Dino's Bianca

Simple recipe from old college friend Dina D'Inocenzo, my favorite Italian!!

1 can tuna

oil, garlic, parsley, spaghetti, oregano

Put about 3 T olive oil in pan on medium heat.  Add tuna and garlic.  Simmer 5 minutes then add parsley.  Add 1 cup water and 1/4 cup oil.  Let simmer 15 minutes on low heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add oregano.  **Add 1 can minced clams along with tuna for more taste.  Cook pasta and combine!

Shrimp Scampi

 See Pinterest for NYT recipe with notes.  Under breakfast lunch dinner tab

Pan Roasted Salmon

Pan Roasted Salmon

Ingredients

• 2 (6-8oz) filets of center-cut salmon
• 2 tsp. ghee
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp. olive or avocado oil

Instructions

• 1
  Preheat oven to 350.
• 2
  Heat a cast iron skillet (or oven safe skillet) over medium-high heat.
• 3
  Season the flesh side of the salmon with salt and pepper, to taste.
• 4
  Add olive oil to skillet. When the oil is hot, add salmon skin-side down. Sear until the skin is golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes.
• 5
  Flip and top each salmon with 1 tsp. of the ghee.
• 6
  Transfer to oven and cook until desired doneness-- about 5 minutes for medium-rare and 9 minutes for fully cooked through.
• 7
  Let rest for 2 minutes and serve immediately with the squeeze of lemon or whatever sauce you are serving it with!

the defined dish http://www.thedefineddish.com/

How to cook a lobster

Boiled lobster
1-2 lobsters
kosher or seal salt
lemon wedges
melted butter
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add salt until the water tastes like seawater.  Cooking time varies depending on size.  For the first pound, cooke 8 minutes and add 3 - 4 minutes for each additional pound.  Remove cooked lobster from pot and let rest for 5 minutes.  At the crossmark on the lobster's shell, split down the middle; remove the tomalley. Crack the claws to extract meat.  Add lemon juice and use butter for dipping.

Crumb topped fish fillets

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 T minced parsley
1/2 tsp tarragon, dill, or thyme
1/2 tsp onion salt
dash of nutmeg
1 lb fish fillets, thawed if frozen.
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
Mix well butter, parsley, tarragon, onion salt, nutmeg. Season fish lightly with  salt and pepper.  Place on lightly greased baking pan.  Pour on half the butter mixture.  Mix remaining butter mixture with crumbs. Sprinkle over fish.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes or till flaky.

Serves 4

Stuffed Flounder MEH

Simple and elegant.  Found this recipe while at Berlin High.


Fish Filling
2 pounds fresh or frozen flounder fillets (8 fillets)
1 3 oz can chopped mushrooms, or fresh
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 7-oz can crab meat, drained, flaked
1/2 cup coarsely crushed saltine crackers
2 T snipped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
Dash pepper

*****
Sauce
3 T butter
3 T all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
Milk
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz)
Paprika

Preheat oven to 400

Thaw fish, if frozen.  Drain mushrooms,reserving liquid.  In a skillet cook onion in 1/4 cup butter about 3 minutes, till tender but not brown.  Stir drained mushrooms into skillet with flaked crab, cracker crumbs, parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and the pepper.  Spread filling lengthwise over flounder fillets.  Fold fillets over filling, tucking fish under.  Place the filled fillets, seam side down, in a 9x12 baking dish.
Construct sauce:
In saucepan melt butter.  Stir in flour and salt.  Add enough milk to mushroom liquid to make 1 1/2 cups total liquid.  Add mixture with wine to saucepan.  Cook and stir till sauce is thickened and bubbly.  Pour sauce over fillets. Bake, uncovered, in 400 degree oven about 30 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork.  sprinkle with Swiss cheese and paprika.  Return to oven.  Bake 5 minutes longer or till cheese is melted.  Makes 8 servings.
*If filets are in pieces, press fish together to form 8 whole pieces.

Cajun Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese

 From Brown Eyed Baker

 Cajun Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, divided
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 pound cavatappi pasta (or shaped pasta of your choice)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
12 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (about 3 cups), divided
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Heat a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta; cover.
2. In a 10-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the shrimp and ½ teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is all pink and cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook the pasta according to the box directions for al dente pasta (if your box doesn't specify al dente, cook it for 1 to 2 minutes shorter than the time called for - it shouldn't be cooked the whole way through). When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it in a colander.
4. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until the flour starts to brown a bit and smells nutty, whisking constantly. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the milk. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer.
5. Once the sauce comes to a simmer, stir in 9 ounces each of the Pepper Jack and 6 ounces of the cheddar cheese, adding a handful at a time and stirring with a wooden spoon until completely melted before adding the next handful. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper, and turn off the heat.
6. Add the cooked, drained pasta and shrimp to the sauce. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is completely combined and evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
7. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the Panko bread crumbs.
8. Sprinkle the macaroni and cheese with the remaining shredded cheeses. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the cheese.
9. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Baked Crab Supreme

This was a favorite in our early days.  So delicious and easy.

