ITALIAN TUNA SALAD

(adapted from s’kat and the food blog)
2 cans tuna, packed in olive oil
1/4 c. red onion, minced
8 kalamata olives, chopped
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. capers, drained and rinsed
1 hot red cherry pepper, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 marinated red pepper strip, minced
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley and basil combined
juice of one lemon

Drain one can of tuna. Combine the drained tuna, the tuna with oil from the second can, and the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight, if you can wait that long. Serve as is, or on your choice of bread for a sandwich.

MEDITERRANEAN TUNA SANDWICH

1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil
1 tbsp. grated, fresh Parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper
1 sm. red onion, sliced very thinly
1 – 2 tsp. capers, drained and rinsed
1 can tuna, drained
1 tomato, sliced 1/4-in. thick
Kalamata olives, sliced
leafy greens
day old crusty bread

Combine red wine vinegar, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper, adjusting to taste as necessary. Place sliced red onion into same container, and let sit while preparing the remaining ingredients. Slice bread in half, and hollow out a portion of the interior. Beginning with bottom piece of bread, layer with vinaigrette-drenched onions. Follow with capers, tuna, tomatoes, olives and leafy greens. If desired, add one more layer of onions, finish with top slice of bread, and press down firmly to make sandwich.

SALMON CROISSANT

1 croissant
2 tbsp. cream cheese
1 tbsp. pesto
leftover grilled salmon or
sliced smoked salmon
6 cucumber slices
3 avocado slices (sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning)

Slice the croissant in half. Mix the cream cheese and pesto and spread on both sides of the croissant. Layer the salmon over the croissant and top with cucumber and avocado slices.

FROGMORE STEW

adapted from The Coastal Living Cookbook
5 qt. water (more or less, depending on your cooking pot)
3 cans of beer (not light!)
1/2 c. Old Bay seasoning
4 lbs. small red potatoes
1 large or 2 medium onions, peeled
4 lbs. kielbasa or other smoked sausage
6 ears fresh corn on the cob
4 lbs. unpeeled, large fresh (or thawed) shrimp
cocktail sauce
melted butter
lemon wedges

Wash and cut potatoes into bite-size chunks (halves or quarters). Cut the onions into chunks. Cut the smoked sausage into 1 to 2-inch chunks. Shuck the corn and cut into 2-in. pieces.

Bring the water, beer, and Old Bay seasoning to rolling boil in a large covered stockpot. When the water has reached a boil, add the potatoes and onion; return to a boil and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Next, add the sausage and corn, and return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Add shrimp to stockpot; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Do not over cook the shrimp. Drain the water from the pot. Pour the Frogmore Stew onto the center of tables covered with lots of newspaper and eat with your hands. Serve with cocktail sauce, melted butter, lemon wedges and a few loaves of crusty bread. I like to put the cocktail sauce and melted butter in restaurant-style plastic ketchup and mustard bottles, which make it easy to tell which is which and easy to squirt right where you want it. Serves 10-12.

CUCUMBER SAUCE FOR FISH, LAMB, OR TOMATOES

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cucumber sliced thin

1 small onion sliced thin and separated into rings

Blend sour cream with sugar, salt, pepper, horseradish and lemon juice.

Pour over cucumber slices and onions, toss and chill for 1 hour.

Can be stuffed in tomatoes, but we usually eat this, as is, with lamb.

We ALWAYS use this with fish and lamb. We like the citrus taste.

