 for 1 crab cake!!!  So today I ran to my local grocery store and picked up a container of fresh lump crab meat...they can run from $24.00-$35.00 a pound depending if you are buying Jumbo LUMP meat or just the backfin meat (which is the crab body meat that is smaller pieces of meat). The JUMBO LUMP meat is very high because the meat is a BIG LUMP of crab meat...and each crab only has 2 JUMBO LUMP in them.  


INGREDIENTS: 
1 lb lump crab meat 
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs 
1 egg beaten
1/4 cup mayonnaise 
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 green onion stalk (green part only--finely chopped) 
1 tablespoon chopped FRESH PARSLEY
1 teaspoon Tony Creole Seasoning 
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 red bell pepper--finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
1/4  teaspoon HOT SAUCE (OPTIONAL) 

****1 tablespoon BUTTER--cut into little cube

Grease a baking pan with a little PAM....set aside 

DIRECTION: 
In a mixing bowl add your breadcrumb, beaten egg, mayonnaise, chopped green onions, chopped parsley, Tony, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, bell pepper, garlic powder, and pepper...MIX REALLY WELL. Next FOLD in your lump crab meat...DON'T OVER mix because you don't want the crab meat to be too broken up....after you fold in the crab meat...gently SHAPE the crab meat mixture into round shape.  I got about 7 crab cakes with mines. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and add a pat of butter on the top of each crab cake to get that nice golden brown color. Next, put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hr before baking them.  Take out of the refrigerator and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 

***Remember to PREHEAT oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes then broil for a few second so the top will get a nice brown caramelize color. You don't want to over bake because the crab cake will become dry. SERVE immediately!!!

***You can also heat some oil in a skillet and fry these crab cakes for about 6-8 minutes. Remember to flip half way through so both side will get cooked ;) 

I love to make a CRAB CAKE sandwich ...add some lettuce and MAYO ;) 

Fried Shrimp with Sweet Potato

FRIED SHRIMP (PRAWN) with Sweet Potato 

I love eating fried shrimp (prawn) with sweet potato cake. I can eat this whole tray in one sitting.
My kids even love them...even though they make me peel the shrimps for them.

INGREDIENTS: 
1 lb medium shrimp (leaving the skin on--trimming the tail and heads)
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Rice Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric (powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 cup water
2 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 LARGE sweet potato (yam) ---Peel and CUT into 3in strips (julienne)

Vegetable Oil (for deep frying)

***Garnish with sliced jalapeno
***Roman lettuce ---for wrapping the fried shrimp and dipping in fish sauce
OPTIONAL--fish sauce (dipping sauce)


DIRECTION: 
Wash the shrimp then cut  off the shrimp heads and tail but leaving the shells on. Set ASIDE.

Peel the sweet potato and cut into 3in strips (julienne) ...set aside.


In a large bowl start by sifting the all purpose flour, rice flour and baking powder.   Next add turmeric, salt, sugar, egg, rice vinegar, fish sauce, cracked black pepper and water into the mixing bowl and MIX WELL.  Next add in the shrimp (prawn) and sliced sweet potato. Making sure that all the shrimp and sweet potato gets a good coating.

In a frying pan  or a WOK add in your oil. Once the oil is hot....taking a slotted metal spoon or ladle and spoon a FULL SPOON of shrimp and sweet potato (I usually try to make sure to get at least 1 shrimp into the spoon)...lower the spoon into the HOT OIL and slowly slide off the shrimp and sweet potato mixture. I usually use another spoon to slide the shrimp mixture into the OIL. When you see the shrimp/sweet potato cake float to the top and its a golden color...remove the shrimp cake with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.


Serve up immediately ....the shrimp/sweet potato cake taste good when it is served HOT  ;)

***serve with lettuce and dip in fish sauce

ENJOY!!!

           Shrimp (prawn) and sweet potato in the batter.
                      Shrimp head and tail trimmed.
                    Sweet Potato cut into little strips.

Salmon Burger

Ingredients:

3 lb of FRESH SALMON 

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise (I used it as a binding agent) 

2 Tablespoon chopped cilantro 

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce 

2 teaspoon sugar 

1 teaspoon pepper 

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

***1 teaspoon Salt (optional) 

*** sriracha (optional) 

Garnish: 

Sliced red onion 

Lemon wedge

Sriracha 

Direction: 

Cut up your salmon in 2 inch slices and toss it in your food processor. I roughly PULSE it a few times because I didn't wanted it to be too finely chopped up. I like it with a little bit of salmon pieces  through out the burger. 

