Tapas Paradise in St. Pete

Yesterday, I had a terrific tapas and Basque wine experience at Ceviche restaurant (http://ceviche.com/) in St. Petersburg, FL. Even though the temperature was in the low 90°s, I felt perfectly comfortable sitting outside on their covered porch (about one block from Tampa Bay).

Despite its name, the restaurant has four ceviche dishes on its menu compared to forty-three tapas dishes. It also has three kinds of paellas, cheese and charcuterie plates, and salads.

I had two seafood tapas and a Basque wine at the restaurant and took another two meat tapas home for dinner. They were all mouth watering.

The first seafood tapa I had was Mejillones a la Catalana (Catalann-style Mussels) - Sautéed mussels, sherry cream sauce, serrano ham, shallots, and garlic, with crispy baguette slices and lemon to squeeze. ($11)

I thought the first dish was great. Then I tried the Cangrejo Fundido (Crab Melt) - jumbo lump blue crab, manchego cheese, sherry cream, with small slices of perfect pita onto which I scooped the crab mix. That dish was out of this world. ($13)

The wine I had was a delicious white wine from Spanish Basque country - a 2017 Txakolina wine made with Hondarrabi Zuri grapes. The wine was a bit on the sweet side, and a perfect accompaniment for the two tapas. The winery that produces it is Rekalde, which is owned by the Hirutza family. The 9-oz glass was $13.

The two tapas I took home for dinner were also delicious. (They were on the edge of my modest spiciness tolerance).

The first was Albondigas - chorizo, pork, and veal meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce. ($9)

The second was Piquillos Rellenos - Roasted red peppers stuffed with veal, pork, and chorizo, in sherry cream. ($10)

The restaurant has flamenco performances three nights per week - Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

My server, Brittany, was terrific - customer-focused with a warm and ebullient personality.

I can't wait to go back.

Power AirFryer XL - Incredible Fries & Delicious Salmon Cooked Simultaneously

On a whim, I recently bought a Power Air Fryer XL. A customer in BJs noticed me looking at it, and she commented on what great fries and breaded cod it made. I had to give it a try. I'm really glad I did. It was extremely easy to use and produced great results;

The first time I used it, I tried breaded chicken. It turned out tasty, but not incredible. However, yesterday evening, I decided to try cooking salmon and french fries at the same time. The salmon was delicious and the fries were among the best I have ever had. They were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I used unthawed Alexia frozen fries, which I lightly coated with EVOO. I prepared the 7-oz. skinned, fresh, wild Keta salmon filet by basting both sides with EVOO and lemon juice, and sprinkling it with sea salt and pepper.

Then I set the temperature at 400° and the timer at 18 minutes. I put the fries in first. When the timer reached 11 minutes remaining, I opened the basket and inserted the salmon. At the same time, I turned over the fries. When the time reached 5 minutes, I turned the salmon over and shook the fries.

It doesn't get any easier than that. One great benefit of using a hot air fryer, is that it significantly reduces the calorie count of dishes.

The fryer inner and outer baskets are non-stick and are dishwasher safe.

The cost of my 5.3 quart air fryer at BJs was $79.99.

Delicious, Fast, 'n Easy Tomato-Basil Grouper

In my search for a fast and easy way to prepare the grouper I love, I found this very nice recipe for tomato-basil grouper at: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grouper-with-tomato-and-basil-106744. It makes two servings and takes about 25 minutes total.

The only change I made was to use cherry tomatoes cut in half vice chopping a tomato. 

I purchased the grouper from the terrific seafood counter at the University Parkway Detwiler's Farm Market.

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- A one-pound piece of grouper or red snapper fillet (3/4-inch thick), skinned and halved cross-wise. 
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped tomatoes
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil (FYI, it's easy to buy a small, potted basil plant at Publix or Home Depot and leave it to grow in the pot on your porch or lanai.)

