Havarti Shrimp Quesadillas

Adapted from Taste of Home (June/July 2010), page 22.

Prep: 10 min / Cook: 5 min each
Yield: 6 quesadillas

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp. canola oil
2 tsp. butter
6 Tbs. apricot jam
6 flour tortillas
6 oz. Havarti cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
1/2 lb cooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped

In a large skillet, saute mushrooms in oil and butter until tender.

Spread 1 Tbs. jam over half of each tortilla; top with cheese, shrimp, and mushrooms.  Fold tortillas over.

Grill quesadillas, uncovered, over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted.  Cut and serve.

Notes:
- Diced fresh tomatoes would probably be really good in these.

Firecracker Grilled Salmon

From Healthy Cooking (Feb./March 2011), page 36.

Prep: 20 min + marinating / Cook: 5-10 min.
Yield: 4 servings

2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. maple syrup
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. salt
4 salmon fillets (6 oz. each)

In a small bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients.  Pour 1/4 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag.  Add the salmon; seal bag and turn to coat.  Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.  Refrigerate salmon for up to 30 minutes.  Drain and discard marinade.

Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack.  Place salmon skin side down on grill rack.  Grill over high heat or broil 3-4" from the heat for 5-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, basting occasionally with remaining marinade.

Notes:
- I tend to buy salmon fillets without the skin.
- The recipe says to cover the salmon while grilling--I didn't.  I did, however, carefully flip it over halfway through cooking time.

Nutrition Facts:
1 fillet = 306 calories, 18 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 85 mg cholesterol, 366 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 30 g protein

Sensational Spiced Salmon

Adapted from Healthy Cooking (Dec./Jan. 2011), page 63.

Prep/Total Time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings

This is one of the easiest salmon recipes we've tried so far, and it just happens to be delicious, too.  The blend of sweet and savory seasonings is amazing.

2 Tbs. brown sugar
4 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 salmon fillets (4 oz each)

Combine the first six ingredients; rub over salmon (both sides if fillets are skinless).  Place in a single layer in a greased baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Nutrition Facts:
1 fillet = 244 calories, 13 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 196 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 23 g protein

Notes:
- All I changed from the original recipe was the amount of salt; I'm always reducing it.
- I used two frozen salmon fillets from Costco and cut the rest of the ingredients in half (even though I'm sure the fillets were more than 4 oz each).

Shrimp Curry

From Grandma Wayman.

Prep: 5 min. / Cook: 15 min.
Yield: 4-6 servings

2 cans shrimp OR about 1/2 lb. fresh or frozen cooked shrimp
1 Tbs. chopped onion
1 Tbs. butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk (approx.)
1 Tbs. curry powder, or to taste

If necessary, thaw and devein shrimp.

Lightly brown onion in butter.  Add soup, milk, and curry powder.  Then add shrimp; heat through.

Serve over rice.

Optional toppings:
Golden raisins
Almonds
Chopped, boiled egg
Green onion
Shredded coconut
Mango
Crisp, crumbled bacon

Notes:
- I rehydrate about 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. dried minced onion in some hot water, then measure from there.
- My grandma's written recipe wasn't super specific on a lot of things (when you cook as long as she did, you just get a feel for things), so I make it with the measurements my mom guessed it (she doesn't measure things in this recipe either).
- The recipe my aunt wrote out also includes flour (add after onion browns) and dry mustard (add with curry powder)--no measurements specified.
- Do not overcook shrimp--it will turn rubbery!

Sesame Shrimp and Rice

Adapted from Simple & Delicious (Aug./Sept. 2010), page 51.

Prep./Total Time: 10 min.
Yield: 4-5 servings

2 (8.8 oz) pkgs. ready-to-serve long grain rice
1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh or frozen snow peas, thawed
2 green onions, sliced
1 tsp. canola oil
1 lb. cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (8 oz) can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
1/3 cup sesame ginger salad dressing
3 Tbs. slivered almonds, toasted

Microwave rice according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet or wok, stir-fry snow peas and onions in oil for 1 minute.  Add the shrimp, pineapple, oranges, and salad dressing; cook until heated through and vegetables are crisp-tender.

Notes:
- I debate whether I'd include the pineapple next time or not.  If I do, I think I'll use even less than I did this time--it just seemed to make it a little too sweet.
- Be careful not to overcook your shrimp or it will be rubbery.

