Citrus Orzo and Shrimp Salad

Winter has been pretty non-existent here this year, with just a few dustings of snow and ridiculously mild temperatures.  I feel a little cheated out of snow days with lazy mornings and big pots of soup simmering all day.  But it's starting to get light out before I even leave for work, we're heading outside more often when we get home in the afternoons to run around and blow bubbles, and it's making me want lighter, more summery foods.

This salad was mostly me trying to use up some random stuff from the fridge and freezer, but the basic idea for it came from a couple of recipes on Ezra Pound Cake.  The bright citrus plays nicely off of the salty feta, and the spicy shrimp are perfect with the creamy avocado.  If I can't have winter, this is a nice way to welcome warmer weather!

Citrus Shrimp and Orzo Salad
serves 3-4

What's in it:

Zest and juice of one small orange
Zest and juice of one lime, divided
1 large or two small cloves of garlic, minced, divided
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tsp adobo sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
1/2 c sliced dry-packed sundried tomatoes
2-3 c baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 c orzo pasta
1 tomato, diced
1/2 c crumbled feta
1 avocado, diced

How to make it:

Start water boiling for the orzo.  Whisk the zests, orange juice, half of the lime juice and half of the garlic together in a large bowl.  Drizzle in three tablespoons of the olive oil, still whisking.  Salt to taste and set the dressing aside.  Add the orzo to the boiling water, and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. 

While the orzo cooks, combine the remaining lime juice, garlic and olive oil with the adobo sauce and brown sugar, and a little salt.  Add the shrimp and stir to coat.

While the shrimp marinates, mix the sundried tomatoes and spinach into the dressing.  Drain the orzo when it's cooked, and immediately add the to the bowl with the spinach, letting the heat from the pasta cook the spinach slightly and stirring to let the orzo absorb some of the dressing.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat, and add the shrimp and marinade.  Cook the shrimp for a minute or two on each side, until pink, and add them and any sauce in the pan to the pasta.  Stir in the tomato, feta and avocado and serve warm or at room temperature.

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Well, I guess I shouldn't have complained about our unseasonably warm temperatures, since they were immediately followed by rainstorms and general gloom.  Looking for the silver lining, we've been eating a lot of soup to warm us up a bit.  

This is a little bit lighter take on chowder; lower-fat cream cheese and milk take the place of heavy cream, and a big portion of veggies bulk things up for a more filling meal without adding calories or another pan to wash.  I used a leftover baked potato here, since I like the flavor and texture of them over boiled potatoes, but feel free to just dice a potato and toss it in to simmer before you add the shrimp and cream cheese.

Shrimp & Corn Chowder

What's in it:

4 slices of center-cut bacon, chopped
2 shallots or half of a medium onion, finely diced
1/2 one bell pepper, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
sprinkle of cayenne pepper
4 c chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium baked potato, skin removed and flesh lightly mashed
1 c frozen or fresh corn kernels
1/2 c milk
1/2 lb shrimp, shells & tails removed, roughly chopped
3 oz cream or neufchatel cheese
3 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

How to make it:

Fry  the bacon in a Dutch oven or pot until brown, but not yet crispy.  Remove the bacon to some paper towels to drain and pour off all but a tablespoon of the bacon fat.  Add the shallot, bell pepper and carrot, stirring over medium heat, cooking until softened and just barely starting to brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute stirring occasionally.

Stir in the flour and spices, coating the vegetables and allowing the flour to cook for a minute or two.  Add the broth, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pot as you pour.  Add the baked potato and corn, stirring break up potato and combine, then add the milk.  Bring the chowder to a simmer, and let cook for a few minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink and are cooked through, then stir in the cream cheese.  Season with salt and pepper and serve, sprinkling with scallions if desired.

