Cooking by the Seat of my Pants » Fish, Shellfish and Seafood

Drunken Chili-Lime-Sherry Shrimp with Garlic, Scallions, Sweet Peppers and Ramen Noodles

Jerry — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:31:50 +0000

Seafood and noodles is something that I just love together. The combination is simple, tasty, filling and has more than enough flavor to satisfy any seafood lover. Add in some lime, a bit of cilantro and a touch of heat and you have what I consider to be one of the best summertime lunch dishes I can think up, especially when the thermometer reads over 100 degrees.

I usually make shrimp when my wife is going to have to stay at the office during lunch, since it’s not her idea of a mid afternoon meal on most occasions. The plus side is that I can have the shrimp working in the marinade while I’m feeding our son and getting him down for his nap. That way Dad gets to eat as soon as clean up is completed and we’ve finished the ritual of “I just want a cookie!”. A little peace, a little Bourdain and a great bowl of flavor makes for a much nicer afternoon. Don’t you think?
(Note: When mom is home for lunch, we all eat together.)

If you’re not a huge fan of ramen noodles (though I don’t know why you wouldn’t be!), somen or soba noodles work just fine for this as well. If you’re not fond of cilantro, use parsley, mint or Thai basil. You won’t break my heart. Not a fan of chili paste? A good roasted pepper puree with a bit of garlic added would work just as well. Have fun with it!

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Frugal Fridays #1 - Linguine with Crab Sauce

Jerry — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:47:22 +0000

Welcome to the very first installment of Frugal Fridays, where I (and hopefully other bloggers) aim to prove that you can eat very well and still manage to keep a few dollars in your pocket book for good measure. The Challenge of Frugal Fridays is to create a meal that will feed a family of four for $10.00 or less. While I’m not expecting gourmet fare for this amount, I know that if anyone can whip up a meal on a budget that still tastes phenomenal, it’s a bunch of food bloggers.

This dish was a flash of inspiration from a conversation I had with my wife a few days ago. She mentioned that her favorite seafood was crab and I had an immediate burst of inspiration on what to make. The dish itself is simple, promised great flavor and was planned to make my wife smile. What I didn’t know was if I could do it for under $10.00. It sounded like the perfect Frugal Friday challenge.

My first thought was to use lump crab meat. Unfortunately, in this part of Texas a pound of decent looking lump crab would have used up my entire $10.00 budget. I was stuck with using the best canned crab I could find. Don’t get me wrong, I would have preferred the lump crab meat, but we’re going for a filling meal here, and I didn’t think 2 oz. of crab would do it.

The rest of the ingredients were straightforward and very inexpensive, including the shallot wich I admit took me by surprise. As I’ve said, for a $10.00 the assumtion has to be made that there are some basic cooking ingredients available, such as oil, butter, salt, spices, etc. so that’s the premise I ran on. In the end I came in well under budget and made a remarkably tasty dish that would easily feed 4 to 6 people to the point of comortably full.

Just to prove that this came in under budget, here’s the complete list of what was purchased:

Linguine - $1.09
Crab Meat: - $4.17
Mini French Loaf - $0.75
Lemon - $0.59
Shallot - $0.51
Garlic - $0.30
Parsley - $0.49
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Store Surcharge - $0.40
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Grand Total - $8.30

Not too bad for a seafood dinner for four with bread, eh? I could have sprung for a salad, but I just wasn’t in the mood for it.

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Shrimp and Avocado Salad, en l’honneur d’Elise

Jerry — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:30:22 +0000

If you think that food bloggers, even those who generally cook by the seat of their pants, live in a complete vacuum when it comes to recipe inspiration you would be completely mistaken. When in need of a new concept or glimmer of an idea I turn to the most talented group of recipe wranglers I have ever had the pleasure of associating myself with; Other food bloggers! And without a doubt, one of the bloggers who tops the list as a great source of inspiration is Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes.

This recipe is a revamped version of Elise’ Shrimp and Avocado Salad, which was posted on Simply Recipes several years ago and even though it might be an older recipe, it’s still absolutely with the times, full of flavor and could be served at the trendiest foodie get together without feeling out of place. Of course I made a few modifications to her original recipe, but it’s the nature of any cook to adapt a concept to fit his or her tastes or the tastes of those being served. In all I’ll give this one a 10, but I still have to blame elise for tempting me with the idea in the first place.

