Favorite Recipes

[Cil]

Donna's question (does anyone BBQ oysters, in the Gulf thread in the General Information forum) got me wondering about that (I love seafood in general and oysters in particular) and any other favorite recipes, grilling or otherwise.

Does anyone have a favorite, easy recipe, especially a grilling seafood one?
I would love to hear the answer to Donna's question.

I will never be a *GREAT* cook (don't have the patience), but I am a good cook, and learning new recipes keeps me from getting into too much of a rut. Here's one I like:

Salmon Lemongrass

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper + 1/4 yellow or red onion (chop them up) + 2 cloves of
garlic (chop them up) + 1/2 teaspoon of salt + 1/2 teaspoon of sugar + 1/2
teaspoon of turmeric + 1 tablespoon of curry + 2 tablespoons of chopping
lemongrass + ¼ cup of cooking oil. Mix them all together and put them on both sides of the salmon for a few hours before cooking.

Grill or bake, 5 to 8 minutes a side depending on thickness of salmon and method of cooking.

[SlowMovin]

I grill ersters from time to time. I like 'em raw, but Mrs. Movin' won't eat them anyway but extra well-done.

As for grilling seafood, I usually marinade in Mojo Criollo and throw in a few hickory wood chunks for smoky flavor. Works on anything...especially the fish everyone thinks they don't like--reds, specks, kings, spanish, etc.

[Paula]

What's Mojo Criollo?

I just roasted a bunch of red peppers from the local market yesterday, peeled them, and froze them for the winter (here in Michigan). It was easy to do -- found the recipe on the internet (roast about 17 minutes on a flat pan in 400 degree oven, turn and roast another 17 minutes until they start to collapse, put in a brown paper bag to cool (put the bag in a bowl because the bag will leak) or put in a bowl and cover with saran wrap to cool, and then peel the skin off and cut into strips). They were so sweet, they needed nothing else (typically people add olive oil and garlic). I went back to the market first thing this morning and bought ten more boxes of red peppers and will spend today roasting and freezing red peppers. Tomorrow I'll spend the day peeling basil leaves and making the pesto for the year. And then throughout the weekend I'll dry the tomatoes and store them.

I made crab cakes last week and they were mediocre at best. I know people like their crab cakes to be mostly crab and very little bread/bread crumbs, but these seemed quite bland and without much structure to hold them together. Does anyone have a wonderful nonfail crab cake recipe?

Thanks.

[Miss Kitty]

What's Mojo Criollo?

I just roasted a bunch of red peppers from the local market yesterday, peeled them, and froze them for the winter (here in Michigan). It was easy to do -- found the recipe on the internet (roast about 17 minutes on a flat pan in 400 degree oven, turn and roast another 17 minutes until they start to collapse, put in a brown paper bag to cool or put in a bowl and cover with saran wrap to cool, and then peel the skin off and cut into strips). They were so sweet, they needed nothing else (typically people add olive oil and garlic). I went back to the market first thing this morning and bought ten more boxes of red peppers and will spend today roasting and freezing red peppers. Tomorrow I'll spend the day peeling basil leaves and making the pesto for the year. And then throughout the weekend I'll dry the tomatoes and store them.

I made crab cakes last week and they were mediocre at best. I know people like their crab cakes to be mostly crab and very little bread/bread crumbs, but these seemed quite bland and without much structure to hold them together. Does anyone have a wonderful nonfail crab cake recipe?

Thanks.

Can someone get the crabcake recipe from the Red Bar/331? I got the recipe for the panned chicken a few years ago...couldn't quite replicate it, but maybe the crabcakes? YUMMMMM!

[shakennotstirred]

This if from a friend who is an excellent cook. I haven't tried it yet. Probably not as good as the Red Bar as everything tastes better at the beach! If you try it, please let me know if thumbs up or down!

Crab Cakes Remoulade

16 oz lump crabmeat
1/2 small onion chopped
1/4 cup minced celery
1/2 small red pepper, finely chopped
Butter or margarine
1-2 eggs
1 Tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Parsley and lemon wedges for garnish

Remoulade sauce:

1 cup mayonaisse
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon horseradish
1/4 cup minced parsley leaves
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
(ok to use 1/4 cup prepared cocktail sauce for ketchup and horseradish combination)

Mix all together in a small bowl. Refrigerate.