Hot Crab Dip

When I first clicked on the link for my recipe in this week's swap, I was a little scared.  The title was Dip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, but I was seeing photos of a full-out low-country boil.  While I love the food, I was not prepared to plan and host a crab boil within the two weeks I had to make my recipe and share it here!  The crab dip that was actually my assignment was delicious, and what I also loved about it was how it reminded me how small the world can be.  Nicole's inspiration for this came from right in my back yard, when she was in Annapolis for her brother-in-law's introduction to the U.S. Naval Academy.  Living in the DC area and working for the Navy, this is certainly something I can connect with!

I made this mostly how Nicole did, adding the horseradish and Tabasco she omitted from the original recipe because we do love spicy here.  I also increased the Old Bay because nothing goes better with crab, and increased the Tabasco as well because nothing is ever really spicy enough.  And if you have leftovers, the dip makes an awesome omelet filling, with a few avocado slices on the side.

Hot Crab Dip

 

What's in it:

2 packages (8-oz) cream cheese, at room temp
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
4 whole green onions, sliced
2 Tbsp milk, half & half or cream
2 Tbsp horseradish
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 dashes Tabasco

16 oz crabmeat
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

How to make it:

Combine all ingredients except crab and parmesan cheese.  Add crab and gently stir until just combined.

Spread into a heatproof baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until golden and bubbly on top, broiling if necessary.  Serve hot with crackers, baguette slices, or crostini.
 

Grilled Salmon and Potatoes with Quick Tomato Chutney

We've been having a heat wave here, but it hasn't stopped us from grilling.  With the outside temps so high, turning on the oven just isn't appealing anyway.  This grilled salmon and potato recipe works perfectly for these summer days when we don't want to heat the house up.  While the original recipe from Cooking Light included a tomato-onion salsa, I wanted something with a little more zing to it.  So sticking with the basic idea, I went with a quick tomato chutney that cooks in just a few minutes and brightens up the meaty salmon and creamy potatoes.  It does mean turning on a burner, but the sweet and sour sauce is worth the brief cooking time.

The potatoes do need to be boiled prior to grilling- I did this the evening before and refrigerated them overnight, but I think that they could also be microwaved.  We grilled the salmon on a sheet of non-stick foil to make sure that it didn't fall apart. 

Grilled Salmon and Potatoes with Quick Tomato Chutney

What's in it:

1/2 lb baby yukon gold potatoes (about 6)
olive oil, salt and pepper
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 pint assorted cherry tomatoes, halved
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
pinch red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 6-oz salmon fillets

How to make it:

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes, and allow them to cool slightly. Cut potatoes in half. Coat potatoes with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Thread potatoes onto two metal skewers with cut sides facing out.

Heat about a teaspoon of oil in a pan over medium-high heat, swirling to coat.  Add onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and just starting to brown.  Add tomatoes, garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes, cooking until the tomatoes begin to release their juices.  Stir in the brown sugar, then vinegar, scraping up the brown bits in the pan.  Simmer until a thick, chunky sauce has formed.  Check seasoning and set aside until ready to serve.

Season salmon with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place fish and potatoes, cut sides down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray or lined with foil.  Cover and grill potatoes 6 minutes without turning. Grill fish 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Serve fish with potatoes; top with tomato chutney.

Salmon and Quinoa Salad

For Mother's Day this year, part of my gift from Vince and Alexa was a bag of beautiful heirloom variety black quinoa.  This might not seem like a big deal, but I took it as a sign of Vince's surrender to the addition of less-than-mainstream ingredients to our diet.  Since then, I've been keeping an eye out for quinoa recipes, so when I saw the combination of quinoa and salmon on The Way the Cookie Crumbles, I added it to our weekly menu.

I used fresh salmon rather than the smoked salmon Bridget used, omitted the dill and cucumber and added sliced scallions.  This was a hit in our house, surprisingly so with Alexa.  She sneaked salmon from the mixing bowl while we were waiting for the quinoa to cook, and practically ate her weight in "funny rice."  With a side of lightly steamed sugar snap peas, this was a delicious, healthy dinner that the whole family enjoyed.