Preparation
1. Put one tbsp olive oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet at medium high heat, and add fish, turning to coat on both sides. Arrange fish skinned side down and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Toss tomato, garlic, basil, remaining tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid and cook over moderately high heat until just cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Sauté Sea Scallops - Super Easy

I recently decided to try to sauté sea scallops. I couldn't believe how easy it was. It took about 5 minutes and worked beautifully. I served them with risotto. I found the recipe on http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-scallops-on-the-stovetop-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203516.

I did two things differently. I used only one pound of sea scallops and I used a non-stick skillet instead of a stainless steel skillet. I recommend reading the original article which is much more detailed.

Ingredients
- 1 pound of sea scallops
- 1 tbsp of butter or olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Remove side muscle from each scallop. It's a small tab that's tougher than the scallop. It pulls off very easily. (They're not harmful to eat.)

2. Pat scallops dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat olive oil or butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Skillet is ready when a few drops of water evaporate on contact.

4. Cook scallops one side for two minutes.

5. Flip scallops with tongs or spatula and cook on other side for two-three minutes. Scallops are ready when golden brown on both sides and opaque all the way through.

6. Serve immediately.

Veronica Fish and Oyster - Very Nice

My wife and I recently enjoyed a delightful dinner at Veronica Fish and Oyster (http://veronicafishandoyster.com/) on Hillview near Morton's market in Sarasota. Our original intention was to dine at a restaurant in Siesta Village. Big mistake! That place was mobbed.

My wife had the Shrimp  & Grits & Scallops with wine & garlic butter and bacon and roasted oyster mushrooms for $32. 

I had the Bouillabaisse, a Monday night special. It had sea bass, Key West pink shrimp, mussels, clams, blue crab, and Yukon gold potatoes. It came with three slices of toast for dipping in the broth. As the waiter told us in advance, there was less broth than in a typical bouillabaisse. The cost was $36. 

Both of our main dishes were terrific.

We also ordered the house-made potato rolls with bottarga (mullet roe) butter for $3. The rolls were incredible.

My wife had a glass of sangria for $8. She did not care for it.

I had a very nice Laetitia Ducroux Sancerre for $13 per glass. I thought it went perfectly with the bouillabaisse.

One interesting looking item on the menu is a "Porchetta Board," which our server said includes porchetta, chicken liver pâté, smoked duck pastrami, and smoked fish. I intend to return to try it. Hopefully, the porchetta will resemble the authentic Italian version, which we love.

Our server, Dillon, was very professional and pleasant.

The atmosphere was very nice and there were outdoor tables with heaters.

Fish in Crazy Water - Pesce all-Acqua Pazza

The Sorrentine Peninsula of Italy is an incredibly beautiful place and one of its iconic dishes is Pezzogna all'Acqua Pazza - Sea Bream in Crazy Water. It is often called by the more generic name - Pesce all'Acqua Pasta - Fish in Crazy Water. I enjoyed this dish when we visited Sorrento and decided to try making it this evening. I was very happy with the results. I could not find sea bream, so I used flounder. The recipe is very easy to make.

There are many different versions of this recipe. The one I made tonight is a combination of two of those recipes and some modifications of my own. One source is the website Summer in Italy - https://www.summerinitaly.com/guide/pesce-all-acqua-pazza. The second is from the cookbook, Naples at Table, Cooking in Campania, which includes recipes from all over the Campania Region of southwest Italy.

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients

- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white wine 
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced. I used mini San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced olives (optional) I used Castelvetrano olives imported from Sicily and sold at Publix
- 1 tbsp capers (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
- 2 fillets of a fish like sea bass, branzino, halibut, or snapper

Directions

1. Put olive oil, water, wine, salt, red pepper, flakes, and cherry tomatoes into a large skillet and boil for 5 minutes.

2. Add fish, olives, and capers; and cook for six minutes. After the first 3 minutes, use a pair of wide spatulas to gently turn the fish fillets over.

Vesuviotti Pasta with Scallops and Onion-Zucchini-Tomato Cream Sauce

I recently bought an interesting imported Italian pasta type called Vesuviotti, which means little Vesuviuses because its shape is apparently meant to symbolize Mt. Vesuvius erupting. I found it at Detweiler's Farm Market.

