This Dish Is A Treat For Your Tastebuds!

This is a wonderful dish that I concocted and cooked for my daughter Randi and her husband Dan last summer.  They are both huge aficionados of Greek food and they were getting ready to go on a trip to Greece.  They wanted to get into the spirit of things, so I cooked them a shrimp dish with a distinctive Greek flavor.  They both went crazy for this dish!  

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5-6 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved if you are using larger cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound of raw extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup of fresh Italian parsley, chopped and divided 1/4 cup and 1/4 cup
• 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 pound of spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (use a little of the grated rind if you like a more intense lemony flavor) 
• a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the red pepper flakes and the minced garlic.  Saute 1 minute over low flame.  Add the tomatoes.  Sprinkle the tomatoes with the salt and 1/4 cup of the parsley.  Saute over medium flame until the tomatoes start to look soft or cracked- about 3-4 minutes.  Add the shrimp, and cook for about 3-4 minutes just until the shrimp are starting to not look raw.  Take off stove.  Put into casserole dish.  Sprinkle crumbled feta on top and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle shrimp with reserved 1/4 cup chopped parsley and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and a little freshly cracked black pepper.   

Cook spaghetti while shrimp is in the oven.   When you are ready to serve, put a portion of spaghetti on each dinner plate, and then a portion of the shrimp on top of the spaghetti.

Notes: 

1.  You can serve over rice instead of over spaghetti.

2.  You can prepare the dish ahead up until the point where you put the shrimp in the casserole dish, cover it and then refrigerate it.  About a half hour before you put it in the 400 degree oven, take it out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature.  Then bake in the 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.

If You Want A Recipe For Easy To Make, Authentic Maryland Style Crab Cakes, This Recipe Is A Winner!

When I got married, I loved going with my husband, Joe to visit his Aunt Francine and Uncle Richard Shure and their two children, Andi and Kenny in their home in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland.  Aunt Frannie and Uncle Richard were the warmest, most loving, and most fun people to be with.  But on top of that, Francine was an incredible cook, so of course I loved being invited over to their house, because I knew there would be some sort of delicious food there to eat!  Everybody in that family loved crabs and they especially loved Aunt Frannie’s  crab cakes.  Her recipe for crab cakes is so easy to make and so delicious, even a beginner cook can make them!  

• 1 pound of lump crabmeat (picked over to remove any bits of shell)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 extra large or jumbo egg
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon  dry mustard or 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup seasoned or plain bread crumbs

Preheat oven to broil.  Cover a half sheet pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, and spray it with Pam or grease it with butter, margarine, or oil.

In large mixing bowl, mix bread crumbs, egg, mayonnaise, worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, mustard, and Old Bay.  Add the crabmeat.  Gently fold the crabmeat in with a rubber spatula to avoid breaking the nice, big pieces of lump crabmeat. If the mixture seems too dry, add another tablespoon of mayonnaise.  Shape the mixture into 6 cakes, the way you would would make hamburger patties.  You want the crabcakes to be about 1 inch thick and about 3 inches in diameter. 

Place the crabcakes on the prepared pan.  Broil about 5 minutes on each side. 

Note:  Francine’s original recipe calls for using Italian seasoned bread crumbs, but if you want to cut down on salt, I suggest using plain bread crumbs because there are plenty of tasty spices already going on in this recipe. 

The Orange Juice And The Cilantro In This Shrimp Scampi Recipe Make It Unique!

I developed this recipe because I wanted to make an easy but delicious shrimp dish for Thanksgiving a few years ago.  Basically I wanted to spice up my regular shrimp scampi recipe. Since my daughter and her husband are vegetarians, I always like to prepare something really special for them for a holiday meal.  They really loved this shrimp, and so did everyone else at the table.  I have made this recipe a few times since, and I am never disappointed.  You will be very happy when you see your guests’ reactions to this gorgeous and delicious shrimp dish!  

• 2 pounds of extra large frozen or fresh unpeeled uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined -in the 20 to 30 shrimp per pound range
• 6 large or 8 medium cloves fresh garlic, 4 minced and 2 crushed, or 5 minced and 3 crushed)
• 1/2 cup olive oil (I use a mixture of extra virgin and light)
• 3 naval oranges,  (zest and juice)
• juice of one lemon
• 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
• kosher salt
• freshly cracked pepper
• about 1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro (1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley)

Use a microplane to zest the oranges.  You want to zest only the orange part, not the white part.  Set aside the zest, and then juice the oranges and set aside.  Juice the one lemon and set aside (get rid of the seeds).  Mince 4 garlic cloves into fine slivers and crush the remaining 2 garlic cloves; set aside.

