Spinach, Tomato, and Jalapeno Curry with Broiled Salmon and Dill-Cottage Cheese Puree

We've got a week left in Florida, so I'm starting to rummage through the groceries I've bought and get things used up.  It's a fun little game of piecing together different ingredients so I can avoid buying anything new.  I get to play pretty often due to our nomadic lifestyle.  This is last night's outcome.  It's great for anyone else who doesn't feel like going to the store, too, as it primarily uses pantry staples.  

If you're looking at the title and thinking "cottage cheese puree... umm, ewww...", just trust me on this one.  Cottage cheese actually makes awesomely creamy and super healthy sauces.  You can also make dips for veggies out of it.  It's the same idea as substituting Greek yogurt to make creamy dressing or sauce, but minus the tangy flavor.  Sometimes I use Greek yogurt for such things, sometimes I use cottage cheese.  Actually, more specifically, I use Greek yogurt for such things when I'm lazy and cottage cheese when I want my husband to like it better.  Or when I'm trying not to go to the store and we only have cottage cheese and no Greek yogurt.  I made the sauce for the salmon, but ended up using a little on the veggies too, just because.  

This whole dinner takes less than an hour from start to finish, and part of that time in just the curry simmering on the stove sans (much) supervision.   This makes enough for 3-4 servings, depending on your appetite and whether or not you choose to make some sort of grain to round things out.

What you need:

Curry:

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 medium onion, chopped

~10 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (or less if you're not a garlic fiend)

2 jalapenos, seeds and pith removed, sliced

10 ounces frozen spinach

1 14 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1/2 cup water or broth of choice

1 teaspoon black pepper

salt to taste

Salmon:

16 ounce fillet salmon (I used Coho, Sockeye would also be delicious)

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Salt and pepper

Dill-Cottage Cheese Puree:

1 cup low fat cottage cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

~1/2 cup packed fresh dill OR 2 tablespoons dried dill (or basically to taste, but that is roughly what I used)

Curry: 

Start by heating the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno.  Saute for a few minutes, or until they are lightly browned.  Add the spinach, tomatoes, bay leaves, coriander, and black pepper.  Stir around for another minute or two, until the spinach is thawed.  Add 1/2 cup water or broth reduce heat to medium.  Cover partially and let simmer for 30 minutes (or if you don't have a cover, just add a little more water if things start sticking).  Season with salt to taste.

Salmon:

After the curry has been simmering for about 15 minutes, preheat oven to a high broil. Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil.  Place salmon on the baking sheet.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Broil for 10-15 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through.  Time will vary depending on how thick your salmon is and how hot your broiler gets, but you can test it by seeing if it flakes easily in the thickest part of the fish.  If you have a large piece of salmon, you may want to cut in half before cooking so that the thinner edges do not overcook.

Dill-Cottage Cheese Puree:

While the salmon is in the oven, make the puree.  Simply add all puree ingredients to a food processor or blend and blend until smooth.  If your blender is struggling, add a little water and a pinch of salt to get things going (the salt is so that the water doesn't make it too watery tasting).

And enjoy!

Sauteed Calamari with Jalapeno, Cilantro, and Lime

When people hear "calamari", they think battered and fried diet saboteurs.  But it has a bad rep!  Calamari can be delicious AND super healthy when grilled or sauteed with minimal added oil.

And, don't get me wrong- I LOVE some me deep-fried calamari, especially if it's done properly.  And I've even made it myself (done properly, of course ;-)).  But for a weeknight, it doesn't make the cut in the health department.

This time around I sauteed a bag of pre-cut rings.  You can also buy the bag with mixed rings and tentacles, or the whole pieces and cut them yourself.  Make sure to clean and remove any hard pieces of cartilage or whatever it is that is sometimes still in the whole pieces.

I had a cast-iron skillet to use this time, and it really did make a difference for the better.  Can't wait until we're not moving all over the place so that my kitchen can be fully stocked with all of the goodies I want.  You can use a different kind of skillet still- it'll just be very difficult to get the nice crisp browning without overcooking.  But they don't need to be brown.