About 1 hour before serving:

Prepare Remoulade sauce; Cover and refrigerate.
Pick over crabmeat, removing any pieces of shells or cartilage.
Grate onion, mince celery and chop red pepper.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook onion, celery and red pepper in 2 Tablespoons of butter or margarine until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour, mustard and salt and cook one minute, stirring frequently.

Gradually stir in milk, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove saucepan from heat and transfer contents into a large mixing bowl. Add crabmeat, bread crumbs, lemon juice and 1 egg. Mix carefully and form mounds of crab cake. (If mixture isn't sticking together well enough, add the other egg.) Transfer crab cake mounds into skillet and cook over medium heat in 3-4 Tablespoons of hot butter/margarine. Press mounds into cakes with a spatula. Cook until browned on both sides and heated through, about 10 minutes.

Recipe makes about 8 good sized crab cakes, enough for about 4 servings.

Serve with Remoulade sauce and lemon wedges. Parsley garnish for finishing touch.

[Miss Kitty]

Thanks, shaken...nothing better than a good remoulade sauce!!! Might try these tonight...will let you know!

[Linda]

Thanks Shaken - I've been trying different crabcake recipes for years but am still in search of the "perfect" one. I've never tried the crab cakes at Red Bar but I will in a few weeks.

[shakennotstirred]

You are welcome Sueshore & Linda! Please let me know if they are worth the effort.

Linda - I will be eating crabcakes at the Red Bar in a few weeks as well. PLEASE leave some for me. Although everytime I have delicious crabcakes from another restaurant - I always wonder - are they as good as the Red Bar or do they taste better at the Red Bar because I am on vacation!

[kurt]

You are welcome Sueshore & Linda! Please let me know if they are worth the effort.

Linda - I will be eating crabcakes at the Red Bar in a few weeks as well. PLEASE leave some for me. Although everytime I have delicious crabcakes from another restaurant - I always wonder - are they as good as the Red Bar or do they taste better at the Red Bar because I am on vacation!

Everything tastes better if you are on vacation.

[Miss Kitty]

You are welcome Sueshore & Linda! Please let me know if they are worth the effort.

Linda - I will be eating crabcakes at the Red Bar in a few weeks as well. PLEASE leave some for me. Although everytime I have delicious crabcakes from another restaurant - I always wonder - are they as good as the Red Bar or do they taste better at the Red Bar because I am on vacation!

They REALLY are that good...I've tried crabcakes around the world and nothing compares to them! Go early...they can run out of them....or try Cafe 331 on any night other than Fri and Sat for the same delicious crabcakes!

[katie blue]

What's Mojo Criollo?

Oh Paula, it's a cook's best friend! It's a traditional mexican citrus-based marinade, with cumin and garlic and other great spices. I almost always marinate my chicken & seafood in it, regardless of whether I'm cooking mexican. It's sold in the mexican food section of your store, but make sure you buy the Goya brand, not Bada. Big difference.

[Paula]

Thanks, Katie Blue. I'll look for the sauce and try it this week. And thanks Shaken, I'll try the crab cakes sometime this month. And I've never had the crab cakes at the Red Bar, but is it both Friday and Saturday nights that they have them? I'll be in town for a Fri/Sat/Sun in November and would like to try them.

[Donna]

To barbeque oysters, first shuck the oysters (larger ones are better and Appalachichicola Bluepoints are the best) and then place a level teaspoon of your favorite BBQ sauce on top. Stir it around with the bivalve just a bit. Then cook the oyster in its half-shell on a medium heat barbeque grill (hood lowered) until the oysters steam a bit. Serve with lots of good sturdy bread for sopping up the leftover BBQ sauce. We like BBQ oysters best with a cold beer.

We found this wonderful kitchen gadget in a catalog recently, an oyster guilloutine. It looks like one of those upright wine cork extractors. But you balance the oyster on its base and then let the guilloutine fall to separate the shell. So much safer than an oyster knife and no need for those heavy gloves. I think it was about $22 or so.

This thread is making my mouth water!