Vesuviotti

I came up with an easy sauce that went very well with it. I started with the following recipe from allrecipes.com -  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/23404/tomato-cream-sauce-for-pasta/ - and adapted it. I added zucchini and scallops. I substituted cherry tomatoes for canned tomatoes and half and half for cream (so I wouldn't have to go to the store just to buy cream.) I also reduced a couple of ingredients because it was just for the two of us. In addition, I changed the directions a bit. 

I think shrimp would also work nice in this dish.

Ingredients

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 onion, diced

- 1 small zucchini sliced into 1/4" rounds

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

- 1/2 tbsp dried basil (original recipe called for 1 tbsp)

- 3/4 tsp white sugar

- 1/4 tsp dried oregano

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

- 1/2 cup half & half

- 1 tbsp butter

- 1 & 1/2 cups Vesuviotti pasta

- 1 eight-ounce pkg of Publix frozen garlic cream Patagonian scallops (Publix has BOGO sales on these scallops from time to time, and I buy them to use with pasta.)

(I once tried to see how many types of pasta I could identify. I stopped at 365 because there seemed to be no end. Vesuviotti was not one of them.)

Directions

1. Boil pasta for 12-14 minutes, then drain.

2. While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce:

a. In a saucepan, sauté onion and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

b. Add tomatoes, zucchini, spices and half & half, and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes.

c. Add butter and simmer for 5 more minutes.

3. After starting step 2.b. above, cook the frozen scallops for 6-8 minutes in a non-stick pan.

4. Plate the pasta and top with scallops and sauce.

Delicious and Easy Baked Grouper and Potatoes Recipe

When I was at Detwiler's Farm Market yesterday, I saw some beautiful, fresh Gulf of Mexico Grouper for what I thought was a reasonable price ($10.99 per lb.). So, I decided to make it for dinner. I found a very simple on-line recipe - Baked Fish and Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic from the renowned Italian-born cook and cookbook author, Marcella Hazan. The recipe states it can be used with firm-flesh fish such as grouper, mahi-mahi, snapper, or striped bass.

The name in Italian is, "Pesce Arrosto al Forno con all'Aglio e Rosmarino."

I modified the recipe to serve two and added a couple of ingredients - fresh lemon juice and capers. I would suggest looking at the original recipe and reviews at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/baked-fish-and-potatoes-with-rosemary-and-garlic-230907. Some of those reviews suggest modifications like using oregano instead of rosemary. Below is my modified version, including rewording the directions.

Total cooking time is about 40 minutes.

Ingredients

- 12 oz. small potatoes, washed and cut into quarters. I used Honey Gold potatoes, and did not peel them.
- an oven-to-table baking dish that can accommodate both the fish and the potatoes in a single layer
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary. (I used rosemary from our yard. It has grown into a huge bush that requires no attention.)
- 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled. (I cut them into a couple of pieces.)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon capers
- Fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A one-pound fillet from a firm-flesh fish such as grouper, mahi-mahi, snapper, or striped bass
- 2 tablespoons fine, dry, unflavored bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°

2. Place potatoes in the baking dish and pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them. Add 2 sprigs of rosemary, the garlic cloves, and salt, and pepper. Toss thoroughly. 

3. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. 

4. Remove the dish; turn the potatoes over; return the dish to the oven; and cook for another 10 minutes or so until the potatoes feel tender when tested with a fork.

5. While the potatoes are cooking in step 4 above, wash the fish fillet and pat it dry with paper towels. Also strip the leaves from the remaining rosemary sprig.

6. Remove the dish from the oven. Push the potatoes to the sides, making room in the center for the fish fillet. Place the fillet into the dish, with skin side down. (Our fillet came with skin already removed.) Scatter the rosemary leaves over the fish; pour the lemon juice and olive oil over the fish; and sprinkle salt, pepper, bread crumbs, and capers over the fish.