I recommend that you do your peeling and deveining of your shrimp a little earlier.  The peeled and deveined shrimp can sit in the fridge covered for a few hours.

Take the ready to cook shrimp out of the refrigerator.  Sprinkle it with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Pour the oil into a large skillet or frying pan.  Sprinkle the crushed red pepper flakes in the oil.  Put the flame on medium, and stir the flakes in the oil for a minute or two after the oil heats up.  Then dump all the garlic in and cook over low-medium flame for about 30 seconds.  Add the grated orange zest and cook for 1 minute more.  Do not let the garlic burn!  Your garlic will be cooking longer after you add the rest of the ingredients so you don’t want to cook it too long at this point.  Add the shrimp.  You can raise the temperature a little.  Let the shrimp sit for about 30 seconds, and then start to turn the shrimp.  After about 2 minutes add the orange juice and the lemon juice.  Toss until the shrimp have turned pink; they are done.  Taste one shrimp.  You want it to be firm, but not raw.  When the shrimp are done, take them out with a slotted spoon and place them on your serving platter, leaving the juice or sauce in the pan.  Then put the flame on medium and let the sauce reduce just a minute or two to concentrate the flavors. If you simmer the sauce too long, it will reduce down to nothing.  So don’t cook it too long.  You want to make sure you have enough sauce to nicely coat the shrimp.  Throw the chopped cilantro or parsley in when the sauce is reduced and stir for less than a minute. Pour sauce over the shrimp on the serving platter.     

Note:  Even though I’m not crazy about cilantro,  I think it really does add something to this dish.  But if you really don’t like cilantro, use parsley instead. 

Try This Delicious Recipe For Oven-Fried Fish! 

This recipe was my mother in law, Bernice Kahn’s original recipe.  Bernice was an excellent cook, and this recipe for her oven fried fish was one of her specialties and a huge family favorite.  When I came into the family and everyone found out how much I liked to cook and eat really good food, they told me about Bernice’s wonderful oven fried fish.  After I got married, I started to make it and it was as delicious as everyone claimed!  My mother, father, and ex-husband Joe really loved it when I made this dish.  This fish is so easy to make, and it is delicious!

• 1 1/2 pounds thicker mild fish fillets such as scrod or halibut 
• 1 to 1 1/2  sticks of melted margarine or butter (I use Fleischmann’s margarine)
• 1 jumbo or 2 small eggs mixed with 1 teaspoon of water and a little kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• matzoh meal (which you pour onto a plate and then mix with some kosher salt and pepper)
• fresh lemon slices, tartar sauce, and coctail sauce for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cover a half sheet pan with heavy duty aluminum foil.  Melt 1 1/2 sticks of margarine right in the oven on the sheet pan for 5 minutes or so.  Pour the melted margarine into a shallow bowl.   Dip the fish fillets first in seasoned egg mixture on both sides.  Then place on plate with matzoh meal which you have already seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  Turn the fish fillets to make sure they are coated with the matzoh meal on both sides.  Then take the coated fish fillets and dip them on both sides into the  melted margarine, making sure that all surface areas of the fish are coated.  Then place on prepared baking pan.  Cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Then change the setting on the oven to broil.  Broil fish (not too close to the flame) for another 10 minutes.  Serve with fresh lemon wedges, tartar sauce, or coctail sauce.  

Note:  Thinner fish fillets such as flounder or sole do not work out well for this dish because of the longer cooking time involved.

Learn To Make This Amazing Shrimp With Feta Cheese And Pan-Roasted Tomatoes Tastes Wonderful And Looks As Pretty As A Picture!

My daughter Randi and her husband Dan are healthy eaters. They use as many organic products as possible in their cooking and they are vegetarians. They do eat seafood and fish, though. One day last summer, Randi asked me to come over and cook with her. She wanted to prepare something new and special for her husband Dan. She also wanted to make something with a Greek flavor to it, since she and Dan were gearing up for a trip to Greece. Randi and I came up with our own amazing recipe using shrimp, tomatoes, and feta cheese. It turned out fabulous, and Dan loved it. He said it was the best shrimp dish he had eaten. It is fresh tasting, and very satisfying.

