Apricot-Lime Glazed Shrimp

recipe courtesy Family Circle

Apricot-Lime Glazed Shrimp

1 cup rice

1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup apricot preserves

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp (about 24), shelled and deveined

Cook rice following package directions, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add snow peas and cook 4 minutes. Drain and toss with cooked rice, olive oil and cilantro.

Combine apricot preserves, soy sauce, lime juice and red pepper flakes. Stir 4 tablespoons of the mixture into rice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Heat a gas grill to medium-high or the coals in a charcoal grill to medium-hot. Lightly coat grill rack with oil or nonstick cooking spray. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the apricot mixture. Brush remaining mixture on shrimp and grill 2 to 3 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Serve shrimp with rice and reserved sauce. Serves 4.

* I used brown rice in this recipe and cooked according to package directions.

Herbed Shrimp and White Bean Salad

recipe courtesy Cooking Light

Herbed Shrimp and White Bean Salad

4 teaspoons sherry vinegar

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups loosely packed arugula

1 cup trimmed watercress

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon water

24 peeled and deveined medium shrimp (about 1 pound) 

Cooking spray 

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add arugula and next 4 ingredients (through beans) to bowl, and toss gently to coat.

Combine honey and 1 teaspoon water in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add shrimp to honey mixture; toss to coat. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle shrimp with salt. Add shrimp to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with salad.  Makes 4 servings.

Seared Scallops with Shaved Fennel, Cucumber, and Grapefruit

recipe courtesy Martha Stewart

Seared Scallops with Shaved Fennel, Cucumber, and Grapefruit

1 Ruby Red grapefruit

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3/4 pound large sea scallops

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, divided

Freshly ground pepper

3 ounces English cucumber, thinly shaved crosswise on a mandoline (3/4 cup)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1/2 large fennel bulb (5 1/2 ounces), cut in half (root end trimmed but left intact to keep fennel together)

Finely grate enough grapefruit rind to yield 1/2 teaspoon zest. Peel grapefruit with a paring knife, removing all pith. Working over a bowl, cut three-quarters of the grapefruit segments from the membranes, cut into bite-size pieces, and set aside. Squeeze juice of remaining grapefruit segments into bowl (you should have 1/3 cup juice).

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Pat scallops dry, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and season with pepper. Saute scallops until deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip, and continue to cook until barely opaque all the way through, about 2 minutes more. Divide scallops between 2 plates, and loosely tent with foil. Reduce heat to low, and add grapefruit juice. Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits, until reduced to 1 tablespoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour sauce over scallops.

Combine cucumber, lemon juice, remaining 2 teaspoons oil, the grapefruit zest and pieces, chives, tarragon, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Shave fennel into bowl, season with pepper, and toss gently to combine. Pile salad atop scallops.  Serves 2.

Grilled Fish on Cilantro-Chili Slaw

recipe adapted from Sunset Magazine

Grilled Fish on Cilantro-Chili Slaw

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic, peeled and pressed or minced $

1 teaspoon cumin seed

About 3/4 teaspoon salt

5 to 6 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño chilies

4 pieces (6 oz. each) boned, skinned halibut or mahimahi fillet

About 1 pound red cabbage (see notes)

1/2 cup thinly slivered red onion, rinsed

In a small bowl, mix vinegar, olive oil, cilantro, garlic, cumin seed, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and chilies to taste.

Rinse fish and pat dry. In a heavy zip-lock plastic bag (1-gal. size), combine fish and 1/3 cup of the vinegar mixture. Let stand, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse and drain cabbage. Cut through core into quarters; cut out and discard core sections. Slice each quarter lengthwise into thin shreds to make about 6 cups. In a large bowl, mix shredded cabbage, onion, and 1/2 cup of the vinegar mixture. Add salt to taste.

Lift fish from marinade (discard marinade) and place on an oiled grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook fish, turning once, until barely opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 6 to 8 minutes.

Mound cilantro-chili slaw equally on four dinner plates. Top each mound with a piece of hot or warm grilled fish. Drizzle remaining dressing equally over fish. Add salt to taste.  Serves 4.

*Notes: You can use 14 oz. packaged coleslaw mix instead of the shredded cabbage for a quicker meal. I actually favor broccoli slaw and that is what I used in this recipe.

Artichoke Crab Paella

recipe courtesy Sunset Magazine

Artichoke Crab Paella

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups white arborio or pearl rice

2 cups chopped red onions

1 cup chopped red bell pepper 

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup dry white wine 

1 quart fat-skimmed chicken broth 

2 jars (6 oz. each) marinated artichokes 

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 cup (1/2 lb.) shelled, cooked crab 

1/2 cup pitted, chopped oil-cured olives

Pepper

In an ovenproof 14-inch-wide, 2- to 3-inch-deep frying pan (or 5- to 6-quart pan) over medium heat, frequently stir oil and rice until rice is opaque, about 5 minutes.

Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic; stir often until onions are limp, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add wine, broth, and artichokes with marinade. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.

Cover tightly with lid or foil and bake in a 350° oven until liquid is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes.

Stir in parsley. Arrange crab and olives on risotto. Season to taste with pepper. Serves 6.

California Roll

Last weekend, my husband and I took a sushi making class.  We learned 4 different styles of sushi making: urumaki, specialty, traditional and hand roll.  The ingredients we used were for California rolls; however, you can use any type of sushi quality seafood in your rolls.

course taken at Tokyo Japanese Restaurant

California Roll:

lump crab meat mixed with mayonnaise

avocado, sliced

1 cucumber, seeded

Nori (sushi seaweed)

steamed white sushi rice, seasoned with sushi seasoning

bamboo sushi rolling mat

Spread rice on rough side seaweed paper to cover entire area.

Flip seaweed over to smooth side with rice on bottom; place cucumber, avocado and crab meat in the center-to-lower half.

Place your thumbs under the seaweed, from the bottom, so that only your 4 fingers on each hand are showing on top.  Use the 4 fingers on top to hold the filling in place while you roll up and under from the bottom to the top of the seaweed (imagine rolling up wrapping paper that has loosened).

Move the roll to a flat surface and make sure the seam is facing down.  Place bamboo mat on top of roll.

Pinch fingers together around the mat to help shape the California roll.  Use one hand to square the ends while you pinch your fingers around the bottom of the roll and mat, giving the roll its square-round appearance.

Slice the roll into 8 equal slices and serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.  Makes 3+ rolls.

recipe courtesy Tokyo Japanese Restaurant

This is a good visual for the rolling technique. The ingredients are similar, but we did not use the roe.

Lemon-Dill Salmon and Pasta

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Lemon-Dill Shrimp & Pasta 

Lemon-Dill Salmon and Pasta Ingredients:

(4) 4 oz. salmon fillets

1 lemon

8 oz. dried fettuccine

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

6 c. baby spinach

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, crushed

1/2 tsp. fresh dill, snipped

Fresh dill sprigs for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. lemon zest, 3 tbsp lemon juice, Italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp. fresh snipped dill.  Set aside.  Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook in hot oil for 1 minute.  Turn up heat to high and add salmon fillets (season fillets with pepper first). Sear face down for 2 minutes on high heat.  Turn down heat to medium and flip fillets over so skin side is down.  Cook until no longer raw in the middle.  Peel away salmon skin and use a fork to flake/chunk the meat. Set aside.

Add spinach and drained pasta to skillet; toss just until spinach beings to wilt.  Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice mixture and salmon chunks.  Season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh dill.  Makes 4-6 servings.