Posts Tagged Seafood
Vanju’s Deep Fried, Perfectly Seasoned Calamari
Posted by Van Santos in Seafood on April 20th, 2010
A few days back Monica, over at Cucina Naturale, made a Baked Calamari with cornbread crumbs. That got me all excited to go out and make my own Calamari. So, why is this called Vanju’s Calamari? Well, my sous-chef demanded credit for her efforts in the venture. Credit where credit it due.
For the Calamari:
1. 1/2 cup white flour
2. 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3. 1 tsp Garlic Powder
4. 1 tsp Ground Tumeric
5. 1 tsp Onion Powder
6. 2 tsp Paprika
7. 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
8. 1/4 tsp Chili Powder
9. 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
10. 1 nice sized Calamari tube, cut into rings
For the deep frying:
1. 2 eggs, whisked
2. 32 oz of peanut oil
This is very, very easy… really…
1. Heat up your oil in a nice sized pan, deep enough to fully submerge the cut Calamari
2. Mix your spices, flour and breadcrumbs until ingredients are fully blended
3. Take your calamari, place them into the whisked eggs
4. Take calamari, one by one, out of the eggs and place into the spice/breadcrumb mixture and fully cover.
5. Place into peanut oil for two minutes, then make sure you turn the calamari and continue frying for another two minutes.
Drain, remove grease and enjoy!
I was worried that the batter would have too much kick, but no, it had a nice kick, but not overpowering. In many ways it almost would taste like popcorn shrimp… and it was the perfect start for the Fettuccine with Shrimp.
Thanks for the inspiration, Monica!
Fettuccine with Shrimp, Zucchini, and Summer Squash
Posted by Van Santos in Pasta on April 19th, 2010
Well, it is spring time in Chicago and thought it would be a good day for a spring-esque dish. What better than some Fettuccine and some fresh veggies. For this dish you’ll need:
1. 1/2 lb of Fettuccine
2. 3 tbsp of butter
3. 1 cup of chicken stock
4. 1/4 cup fresh basil, 1/4 cup fresh oregano, 1/4 cup fresh arugula
5. One diced shallot
6. A pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper
7. 1 lb of cooked shrimp
8. 1 small Zucchini, sliced
9. 1 small Summer Squash, sliced
10. 1 tbsp minced garlic
11. 1 small head of Broccoli, chopped
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook pasta.
2. While the pasta is cooking, place the chicken stock, garlic and soft butter into a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Let simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Add basil, oregano, arugula and shallot. Simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Add Broccoli, Zucchini, Summer Squash and shrimp. Simmer for 10 minutes – make sure to stir!
5. By now your pasta should be done. Remove for the flame, drain the pasta, then place it back into the original pot. Pour in your shrimp/veggie sauce and serve!
Now, I understand that I haven’t done much cooking as of late… so my taste buds may be a bit off… but this was, by far, the best dish I have EVER made.
No, I’m not kidding. Hands down, the best dish I’ve ever made.
The sauce was very light. The Zucchini, Broccoli, and Summer Squash were perfectly tender and the shrimp absorbed just enough of the sauce to retain a perfect balance of the sauce and the shrimp itself.
I’d cook this up and serve it to anyone who stops by, and I strongly suggest you give it a try!
Oh… and up tomorrow… the Calamari dish that was an appetizer for this meal.
Wasabi-Butter Seared Tuna
Posted by Van Santos in Tuna on January 29th, 2010
Work and life has kept me from cooking the last week or so. I’ve been flat out drained, so I took a day off today to recharge. One activity to help my reach my goal was trying a new dish… just throwing something together… the result is the Wasabi-Butter Seared Tuna below.
Needed:
2 tbsp freshly milled peppercorn
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1 stick of butter
1 cup of white wine
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp, 1 tsp wasabi paste
2 6 oz tuna steaks
Recipe for the sauce
1. Over medium-high heat reduce the white wine and white wine vinegar to roughly 20% of the original volume. This should not take long, between 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to low and stir in your soy sauce and wasabi paste. Continue to stir until the wasabi is fully mixed into the liquid.