You can also grill these.  I've done them in a grill basket before with great results.  In that case, add the lime juice and cilantro after you've put the grilled calamari into a non-holey dish. ;-)

What you need:

2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 pound calamari, cut into rings
1 jalapeno, sliced and seeds removed unless you like it hot
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice of one lime
salt and pepper to taste

Start by squeezing the excess moisture out of your calamari.  Literally squeezing with (multiple) paper towel.  This is very important!  Too much liquid will make it hard to get a sear on them.

Next, heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat.  Add the coconut oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the calamari rings.  Saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the jalapeno.  Continue to saute for another 1-2 minutes, or until complelely opaque.  You may not get any color on your rings depending on how hot your stove gets and what kind of pan you use.  Do not overcook.  Remove from heat and add cilantro and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired- I added salt to mine once it was on my plate, husband waved it away.

I served mine over a bed of greens and chopped tomato with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce on the side (see below for that recipe).




Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

1 roasted red pepper, seeds and stem removed (I left the skin on)
1 cup Greek yogurt
juice of 1/2 lime
4-5 cloves roasted garlic
pinch of salt

Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor.  That's it!

Quick Sauteed Seafood

I made this to accompany some Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup, but it would be awesome on top of a salad, pasta, quinoa, or just by itself.  Or dipped in spicy mayo/greek yogurt.

It is really easy and quick, and very healthy.  I bought this mixed seafood bag from Trader Joe's.

It is frozen, so you do need to make sure to thaw it.  If you forget until kind of on the late side, run some cool water over it to speed up the process.

I kept these really plain this time, because I was adding them to the soup that already had some nice flavor.  It also lets the flavor of the seafood shine through.  But you could definitely spice them up... maybe try with some garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper, and lemon juice.

What you need:

1 pound of mixed seafood (shrimp, scallops, and squid/calamari)

1 teaspoon coconut oil (or use olive oil)

sea salt and black pepper

After seafood has thawed, make sure to drain the extra liquid.  Then dump it into a paper towel lined bowl and try to get some extra moisture out.  I usually grab a couple more paper towels and blot from the top too.  Your seafood should NOT be really cold.  Let it sit out for a little longer if it has barely thawed.  If you didn't have frozen to begin with, it should sit out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before cooking.  

Heat oil in a medium/large saucepan over high heat.  Add seafood and saute until shrimp are opaque (they will be the last ones to get cooked).  Depending on how much extra liquid was left, your seafood might not have had a chance to get brown while cooking... that did happen to me this time and I just left them a little longer so that the extra liquid evaporated and that could get their brown in.  

Once cooked, season with a little sea salt and pepper. (Don't add the salt while they are cooking, it will only draw more moisture out).

Enjoy!

Marinated Seared Tuna Steak

Old post that I never quite finished/published from Saba days.  I can still vouch for the tuna!

I absolutely love tuna.  Not the canned variety (though that has its uses at times), but a deliciously rare, barely seared pink steak of it.  I used to order it every time I saw it on a menu, but then I realized that it was one of those things I can easily make on my own at a fraction of the cost.  The steaks I buy here on Saba are still not cheap (then again, nothing is cheap here but rum) at 4-5 bucks a serving, but are definitely a bargain compared to restaurant prices.  

I never tried marinating the tuna until the last two times I made it.  Usually I'm just making it for myself anyway, and I like it fine when I just sear it with salt and pepper.  The first time I marinated it, I was making dinner for my parents and Rob as well, and wanted to make sure it was well received all around.  Especially since Rob isn't really a huge fan of tuna and I was making him eat it since I thought my parents would like it.  They all loved it- even Rob!  

You can serve this as a salad, as pictured below, or sliced into Asian tacos, or simply served with a vegetable on the side (something like a cabbage slaw or cucumbers marinated in a dressing similar to that below would be good).  Enjoy!