Salmon and Quinoa Salad

What's in it:

1 c quinoa
2-3 c chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
16 oz cooked salmon, flaked
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced4 oz feta cheese, chopped or crumbled

How to make it:

Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer until water runs clear and foaming stops.  Cook the quinoa according to the package directions, using chicken broth in place of water and adding the salt and the zest of the lemon.   Drain off any unabsorbed water.

Let the quinoa cool slightly, then mix in the salmon and remaining ingredients.   Let sit for a few minutes, then serve.

Crab and Avocado Melts

Weekend lunches are often an afterthought for me.  I'm all over leisurely weekend breakfasts, Saturday night pizza and Sunday dinner, but lunch seems to get lost in the shuffle of outings, errands and general relaxation.  Last weekend, though, we were home between two out of town trips, and I was missing being in the kitchen.  Suddenly, lunch seemed like a lot more fun.  Always a sucker for a dressed up sandwich, I went with these crab and avocado melts.

Inspired by a sandwich special I had at Brick Alley on a work trip to Cape Cod a few months ago, I made a pretty classic crab salad, using red bell pepper instead of celery, and included a layer of creamy avocado.  Topped with sharp cheddar and broiled just long enough to melt it, these knife-and-fork sandwiches made a Saturday lunch a little more special.

Crab and Avocado Melts

What's in them:

1/2 small red bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp sour cream
8 oz. crab meat, picked over for shell pieces (I used fresh claw meat, but feel free to use anything from canned to lump crab here)
salt & pepper
2 tsp butter
2 English muffins
1 avocado, sliced
1-2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
4 thin red onion slices
4 tomato slices

How to make them:

Combine bell pepper through crab meat, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Split English muffins, butter each half, and toast under the broiler for a few minutes, until just slightly golden.  Divide avocado between the muffin halves, using a fork to lightly mash so that avocado is spread evenly.  Top each with a quarter of the crab salad, red onion, then cheese.  Put back under the broiler, and toast until cheese is melted and just starting to bubble.

Serve immediately, with tomato slices.

Wasabi-Sesame Tuna Sushi Bowls

Besides being handed a new recipe to try, one of the advantages of the recipe swap I've been participating in has been seeing some older recipes that I had missed the first time around.  One of these was Seared Wasabi-Sesame Tuna from Oishii, recreated by Sweet Beginnings.

I also love seeing how each person reinvents a recipe and what they serve it with.  While Brianna's cucumber salad looked great, the rice and asparagus that Jaida added made me think of sushi.  And since I don't have sushi-rolling skills, I went with bowls instead.  The contrast of the crunchy, spicy sesame seed coating on the tuna with the cool, slightly chewy interior, all complemented by the creamy avocado and slightly sweetened soy sauce was a delicious and surprisingly quick dinner.

Wasabi-Sesame Tuna Sushi Bowls

What's in them:

1 bunch asparagus

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 tuna steaks

wasabi to taste

1/4 c toasted sesame seeds

3 Tbsp canola oil

1 avocado

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

How to make them:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and spread washed and dried asparagus on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper, spray with olive oil or cooking spray, and roast until tender and just starting to brown at the ends, 8-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus stalks.  Set aside to cool slightly.

While asparagus roasts, mix soy sauce and maple syrup, and divide into two small bowls.  Prepare tuna steaks, first rubbing both sides of the tuna with the preferred amount of wasabi.  Pour the sesame seeds onto a plate and press both sides of the tuna into the seeds.  This is also a good time to slice your avocado into 1/4 to 1/2 in slices.

Heat the canola oil over high heat, and sear the tuna about 20 seconds on each side.  Slice the tuna into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.

To assemble the sushi bowls, layer the half the rice, avocado and one sliced tuna steak into each bowl, fanning the avocado and tuna on top of the rice.  Lay asparagus spears along one side.  Serve with the maple soy sauce for dipping.