As a temptress, she’s a great muse. Just don’t blame her for the low quality of this photo. I was starving!

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Tuna and Iceberg Salad

Jerry — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:20:32 +0000

If you thought canned tuna had to be boring, think again. If you look past the American tradition of slathering this delectable fish in mayonnaise and stuffing it between two pieces of bleached white bread, you’ll find that there is a world of inspiration waiting to be found in that tin, and this is but one of many I’ve had lately.

The same holds true of iceberg lettuce, it’s gotten a bad rap in these days of micro greens and baby field greens, but on a hot summer day in Texas there’s just nothing as refreshing as the cool, crisp texture and flavor if a good iceberg salad, whether that be a traditional wedge salad or a more composed dish like this one.

This dish stems from the need for both my wife and I to eat more Omega3 rich foods, and on the day it was served, the temperature here had soared well past 90, so a salad seemed in order, and as I dug through the pantry searching for viable ingredients the tuna caught my eye. I thought that I’d seen something similar from Elise at Simply Recipes, but when i went to look for it, I couldn’t find it. Therefore this tuna salad recipe is an original, based on my tastes for the day.

The end result was light, cool and infinitely satisfying. More than enough of a meal to carry me through a long hot afternoon until dinner and with no guilt at all, as this is probably one of the healthiest lunches I have prepared in a very long time. If you’ve been feeling a craving for seafood but don’t have the budget for a good piece of fresh fish from the local fishmonger, this is a dish that I highly recommend!

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Brisket Wrapped Shrimp - Surf and Turf Appetizers

Jerry — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:55:46 +0000

What do you do with a few pounds of leftover brisket? That depends. If you’re cooing for several people there alre a lot of things you could do with it, from noodle toppings to sammiches. When you’re cooking for one grumpy foodie with a sinus infection coming on… Well, you do whatever makes him happy, and that’s exactly what I did.

To be honest, I didn’t know I was ill at the time. I knew that I had a craving for surf and turf, but that I had a slight headache and not much of an appetite. I did a quick search for shrimp recipes, came across a whole bunch for bacon wrapped shrimp and since I didn’t happen to have any bacon on hand, the inspiration for this dish was born.

My reasoning? Well, bacon is smoked, salted and cured. The brisket I had made two days before was smoked and well spiced, it was refrigerated and so could be cut paper thin if desired and it had the basic shape I was after… It all sounded right somehow.

And it was… Oh, It Was!

I’m not saying that this requires a barbecued brisket. I think this recipe would work just as well with a marinated flank steak, a skirt steak or even a New York strip. Because this is a sauteed shrimp, just be sure that whatever beef you choose has already been cooked, and preferably refrigerated well before you get started or you’ll risk rubbery shrimp… Not something I look forward to.

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A recipe from a reader

Jerry — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:18:44 +0000

When I posted the recipe (if you can really call it that) for Pan Seared Vegetable Wrapped Scallops in Oyster Sauce, I assumed I’d get a few comments, but I never thought that someone would take the time out of their day to not only suggest a scallop recipe, but type it out and send it to me.

You just can’t buy that kind of feel good.

So in keeping with the spirit of any great act of selflessness, I wanted to pass it along to you as well.

Thanks Tony!

Thank You!(Note, the following is as received in email. I have not edited any part of this recipe other than to add the Ingredients and method headers that my readers have come to expect.)

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Pan Seared Vegetable Wrapped Scallops in Oyster Sauce

Jerry — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:23:56 +0000

This dish is something I’ve been planning for some time, but just couldn’t figure out how to execute until yesterday. I love scallops, but the lovely Mrs. Seat of her Pants had only ever experienced them at the local Chinese Buffet. I tried their version a few weeks ago and realized why she thought less than fondly of these wonderful little bivalves. The buffet version was rubbery, flavorless and coated in a completely generic and entirely greasy breading mixture. They were, in a word, nasty.