Kay Cooke

TUNA BURGERS

1 1/2 pounds fresh tuna steak 

2 cloves garlic, chopped 

2 inches fresh ginger root, minced or grated 

3 tablespoons tamari dark soy sauce 

2 scallions, chopped 

1/2 small red bell pepper, finely chopped 

2 teaspoons sesame oil 

2 teaspoons Montreal Steak Seasoning 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped 

kosher salt

4 sandwich rolls, split 

8 ounces mango chutney 

red leaf lettuce leaves 

8 ounces wasabi mustard 

Preheat a nonstick griddle or a grill pan over high heat.  Cube tuna into bite size pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse the processor to coarse-grind the tuna; it should take on the consistency of ground beef or turkey. Transfer tuna to a bowl. Combine ground tuna with garlic, ginger, dark soy sauce, scallions, red bell pepper, sesame oil, seasoning blend and black pepper. Form 4 large patties, 1 1/2-inches thick. Drizzle patties on both sides with vegetable oil.  Cook tuna burgers 3 minutes on each side for rare, up to 6 minutes each side for well done. In a medium nonstick skillet over high heat, sauté fresh shiitakes for 2-3 minutes in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.  Season mushrooms with salt and pepper.  Open up the rolls and lightly toast on the grill. Spread mango chutney on the bottom of each bun. Top with tuna burger, shiitakes, and red leaf lettuce. Spread wasabi mustard on bun tops and set them in place. 

Jane Baysinger McGarry

SOUTHERN SHRIMP & GRITS

quick-cooking grits

3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Tabasco sauce

nutmeg, freshly grated

ground white pepper

1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled, rinsed and dried

6 slices good, thick bacon, diced

peanut oil

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup green onions, finely sliced

1 large clove garlic, minced

4 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

Prepare the grits according to the package directions for 4-6 servings. While grits are still hot, add in the cheese, a dash or two of Tabasco, and a little grated nutmeg.  Cover and keep grits warm while preparing the shrimp.  Sauté the bacon until it is just brown, but not crisp.  Add enough peanut oil to cover the bottom of the pan about 1/8-inch deep.  Heat the oil and add the shrimp in a single layer.  Turn the shrimp as they begin to color; add the mushrooms and sauté about 4 minutes, turning often to cook all the shrimp evenly.  Add the green onions and the garlic, stirring to blend the flavors with the shrimp. To finish seasoning, add the lemon juice, a dash of Tabasco, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Place the grits on four plates for a main course or six plates as an appetizer; spoon the shrimp over them.  Serve immediately.

SIMPLE GRILLED SALMON

Salmon Filets

Melted Butter

Brown Sugar

Lemon Juice

 

Mix melted butter, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl.  Place salmon filets in a foil-lined baking dish or make a packet to with heavy-duty foil to enclose them.  Pour butter mixture over salmon filets to coat thoroughly.  Cover baking dish with foil or seal foil packet closed and cook over a moderately hot grill until salmon flakes with a fork.

HONEY BALSAMIC GLAZED SALMON

4 portions salmon filet, with skin on if possible

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. light olive oil

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. local honey

2 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce

Wash the salmon filets and pat dry.  In a bowl whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, brown sugar, honey and soy sauce until emulsified.  Place salmon filets in a large Ziploc bag and add the marinade.  Place bag in the refrigerator to marinate for 1-3 hours.  Preheat grill to medium-high and turn down to medium-low when salmon are added to cook.  Cover and cook for 7-9 minutes, or until fish is moist and flaky.  Do not over cook!

GRILLED LEMON SHRIMP

2 lbs. large fresh, or thawed uncooked frozen, peeled shrimp

1/2 c. melted butter

1/2 c. white wine

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. mined garlic, or to taste

1/2 c. parsley chopped fresh parley

2 tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

 

In a flameproof baking dish, large enough to hold shrimp in one layer, stir together butter, wine, salt, garlic and half of parsley. Add shrimp and cook on hot grill for 5 minutes. Turn shrimp over and sprinkle with remaining parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Continue to cook shrimp until just cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes more.

FROGMORE STEW

5 quarts (or more) water

1/4 cup (or more) Old Bay seasoning

4 pounds small red new potatoes

2 pounds kielbasa or hot smoked link sausage, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

6 ears of corn, halved

4 pounds large shrimp in the shell

Cocktail Sauce

Fill a large pot with water and add potatoes, Old Bay, and sausage. Cover pot and heat to a rolling boil; cook 10 minutes.  Add corn, return to a boil and cook 5 minutes.  Add shrimp to pot; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain. Serve with cocktail sauce. 