[shakennotstirred]

And thanks Shaken, I'll try the crab cakes sometime this month. And I've never had the crab cakes at the Red Bar, but is it both Friday and Saturday nights that they have them? I'll be in town for a Fri/Sat/Sun in November and would like to try them.

You are welcome! Yes, the Red Bar has crab cakes on both Fri & Sat nights. As Sueshore said above, get there early because they do run out.

[shakennotstirred]

Everything tastes better if you are on vacation.

This is very true!

[SlowMovin]

Just don't forget that the laws of physics (especially with regard to large bodies of water and moving objects such as motorized vehicles) still apply.

[Mermaid]

Here's a nice light dessert that's easy to make at the beach.

Crepes

1 1/3 c whole milk, room temperature
1 c all purpose flour
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Non-stick vegetable oil spray

Mix first 6 ingredients in blender just until smooth. Cover batter and chill at least 15 minutes and up to 1 day.

Spray 7" diameter non-stick skillet with vegetable oil spray and heat over medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter into pan and swirl to coat bottom. Cook until edge of crepe is light brown, about 1 minute. Loosen edges gently with spatula.

Serve with your choice of filling--jam, Nutella, fruit sauce etc.

*I bring a ziplock bag from home filled with pre-measured flour, sugar, and salt so all I have to do is pour it into the blender with the other ingredients and I'm ready to go.

[katie blue]

Guacamole
2 small Tomatoes, deseeded, chopped
1 small Vidalia Onion, chopped
1/2 fresh Jalapeno Pepper, finely chopped (optional)
handful of fresh Cilantro, chopped
2 cloves of Garlic (or garlic powder)
a few shakes of Cumin
juice of 1/2 a Lime
Salt

Blend these ingredients together in a bowl, refrigerate for 15 min - 1 hour. This is Pico de Gallo.

2-3 Avacadoes

Slice avacadoes into chunks...do not "cream" them. They'll get creamy enough when you blend. Toss together the avacadoes and the Pico de Gallo in a bowl. Adjust lime and spices if necessary. Open bag of tortilla chips. Dig'm.

[ktschris]

Everything tastes better if you are on vacation.

Yes, and I've been told everything is fat and calorie free while on vactions too.

[kurt]

Guacamole
2 small Tomatoes, deseeded, chopped
1 small Vidalia Onion, chopped
1/2 fresh Jalapeno Pepper, finely chopped (optional)
handful of fresh Cilantro, chopped
2 cloves of Garlic (or garlic powder)
a few shakes of Cumin
juice of 1/2 a Lime
Salt

Blend these ingredients together in a bowl, refrigerate for 15 min - 1 hour. This is Pico de Gallo.

2-3 Avacadoes

Slice avacadoes into chunks...do not "cream" them. They'll get creamy enough when you blend. Toss together the avacadoes and the Pico de Gallo in a bowl. Adjust lime and spices if necessary. Open bag of tortilla chips. Dig'm.

Yummm - that's about how I make it. I could live on it. It's hard to add too much salt.

[Cil]

That's about how I make it too. I do like to throw a bit of white pepper as well as chile pepper in there.

[Mermaid]

Here's a good fish dinner:

fillets of tilapia
scallions -cut into a couple of pieces
fresh ginger -grated
1 garlic clove -minced
sesame oil
olive oil
soy sauce

Using a large fry pan/skillet with lid, add a drop of sesame oil and olive oil. When hot, add garlic, ginger and scallions.
When scallions look limp, add the filets of tilapia, throw in a splash of soy sauce and put the lid on.
Cook maybe 5 minutes, turn fish over and let it cook another 5 minutes.
When cooked, should be flaky, it is very white and moist.

That is it.
It sort of poaches the fish, and the flavors are wonderful.
I made a potato salad with new potatoes and pesto and green beans, but coconut rice would be fabulous with it.

Coconut rice

1 can Lite coconut milk
1 cup Jasmine rice
water
Into a pot, add 2 cups coconut milk with about 1/3 cup water (add more if it dries out before rice is tender- coconut milk cooks off faster than water)
add 1 cup rice.
Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook 20 minutes.

Bon Appetit, everyone!

[Beachlover2]

Where is Sea Turtle???

I made her Chicken and Stuffing in the Crockpot the other night and my son loved it?

Thank you Sea turtle - it was easy and good!!!!! Two of my favorites.