I immediately decided that I had to show her what a well prepared scallop tasted like. I ran out to the store the next day and purchased a bag of tiny frozen scallops (Fresh is not an option in this part of the world!). I knew I wanted to show her several different variations of these tiny oceanic gems. The focus would be to highlight the flavor of the scallops in three ways, sweet, savory and tart. But how? I also knew I didn’t want to start with full sized bay scallops, just in case she really wasn’t fond of the flavor after all.

Believe it or not, the inspiration for this appetizer-style dish came from a completely unrelated side dish. I was zoning out watching Food Network one day and Paula Deen was making asparagus bundles tied with green onions. Out of nowhere my mind started racing and a resounding “That’s It!” rolled through the house, waking up my napping son and terrifying my dog in the process. (Inspiration can be embarrassing!)

The next day found me in the kitchen whipping these little guys out. Preparation is a bit intensive and if you want to make these for a party, I suggest going with a slightly larger scallop, as wrapping these tiny ones was no mean feat, and requires not only a razor sharp boning knife, but some pretty mean knife skills.

The flavor however, was more than worth the effort! As a matter of fact just thinking about it is making me hungry!

What did the Mrs. Think? Well, we’re having scallops for dinner next week, so I suppose I did pretty good!

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Smoked Salmon Pizza

Jerry — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:09:39 +0000

If you’re looking for a meal that is cool, light and refreshing, look no further than this simple pizza. While it may sound odd for me to talk about cool meals in the wanting days of February, our part of the world has seen some pretty strange weather this winter, with temperatures ranging from the sunny and a bit over-warm 80’s, then dropping to a very crisp 24 degrees the very next day. It was on one of the warmer days that I decided something a little light was in order.

I used Alaskan smoked salmon for this dish that my wife had bought me as a Christmas gift. Unlike Nova Scotia smoked salmon, or Pacific Northwest “Jerked Style” salmon, this particular preparation leaves the consistency of the fish much like what you would find in a canned salmon. It would be a lot more attractive with slices of the other type, but aside from having slightly milder flavor than the hard cured varieties, this pizza was absolutely fantastic. (Enough so that I told my wife I needed to make it again for “testing” before I posted it here. I think she knew the truth, but she, as usual, let me think I was getting away with something. What you’re looking at is my second attempt, which was just as wonderful as the first.)

I got the original recipe for this pizza from Rachael Ray’s Food Network Recipe collection and modified it to suit my tastes from there, but her inspiration is almost definitely taken from the famous Wolfgang Puck, who introduced his version of this pizza to a hungry audience at Los Angeles California’s Spago in 1982, thus starting the gourmet pizza craze and making “California Cuisine” a term recognized worldwide.

It was great then, it’s great now, give it a go!

Do you have any great seafood pizza recipes? Care to share them with us? Leave a comment!

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Stir Fried Shrimp with Cellophane Noodles

Jerry — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:04:37 +0000

My love affair with shrimp is legendary. It began when I was just a kid and ordered something called “prawns” at the local A&W. (these were not, in fact, prawns; just jumbo shrimp. We Americans seem to have an issue with the distinction.) At that time in my life, it was something new, exotic, and completely different from anything I’d previously experienced. It was before I’d had crayfish, or salmon, or lobster. I was a seafood virgin then, but one taste of those little breaded and fried crustaceans was enough. I was hooked, and there was no turning back.

I have since learned that shrimp is far more versatile than I ever could have imagined at the time. It’s flavor can go from savory to sweet, it plays well with others, and it’s a breeze to prepare, especially if bought frozen and peeled. Simply take the number of shrimp you want, placein a bowl and run under cold water for three to five minutes and they’re ready to go. No fuss, no muss, just pat dry and get to cooking!

This dish was created in true Seat of my Pants style. All I knew for certain when I started was the I wanted to use cellophane noodles, and that I wanted a stir fry. The rest I just came up with as I went along. The result… Spicy, sweet and satisfying. The shrimp could be used as an appetizer by themselves if you wish, I just really wanned those noodles!

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Basil Provolone Tuna Melt

Jerry — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 19:04:08 +0000

Blame it on Elise Bauer. I do. I was browsing through my favorite food blogs recently and came across a photo and recipe at Simply Recipes that made me stop and drool profusely. Not only did her Tarragon Tuna Melt make me want to run to the kitchen and get cooking, and once again her photography skills brought out the green eyed monster in me. (Down, Boy!)