In a LARGE  mixing bowl dump out your grounded salmon and add all the seasoning. Try to incorporate all the seasoning into the salmon but don't over work the mixture for it will get all soggy and mushy. The mixture will be pretty sticky on your hands. Now portion out your salmon patty. I got 10 patty with my mixture. Depending on how big and thick you want your salmon burger to be. You can get more or less. 

In a grill pan pour in a little olive oil and pan fry the salmon patty. These salmon patty cook up really fast. Probably like 2 minutes on each side. 

Once you plate up your patty ...squeeze a little lemon on it. 

Serve on hamburger buns with lettuce/tomato/red onion/Ketchup/mayonnaise 

***you can add a little heat by adding sriracha to your ground salmon before you cook it up also 

*** salt is optional 

I like mines with sriracha mayo and ketchup. 

You can eat it with a summer salad or French fries...both ways is YUMMY!! 

Enjoy!!! 

Shrimp Alfredo Pasta

My kids love anything pasta and it's so hot now that I try to make everything as quick as possible. And using the least amount of dishes as I possible can. 

This pasta dish is a 1 pot pasta. 

Ingredients: 

1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined 

1 box pasta (any kind you like) 

1 stick UNSALTED butter 

4 cloves minced garlic 

3 Cup heavy cream 

1 Cup Parmesan cheese 

1/2 teaspoon Tony Chacheres 

Garnish: juice of 1/2 lemon

Sliced green onion (green part) 

Parmesan Cheese 

Pepper 

Direction: 

In a large pan...with water...cook the pasta according to package. Remember to add salt. Drain and set aside. 

In the same pan..add a little olive oil and sauté up the shrimp with the 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chacheres. Once it's pink take out and set aside. 

Using the same pan.. On medium low heat. Toss the stick of butter and minced garlic into pan and sauté until fragrant.  Next add the 3 Cup of heavy cream and 1 Cup Parmesan cheese .. Pour in your cook pasta and toss until well coated.

Turn off stove and toss the cooked shrimp in with the pasta. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon over and garnish  with sliced green onion and more Parmesan cheese. You can add more cracked black pepper if you like. 

Season to taste. 

Teriyaki and Honey Salmon

This is by far one of the easiest meal I have ever made but the taste like I spent a long time preparing it.

Ingredients: 

Slab Salmon --mines was 3lbs 

1/2 Cup honey 

1 Cup teriyaki sauce (I used Kikkoman) 

1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

1/4 teaspoon crack black pepper 

1/2 Teaspoon Tony Chachers (optional) 

1/2 Cup sliced green onion--garnish 

Direction: 

Preheat oven to 350 

On a lined baking pan...lay your salmon slab down and sprinkle with the dry seasoning all over the salmon. Next pour the wet seasoning all over and bake for 20 minutes --uncover. Take out the oven and bast with the liquid then sprinkle the green onion and broil for a few seconds so the top would be caramelize. 

Serve with jasmine rice and veggies 

Happy EATING!! 

Catfish Turmeric, Dill and Onion

I love eating this turmeric catfish in my spring roll. It's simple but FULL of flavor. Super easy to make and gives me another way of eating spring roll instead of just shrimp and boiled pork. 

I usually like to add this to my BUTTER hotpot spring roll...something about cooking this as you eat it is so GOOD...the dill and onion top with toasted peanut gives it so much flavor. 

Ingredients: 

4 piece of Catfish Filet --cut into 2in strip 

2 Tablespoon Turmeric powder 

1 Tablespon fish sauce 

1 t garlic powder 

1 stick BUTTER 

2 sliced onion 

1 Cup of roughly chopped dill 

1/2 C coursely chopped peanut 

In a large bowl marinate the catfish filet with turmeric, fish sauce, garlic powder. Marinate for at least 2 hr in the refrigerator. 

Direction: 

In a medium size platter lay the sliced onion on bottom then add the dill on top. Set platter aside 

In a fry pan...use 1 stick butter and fry up the catfish filet. Takes about 5-7 minutes on each sides. I like it with a little crust on the filet. 

Take out and lay on top of the dill and onion..sprinkle with crush peanuts 

Serve in a spring roll or on top of a vermicelli noodle bowl. 