Nut-Crusted Orange Roughy

From Simple and Delicious (March/April 2009), page 12.

Prep/Total: 25-30 min.
Yield: 4 servings

This fish recipe is really easy and quite delicious!  The mild flavor of the fish is complemented by the walnut-sesame crust and the sweet-salty sauce.  We've rated it as one of our top four favorite fish recipes that we've tried so far.

4 fresh or frozen orange roughy fillets, thawed (5 oz. each)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup finely chopped walnuts, pecans, or a mixture of the two
3 Tbs. seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tbs. sesame seeds
1 Tbs. dried parsley flakes
2 Tbs. butter
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce

Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper.  Place flour and egg in separate shallow bowls.  In another shallow bowl, combine walnuts, bread crumbs, sesame seeds, and parsley.  Dip fish in flour, egg, then walnut mixture.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook fish in butter in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

In a small bowl, whisk honey and soy sauce; serve with fish.

Nutrition Facts:
1 fillet + 1 Tbs. sauce = 425 calories, 22 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 153 mg cholesterol, 633 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 32 g protein

Notes:
- We only used half of the sauce, so you may consider reducing the amount you make.
- Orange roughy is low in calories and fat and has a very mild flavor.  So good!
- The recipe suggests using flounder or sole if you can't find orange roughy.

Glazed Salmon

From Simple and Delicious (Jan./Feb. 2010), page 23.

Prep: 5-10 min. / Cook: 10-15 min.
Yield: 4 servings

We really liked this recipe--the sauce was wonderful and really complemented the salmon, adding to it but not overpowering it.  Delicious!  It's amazing to think that it's so easy and calls for so few ingredients, which is always a plus.

4 salmon fillets (6 oz. each)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. ground cumin

Sprinkle both sides of salmon with salt and pepper; place in greased 11x17" dish.  Combine the remaining ingredients; spoon over fillets.

Bake, uncovered, at 400F for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Nutrition Facts:
1 fillet = 349 calories, 19 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 100 mg cholesterol, 432 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 34 g protein

Notes:
- There's not really a reason to measure out the salt and pepper in this case.  Just sprinkle on some salt and grind some pepper over the fish--you'll be good.
- I cooked this for exactly 15 minutes, and it was perfect!

Salmon Burger with Hoisin Barbecue Sauce and Pickled Ginger and Napa Slaw

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 71.

Serves 4.

This burger is possibly one of my favorites from Bobby Flay's cookbook.  It combines really great flavors for a unique and tasty Asian-style burger.

Hoisin Barbecue Sauce
2 Tbs. canola oil
2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbs. ketchup
2 Tbs. honey
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. fish sauce
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar

Salmon Burgers

1 1/2 lbs. fresh salmon

2 Tbs. canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

Slaw
2 Tbs. canola oil
1/4 cup sliced pickled ginger, plus more for garnish if desired
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 small head of red cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 medium head of napa cabbage, finely shredded
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

To make the hoisin barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft, about 2 minutes.  Add the hoisin, ketchup, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, and vinegar and cook until heated through and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.  The sauce can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated.  Bring to room temperature before using.

To form the burgers, cut the salmon into large pieces and then coarsely chop in a food processor.  Do not over-process.  (Alternatively, you can chop it by hand with a sharp knife.)  Divide the salmon into 4 equal portions.  Form each portion loosely into a 3/4"-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb.  Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Meanwhile, make the slaw by heating the oil in a large saute pan over high heat.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring once, until soft, about 1 minute.  Stir in the cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring once, until slightly wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar, sesame oil, and cilantro.  Let sit at room temperature.

To cook the burgers, heat the oil in a saute pan or griddle (nonstick or cast iron) until it begins to shimmer.  Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.  Cook the burgers until golden brown on the bottom sides, about 3 minutes.  Turn over, brush with some of the hoisin barbecue sauce, and continue cooking until medium-well, about 3 minutes longer.

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms, drizzle some hoisin barbecue sauce over them, and top with the slaw.  Garnish with pickled ginger, if desired.  Cover with burger tops and serve immediately.

