Baked Fish and Seafood

This is a new recipe that I tried for the first time last night. It was easy to make and made plenty. I cut the recipe in half and it was enough for four.

Baked Fish and Seafood

2 lbs fish fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 lb large shrimp, about 16, shelled

2 TBS olive oil

½ Cup sliced red onions

8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 TBS fresh oregano

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

16 pimento-stuffed green olives cut in half

½ Cup white wine

1/8 Cup sliced banana peppers

35-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay fish and shrimp in a single layer in a baking dish. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add the basil, olives and white wine.

Bring to a simmer and reduce until almost dry. Stir in the banana peppers and tomatoes. Return to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Pour tomato mixture over the fish and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve over rice or with a good crusty bread and extra olive oil.

Serves 8-10

Tips:   -    I substituted a small can of green chili peppers (mild) for the banana peppers. It makes for a milder dish that doesn’t mask the seafood.

-          I used black olives instead of the green.

-          This recipe requires a firm fish. I used cod but haddock, salmon, shark or tuna would work.

-          Top each serving with a bit of grated Parmesan cheese if you have it.

White Chili (or not)

This is a good chili and easy to make. We brought it tailgating last fall to UCONN football, homecoming game.

White Chili

2 TBS vegetable oil

1 lb ground chicken or turkey

2 onions, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS cumin seeds

1 TBS dried oregano leaves

1 to 2 jalapeño peppers

1 tsp each salt and black pepper

1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, including juice, chopped

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 can (19 oz) white kidney beans, rinsed and drained or 1 cup dried white kidney beans, soaked, cooked and drained  

2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced lengthwise

1½ Cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 can (4 ½ oz) diced mild green chilies, drained

Salsa

Sour cream

Cilantro

In a skillet, heat 1 TBS oil over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken or turkey and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon to slow cooker stoneware. Drain and discard liquid.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil to pan. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, cumin seeds, oregano, jalapeno peppers, salt and pepper and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until liquid is reduced by one third, about 5 minutes.

Add beans to stoneware and pour tomato mixture over them. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until mixture is hot and bubbling.

Stir in green pepper, cheese and mile green chilies. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes until pepper is tender and cheese is melted. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, salsa and chopped cilantro.

Tips    - Instead of cumin seeds, you can substitute ½ TBS of ground cumin

- For a less spicy dish, substitute pablano peppers for jalapeno. If using pablanos, they are larger so you don’t need to add the bell peppers. Sometimes I add one yellow and one red bell for flavor and color.

- For a While Vegetarian Chili: omit the ground beef and add an extra can of beans. Use vegetable broth, rather than chicken.

Bourbon Chicken

I love recipes when you combine everything at once and that's the case with this one. It's very easy and tastes great.

Bourbon Chicken

1 ½ lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS Dijon mustard

¼ cup Bourbon Whiskey

2 TBS red wine vinegar

2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

2 TBS soy sauce

¼ cup brown sugar

Pinch of sea salt

Black pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine olive oil, mustard, bourbon, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper in a zip-lock bag. Add chicken and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and save marinade.

Grill chicken over medium heat uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once. Don’t overcook.

                                                                                             

Add reserved marinade to a small skillet; bring to a boil, stirring constantly until it has reduced by 1/3. Pour sauce over chicken or use for dipping.

Tips:  - I use dark brown sugar, but then again, I always do when brown sugar is called for.

Crabmeat Quiche

You have to give this a try. It's one of my mom's recipes. Happy cooking!

Crabmeat Quiche

1 9-inch pie crust

Combine:

½ Cup mayonnaise

2 tsp flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup chopped onion

½ cup milk or cream

Stir in:

1 8 oz package frozen crabmeat, thawed and drained

8 oz Swiss cheese, grated

Pour into crust and bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes.

Tips:  - Can be made a day ahead and re-heated for 25-30 minutes.

Hot Artichoke Dip

This is great and easy. Easy seems to be a theme of mine.

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 can artichoke hearts (not marinated)

1 small can diced green chilies

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Drain artichokes and chop. Mix with other incredients and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve hot with crackers or pita toast triangles (see recipe for those).

Pita Toast Triangles

I like stuff you can make beforehand. This is one of those recipes. They even freeze well.

Pita Toast Triangles

Pita rounds, separated at the edges with a serrated knife.

Melted butter – brush on the inside of the rounds

Parmesan or Romano cheese – sprinkled on top

Herbs (basil, dill, marjoram or thyme) – sprinkled on top

Cut into 8 wedges, place on baking sheet and bake at 400° for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.

Tips:   - Easy to make beforehand. Just store in air-tight container and reheat before serving.

Hot Crab Dip

This is great and extremely quick and easy!

Hot Crabmeat Dip

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tsp horseradish

1 tsp minced onion

1 tsp prepared mustard

Dash of

            Salt

            Worcestershire sauce

            Tobasco sauce

            Garlic powder

1 can crabmeat, drained

Combine all ingredients. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20 minutes. Serve with assorted crackers.

 

Tips:  - Use real mayo. Don’t try to cheat and use the low fat stuff. This isn’t the time or place to worry about your diet!