Ginger-Lime Shrimp and Noodles

To be honest, I can't remember how I found this Asian-inspired noodle recipe on How Sweet It Is.  Whatever combination of links I clicked through, though, was a happy accident.  Full of fresh veggies, nutty whole wheat pasta and and flavorful shrimp, this made the whole family happy.  If you happen to be observing Lent by giving up meat in some way, this would be a great option. 

While some Asian dishes can seem involved, full of specialty ingredients and a little intimidating, this pared down version was a very fast weeknight dinner.  I added a little bit of fish sauce since I had some in the fridge, and while it added some nice depth to the pasta, I don't think it's really necessary.  The next time I make this, I think I'll use a pinch of red pepper flakes, and maybe stir in a tablespoon or so of peanut butter*.

Ginger-Lime Shrimp and Noodles

What's in it:

1 pound raw or cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (frozen works well here)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 tablespoon lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1 cup sugar snap peas
2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional)
1/2 pound whole wheat pasta of your choice (I used linguine)
salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

Combine first two tablespoons of olive oil through the soy sauce in a dish and whisk together. Add to a ziploc bag, along with the shrimp and marinate for 2-24 hours.

Once ready to cook, heat a skillet on medium heat and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Add peppers and mushrooms to the pan and saute until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Bring pasta water to a boil and cook according to directions, draining and setting aside until later. Add garlic to the peppers and mushrooms and stir for 30 seconds. Add shrimp (with marinade) to pan and cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes, then add fish sauce if using. Add snap peas and cook for about a minute, then add pasta, thoroughly stirring until everything is mixed. Season with salt and pepper if desired and serve.

*If adding red pepper flakes and/or peanut butter, I would add the pepper flakes to the shrimp marinade, and the peanut butter after the snap peas have cooked.

Alton Brown's Ramen Radiator

Ramen always takes me back to memories of college.  I went to a school that required a ridiculous number of credits per semester, so there were a lot of late nights (though I have to admit that not all of them were schoolwork related).  Dinner was served at 5:30 every evening.  The result was that when I was still awake at midnight, ramen was pretty much the only thing I could manage to get into my rumbling stomach before I fell exhausted into bed.

This is not the same ramen.

Alton Brown's recipe for this sweet and spicy Asian seafood noodle soup has made me take back my vow to never eat ramen noodles again.  Once that sodium-filled seasoning packet is tossed aside, the noodles become a blank canvas for the layers of flavor included here.  Plus, the cooking method is a lot of fun.  Like Alton says, it's the coolest recipe in the book.

I did make a couple of changes- a little more shrimp, a little garlic, and low-sodium miso soup mix since my regular store apparently doesn't stock miso paste.

Alton Brown's Ramen Radiator, from I'm Just Here for the Food 2.0

What's in it:


1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil

8 oz brown mushrooms

1 3-oz package of ramen noodles
2 8-oz halibut fillets, or other mild white fish or salmon (I used flounder)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp honey

Pinch of chili flakes

6 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used 8)

1/2 sweet onion, sliced
4 scallions, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 c mirin
2 c miso or vegetable broth (I used a pack of miso soup mix and 2 c of water)


How to make it:


Preheat oven to 400F.  Heat a saute pan over high heat, add the oils, then add the mushrooms and toss; cook until caramelized, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Break the noodle "loaf" in half (I find this makes the least mess if you do it in the bag before you open it).  Season the fish with salt and pepper, drizzle honey on each fillet, and sprinkle with red chili flakes.


Line two large bowls with sturdy aluminum foil, making sure that there is a lot hanging over the sides.  Lay half of the noodles in each bowl and top with the fish.  Spread the shrimp, mushrooms and onions around the noodles.  Top with the scallions and garlic.  Bring foil up around the food and pinch closed, leaving an opening large enough to pour the liquids into.

Mix the liquids together, and pour half into each foil pouch and seal.  Move the packets to a baking sheet and bake for 22-25 minutes.  Return pouches to bowls for serving.