Seafood Franco

4 talapia filets
1/2 pound shrimp
1/2 pound Krab (fake crab, if you want to spend the money on real crab go for it)
1 small can minced clams
8 ounces clam juice
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 cloves Garlic minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lime juiced
1 medium portobello mushroom diced
3 roma tomatoes diced
1 medium onion sliced


Heat 1/2 olive oil and butter in large nonstick pan. Add onion and garlic, sauté one minute. Add talapia, sauté until 1/2 cooked through. The meat will become less translucent and feel firmer when you push on it. Add shrimp, cook until shrimp just turns pink or opaque. Add mushrooms and tomatoes, sauté for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, cook 2 minutes. If necessary, thicken liquid with Wondra™ (see notes) Serve over pasta or rice.

Serves 4-6

Notes:

If you over cook the fish it will flake apart. In this recipe it's not a big deal. It will just blend into the pasta or rice. However, if you over cook fish it gets rubbery and doesn't taste as good. So try not to over cook it.

To thicken liquid in a pan use a thickening flour like Wondra™.
Push solids to one side of pan. Tilt the pan to the vacant side so liquid runs to that side. Slowly shake enough thickening flour to lightly cover the surface of the liquid, stirring constantly. Let the liquid come to a boil. If the liquid isn't thick enough after it boils for a few seconds add more flour and repeat the process.

Golden Herbed Potoatoes

6 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1/4 cup Onion, finely diced
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 teaspoon Olive oil
1 teaspoon Seasoned salt Like Miracle Blend™ or Lawery's™
1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme
1/8 cup Parsley
1/8 cup Chives
2 teaspoon Oregano

Heat oil and butter in large frying pan over high heat. Add potatoes toss to coat with butter and oil on all sides. Add onions cook for 3 minutes with out turning. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat all sides of potatoes. Continue cooking, turning potaotes every two minutes until cooked through and golden brown on all sides. More oil may be added to keep potratoes from sticking to pan.

Variation: After removing potatoes from pan de-glaze pan. With heat on high add 1 cup port of sherry to pan, simmer one minute. Add 8 oz. chopped mushrooms,1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 cloves minced garlic. Cook until liquid is reduced by half. Pour over cooked potoatoes or over chicke or pork.

Variation 2: Instyead of using thyme, Parsley and Oregano use 3 Tablespoons of minced rosemary.

Sherry Shrimp

1 pound shrimp
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves Garlic
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped fine
1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped fine
2 Tablespoons sherry
1 Tablespoon fresh Basil, chopped into ribbons
2 teaspoons fresh Oregano, chopped into ribbons
Juice of 3 key limes
4 Green onions chopped, divided, reserve green parts
1/2 teaspoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

In large nonstick skillet over high heat add olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Add garlic, cook for one minute.  Add sherry, red onion, Green pepper, and white part of green onion, cook for 2 minutes. Add shrimp, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, cook until the shrimp just turns pink. Add lime juice. turn heat to medium high, reduce liquid by 1/4. Add remaining butter and stir until melted . Garnish with remaining green onion. 

This works great as a fajita or burrito filling.

Serves 2-4 easily doubled for large appetites. 

Garlic Bread

I know most people don't need a recipe for garlic bread, but you might be able to improve a good thing.

Good bread is subjective. In my area there is a bakery that isn't very good at making the bread they say they are making. Their "French baguette" only resembles it's namesake in shape. It does, however, make great garlic bread.

1 loaf good quality Italian, Greek or French Bread
3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon chef's salt. (see note)
1/2 teaspoon basil (fresh or dried)
1/2 teaspoon oregano (fresh or dried)

Cut the loaf of bread in half lengthwise and place on a baking sheet.

In a small saucepan melt butter over low heat. when melted butter coats the bottom of the pan add the crushed garlic. Keep pan on low heat for at least 10 minutes without letting the garlic burn or the butter bubble. This will let the garlic release the natural sugars and give you a sweet garlic flavor instead of a pungent taste. Crushing the garlic will aid in this process. After 10 minutes of cooking over low heat add remaining ingredients. Cook for another 2 to 5 minutes. You will notice some white bits in the bottom of the pan, those are the milk solids and the source of the best flavor.

With a tablespoon, spoon butter, garlic and other solid bits in the pan onto the bread. Use the back of the spoon to work the butter into the nooks and crannies of the bread. Let the butter soaked bread stand on the baking sheet for 5 minutes or more before placing in a 400º oven. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or to desired crispiness. Don't forget about it! You'll get garlic bricks or set your oven on fire.

Note:
Chef salt is a blend of salt and seasonings. There are several available commercially. I like Miracle Blend™ from Alden Mill House www.aldenmillhouse.com (free plug). Or I make my own using kosher or grey salt, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, basil and thyme.

Mushroom Coated Fish

If you want a nice hearty, woodsy meal that is still light and healthy give this a try.

1 pound Salmon or Rainbow Trout filets
4 oz Oyster Mushrooms, roughly chopped
4 oz Enoi Mushrooms, roughly chopped
4 oz White Mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons White Wine
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
1 clove Garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon Fresh Parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon Fresh chives, chopped
1 sprig Fresh Thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl combine everything except the fish filets mix gently. Let stand 10 minutes.

Cut one sheet of aluminum foil 5 inches longer than fish for each filet. Drizzle olive oil over skin side of fish. Place it skin side down on the center of the foil. Fold the edges of the foil up to form an envelope. Sprinkle remaining ingredients evenly over each filet. Fold foil to seal envelope. Place on medium hot grill or in 400º oven for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness of filets, or until fish is mostly cooked through, moist and flakey. Open foil and cook an additional 2 minutes.


Don't over cook it. Fish changes color and opacity when cooked. It will just start to flake apart when you push on it with a fork.

You can use any combination of mushrooms you like. Just make sure they are cut into similar sized pieces. A wild mushroom blend is another option.

If you don't like salmon try orange roughy or whitefish.

Seafood Carrie

It's lent. I'm Catholic. We don't eat meat on Fridays during Lent. This is one solution for the "what do I do for dinner" question. I hope you like it.

4 Talapia filets
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled
1/2 pound Fake crab
1 10 oz can minced or baby clams
1 8 oz bottle clam juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of one large lime
1 medium onion, diced
3 roma tomatoes, diced
2 teaspoons salt

Heat 1/2 of olive oil and butter in large skillet. Add Garlic and onions, saute one minute. Add talapia filets, saute until cooked half way through. Add shrimp. Cook until just pink. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Saute for two minutes. Add remaining ingredients, cook for 5 minutes. If necessary thicken slightly with thickening flour or cornstarch. Serve over pasta.

Serves 8+