Notes:
- I used frozen salmon, and it still tasted great.  So use what you've got!  If you're in a hurry and all you've got are frozen salmon patties, you could probably even use them (though I doubt it would be quite as good).
- Be very, very careful not to turn your salmon into paste.  If you use a food processor, I recommend looking over the instructions for chopping meat prior to doing it so you have an idea of how long to pulse the meat.
- I don't know how Bobby manages to keep the salmon firm enough to that deep depression with his thumb; it was all I could do to keep the patties together!  We set each one on an individual square of wax paper on the plate to make moving them into the pan easier when the time came.
- When recipes use a sauce to baste cooking meat and dip or drizzle later, I always separate the sauce into two bowls (one for basting and one for serving) to avoid contamination.

Salmon Soft Tacos

Serves: 6-7.

I wanted salmon; Matt wanted burritos.  I think our little compromise came out pretty well.

1 lb. salmon fillets
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. Mexican style chile powder
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. lime juice
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbs. canola oil
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Marinate salmon in lemon and lime juices for 5-10 minutes at room temperature.

Mix together dry ingredients.  Rub over both sides of salmon.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook salmon 5-6 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until cooked (fish will flake easily).

Pull salmon into chunks using a fork.

Serve in tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Topping suggestions:
Brown or Mexican-style rice
Cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole
Black beans
Corn
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Jalapeno yogurt dip (Skotidakis is a great brand)

Notes:
- If you don't have special paprika or chile powder, just use what you've got!  (Though I really do love smoked paprika.)
- Don't marinate your fish too long or it will start to "cook."
- We recently discovered the Tortilla Land uncooked tortillas at Costco.  So delicious.  Try some out (I'm sure other brands are good, too!).
- This salmon is really good in quesadillas--that's how my son likes it.  I'm sure it would also be delicious in a salad.

Scrumptious California Salmon

From Healthy Cooking (June/July 2001), page 17.

Prep: 35 min. / Bake: 10 min.

Serves 4.

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. minced shallot

1 cup orange juice

3 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. ground ancho chili pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 salmon filet (1 lb.)

2 tsp. canola oil

2 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro

In a small saucepan coated with cooking spray, saute garlic and shallot until tender.  Add orange juice and vinegar.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until reduced to about 1/4 cup.  Stir in honey, chili pepper, salt, and pepper.

In a large ovenproof skillet, brown salmon in oil on both sides.  Brush with 1/4 cup sauce.  Bake, uncovered, at 400F for 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Brush with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cilantro.

Notes:

- Reduce the garlic if you feel so inclined.  Honestly, I rarely use more than 2 cloves in anything.
- Garlic presses are wonderful.  But no matter how tempting it may be to use it for the shallots (they look kind of like garlic, after all), don't do it.  It doesn't work.  Trust me--I tried it.  Oh, and I didn't measure the shallot; I used all of a small section.

- A little teaching moment here (you may know this already): The difference between "3 garlic cloves, minced" and "1 tsp. minced shallot" is that you measure the garlic before you mince it, and you mince the shallot before you measure it.  The same goes for things like "3 cups pasta, cooked" vs "3 cups cooked pasta," "2 Tbs. almonds, chopped" vs "2 Tbs. chopped almonds," and "1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced" and "1/4 cup sliced fresh basil."

- I don't have an ovenproof skillet, so I browned the salmon in a frying pan and then transferred it to a baking dish.

- Before brushing the salmon, divide the sauce into two small bowls: one for pre-baking brushing and the other for after-baking brushing.  Don't use the sauce in the first bowl after the salmon is cooked.

Nutrition Facts:

3 oz. cooked salmon = 317 calories, 15 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 217 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 23 g protein.

Amounts may vary depending on the brands you use.

Red Chile-Honey Glazed Salmon with Black Bean Sauce and Jalapeno Crema

From Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook, pages 116-117.

Serves 4.

I just have to say that Bobby Flay is a culinary genius.  We had this for dinner last night and were still talking about how delicious it was when we went to bed.  It's takes a fair amount of time to prepare the black bean sauce (start the night before), but it was definitely worth it.  Even Matt loved this salmon, and he really doesn't like to eat fish unless it's raw.

Jalapeno Crema (makes about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup crema, creme fraiche, or sour cream
1 large or 2 small jalapeno chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped

Brush jalapenos with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes at 375F, rotating a few times to ensure even roasting.  Put chilies in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let sit for 15 minutes.  Remove skin.  Cut in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds.  Chop.

Combine the crema and jalapenos in a food processor and process until smooth.  (Alternatively, you could finely chop the jalapenos by hand and stir them into the crema.)  Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.  This can be made and refrigerated up to 1 day in advance.