Here, I served the tuna with bacon, feta, and cherry tomatoes with a rice vinegar based vinaigrette in this salad

What you need:

1 4-6 ounce tuna steak per person
Sesame oil or coconut oil for searing (I usually use about 1 teaspoon per steak, but some pan materials might force you to use more so that the tuna doesn't  stick)

Marinade:
2 parts soy sauce
4 parts rice vinegar
Minced fresh ginger and fresh garlic
1 part sesame oil
1 part chili-garlic sauce

Mix together the marinade ingredients.  Add the tuna steaks, making sure that there is enough marinade to cover them.  Let sit for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat.  Add the tuna steaks and sear on each flat side for 1-3 minutes per side, depending on how rare you want the steak.  Use tongs to stand each steak on end to very briefly sear the other sides.

Notes:

*I often cut each steak into 3-4 pieces before marinading.  This allows the flavors of the marinade to permeate more and creates more seared edges, so it's a good thing to try if you are serving this to someone who is hesitant about trying seared tuna.  When I do it this way, I use a spatula to flip the pieces around in the pan.  They really just need a quick (~20 sec per side) sear on each side.

*I usually serve this with Spicy Mayo/Greek Yogurt.  Just mix chili-garlic sauce with either mayo, Greek yogurt, or a combination, depending on how healthy you feel like being.  You control the spiciness depending on your preference.  I usually do 1 part chili-garlic to 3-4 parts mayo/yogurt.

Seared Shrimp and Scallops with Green Veggie Puree

So pretty, tasty, and healthy!

I got the idea for this from Bon Appetit's recipe for Pea Puree with Shrimp and Scallops.  I hate following directions though, so I made up my own vegetable puree.  This puree is jam-packed with flavor from roasted vegetables, fresh herbs, and spicy arugula.  If you wanted to make a slightly richer puree, I think green olives or walnuts would make an awesome addition.

I served this with roasted asparagus and a Sriracha dipping sauce (see below).

What you need for the Green Veggie Puree (which can be made ahead of time):

4 cups fresh Broccoli florets

1 Zucchini

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup fat-free Cream Cheese

2 Garlic Cloves

2-3 tablespoons EACH fresh Cilantro and Mint

1/2 cup (packed) fresh Arugula

1-2 teaspoons Lemon juice

Start by roasting the veggies: Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spread broccoli and zucchini across a baking sheet.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Toss with a spatula to evenly coat.  Roast for 30-45 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and slightly browned.  Let cool.

Puree roasted vegetables and remaining ingredients using a food processor or immersion blender.  Add a bit more olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate until ready for use.

What you need for the Shrimp and Scallops:

1/2 pound jumbo Scallops, rinsed and patted dry

1/2 pound large Shrimp, peeled and patted dry

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Season the scallops and shrimp lightly with salt and pepper.  When the oil is hot, sear the scallops and shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and opaque in the center.  

Serve with the vegetable puree and Sriracha sauce. Enjoy!

Sriracha Sauce:

1/4 cup plain low fat Yogurt (or fat free Greek yogurt)

2 tablespoons light Mayonnaise

Sriracha to taste

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Mix all ingredients.   (You could also just use mayonnaise instead of the yogurt and mayo mix, but this version cuts some calories)  This is tasty with pretty much everything.  So you might want to make some extra.

Seafood Curry

A super flavorful curry loaded with veggies, seafood, and spice.  Serve over rice, or in a bowl with a spoon.  I used a Panang Curry Paste by Taste of Thai, but you could definitely substitute in some other pre-made curry paste.  This makes a big pot of curry that can feed a crowd, or just leave you with plenty of tasty leftovers.