3. Add butter in 1/8th sections until the entire stick is used. Make sure to do this slowly as too much butter too fast will make the sauce thin/break apart
Quick note: As you are making the sauce make sure to continuously stir to avoid burning. Once all the butter is into the sauce remove from the heat and set aside.
For the fish
1) Mix the peppercorn and sesame seeds in a bowl. Toss your tuna to cover.
2) Sear the tuna over a medium heat, roughly 2 minutes on each side. If needed splash with a little water (about a tsp) if needed to help along the searing.
3) Plate, cover with sauce and enjoy!
Wasabi Butter Tuna
I decided to plate over asparagus and top off with edible flowers. A wonderful dish for seafood lovers. The sauce had enough kick but not overwhelming. Obviously you can make it to your desired taste… Good stuff!
Tuna Cakes with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Low Calorie, Main Course, Seafood, Side Dishes, Tuna, Vegetables on January 6th, 2010
So here’s a recipe I am SO glad to have found! This was spectacular!
For cucumber yogurt sauce:
1/2 c peeled, seeded, and finely chopped cucumber
1/2 c plain non-fat yogurt
2 tbsp snipped fresh dillweed or 2 tsps dried and crushed
2 tsps fresh lemon juice
1/8 to 1/4 tsp pepper
Stir above ingredients together – cover and refrigerate.
For tuna cakes:
2- 6 oz cans albacore tuna in distilled/spring water, drained and flaked
2 large eggs or you can subsitute
1/3 c crushed fat free no salt added whole wheat crackers ( or you choose)
1/4 c chopped green onion (green and white parts)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Combine all tuna ingredients and shape into 6 cakes about 2.5 in in diameter. Heat a skillet over medium heat and prep with vegetable oil. Cook cakes for 6-8 mins or until golden brown, turning once. Serve with sauce and sides of choice – Enjoy!
Frying up the tuna cakes. . .
Voila! (And as always I have to have my salad)
***The side is a corn pudding which was actually a great accompaniment. Here’s the how-to on that one: Combine 2 c whole kernel corn, 1 1/4 c low fat buttermilk, 2 lg eggs (or substitutes), 1 tbsp melted margarine, 1 tsp salt and white pepper each. Prep a 6.5 in baking pan and bake for 45 – 50 mins (closer to 50) at 350.
Nutritional Information:
Tuna Cakes (per cake):
Calories: 133
Total fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 24 mg
Sodium: 416 mg
Carbohydrate: 6 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 17 g
Corn Pudding:
Calories: 133
Total Fat: 2.5 g
Cholesterol: 3 mg
Sodium: 313 mg
Carbohydrate: 22 mg
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 8 g
Scallops with Anise-Orange Tapenade
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Food, Low Calorie, Main Course, Seafood on December 10th, 2009
I made this for dinner tonight and absolutely fell in love! I am also a kalamata olive lover so I actually made half more of the tapenade than this recipe calls for. Once all the ingredients are ready, this dish does not take long at all to complete (that’s one of the great things about seafood). Lots of flavor! I will definitely be making this dish again. Hope you enjoy as well!
What you will need:
12 fresh/frozen sea scallops (about 1 1/4 lbs total)
1/3 c kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 green onion, sliced
1/2 tsp finely shredded orange peel
2 tsp orange juice
1/4 tsp anise seeds, crushed
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1. Thaw scallops, rinse and pat dry
2. For tapenade, in a small bowl combine olives, green onions, orange peel, orange juice, anise seeds, and cayenne pepper
3. Coat unheated large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over med-high heat. Add scallops and cook 3-6 mins or until scallops are opaque, turning once.
4. Serve with tapenade and if desired sprinkle with more orange peel. Makes 4 servings. (I served this with a parmesan rice side and a baby herb salad).
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 145
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 47 mg
Protein: 24 g
Carbohydrate: 5 g
Fiber 1 g
Sodium: 353 mg