1 pkg corn bread (I use Jiffy), prepared
2 - 6 1/2 oz cans crab meat or pkg frozen
1 cup white or cheese sauce
1/4 sherry
1 tsp salt
cheese

Prepare corn bread per pkg directions.
Place thin layer of corn bread in bottom of greased baking dish (maybe and 8 " square or round casserole). Cover with crab. pour sauce w/sherry over meat. salt and pepper. Cover mixture with cheese (cheddar, amarican, provolone, whatever).  Bake at 350 deg for 20 minutes. Garnish with paprika.

white sauce: in small saucepan, melt 2 T butter. Stir in 2T flour and whisk away for a minute or two while the roux binds (medium heat).  Add 1 - 1/14 cups milk and whisk over medium heat until it thickens (just a few minutes.)  Add sherry and some cheese - maybe 1/2 cup.

Tuna Loaf

2  - 7 oz cans tuna fish, drained
1   can cream of celery soup
2 slightly beaten eggs
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tsp lemon juice

Sauce:
2/3 - 1 cup milk
1 can cream of celery soup

Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pan with Pam. Combine tuna, soup, eggs, onion, breadcrumbs and lemon juice. Bake @350 degrees for 3/4 - 1 hour. Combine milk and soup to make sauce.  Pour over sliced loaf.

Linguine with Hot Garlic and Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas

I cut this out of a magazine, must have been an advertisement for Contadina.

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups small sugar snap peas (I use a bag of frozen)
   Or 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
3 T olive oil, divided
9 oz pkg linguine, cooked and kept warm
1-10 oz container refrigerated light Alfredo sauce (I've used the jar that has low fat, can't remember the brand)

• Toss  shrimp, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper in a small bowl; cover and let stand 15 minutes.

• Saute peas in 2 T olive oil in a large heavy skillet over med-high heat until tender; Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

• Heat remaining 1 T olive oil in skillet; add shrimp mixture. Saute 4 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque.

• Stir in sauce. Cook 2 minutes or until hot, stirring constantly. Toss with linguine and peas.

Yield: 4 servings.

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Snow Peas in Orange Sauce

1 spray(s) cooking spray
4 medium scallion(s), thinly sliced
1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, minced
1 Tbsp orange zest, finely grated
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced; or 2 1/2 tsp minced garlic
3 cup(s) snow peas
8 oz shrimp, small, peeled, deveined (about 36 to 40 per lb)
2 cup(s) bean sprouts
1/2 cup(s) orange juice, freshly squeezed recommended
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Coat a large nonstick wok or saute pan with cooking spray; heat to smoking over high heat, about 2 minutes.

Toss in scallions, ginger, orange zest and garlic. Stir and toss constantly over the heat for 30 seconds.

Add snow peas. Continue tossing until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.

Add shrimp; continue cooking, tossing all the while, until shrimp are pink and firm, about 2 minutes.

Add sprouts, orange juice, soy sauce and honey. Toss until bubbling, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, combine cornstarch with rice vinegar in a small bowl.

Stir in cornstarch mixture; continue cooking until sauce has thickened a bit, about 30 seconds. Remove wok or pan from heat and drizzle oil over the dish. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 4

Salmon Seasonings

So we usually grill salmon, topped with a sprinkling of seasoning I get at Sam's.  Or I should say, Glen usually grills salmon with a sprinkling of seasoning. It's a citrus blend, very good. He's not home right now and it's too cold to fire up the grill, so I searched the web for recommendations on baking salmon. Here are a few that looked interesting.

Place on foil, top with molasses, brown sugar, lemon. Fold up foil and grill til just done
Mix mayo, sour cream and onions or chives. Spread on fish and bake
Marinate in ginger, garlic, sesame oil, sake. Crust with crushed pepper and sear over high heat

Baked Stuffed Shrimp, simple version

Clipped from Hartford Courant Recipe Exchange many years ago. Nice dish for a holiday buffet.

1 lb medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1/2 lb Ritz crackers
1 lb crab meat
1/2 lb melted butter (don't skimp, I tried and regretted it)
1 tsp lemon juice
Paprika
Roll cracker crumbs till  fine. Chop crab meat into small chunks. Add melted butter and lemon juice. Place shrimp in pan, sprinkle dressing over top, and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings

Sauteed Scallops and Peas

Love the combination of tarragon and peas! This recipe came from Current Customer's Cookbook, a Collection of Favorite Recipes (1984.)

1 lb sea scallops
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
3 T butter
1 Cup peas, thawed
1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Hot cooked wild rice
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute scallops, mushrooms, onion, garlic in butter for 10 minutes or till scallops are tender. Add peas, tarragon, salt and pepper. Saute for 2 mintues or until peas are heated through. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings.

Skinny Crab Quiche

Take this to potlucks, cut into appetizer-size slices. Really good, light meal, recipe from Allrecipes.com

1 (6 ounce) can crabmeat - drained,

flaked and cartilage removed

1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat

Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 1/2 cups egg substitute

1 (12 fluid ounce) can fat-free

evaporated milk

3/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon salt-free lemon-pepper

seasoning

1 dash paprika

In a bowl, combine the crab, cheese, zucchini and onions. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate coated with nonstick cooking spray. In another bowl, combine the egg substitute, milk, mustard, salt and lemon-pepper; mix well. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

  

Giada's Shrimp Fra Diavolo

This is so easy to make and so good. Always keep a bag of shrimp in the freezer to make this special dish.

1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 medium onion, sliced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes. Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate; set aside. Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture; toss to coat, and cook for about a minute so the flavors meld together. Stir in the parsley and basil. Season with more salt, to taste, and serve.