What you need:

1-2 teaspoons Chili Oil or Olive Oil

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh Ginger

1 medium/small Onion, chopped

5-6 cloves of Garlic, peeled and chopped

1-2 hot peppers (optional- I'm not sure what kind I used because I got them from the farm here and wasn't even a name, but I think that jalapeno or thai chilis would be good)

1 packet Panang Curry Paste (1.75 ounces) or another type of curry paste- just be sure to get paste, not sauce

1-2 teaspoons Thai Fish Sauce

1-2 teaspoons Rice Vinegar

2-3 teaspoons Curry Powder (optional, but I like to have a lot of spice and thought it needed this)

1-2 teaspoons Coriander 

1 medium Carrot, sliced thinly

3 large leaves of Chard, stalks and leaves sliced and separated

8 ounces Cremini Mushrooms, sliced

1 can Coconut milk

1-2 cups broth (you can use seafood, chicken, or vegetable)

3/4 pound peeled shrimp

3/4 pound fish, cut into bite size pieces (I used one piece of Swai and one piece of Grouper, because I had them in my freezer and wanted to use them up.  You can use whatever type of white fish that you like- tilapia, red snapper, cod, etc)

2-3 fresh tomatoes, cut into chunks

1 can diced tomatoes (mine were fire roasted with garlic)

2-3 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with a little water

3-4 green onions, thinly sliced

Heat the chili oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and ginger.  Stir and let cook for 1-2 minutes, then add: the hot peppers, curry paste, fish sauce, vinegar, other spices, carrot, and sliced chard stalk.  Saute for a couple minutes and add the mushrooms and chard leaves.  Stir and add the coconut milk and broth.  Bring to a boil and add the fish and shrimp and tomatoes (fresh and canned). Bring back to a boil and reduce heat to medium low.  Let simmer until fish and shrimp are cooked through.  The fish should be falling apart and both should be opaque.  Add the cornstarch and cook for another minute, until the sauce thickens.  Stir in the green onion.

Serve over rice or with some bread for sopping up the sauce.  Enjoy!

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Clearly, this isn't a terribly original recipe.  Google "bacon wrapped scallop recipe" and you'll find tons of the same recipe that all basically say the same thing.  However, I wanted to post this in case others of you out there have the same initial impression of these tasty treats that I did.  I always kind of think of bacon-wrapped scallops as one of those really fancy seeming things that I never think to do, maybe because they just seem too fancy, and therefore must be some sort of ordeal.

In reality, these are both simple and quick to make.  And delicious.  I served them as dinner for the two of us, but it would also be a really nice appetizer if you cut the larger scallops in half or used smaller ones.

I also made a spicy "mayo" sauce and a pesto-avocado cream to complement them.  Two dips/sauces were not really necessary, but both were tasty and went well (and I had an avocado I needed to use up and also still really wanted to make a spicy mayonnaise-y thing).

What you need:

6 Jumbo Scallops, rinsed and patted dry (or 12 smaller ones, and just cut the bacon in half)
6 slices of Thick-cut Bacon (if you do not have thick cut, that's fine, I actually didn't either.  But it would have been easier if I had.  If you have really thin slices, use 9-12 slices instead)
Salt
Toothpicks

Heat oven to broil on low.  Lay bacon strips out on a baking sheet with edges.  Place pan in oven and broil bacon until it is just barely cooked and still plenty flexible.  Remove from oven and drain pan.  Sprinkle scallops lightly with salt.  Wrap one piece of bacon around each scallop, securing with a toothpick.  If you are using a thinner cut of bacon and the one piece seems too skimpy  add another half or whole piece.  Place scallops on baking sheet.  Broil for 4-6 minutes (depending on scallop size), flip over, and broil for an additional 4-6 minutes.  The scallops should be opaque and the bacon should be fully cooked.  If you want the bacon a little crispier, leave them another couple minutes.

Serve with sauce(s) and enjoy!

For the Spicy Mayonnaise:

Mix together equal parts fat-free plain yogurt (Greek or regular) and light mayonnaise.  Or just use all mayo, but I think the blend keeps a nice balance between flavor and healthiness.  Add Sriracha hot sauce to taste.

For the Pesto Avocado Cream:

Blend the following ingredients using a food processor or immersion blender:

1 Avocado, cut into chunks
Pinch of Salt
Splash of Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons chopped Onion
1-2 tablespoons pre-made Pesto

Crispy Parmesan Shrimp with Cauliflower-Beet Puree

This might be a bit of a weird mix, but I promise it was delicious together.  And the beet puree was just lovely.  I think it would also make a great accompaniment for steak or some other seafood.  Or just by itself.  Or maybe as a dip if you added a bit more spice to it... That may just be what happens with the leftovers.