NOTES:  We made this outside in the turkey fryer using the cooking basket, making it easy to drain. Our recommendations are -- more water or maybe some beer, more Old Bay in the water and some sprinkled on at the table, we liked Eckrich sausage, frozen E-Z peel deveined shrimp from Schnucks, and our own cocktail sauce made with ketchup, horseradish, and lemon juice.  Some recipes also add onions, butter, and even fresh crabs.

FISHES – FOILED AGAIN!

I don't have "recipes" for the grill, but there is always the good ol’ fish in foil - some kind of fish fillet (salmon) in heavy duty foil with julienne carrots, celery, lemon slices or zest, garlic clove crushed, and a pat of butter, all wrapped up. Toss baked potatoes – wrapped in foil, or not – right on the coals, for about 45 minutes, before you do the fish.  Or wrap sliced baby red potatoes in heavy duty foil with sliced onions, butter, salt and pepper, a little rosemary.  Cook whole potatoes about 45 minutes - sliced potatoes 30 minutes - fish 5 to 10 minutes, depending on size and stuff with it.

Denise Sedlacek

WINSTON’S CRAB DIP

1 cup mayonnaise

6 ounces cream cheese

6 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 pounds crab meat, picked over to remove shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, cream cheese, sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, Parmesan, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. In a food processor (or by hand) thoroughly blend all ingredients except crab. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl, then add crab meat, being careful not to break up the crab meat too finely. Transfer to a small, flat baking dish and bake until browned, about 20 minutes. Serve with slightly toasted slices of French bread, or even crackers.

PICKLED SHRIMP

2 quarts water

2 1/2 pounds unpeeled fresh medium to large shrimp

3 medium onions, sliced

freshly ground pepper

whole peppercorns

3 bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 whole cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink, about 4 or 5 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse in cold water to prevent further cooking. Peel the shrimp, except the tail and remove dark vein. In a large 1 1/2 - 2 quart glass jar with a lid, layer shrimp and onions and top each layer with ground black pepper, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, and a clove of garlic. Keep layering until jar is about 2/3 full. Pour vinegar and lemon juice over layers until jar is almost full, but leaving some space at the top, so you can gently shake jar to mix ingredients. Seal jar tightly and chill for 2-3 few days before serving.  Pickled shrimp will keep up to 2 weeks. Turn jar upside down every day to mix ingredients. Serve chilled as an appetizer.

CAROLINA CRAB CAKES

1 pound fresh crabmeat

8 crackers, finely crushed

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon red pepper, minced

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

dash of hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix all ingredients lightly, except butter and olive oil, until blended.  Shape into patties.  I place a spoon of crab mixture in the center of a piece of plastic wrap and bring the corners together and twist the crab mixture into a ball.  Then I gently flatten the ball, inside the plastic wrap, into a patty.  Remove from plastic wrap and place the crab cake on a plate or tray lined with wax paper; repeat until all the crab mixture is used. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.  Melt the butter and oil in a large frying pan.  Sauté the crab cakes until golden brown on one side – about 3-4 minutes – turn and continue to sauté another 3 minutes.  Don’t crowd the crab cakes or they will not cook properly.  Remove and drain on paper towels, repeating until all crab cakes are cooked.  Serve with lemon wedges or your choice of sauces.  Makes 6 main course or 12 appetizer crab cakes. 

DONNA’S CHICKEN & SHRIMP JAMBALAYA

1/4 c. butter
1 c. celery, sliced
1 c. green bell pepper, chopped
1 c. onion, chopped
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh garlic
2 1/2 c. chicken stock
2 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 c. uncooked long grain rice
1 can diced tomatoes
1 lb. cooked smoked sausage links, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 lb. raw frozen shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined
Hot pepper sauce
Cooked rice

Melt butter in 6-quart saucepan or Dutch oven until sizzling; add celery, green pepper, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender (6 to 8 minutes). Add all remaining ingredients except shrimp and hot pepper sauce. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a full boil (5 to 6 minutes).
Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook until rice is fork-tender (20 to 25 minutes). Add shrimp; continue cooking until shrimp turn pink (4 to 5 minutes). Serve in a bowl over rice with hot pepper sauce. Makes 12 servings.