Return the dish to the oven and bake for 14 minutes. Let the dish settle out of the oven for 3-4 minutes before bringing to the table. (I just placed each serving of the fish on each of our plates rather than bringing the baking dish to the table.)

Maryland-Style Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

For my wife's birthday, I decided to try my hand at making rather than buying a dish she had requested - Maryland-style jumbo lump crab cakes. We lived in Maryland for many years, and this was one of our favorites. It turned out to be fairly easy to make and we were happy with the results. I found this recipe at http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/classic-maryland-crab-cakes.aspx.

I made two small changes: I used chopped green onions instead of parsley and canned bread crumbs instead of fresh bread crumbs.

I purchased fresh jumbo lump crab from the Pinchers Restaurant in Lakewood Ranch (http://www.pinchersusa.com/lakewood-ranch-sarasota.php). The Pinchers chain has its own fleet of fishing boats and obtains the crab along Florida's Gulf Coast. The crab meat was beautiful and had only one bit of shell mixed in. Pinchers was selling the jumbo lump crab meat for $29.99 per pound and the lump crab meat for $19.99 per pound.

It is important to be careful not to break up the jumbo lump crab meat when preparing the dish. Otherwise, there's no point in buying the jumbo lump. My wife once showed me laughably idiotic instructions for a crab recipe in a major women's magazine. The instructions in the recipe called for processing the jumbo lump crab meat in a food processor!!!!!!

Some crab cake recipes call for a remoulade for the cakes. This would be sacrilegious in Maryland. We did use tartar sauce on them.

This recipe produces eight small crab cakes. Three of us easily finished them off.

Ingredients

- 1 lb. jumbo lump or backfin crabmeat, fresh or pasteurized
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1&1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1&1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning (It's sold at Publix.)
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1&1/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs (from soft white bread such as Pepperidge farm)
- 1 tbsp chopped, fresh, flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- lemon wedges for serving

Directions

1. Drain the crab meat, if necessary, and pick through it for shells. Put the crab meat in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, mayonnaise. mustard, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Scrape the mixture over the crab, and mix gently until well combined. 

3. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and parsley over the mixture, and then mix them in thoroughly, but gently. Try not to turn the mixture into a mash. It should be somewhat loose. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 3 hours.

4. Shape the crab mixture into eight cakes about 1 inch thick.

5. Heat the butter and olive oil in a 12-inch, nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the butter is frothy, add the cakes to the pan. (The original recipe says that eight cakes should fit comfortably in a 12-inch skillet. I found that they completely filled a 14-inch skillet.)  Cook until dark golden on the underside - about 4 minutes. Flip the cakes, reduce the heat to medium low, and continue cooking until the other side is well browned - 4 to 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing on the cakes.

Superb Savor Sarasota Dinner at Off the Hook Seafood Co.

My wife and I recently joined a couple of friends for a delightful Savor Sarasota dinner at Off the Hook Seafood Co. (http://www.gulfgate.biz/GatewayAvenue/OffTheHookSeafoodCo.aspx) in the Gulf Gate area of Sarasota. It was terrific. The menu selections were creative and varied, the food was superb, and the service was outstanding. Like all Savor Sarasota dinners, the price was $29 for three (and sometimes four) courses.

My wife started with an appetizer of shrimp and grits, with Rockefeller sauce and fried oysters. My appetizer was a crab roll with lump crab and drawn butter on a toasted New England roll. Both were delicious and the portions larger than expected for an appetizer.

My wife's main dish was Grouper Piccata and mine was Golden Tile Fish with asparagus, artichoke, tomato, and lemon butter. Both were perfectly done.

My wife's dessert was flour-less chocolate cake and mine was warm bread pudding. Both were wonderful.

They also offered specials on many of the wines in their wine list. I chose a bottle of Predator Zinfandel. The normal price per bottle was $32, and the special price was $19. We both enjoyed it.

The service was great - very customer focused.

We will return.