The shrimp turned out pretty great- crunchy on the outside and still nice and juicy on the inside.  They would be nice on a salad as well.  

Let's start with the Cauliflower-Beet Puree.

What you need:

1 small cauliflower, cut into florets

3 medium beets, scrubbed, ends removed, and chopped into 1 inch pieces

Olive oil spray

Salt and pepper

1-2 cups almond milk (or regular milk)

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

1/2 artichoke hearts

2 whole heads roasted garlic

Lemon juice

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon onion powder

Start by roasting the vegetables: Spread beet and cauliflower pieces out on a olive-oil sprayed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.  Roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour, stirring once.

Now, place your roasted vegetables in a saucepan and add one cup of almond milk.  Bring to a boil and then simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes (this helps tenderize the beets so that they will blend a little better.  You could simmer them for longer if you want it to be really smooth, but I like a little texture to my puree).  Take off heat, add the remaining ingredients, and puree with an immersion blender.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Now, for the Crispy Parmesan Shrimp:

What you need:

3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and tails removed (mine with medium)

1/3 cup flour

1/4-1/3 cup shredded Parmesan

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs (or plain, but then add a bit of an Italian seasoning blend in with the crumbs)

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1-2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup Egg Beaters (or just use a couple of whole eggs or some egg whites, beaten)

Place your flour in one bowl and your Egg Beaters in another.  Mix the Parmesan, both breadcrumbs, the lemon-pepper seasoning, the garlic powder, and the black pepper in another bowl.  Heat your oven to broil on high.  Spray a baking sheet with olive oil.  Dip each shrimp first into the flour, then the Egg Beaters, and finally into the bread crumb mixture.  Place on baking sheet.  When all of the shrimp have been breaded, broil for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.  The shrimp should be browned and cooked through (I cut through one with a knife to make sure).

Serve with Cauliflower-Beet Puree and Creamy Pesto Sauce (see below). Enjoy!

Creamy Pesto Sauce:

Mix the following together:

• 2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• splash of lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons store-bought pesto

Baked Fish Sticks

I was really pleased with how these came out.  They were really tasty, fairly simple to make, and actually WORKED.  I mean, the crumb coating didn't half fall off or horribly stick to the pan.  And they're a healthy alternative to regular fried fish sticks.  And kid-friendly, I would think.  

I served these alongside my leftover Crockpot Tomato Soup.  Simple and satisfying dinner. (and enough leftover for breakfast! ... IF you're like me and don't particularly care for breakfast food for breakfast)

What you need:

 (I forgot to pay attention to how much of everything I was using, so these are just estimates.  However, with this recipe, it's pretty easy to adjust as you go.  I had to make up a bit more of the crumb mixture halfway through myself)

2 (4-6 oz) fillets of a mild white fish, such as tilapia, swai, or cod (I used swai because I already had some), cut into 1 inch strips

Olive oil spray

1/3 cup flour

2 medium eggs or maybe 1 large one (I still had a little of the 2 medium left), beaten

1 cup panko crumbs

1-2 teaspoons EACH garlic powder, black pepper, and Season-All 

Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a baking pan with olive oil.  Set up your breading station:  flour in one bowl, eggs in the next, and then the panko crumbs mixed with the seasonings.  Dip each piece of tilapia into the flour, shaking off excess.  Then they go into the eggs, and finally into the panko crumb mixture.  Make sure you fully cover (but shake off extra) at each step.  Place pieces on prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned.  If you want, you can flip the pieces halfway through for more evening browning, but mine were good enough without doing this.

Serve with dipping sauce (recipe below).

Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1/4-1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 tablespoon dried parsley

splash of worcestershire

1/2-1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoons mustard (okay, I cannot really vouch for this, but I was definitely going to put it in, but SOMEHOW I was out of mustard.  Weird.)

Mix everything together and done!