Black Bean Sauce
1 1/2 cups dried black beans
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
Kosher salt

Red Chile-Honey Glazed Salmon
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbs. ancho chile powder
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 8-oz skin-on salmon filets
2 Tbs. canola oil
Jalapeno Crema
Thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts, for garnish (optional)

Pick over the beans and discard any stones.  Put in a bowl, cover with water, and let soak overnight.

Drain the beans and combine with the onion, garlic, chipotles, and cumin in a medium saucepan and add just enough cold water to cover by an inch; bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat and simmer, adding more water if the beans appear dry, until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender (in batches, if needed) with a slotted spoon, add 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and process until almost smooth; the sauce should still be a little chunky.  Season with salt.  If the sauce is too thick, thin with more of the cooking liquid or with water.  This can be made up for 4 hours in advance and refrigerated.  Reheat before serving.

To make the glaze for the salmon, whisk together the honey, ancho powder, and mustard in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat a grill pan or large nonstick saute pan over high heat.  Brush the salmon with the oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper.  Place the salmon in the pan, skin side down, and cook until golden brown and a crust has formed, 3 to 4 minutes.  Brush the top of the salmon with some of the glaze, flip over the filets, and continue cooking until a crust has formed and the salmon is cooked to medium, about 2 minutes more.  The salmon will be pink in the center.

Spoon some of the black bean sauce onto 4 plates and drizzle with some of the jalapeno crema.  Set the salmon in the center, glazed side up, brush with more of the glaze, and garnish with green onion.

Notes:
- We ate this with rice.  I think a salad or some freshly steamed vegetables would also accompany it well . . . if you have room to eat them!
- I think our salmon filets were 6 or 7 oz. each, and that was enough.  We also used skinless filets, and that didn't seem to be a problem.
- If you have trouble finding the chipotle chilies, look in the section of your grocery store that has the Mexican foods.  The chilies I buy are in probably an 8-oz can.
- I ended up adding all of the cooking liquid to the bean puree before I thought it had reached the right consistency, so don't be afraid to keep adding liquid until the mixture looks right to you!
- I divided the glaze into two bowls: one for brushing the raw salmon and one for brushing the cooked salmon.
- Be careful flipping the salmon--mine stuck a little.
- I think I cooked our salmon a little longer on the second side than the recipe calls for, maybe a minute or two.  And then I turned the heat off and left it there while I put the sauces on the plates.
- Maybe it's because I used sour cream, but my Jalapeno Crema wasn't really drizzling consistency.  It was more globbing consistency.  Oh well.  Still tasted good.

Linguine with Clam Sauce

From Dad Larsen.

Bring to a good boil:
6 cups water
Juice from 2 small cans chopped clams
Salt

Add to above:
1 lb. linguine noodles

Prepare separately in frying pan, cooking slightly to blend flavors:
4 oz. butter
2 cans chopped clams
4 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley
3 Tbs. fresh chopped basil
1 tsp. fresh minced thyme
1 Tbs. minced garlic
Pepper to taste

Just before linguine is ready, bring to a boil and add to clam/herb mix:
1 cup heavy cream

Drain linguine noodles, place on large warm platter, and quickly pour clam/herb/cream sauce over it.

Add to linguine mix and toss:
4 oz. melted butter (in addition to above)
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Salt to taste, toss, and serve.

New England Clam Chowder

From Dave Lieberman.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into ¼-inch pieces
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams in juice
1 cup heavy cream
2 bay leaves
1 pound Idaho potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté until softened, mixing often. Stir in the flour to distribute evenly. Add the stock, juice from cans of clams (reserve clams), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring consistently (the mixture will thicken), then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are nice and tender. Then add clams and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until clams are just firm, another 2 minutes.

Pan-Toasted Croutons:
2 to 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
½ baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 Tbs. freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a large skillet and toss the bread cubes in the butter until browned and toasted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Notes:
- Really good served in bread bowls (without the croutons).

Caribbean Rice and Shrimp

From Simple and Delicious (March/April 2006), page 8.

Prep/Total Time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings

1 package (8 oz) Caribbean rice mix
6 cups water
½ pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium tomato, chopped

Prepare rice mix according to package directions, omitting chicken. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cook for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain. Add asparagus, shrimp, and tomato to rice; toss gently.

Nutrition Facts:
1 1/2 cups = 352 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 183 mg cholesterol, 1278 mg sodium, 47 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 23 g protein.