Tuna-Pasta Casserole

It has been awhile since I have made a casserole and I thought this would be a great recipe to add to my blog. It is almost like a broccoli and cheese casserole, but with tuna and pasta as well. This would also be a great dish to take to a pot-luck party too! You can also take these ingredients and mix and match with other veggies, like substitute the broccoli for green beans, etc. You can really have fun with this one. Anyway, ENJOY!

Tuna-Pasta Casserole
6 servings

Casserole
1 1/4 cups uncooked medium pasta shells (3 to 4 oz)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded American cheese
2 cups broccoli flowerets
2 cans (6 oz each) tuna in water, drained (if canned meats bother you, I would recommend using the equivalent serving of fresh tuna)

Crumb Topping
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 Tbsp butter, melted

• Heat oven to 350 degrees
• Cook and drain pasta as directed on package
• Meanwhile, in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly; remove from hat.
• Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
• Stir in cheese until melted. Stir in pasta, broccoli and tuna; mix well.
• Spoon into ungreased 2-quart casserole dish.
• Cover and bake about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix topping ingredients.
• Sprinkle topping over casserole.
• Bake uncovered about 5 minutes longer or until topping is toasted.

  

Almond and Leek Mahi Mahi

Sorry I haven't posted anything in awhile! I just graduated in May and I got a job and moved to Austin. So I really haven't had time to cook anything, let alone anything good enough to put on my blog. But, I think you will like this one!

Almond and Leek Mahi Mahi
Serves 2

½ lb Mahi Mahi
¼ cup butter
¼ almonds
1 leek, cleaned and sliced
½ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp paprika
1/8 tsp. pepper

• In 10-inch skillet, melt buter over medium heat
• Cook almonds and leek in butter, stirring occasionally, until leek is tender.
• Remove almonds and leeks from skillet and set aside; keep warm.
• In shallow dish, mix flour, salt, paprika and pepper.
• Coat fish in flour mixture.
• Cook fish in same skillet over media heat for 6 to 10 minutes, turning once, until fish is brown and flakes easily with a fork.
• Coat fish with almond and leek mixture and serve hot.
  

Shrimp, Mushroom & Asparagus Stir-fry

This deliciously fresh dish is a cinch to make! The variety of fresh ingredients compliment each other very well. You can make this stir-fry after a long day, because it only takes about 15 minutes to whip up!

Shrimp, Mushroom & Asparagus Stir-fry
Serves 4

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb asparagus, cut in 1 inch pieces
salt & pepper

• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Add shrimp and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
• Add asparagus and season to taste with salt & pepper.
• Cook stirring for another 4 minutes
• Serve over rice or pasta (optional).

Seared Scallops with Tarragon-Butter Sauce

This simple no-fail recipe is delicious and is sure to impress anyone who tries it. Pair the scallops with veggies for a light, but delectable, meal. The classic French butter sauce can be used with just about anything to enhance the taste.

Seared Scallops with Tarragon-Butter Sauce
Serves 4

1 pound sea scallops
7 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp. finely chopped tarragon

• Sprinkle scallops with 1/4 season each of salt and pepper
• Heat 1 Tbsp butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sear scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked though (about 5 minutes total).
• Transfer scallops to a platter.

Southwestern Pan-Fried Catfish in a Light Butter Sauce

Southwestern Pan-Fried Catfish in a Light Butter Sauce
Serves 2

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and black pepper

2 Catfish fillets

1/4 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1/4 cup cooking sherry

1/2 tablespoon butter

• Place flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.
• Lightly coat catfish fillets with seasoned flour and set aside.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in canola oil. Add garlic and saute until lightly browned.
• Place catfish fillets in pan and cook over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.
• Turn fillets over and cook 1 minute more.
• Add sherry and season with salt and pepper.
• Cover and cook until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
• Place fillets on serving plates.
• Add butter to sauce in skillet. Stir until blended and pour over catfish.

Corn and Crab Quesadillas

This isn't your typical quesadilla, but I think you might like it. Corn and Crab Quesadillas

Makes 4

1/2 a block of cream cheese

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup leeks, diced

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 lb. cooked crab meat

8 flour tortillas

1 Tbsp. melted butter

• In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, corn, cilantro, leeks, pepper and crab meat, mix well.
• Spread 1/4 a mixture on on 4 tortillas and sandwich between the remaining 4 tortillas.
• Brush the outsides of quesadillas with butter
• In a large skillet, cook each quesadillas one at a time over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, turning once, until light brown

Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas Mediterranean Casserole

Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas Mediterranean Casserole
Serves 6

3 cups of uncooked penne pasta
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp. cooking sherry
1 can chicken broth
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp
2 cups sugar snap pea pods
1/4 cup sliced almonds

• Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13X9 Pyrex pan
• Cook and drain pasta as directed
• in a medium sauce pan melt butter on low heat.
• Saute mushrooms and garlic in butter.
• When mushrooms are tender stir in flour, salt and pepper.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring often until mixture is smooth.
• Gradually stir in milk, sherry and broth until smooth.
• Heat to boiling then stir in 3/4 a cup of cheese until melted.
• Stir pasta, shrimp and pea pods into mushroom mixture. Pour into Pyrex pan and sprinkle with remainder of mozzarella cheese and almonds.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes then serve.

Almond Crusted Shrimp

I found this great recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook my mom bought me when I moved into my first apartment. These shrimp work great for a dinner party. Just be careful when preparing the dish, it can get super messy!