Spicy Barbeque Shrimp

Easy, tasty, and healthy.  I paired these with a soup, but they would be great on top of a pizza or in a wrap or on a salad... Or on top of rice for those of you out there who like rice.  

If you have a grill, you could grill instead of broiling, but the broiler works just fine.  

What you need:

1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp
2-3 tablespoons barbecue sauce of choice (I try to find ones that are lower in sugar... this time it was a brand called Weber in the Hickory Smoke flavor)
1/3 cup salsa of choice (I used Pace brand in Chipotle flavor)
1 chipotle pepper, chopped, plus a little of the sauce
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together and let shrimp marinate for at least 30 minutes.  Heat oven broiler on high and spray a baking sheet with olive oil.  Remove shrimp from marinade, shaking off excess marinade as you do this.  Spread shrimp on the baking sheet.  Place under broiler for 5 minutes.  Pour the marinade into a saucepan.  Boil this over medium-high heat as the shrimp broils.  Take the shrimp out of the oven, drain excess liquid into the boiling marinade pan, flip the shrimp, and put back into the oven.  Broil for another 5 minutes and then remove from oven.

Serve shrimp with marinade sauce on the side (Watch out! The sauce is a bit spicy).

Coconut and Peach Tilapia and Shrimp

Super simple and pretty healthy.  Not a bad combo.  I served it on top of a salad with fresh lettuce, arugula, sliced radishes, avocado, and nectarines with some goat cheese and nectarine filo pastries (and made a light fruit vinaigrette to go on top of the greens).  Yum.

What you need (this is going to make enough for 4-6 people... we have lots of leftovers):

3/4 pound tilapia
3/4 pound shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
1/2 packet coconut milk powder (or try using 1/2-1 cup coconut milk)
2-3 tablespoons unsweetened dried coconut
2-3 tablespoons peach nectar
1-2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (I used a raspberry flavored version because it's what I had, but I don't think it really matters)
1 tablespoon Ponzu (basically lime-y soy sauce, so if you don't have it, try a mix of lime juice and soy sauce)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix everything together.  Let marinate for 30 minutes or so.  Heat oven to High Broil.  Pour everything onto a baking sheet (include marinade).  Broil for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.

*If you want, you can broil the shrimp and tilapia without the marinade so that they get more of a "crust".  But I recommend that you still keep the marinade and bring it to a boil so that it can be served alongside as  a sauce.

Enjoy!

Barbecued Baby Octopus

Okay, first step to this is getting over the cute little baby octopus that you are planning to boil, broil, and eat. Maybe chop them up first if that helps you out.

Then proceed with the directions below.  I promise, they're quite tasty!  Similar to calamari (not the deep fried kind).  I like to serve them with a roasted vegetable salad and maybe some fried rice or a light naan bread "pizza".

What you need:

1 pound frozen baby octopus, thawed and cleaned

1 cup red wine

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 basil tomato sauce

2-3 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon hot chili-garlic sauce

1 teaspoon black pepper

2-3 teaspoons garlic powder (or use minced garlic)

1/4 very thinly sliced onion

1-2 tablespoons finely chopped or minced fresh ginger

chopped fresh basil and cilantro (optional)

Start by bring the wine, balsamic vinegar, and octopus to a boil.  Lower heat, and let simmer for 20 minutes. While simmering, preheat oven to a high broil.  Then drain the octopus, discarding the liquid.  Place octopus and the rest of the ingredients in a 13 x 9 pan and mix everything together.  Broil for 10-15 minutes, depending on how hot your broiler gets.  The onion should slightly cook and the the sauce should become thick and become baked onto the octopus in places.  That's it!  At this point, if you have it, add a bit of freshly chopped basil and cilantro.

Enjoy!

Broiled Calamari Salad

YUM.  This is so good and also really healthy.  I've now made two versions- the picture is of the "Mediterranean" version.  Both recipes are below.  The ingredients are listed separately, but the instructions are the same for both.  I served the first version with the Mediterranean Vegetable Salad recipe I posted earlier and some Parmesan garlic bread.  The "Asian" version was served with a curried pumpkin soup and some sweet potato pancakes.