Shrimp Boil with Potatoes, Corn, Beer, and Onion

In searching for a way to make something with shrimp and potatoes, I found a nice recipe for a shrimp boil at myrecipes.com - :http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/shrimp-boil. The recipe combines shrimp, potatoes, onion, corn, and beer. I adapted the recipe to our tastes and reduced the amount of ingredients to serve four rather than eight. I used canned sweet corn rather than corn on the cob. In the original recipe, the corn on the cob is kept on the cob, but cooked with the boil. I also interpreted and clarified the original directions.

Below are the ingredients I used to serve four. I did not change the amount of beer, water, or salt in the original recipe.

Ingredients

- one 12 oz. bottle of beer
- one (1.5 oz) bag of seafood boil seasoning. (I used the McCormick version which I found at Publix and which comes in a box with two 1.5 oz. bags.)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional. I left it out.)
- 2 bay leaves
- one onion, quartered
- 1 garlic bulb halved (I used four cloves, peeled and halved)
- 1/2 lb small red potatoes
- one 11 oz. can extra sweet corn niblets
- 1/2 lb. smoked sausage cut into 1-in. diagonal slices
- 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used uncooked.)
- French baguette, sliced diagonally. I made the mistake of using a Publix baguette. I should have gone to Fresh Market for something approaching a real baguette
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- fresh lemon wedges
- Old Bay seasoning to sprinkle on finished dish

Directions

1. Bring 4 quarts water and first seven ingredients (first six if you omit cayenne) to a boil in a 12 qt. stockpot. 

2. Add potatoes, and simmer for 15 minutes. 

3. Add corn and sausage, and simmer for 8 minutes.

4. Add shrimp and cover. Turn off heat. Let shrimp sit 10 to 15 minutes to absorb flavor. (I did 15 minutes, and that worked perfectly.)

5. This direction is different from the original. Drain the liquid and put the shrimp dish into a serving bowl.

6. This direction is amplified from the original recipe. Put the sliced baguette, dish with melted butter, dish with lemon wedges, and can of Old Bay on table. Diners can squeeze lemon, sprinkle Old Bay, and add melted butter to the shrimp dish as their tastes desire.

Creamy Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus

I found this fast, easy & delicious recipe on the McCormick spice web site (http://www.mccormick.com/Gourmet/Recipes/Main-Dishes/Creamy-Linguine-with-Shrimp-and-Asparagus). I had to change a couple of things for our available ingredients and to reduce the servings from 6 to 2. The original recipe calls for linguine, but we only had spaghetti. I changed the seasoning from Tuscan to Italian.

Below is my version of the recipe, which serves 2

Ingredients

- 6 oz medium shrimp
- 4 oz. spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 pound asparagus, sliced diagonally into 1 & 1/2" pieces
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. (I forgot to reserve the water. Not sure how much of a difference this made.)

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large, deep skillet on medium heat. Add asparagus and garlic. Cook and stir 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender crisp.

3. Add cream, seasoning, lemon juice, and sea salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir shrimp into skillet. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes, or just until shrimp turn pink. Add pasta and reserved cooking water; and toss to coat well. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired.

Quick and Easy Tuna Salad

This easy tuna salad can be served over lettuce, on toast, in pita bread, etc. The inspiration for this recipe was one I found at All Recipes (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/14198/zesty-tuna-salad/). However, I made a number of changes to suite my own tastes. It's a recipe that can be easily modified. It should serve 3. The original recipe serves 2.

Ingredients

2 4-ounce cans of tuna packed in water
2 tsp mayonnaise 
2 tsp sweet pickle relish
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
2 tsp chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp lemon juice

Directions

Drain the tuna, then mash in a small bowl with a fork.

Add other ingredients, and stir well to combine.

Chill and serve.

Shrimp de Jonghe - A Chicago Original

In 1892, the Belgian immigrant De Jonghe brothers began over three decades of culinary excellence in Chicago. They started with a restaurant opened for the 1892 World's Columbian Exposition and proceeded to create an iconic restaurant and hotel enterprise. (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-01-27/features/8501060043_1_henri-de-jonghe-hotel-manager-restaurant) One famous dish that they created was Shrimp De Jonghe. It is now served in many Chicago restaurants, as well as elsewhere.