Almond-Crusted Shrimp
Serves 4

1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 Tbsp. water
1 cup Panko or plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp with tails
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp. honey

• Heat oven to 375 degrees and grease a large Pyrex pan
• In a shallow dish, mix flour and salt. In another shallow dish, beat egg and water with a fork until well mixed. In a third shallow dish, mix bread crumbs and almonds.
• Coat shrimp in flour mixture. Dip shrimp into egg, coating well; finally, cover with bread crumb mixture, spooning mixture over shrimp and pressing to coat. Place coated shrimp in pat. Drizzle with butter and honey.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm.

Shrimp Pasta with Creamy Herb Sauce

It is hard to resist this delicious shrimp pasta. Make it for yourself and keep some for later or make it for guests and it will be a big hit!

Shrimp Pasta with Creamy Herb Sauce

Shrimp:
1lb of peeled, deveined shrimp
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 tablespoons of Bragg’s liquid aminos

• Place shrimp in 9x12 dish, stir in honey, parsley, liquid aminos.
• Cook about 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees stirring occasionally so the shrimp cook evenly.

Pasta:

1 pound of capellini pasta
1 Tbsp. of chopped leeks
4-5 cloves of garlic crushed
1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons of cooking sherry
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon flour or corn starch
Pinch dried dill weed

• Cook pasta according to directions.
• In a seperate pan, combine oil, garlic and leeks. Cook for about 5 min. on low to medium heat.
• Add cooking sherry. Cook another 5-10 min.
• Add most of the whipping cream. Let heat through.
• Take the corn starch or flour and put in a small bowl, add remainder of whipping cream and whisk until smooth. Pour into mixture in pan so that it will thicken.
• When it becomes the consistency that you like, add dill weed.
• Pour sauce over pasta.

Combine pasta and shrimp and serve.

Seafood Chowder

If you like clam chowder, you'll love this recipe. It is quick, easy and makes you look like you really know what your doing. The only thing is that I don't recommend you having some as left overs, a day or two in the fridge leaves a fishy smell and it isn't very appetizing.

Seafood Chowder
serves 3-4

1 lb. fish fillets (cod or haddock work well)
2 Tbsp. margarine
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup celery, minced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 cups of water
1 can minced clams
salt and pepper
2/3 cup white rose potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 Tbsp. margarine
1/4 c. flour
1 3/4 cups milk

• Slice fish into cubes.
• Melt 2 Tbsp. margarine in a large saucepan and cook onion, celery and garlic until soft and slightly golden.
• Add fish to onions and pour in water.
• Cover and simmer gently about two minutes
• Add clams, salt, pepper, potatoes, parsley, and thyme. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes.
• Melt second Tbsp. of margarine in a separate bowl and add flour mixing well with a fork.
• Blend milk into mixture.
• Turn off heat under chowder and stir in milk and flour mixture.
• When stirred in turn heat up to medium and let thicken.
• Serve.

Lobster Shrimp Pesto

If you like seafood and Italian, here is an easy way to follow the strict diet without neglecting your taste buds!

Lobster Shrimp Pesto
Serves 2-4

2 lobster tails
1/2 pound peeled de-veined shrimp
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
1/2 pound capellini pasta
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup pesto sauce
olive oil
2 tablespoons basil
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
salt

• Place 2 quarts of water in a large pot over high heat. While waiting for the water to boil, begin preparation of the pesto.
• Warm olive oil in a 12- inch skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and mushrooms and cook until shrimp are pink.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for about 2 1/2 minutes.
• While the pasta is cooking, return to skillet and add lobster and artichoke hearts. Cook for 2 minutes.Add pesto sauce and cheese to skillet. Continue cooking until the cheese in the pesto sauce is completely melted. Drain pasta. Combine pasta with pesto mixture.
• Garnish with basil.

Herb Sautéed Salmon with Creamy Leeks

If you like Salmon you will love this dish! I took this recipe from a Rachel Ray cookbook and was able to make alterations without affecting the taste. It is very easy and makes for a very impressive presentation.

Herb Sautéed Salmon with Creamy Leeks
(Serves 2)

3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 leeks, super dark green parts and roots discarded
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup white wine cooking sherry
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup half and half or heavy cream
2 6-8 oz portions salmon fillet, skin removed
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 sprigs of fresh dill, chopped
Crusty bread to pass at table

• To clean the leaks, cut each in half lengthwise, thinly slice each half into half moons. Fill a large bowl with cold water, transfer the sliced leeks to the water, swish and swoosh the leeks around in the water, and let them sit for a minute.
• Skim the leeks from the water without disturbing the grit that has settled to the bottom. Drain the leeks thoroughly. If you still feel grit, repeat the cleaning process with a clean bowl of water.
• Turn a skillet on medium heat and add the leeks, half the garlic, the thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
• Add sherry and cook for 1 minute, then add the chicken stock and half and half or heavy cream. Bring the mixture up to a simmer, then turn down the heat to medium low. Simmer the mixture for about 10-12 minutes, until tender and creamy.
• While the leeks are cooking, start the salmon. Season the salmon on all sides with some salt and pepper. On a plate, combine the parsley, dill, and the remaining garlic. Gently press one side of each salmon fillet into the herb mixture.
• Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets herb side down. Cook the salmon about 2-3 minutes on the herb side, then turn the heat up to medium high, flip the salmon, and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Divide leeks amoung 2 plates and top each pile with a fillet of salmon. Serve with crusty bread.