The first version is largely based off of http://askgeorgie.com/?p=1795 with only slight modifications.  So thanks Georgie!

The Mediterranean Version Ingredients:

1 pound calamari, cleaned and sliced into bite size pieces (use both the tentacles and the tubes)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic (and I also added a bit of garlic powder because I like it extra-garlicky)
1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (optional, sprinkle on top after serving)

The Asian Version Ingredients:

3/4 pound calamari, cleaned and sliced into bite size pieces (use both the tentacles and the tubes)
1/4 pound raw shrimp, peeled (use large or jumbo so that they cook evenly enough with the calamari)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice or rice vinegar
2 tablespoons minced garlic (and I also added a bit of garlic powder because I like it extra-garlicky)
1 can (14-15 ounces) Asian stir fry mushrooms, drained and rinsed, with the extra moisture squeezed out
1/2 leek, chopped


Directions:

Preheat oven to broil on high. Mix all ingredients together and spread in a greased 13 x 9 pan.  Broil for 10-20 minutes (depends on your oven's temp) until cooked through and slightly browned.  Stir it once during this process.  Enjoy!

Thai Pumpkin Curry (Sauce or Soup)

I made this as a sauce for the Slow-Roasted Salmon I posted, but it could also serve as a thick soup as a light main course (or poured over a salad of lettuce, tomato, and cucumber, which is what I ate for lunch the next day after the salmon).  

The first step to this recipe is roasting some vegetables.  This can be done ahead of time and the roasted vegetables can be kept in the fridge until you're ready to make the rest of it.

Roasted Vegetables:

3 cups chopped fresh pumpkin (about 1 and a half inch square pieces)

1 large carrot, chopped into 1 inch slices

1 medium-large onion, quartered

4-6 small green Thai hot peppers

Salt and pepper OR curry powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a 13 x 9 pan with olive oil and spread the vegetables across it.  Spray them again and season with salt and pepper OR curry powder.  Roast vegetables until soft and slightly browned.  You may need to take the peppers out early so that they don't get too crispy.  Set vegetables aside while you start the rest of the curry.

What You Need For the Curry:

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh ginger 

Couple of cloves minced garlic (or more)

2-3 Tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste

1 teaspoon EACH Garam Masala and ground Coriander

1/2 can coconut milk

Ketjap Manis OR Soy Sauce

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 cup Milk

Roasted Vegetables (from above instructions)

2-4 dried Thai hot peppers

1 teaspoon Kaffir Lime Leaves

1 can minced clams, NOT drained

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup sliced red peppers.

Start by skimming off a glob of the thick coconut cream from the top of the coconut milk can.  Add this to a large greased pot along with the ginger, garlic, curry paste, garam masala, and coriander.  Fry these together until the spices become fragrant and have browned slightly.  Add in the rest of the coconut milk (altogether using half of the can), a couple splashes of Ketjap Manis or soy sauce, the fish sauce, milk, roasted vegetables. and dried hot peppers.  Let simmer for a bit (maybe 5-10 minutes), then use an immersion blender to puree everything.  Add some water if necessary.  Add the Kaffir lime leaves, can of clams, the mushrooms, and red peppers (and possibly more water, depending on how thick you want it).  Let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.  You also may want to add a bit more Katjap Manis, fish sauce, or some garlic powder after a taste test.

Enjoy on its own or as a sauce for the salmon! 

Simple "Sushi" Snack

A quick and healthy snack or appetizer with a bit of flair.

What you need:

A cucumber, sliced into rounds
Fat free cream cheese ( or use the 1/3 less fat kind if you don't care for fat free)
Imitation Crab or Smoked Eel
Avocado, cut into thin slices or little chunks
Wasabi Dipping and Grilling Sauce (mine was Asian Gourmet brand)

Place a dab (about 1/2 teaspoon) cream cheese on each cucumber round, then top with a chunk of crab or eel and piece of avocado.  Drizzle with the sauce.  Enjoy!