• 1 pound extra large fresh or frozen raw shrimp
• 1 pint whole grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• 2-4 ounces of good feta cheese, which you break into small pieces
• 5-6 garlic cloves, minced (sliced very thinly)
• 1 fresh lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• fresh parsley (chop 1/2 cup - 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup and set aside)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• light or extra virgin olive oil, depending upon your preference
• 1/2 pound spaghetti or penne for serving (rice can be substitued)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add minced garlic cloves

and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and saute over a medium flame

just for 1 minute. Add tomatoes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt

and a few grinds of black pepper. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped fresh

parsley. Saute until tomatoes just start to look soft and are beginning to

crack- about 3-4 minutes. Then, add shrimp and cook over a medium to

high heat for 5 minutes just until shrimp are starting to NOT look raw.

Take off stove. Pour everything in pan into an oven proof casserole dish.

Then sprinkle the 2-4 ounces of feta cheese, depending upon how much

cheese you want in the dish, on top. Bake for 10 minutes. Take out of oven

and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons

of fresh lemon juice and some additional cracked pepper.

Serve over pasta or rice.

Note: I recommend that you serve this over spaghetti or rice. The presentation looks best when you place a portion of spaghetti or penne on each dinner plate, and then spoon one portion of shrimp with tomatoes and feta on top of the pasta. I do not recommend that you mix the spaghetti all together with the shrimp. If you want to serve this family style, then put all the spaghetti, penne, or rice on the bottom of a serving platter, and then carefully spoon the contents of the baking dish on top. Mixing all the ingredients together will take away from the eye appeal of the dish.

Stay Young And Healthy By Eating Salmon!

I wanted to come up with another quick and healthy recipe for salmon. I am always looking for very tasty ways to make salmon, because I don’t know if you’ve noticed yet, but most my recipes are slightly on the high calorie side. I need to throw in an occasional healthy dinner, don’t I? When I think of healthy eating, I think of my Aunt Sally and my Uncle Nat.  They are in their mid 80’s. If you saw them, you would NEVER believe that. I am not kidding, both of them look and act no older than 65 years old. Just to give you one example of their youthfulness, My Aunt Sally still regularly goes skiing with her grandchildren up in Vermont.  My Uncle Nat doesn’t ski anymore, but he does a pretty good job of trying to keep up with my aunt.  He works out on his gym equipment every day, and I think he still plays some tennis.   I have asked my uncle many times about the secret to their good health and youthful appearance.  My uncle has told me flat out, “It’s our diet.”  And they have maintained a really healthy diet for probably the last 40 years.   One of the main components of their diet is salmon. My aunt cooks salmon for dinner probably 3 times a week. So, I have this little voice in the back of my head that is always saying, “You should be eating more like your Aunt Sally and Uncle Nat. You should be eating salmon 3 times a week like they do.” Unfortunately, I usually don’t pay enough attention to that little voice. But, I did make salmon two nights ago for my son Danny and myself. Danny really likes this recipe. What makes this recipe for salmon even healthier is that there is no salt in it at all. Yet, it is still very tasty. It takes less than five minutes to get this dish ready to cook and about 10 minutes to cook it. So between prep time and cooking time, you will be ready to eat in less than 20 minutes. Enjoy!

For 2 people:

• 1 pound of salmon filet
• good chile powder, such as McKormick or Master Choice
• light olive oil

Spread a little oil over the top and bottom surfaces of the salmon fillet using your hands or a spoon.  Then sprinkle both sides of the salmon pretty heavily with good chile powder. Heat up a cast iron skillet or a nonstick pan for about 3-5 minutes.  Then place the salmon in the pan.  Let it sit (medium to high flame) and cook without you touching it.  After about 2-3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon, it should be quite browned on the bottom.  Flip the salmon, and cook it on the other side another 2-3 minutes.  You’re done! 

Alternate method of cooking:

Preheat oven using the broil setting.  Place oven rack about 6 inches from heating element.  Cover an aluminum baking dish with aluminum foil (or use a disposable aluminum baking sheet).  Prepare the salmon the same as described above.   Broil for about 3 minutes till browned on top.  Take out and turn salmon.  Broil for another 3-4 minutes until really browned on top.  Serve.

Note:  Double the ingredients to serve 4-5 people.

This Salmon Is Tasty and Healthy!

It is obvious that most of my recipes are on the fattening side. I am trying to make some dishes that are healthier. Last night, I made salmon for my son Danny and me, and it was delicious. Besides being so tasty, it looks beautiful too. And the prep time and cooking time combined was 15 minutes!

For 2 people:

1 pound salmon fillets, cut into 2 pieces (Ask the seafood monger to take the skin off.)