Dip with homemade FISH SAUCE 

BBQ Shrimp

This week at my local grocery store they had shrimps on sale for $5.99 a pound so I KNEW EXACTLY what I wanted to make. When I make BBQ shrimp I always wanted to use the freshest of shrimp. You don't want to use shrimp that has been in the freezer for awhile because they will have that funky taste to them.

Ingredients: 

3 pounds of shrimp--I leave the skin on and just trim the head off a little 

1 bag BBQ shrimp seasoning 

2 stick UNSALTED butter 

4 TBS Worcestershire sauce 

2 Cup White Wine 

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 lemon

Parsley 

DIRECTION: 

In a large skillet melt your butter then add the BBQ shrimp seasoning, Worcestershire Sauce and garlic powder. Then add your white wine and once it comes up to a little shimmer add in the shrimps. Once the shrimp turns pink turn off the stove and garnish with a little chopped parsley and lemon wedge. 

***I like to squeeze some lemon onto the BBQ shrimp***

Serve with French Bread. 

Enjoy!!! 

Crawfish VELVEETA Pasta

My kids LOVE anything PASTA so when hubby has to work and its just the kids and I for dinner....I usually make a pasta dish because I can never go wrong especially if it is a white sauce. Since it is a Wednesday and I am giving up meat on Wednesday and Friday I decided to make something with crawfish. My local grocery store had them on sale for $5.99 a pack....so I rack up on a few packs for this lent season.

With this recipe you can add a little more VELVEETA cheese...I only added 1 cup because my husband doesn't like it too cheesy ;)
You can also choose any type of pasta ...I usually prefer some sort of shape pasta just to make it FUN for the kids ...because I am a COOL mom ;) You can also use shrimp if you don't have crawfish.



Ingredients: 
1 lb Pasta (any kind that you prefer)
1 pack  Crawfish Tail
1 quart  Half and Half
1 cup of CUBED Velveeta Cheese
1/2 c finely chopped Onion
6 cloves of minced Garlic
1 stick UNSALTED Butter
1 cup finely chopped Celery
(1 small  bell pepper---I usually add bell pepper to my pasta but tonight I ran out)
1 TBS All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Tony Chachere's
Cracked Black Pepper

***1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
*** sliced green onion

Direction:
Cook pasta according to package and drain...set aside.
Over Medium HEAT....Melt butter in a large NONSTICK pan then add in the onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery and cook until veggies are translucent. Next add in the flour and continue to stir ...for about 2 minutes ..making sure there is not clumps. Then slowly add in the HALF and HALF. Stir to get all the ingredients nicely incorporated. Next add in the cup of cubed VELVEETA cheese and continue to stir until all the cheese have melted. Once all the cheese have melted ...add in the bag of crawfish tails and your seasonings. Stir for about a minute or 2..then pour in your pasta and turn off heat. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garnish with sliced green onions.

ENJOY!!!

Favorite Friday

There are days when I don't have time to marinate and cook a full meal so usually I keep some of these ready items in my freezer. I just discover these salmon that are individually wrap. You can cook them in the microwave for 4-5 minutes. Throw them in the oven or on the stove/grill.

Then serve on top of a salad or with rice or mash potatoes. 

It's very flavorful!! 

I got them in the freezer section at Costco for around $15.00. 

Lemon Butter Clams (Essential Oils)

We went out if town this past weekend and every time we are in Pensacola, Florida...we would stop by Joe Patti (local seafood store) so I can grab some seafood. I LOVE  that place.  Every time we go there..I never leave without buying an icechest full of fresh SEAFOOD. 

This trip I got some really good clams,lobsters, LUMP crab meat, fresh filet of assorted FISHES. 

I grabbed 3 bags of clams for dinner that night knowing that we be home late and the kids would be starving....since it is the easiest and QUICKEST to make. 

Ingredient: 

Clams (washed and clean--I just used a scrub that I have for clams n mussels--set aside in a colander to drain all excess water) 

1 Stick Butter 

4 cloves garlic (minced)

2 C White Wine 

4 drops of Lemon Essential Oils 

1 lemon cut into thin slices (garnished) 

Salt 

Pepper 

Chopped parsley (garnish) 

Direction: 

In a big sauté pan I melted my butter and threw in the minced garlic .. Cook until the garlic is translucent. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Then pour in the  2 C white wine and  clams. Then added the LEMON ESSENTIAL OILS. Then cover for about 15 minutes. Making sure the clams is open.. Toss the clams that are not open. 

Uncover and toss until all the ingredients are nicely incorporated. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. 

Pour into a deep dish and garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley. 

Enjoy!!