DEBRA’S SHRIMP AND ARTICHOKE BISQUE

8 c. chicken stock
2-14 oz. cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
2 c. chopped scallions, divided
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. plus 1 tbsp. flour
3/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 c. cream
2 c. half and half
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Pour chicken stock into a large pan, bring to a boil and then lower temperature to simmer until stock is reduced by half. Add artichoke hearts, 1 c. scallions, thyme, salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 12 mins. In a smaller pot, melt butter; add flour and cook a few minutes on low. Slowly add about 1 1/2 c. liquid from the first pot; stir to thicken mixture. Return all to the first pot. Add shrimp; simmer just a couple of mins. so the shrimp are pink, but not overcooked. Remove shrimp; set aside. Stir in cream and half and half. Simmer 8-10 mins. To serve: divide cooked shrimp among bowls, ladle soup over shrimp and sprinkle with remaining 1 c. scallions and parsley. Soup can also be served chilled.

ROBIN’S SHRIMP, SQUASH, and COCONUT STEW

1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 can (14 oz. each) low-sodium vegetable broth
1 can (5.5 oz. each) light coconut milk
3 tbsp. tomato paste
2 in. piece of ginger, slivered
1 tsp. each: brown sugar, salt, pepper
1 1/2 lbs. small (50-60 count) shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, thinly sliced
1/2 c. whipping cream
Juice of 2 limes
1 c. Thai basil or cilantro leaves, torn

Combine squash, broth, coconut milk, tomato paste, ginger, sugar, salt and pepper in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; cook 25 mins. Lower heat to simmer; cook until sauce thickens and squash is tender, about 8 mins. Add shrimp, bell pepper, and cream. Raise heat to medium-high; heat to a boil. Cook 2 mins. Stir in lime juice; turn off stove. Stir in basil and serve. Makes 8 servings.

TUNA TETRAZINI

8 oz. spaghetti, broken into 2” pieces (I use Dreamfields for lower carbs)

3 5-oz. cans tuna, drained (I use water packed canned or foil pouch tuna)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (I like sauteed fresh mushrooms)
1/2 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced green olives (plain black ones work, or pitted kalamata are very nice!)
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts (plain or marinated)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (substitute low-fat or low-sodium mushroom soup)
1 1/4 cups chicken broth (substitute low sodium)
1/4 cup white wine or sherry (optional, but a splash of white wine is my choice for tuna)
2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (use less cheese, or substitute low-fat cheese)

Cook spaghetti according to package directions and drain. In a large bowl, mix cooked spaghetti, tuna, mushrooms, pepper, olives, onion, artichoke hearts and ground pepper, plus 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Stir together mushroom soup, chicken broth and wine or sherry; pour over spaghetti mixture and stir to blend evenly. Pour mixture into lightly greased 13” x 9” baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and lightly browned - about 45 minutes.

PECAN CRUSTED FISH FILLETS

all-purpose flour

panko Japanese bread crumbs

4 tbsp. finely chopped pecans

1 cup buttermilk

2-3 dashes hot sauce

peanut oil

salt & pepper

4 – 6 fish fillets (tilapia, flounder, snapper or similar flat white fish fillet)

lemon wedges

Heat oven to 200 degrees and turn off. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine panko and chopped pecans in a shallow dish. Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a flat bowl or pie pan. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Wash fillets and pat dry; season on both sides with salt and pepper. Take one fish fillet at a time and dredge in flour, dip in buttermilk and then coat with panko-pecan mixture. Place 2 – 3 fillets at a time in the skillet. Cook about 3 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place cooked fish fillets on a baking sheet lined with a brown paper bag and place in warm oven while cooking remaining fish. Repeat procedure, adding more oil if necessary, until all fillets are cooked. Serve with lemon wedges.