I prepared this delicious dish for dinner with friends. The recipe I used is from Epicurious (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shrimp-de-jonghe-105510) I later discovered that the original version and others have a couple of tablespoons of sherry, so I will add that next time.

The recipe serves 8, but the six of us finished it easily.

Ingredients

- 2 lbs large shrimp
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil(I had to use dried)
- pinch of dried thyme. crumbled
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butterm softened
- 1 & 1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- pinch of mace
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
(2 tablespoons dry sherry)

Directions

1. Cook the shrimp in a 4-quart pot of boiling salted water until cooked just through, about 1 & 1/2 minutes. Drain shrimp in a colander; then immediately transfer to large bowl of ice water to stop cooking. (To salt the water for boiling, use 1 tablespoon of salt.)

2. Preheat oven to 350°F.

3. Mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash garlic with salt using a large knife. Then stir together with fresh and dried herbs, shallot, onion, 1 & 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) of the butter, sherry, 1 cup of the bread crumbs, nutmeg, mace, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

4. Melt remaining q/w stick butter and stir together with remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to make topping.

5.Arrange shrimp in 1 layer (slightly overlapping if necessary) in a buttered 3-quart flameproof grating dish or other wide, shallow ceramic baking dish. Over with herbed breadcrumb mixture. Then sprinkle with topping.

6. Bake in upper third of oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Then turn on broiler and boil until crumbs are golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Watch broiling very carefully because the crumbs can quickly burn.)

Shrimp Lime Honey Garlic Cilantro Skillet - Delicious and Easy

This shrimp skillet recipe is terrific and very easy to make. It serves 4 and is from Juliasalbum.com, which has a number of other delicious-sounding shrimp recipes. (http://juliasalbum.com/2015/09/cilantro-lime-honey-garlic-shrimp/).

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 lb large shrimp, uncooked, deveined, peeled. (The original recipe called for leaving the tails on, but I removed them.)
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp honey (as always, I used Sarasota honey.)
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (took 1 & 1/2 limes)
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter. Add shrimp and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes, occasionally turning shrimp over until shrimp is cooked.

2. In a small bowl, combine honey, lime juice, soy sauce, and cilantro. Mix to combine.

3. Add the mixture to the skillet with the shrimp.  Bring to high heat, coat the shrimp with the mixture, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce reduces just a touch. Remove from heat, Let it stand for sauce to thicken.

Really Tasty & Easy Blackened Salmon Fillets

I never tire of trying different salmon recipes. I found this fast, easy, and delicious blackened salmon recipe on All Recipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/blackened-salmon-fillets/). The recipe is very highly rated, with nearly 600 mostly positive reviews.

 Most cooks likely already have all the ingredients except the salmon.

The version below is for 2 servings. I've changed the directions a bit because I found the original instructions slightly confusing with respect to the buttering and spicing. I've also added some instructions. You might want to check the original recipe and reviews.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
1 & 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
2 salmon fillets with skin & bones removed. (If the skin is left on, the spices will not stick and their tastes and that of the butter will not be infused into the salmon. Also, let the salmon sit out for at least 15 minutes before basting with butter.)
1/4 cup salted butter, melted

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix all of the spices.

2. Brush one side of the salmon with 1/2 the melted butter, and sprinkle on the spices.

3. In a heavy skillet, over high heat, place the salmon with butter and spiced side down. Coat the side facing up with the remaining butter and spices. Cook for 2 to 5 minutes until the bottom side is blackened.

4. Turn the salmon and cook until the bottom is blackened and easily flaked with a fork. (I cooked each side for 4 minutes. The salmon I used was of medium thickness. Thicker fillets might require up to 7 minutes.)

Tilapia with Old Bay - Delicious and Super Easy

Since both tilapia and Old Bay seasoning are on sale at Publix this week and I enjoy both, I looked for a dish that combined the two. I found this winner on food.com (http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-baked-fish-haddock-cod-tilapia-475533) It's really easy and it tastes terrific. The recipe's author states it can be used with tilapia or cod or haddock.