I love tuna melts. They’re simple, filling and scrumptious, in essence, the perfect lunch. It took a few days for me to get around to it, but I finally assembled my version of this absolutely fabulous sandwich. In fact, we’ve had them twice in the past two weeks, so I’m confident in proclaiming it was a hit with my wife as well.

Elise’s recipe called for cheddar and while I’m a fan, I prefer a lighter flavor with my tuna. I’m also not particularly fond of tomatoes with it, so I modified the recipe a bit. (Who would have thought that I’d ever do that!?!) I used low fat mayo instead of “real” mayonnaise to cut the cholesterol content a bit, and I prefer to brown up bread in olive oil rather than butter. I just like the flavor and texture more, not to mention that it’s a bit better for you.

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Baked Tilapia with Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Jerry — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:46:15 +0000

In my opinion, fish is best cooked simply. Flavors should be added sparingly so that the delicate flavor of the meat comes through as its own statement, rather than being buried in herbs and spices or some overwhelming sauce. That doesn’t mean that fish should be boring, and this dish is anything but.

Tilapia is described as a mild flavored, medium textured fish, but I find the flavor to be much closer to moderate than mild, especially when baked, which seems to deepen the flavor considerably. It’s also one of those fish that people either love or hate. I used to be one of the latter crowd, but I find that as time goes on I like the texture (and price!) a lot more. Perhaps it’s an acquired taste, or my tastes are simply changing as I approach the big Four-Oh, either way, tilapia is something that will find its way onto my plate quite a bit more often.

The inspiration for this particular dish was simple necessity. I had a bunch of summer squash I’d bought for a barbecue that never happened and I needed to cook at least some of them up before they went too far south. The light flavors of the zucchini and yellow squash seemed like they’d be a good compliment to the tilapia I’d bought the week before, and with a few other small editions, such as a bit of garlic infused olive oil, I could have it all done in jut a few minutes, which sounded good as well.

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Your Pantry or Mine No.3 - Part 1 - Drunken Chili Shrimp with 3 Bean and Cucumber Salad

Jerry — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:48:04 +0000

Summer has finally rolled into our part of Texas, hopefully leaving the thunderstorms and driving rain that have been our constant companions since March behind us for a while. With the mercury rising rapidly, it was a perfect excuse to fire up the grill and go with a side dish that was on the cool side, perfect for a lazy 90 degree summer evening.

In this edition of Your Pantry or Mine, I’m highlighting the contents of tommiea’s pantry and what a list it was! I sat and thought for quite a while about this entry, both because dietary needs have shifted on my part, and because I wanted to give tommiea, who is also a military spouse, something inspiring and a bit special for the first of my forays into her larder.

This dish is perfect for a summertime get together or a warm night for two. The salad is made without any mayonnaise, so it travels well, and is best served slightly chilled or at room temperature. The shrimp take just moments to cook and can be prepped and waiting up to five hours in advance, so prep can be spread out over the course of two days if desired, and if you’re going to take them along for a BBQ or other outdoor event, they can easily travel for several hours inside a zip top bag placed inside another zip top filled with ice. Just be sure that the inner bag is sealed very well or the marinade will dilute.

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A Taste of Greece, Sardine Meze

Jerry — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 18:11:09 +0000

I discovered Meze, Small Bites Big Flavors from the Greek Table in my wife’s cookbook collection a few months ago. The impact that just flipping through the pages had on me was intense, immediate and life altering. I had to try some of this, and soon!

Unfortunately, soon wasn’t soon enough. With everything that’s been going on in our lives, this book has sat on my desk, forlorn and forgotten for far too long. It’s happy tales of Greek lifestyles and traditions, recipes and reminiscing tone all but relegated to obscurity… Until today.

For those who don’t know, meze is the Greek equivalent of Tappas. Small portions of food absolutely loaded with flavor, but each celebrating the main ingredient. The ingredients are generally simple, and while not necessarily something that every American household might have on hand, they’re all fairly easy to find in local markets now.

The first recipe that caught my eye when I flipped open the cover wasn’t really a recipe at all. It has no name, as such, simply a quick set of directions for turning sardines into meze.

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