1 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoons of soy sauce

For 4 people:

2 pounds of salmon fillet

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Preheat the oven to broil, and put the rack in the oven as close as you can to the broiler element- about 6 inches below (It is essential for the salmon to cook close to the flame or heating element in order for the salmon to get a good glaze. Then cover a baking sheet with sides with aluminum foil.

Whisk the honey, and the soy sauce in a small bowl. Place salmon on prepared baking sheet. Brush with sauce on top of salmon. Broil until salmon is browned and glazed on top, about 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon. (I like the salmon when it no longer is rare in the center) 

Warning:  Watch the salmon carefully while it is cooking, because any time you cook food close to the broiler element or the flame, your food could catch fire! 

Note: You may add ½ teaspoon of fresh grated ginger to the sauce or a very light sprinkling of ground ginger, if you like the taste of ginger. I added the fresh ginger, and it does give the recipe a distictive Asian flavor.

About 25 years ago, I had eaten shrimp oregananata out, and I really liked it.  I decided it was time for me to come up with my own version.  This recipe is so easy to make, and it turns baked flounder into a special dish.  I make this for holiday meals because my daughter Randi really likes it a lot.  It looks very impressive when you bring it to the table, and what’s so great is that it is so easy to prepare.

• 1 to 2 pounds fresh flounder fillets
• fresh lemon juice from 1 to 2 lemons
• garlic powder or fresh crushed garlic
• Kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• dried oregano
• fresh romano or parmesan cheese
• plain dry bread crumbs
• melted  unsalted butter or Fleischmann’s margarine

Preheat oven to broil.  Put your oven rack in the middle of the oven. Put fish fillets on a greased foil lined sheet pan.  Drizzle fish all over with lemon juice.  Next, sprinkle fish lightly with  Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle generously with dried oregano.  Then sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over all , and then cover evenly with grated cheese.  Drizzle the melted butter or margarine over all.  Broil  until brown and bubbly, 7-10 minutes.

Note:  Watch the fish as it broils.  If the topping on the fish starts to burn, turn the oven off of broil, and finish cooking at about 400.

This was one of the main course entrees I served for a Christmas Eve dinner about 2 years ago.  It is a basic shrimp scampi recipe, but it has a lot of flavor.  The recipe below will serve about 4-6 people, and you can double it if you are serving more people.  It is tasty and delicious!

• 1 pound large or extra large uncooked shrimp
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons crushed garlic (about 6-7 cloves)
• fresh ground pepper to taste (about 12 good grinds)
• Kosher salt, about 2 teaspoons (reduce salt to 1 1/2  teaspoons if your butter is salted)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• about 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, or more if you like
• zest of 1 lemon, grated (zest is the yellow part only)
• 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
• 1 pound of spaghetti ( I like De Cecco the best because even if you cook it past al dente, it stays firm)

Peel and devein the shrimp.  You can do this a few hours in advance and then keep refrigerated until you are ready to cook the dish.

Heat water in large pot.  Add salt to the boiling water.  Cook your spaghetti according to the directions on the box (for al dente), and then drain.  Try to coordinate the cooking so that the pasta is done when the shrimp is done.

In a large saute pan (I did not use a non-stick pan for this, but you can if that’s what you have), melt the butter over low heat.  Add the olive oil.  Add the red pepper flakes and cook over  low to medium heat for 1 minute.  Then add the garlic.  Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic is translucent- you do not want the garlic to become browned! If your garlic becomes burned, you really need to start over.  Add the shrimp,  the Kosher salt, and the pepper, and raise the temperature to medium.  Saute the shrimp, turning it so the shrimp gets cooked on all sides for 4-6 minutes just until the shrimp turn pink.  Taste one shrimp to see if it is done.  Turn the heat off under the pan and add the lemon juice, the zest of the lemon, and the parsley.  Mix well.    Immediately add the cooked spaghetti to the pan and toss well to combine. If your spaghetti is totally cool when you add it to the pan, then put the flame on medium for a minute as you toss the spaghetti with the sauce, so that the pasta warms through.  Put on a large platter or in a large serving bowl and serve immediately.

Note:  You may substitute linguine for spaghetti. 

Hints:  Room temperature lemons yield more juice than cold lemons.  If you are using lemons straight out of the fridge, then push down on them, one at a time, and roll them on the counter.  This helps to increase the amount of juice your lemon will yield also.  always keep Minute Maid frozen lemon juice on hand in your refrigerator just in case you need fresh lemon juice, and you don’t have fresh lemons.