During the many years we lived in Maryland, we loved steamed crabs with Old Bay seasoning, a traditional Maryland dish. The taste of this dish reminds us a bit of the steamed crabs. It might be a nice alternative for a diner with a shellfish allergy.

I originally used the amount of Old Bay suggested in the recipe, but when I tasted the finished product, I decided to double the amount of Old Bay by sprinkling more on my tilapia. That made it perfect for my taste. (The recipe's author does suggest adjusting the seasoning to one's tastes.)

I love tilapia not only for its taste, but because it works well with so many different spice combinations.

Ingredients

- Three 5-oz fillets of tilapia or cod or haddock. (The author recommends for 4-oz fillets - essentially the same amount of fish, but different number of servings.)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (or to taste - I used 1 teaspoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (or to taste - I used 3/4 teaspoon)

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish (I did it by coating the bottom with olive oil.)

Place the fillets in the baking dish and coat with melted butter.

Season with Old Bay and garlic salt (I mixed the two first) If desired, add additional butter, Old Bay, and/or garlic salt.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. (38 minutes worked perfectly for our oven.)

Salmon with Brandy or Bourbon & Brown Sugar Glaze - Fast & Easy

It's amazing how many easy and delicious salmon recipes there are. While I was buying salmon at our local Publix last night, the seafood seller and I discussed ways to prepare salmon. He mentioned that one customer uses a bourbon, orange juice, and honey recipe. When I returned home, I did an Internet search for salmon - bourbon recipes. I found one that sounded good, but then I discovered that I had no bourbon. I decided to use brandy instead. I was delight with the results, and the preparation was really easy.


The recipe I used was from allrecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/salmon-with-brown-sugar-and-bourbon-glaze/) It has only four ingredients and is really easy to prepare.


The recipe below is the full recipe which serves four. I cut it in half because there were just two of us. The brandy I used was Montmartre Extra Fine Napoleon French brandy. Despite the name, it was inexpensive - about $10 for a .75 liter bottle.


Ingredients
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon steaks
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup bourbon (or brandy)


Directions
- Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
- Stir in brown sugar.
- Place salmon fillets on top of brown sugar mixture.
- Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Turn salmon fillets, and pour bourbon/brandy around the fillets.
- Continue cooking for 5 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
- Spoon glaze over the salmon and serve.

Delicious & Easy Salmon with Philippine Flavors

In doing an Internet search for an easy salmon recipe with turmeric seasoning, I came across this very nice, mild-curry recipe on http://salu-salo.com/, a Vancouver-based blog devoted to Philippine cuisine. I did not include the cilantro leaves, which I did not have at home. That would certainly have made the dish even better for us. The blog's author suggests that any fish steaks would work.

Ingredients

- Salmon steaks or any fish steaks. (I used two 8-oz. fillets.)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used about a cup of chopped canned tomatoes)
- chopped cilantro leaves

Instructions

- Preheat oven to 375°
- Sprinkle salmon steaks with salt. Place steaks on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic; cook until soft and brown. Add the coriander, cumin, and turmeric; and stir fry for 30 seconds. (I had premixed the spices in a small dish.)
- Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 1 minute. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice.

Super Simple Salmon

It's hard to believe how fast and simple some delicious recipes can be. I found a terrific salmon recipe in this category at allrecipes.com. This one is appropriately named "Super Simple Salmon" (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/super-simple-salmon/).

This recipe calls for four salmon fillets. I only used two 8-0z fillets because there were only two of us. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare and requires very few ingredients. I prepared it in a grill pan on the stove.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 x 6-ounce salmon fillets
2 tablespoons butter
4 lemon wedges

Directions

1. Stir together the garlic powder, basil, and salt in a small bowl. Rub in equal amounts on the salmon fillets.

2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the salmon in the butter until browned and flaky - about 5 minutes per side. Serve each piece of salmon with a lemon wedge.