Cajun and Garlic Red Snapper

We are doing much better with our goal to eat fish once a week now that our closest grocery store has fish on sale all the time. I had never tried Red Snapper before but Chris though he remembered eating it at some previous time in our life. Since all of our fish recipes were either for Salmon or Tilapia, we decided to try something new this time. It turns out that we aren't the biggest fan of the texture of red snapper, but the recipe was great. I would love to use this recipe again (which I happened to get from about.com - random - and altered to fit our tastes and a few ingredients that we just happened to have) but maybe with a different type of fish.

2 fish fillets, about 6 oz each
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
3 to 4 Tbsp bread crumbs (ours were Italian seasoned)
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place fish fillets in a baking dish that has been well greased.

In a skillet, melt butter with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, pepper and cilantro. Cook on low for 2 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Brush both sides of fillets with the butter and herb mixture. Toss bread crumbs in the remaining butter mixture and sprinkle over the fillets. Bake at 400° for 12-14 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily.

Lobster Tails

Maybe I went a little overboard for Father's Day, but there were a lot of really good things on sale at the grocery store that week, and my husband had never had lobster before. I decided to do a deluxe surf and turf dinner with New York steak and lobster tails. I used the same method of grilling steak that I have before. This was actually the first time I had ever cooked lobster and, interestingly, it was super simple; I was amazed to see the lobster go from a dark brownish color to a bright orange-red as it was cooking.

Bring about an inch of water to a rapid boil in a medium sized pot.
Place lobster tails in a steaming basket and place in pot, just above the water.
Cover with lid and steam for 8 minutes. Don't open the lid too early!

Serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.

Coconut Shrimp

This was one of the things that we served at my wedding reception and ever since then, my husband has been talking about how amazing it was. Finally this past week I got the courage to try to make it and, in all honesty, it didn't go so well. I am really not good at frying things. Whenever we eat anything deep fried for dinner, my husband is in charge of the hot oil. I don't really like frying food very much because it kind of makes me feel sick to eat most deep fried foods (and even fast foods). But I love him so much that I was willing to try to make this all by myself. It actually tasted pretty good, although I think I added a little too much coconut and maybe did the breading too thick, but this is the recipe exactly as my mom gave it to me. So if you try making this, hopefully you are a little more intuitive than I was.

2 cups flaked coconut

2 pounds large raw shrimp

1/3cup lemon juice

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon powdered ginger,  I used 1+ teaspoon fresh

¼ cup cornstarch

2 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ cup milk

Fat or oil for deep frying

1. Spread coconut on baking sheet and place in 300 oven until delicately brown, 5-8 minutes.

2.  Shell the shrimp, but do not remove tail.  Slit the back and de-vein.  Rinse and drain well.

3.   Mix together the lemon juice, salt, curry powder, and ginger; marinate the shrimp in the mixture for 3 hours. Drain, reserving the marinade.  Toss shrimp with the cornstarch.

4.  Mix together until smooth, the flour, baking powder, milk and marinade.  Dip shrimp in batter, and then roll in coconut.  Heat grease to 375 and fry shrimp until browned, about 5 minutes.  Drain.  Serve with curry sauce or orange marmalade. 

Dipping Sauce
Make the dipping sauce: combine marmalade, mustard, honey and hot sauce in a small bowl. Mix well. Serve the shrimp and dipping sauce side by side.

1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 Tbsp Oriental chili sauce

Lemon Pepper Salmon

One of the most common methods to cook salmon is with lemon pepper as the main spice. It is a light and tasty flavor for fish and is very simple.

Salmon fillets or steaks
Lemon pepper
Olive oil

Preheat pan coated with olive oil to medium-high. Once the olive oil begins to shine, add salmon (these still had the skin on the bottom). Heavily sprinkle lemon pepper and rosemary over the salmon. Place lid over skillet and cook until the fish is flaky.

Teriyaki Salmon

There are limitless opinions, articles and books written about nutrition during pregnancy. I understand why some women swear off eating fish completely during pregnancy because there are so many warnings about the risks of mercury in seafood. But I have also read studies that show a correlation between higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and increased cognition in babies and young children. So here are the omega-3 fatty acids that I ate this week, all wrapped up in peppers and teriyaki sauce.

Large (approx. 2 lb) salmon steak
Approx. 1/2 cup Yoshida's teriyaki sauce
1/2 green pepper, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/4 orange, sliced (mostly for looks...)

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare salmon by brushing teriyaki sauce onto fish, making sure it is thoroughly covered. Top fish with peppers and slices of orange. Bake for about 30 minutes or until fish is flaky and opaque.

Balsamic-Glazed Tilapia

I have a goal to eat fish at least twice a month (which is considerably more than I ever have before) so it was about time to make another fish dinner. This recipe is based on one from a Rachel Rae cookbook. This glaze would be great with any mild white fish. Although it has the balsamic flavor, it also has a very pleasant sweetness to it. I also felt like the glazed was enhanced by the use of fresh rosemary and thyme. This was my first time cooking with fresh herbs rather than dried and I liked it a lot better. Maybe I'll start an herb garden.

3 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tilapia fillets
Salt and ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
1 cup chicken broth
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbsp capers, drained and coarsely chopped
1-2 Tbsp butter

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Season fish with salt and pepper, then cook until it is opaque and "flakes." Transfer the tilapia to a platter and cover with foil. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the onions, thyme, rosemary, and garlic, then saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, honey, and chicken broth. Cook until the glaze has reduced by about half then remove sauce from heat and add butter, capers, and parsley. Stir until butter has melted then add fish to the pan and coat in the glaze.

Sauteed Salmon with Mango-Pineapple Chutney

This is another recipe adapted from the thrift store book of recipes. It was a big hit with my husband. We'll definitely be having this one again; next time we will probably use pineapple tidbits rather than chunks.

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small can of pineapple chunks in natural juices, drained
1 Tbsp honey
4 6 oz salmon fillets (this recipe would really be great with any kind of fish)
Ground coriander
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped


Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat with 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Add the red onions and jalapenos and season with salt and pepper; cook 3-4 minutes. Add the pineapple, honey and 1 cup water, turn the heat down and simmer for about 5 minutes.

While the chutney is cooking, pre-heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining vegetable oil. Season the salmon with coriander (approx. 1 tsp per fillet). Add the seasoned salmon to the hot pan and cook approx. 3-4 minutes on each side.

While the salmon is cooking, finish the chutney; add the mango, lime juice, parsley, and cilatro, stir to combine, and then remove from heat.