Fish Dip Face-Off

Fish Dip Face-Off

Makes about 2 cups total, 1 cup of each dip.

In the little seaside town of Stuart, Florida, the Mister's family has been vacationing for years.  And while there, they always have to have Mrs. Peters' Smoked Fish Dip.  They love it, and I was recently introduced to it myself when we went there last spring.. its great.  In an attempt to recreate it myself, I made two fish dips for the family to judge.  Dip #2 was supposed to be the most like Mrs. Peters' (based on the ingredients listed on her website), but Dip #1 was the winner in terms of taste!

Start with:
10 oz. smoked mackerel (plain or peppered)
6 oz. smoked halibut

Dip #1 additions:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/8 c. mayo
4 T. minced onion
Garlic salt, to taste

Dip #2 additions:
1/2-3/4 c. mayo (you make the call)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 T. white vinegar
Garlic salt, to taste

Crumble smoked fish in a large bowl and divide equal portions into two bowls.

To bowl #1, add ingredients listed under Dip #1.

To bowl #2, add ingredients listed under Dip #2.

Stir both dips well.  Serve with crackers.  Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Tortilla Crusted Fish Filets

Tortilla Crusted Fish Fillets

Serves 2.

I used cod, but next time, I'll use a thinner white fish, such as tilapia.

Slightly adapted from: Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

2 tilapia fish filets (about 1/2 lb.)

1 beaten egg

1/2 c. crushed tortilla chips

1/8 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 t. salt

Dash black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 2 serving-size pieces, if necessary. In a shallow dish, combine beaten egg and 1 tablespoon water. In another shallow dish, combine crushed tortilla chips, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Dip fish into egg mixture; coat fish with tortilla mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake, uncovered, for 4-6 minutes per 1/2" thickness or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Tuna Noodle Supreme

Tuna Noodle Supreme

Serves 2.

Good ole' tuna noodle casserole... a mainstay for years now! I hadn't ever made it since we married, but I figured it was about time. Feel free to substitute canned salmon, if you prefer.
Adapted from: AllRecipes.com

3/4 c. sour cream

1/4 c. mayo

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. shredded white cheese (Parmesan, gouda, provolone, etc.)

1/2 t. Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 c. cooked pasta

1 c. fresh broccoli, cleaned and chopped

5 oz. can tuna (or salmon)

1/8 c. chopped carrots

1/8 c. chopped green onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine sour cream, mayo, milk, cheese, mustard, and salt and pepper. Stir in broccoli, tuna, carrots, and green onion. Finally, fold in cooked pasta.

Bake for 30 minutes. If made ahead of time and refrigerated, bake for 1 hour.

Tilapia with Roasted Red Peppers & Artichokes

Tilapia with Roasted Red Peppers & Artichokes

Serves 4.

This is a super easy meal to prepare, and has a fairly fancy presentation, all things considered. It's easily doubled, halved, etc. Since you can keep tilapia filets in the freezer, and a jar of tapenade in the pantry, this is a great go-to meal to keep on hand.

4 tilapia filets, thawed if frozen

All-purpose seasoning

3-4 T. olive oil

1 jar roasted red pepper and artichoke tapenade, room temperature

Season tilapia filets with an all-purpose seasoning.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add tilapia and cook until filets flake easily, about 3 minutes per side.

Remove from pan and arrange on plates, topping with tapenade.

A Note From The Little Lady: I found my jar of tapenade at Trader Joe's. If you prefer a different variety, go for it!

Crab Cakes Over Salad Greens

Crab Cakes Over Salad Greens

Serve with Chardonnay

Serves 8-10 small plates or 4 large crab cake sandwiches.

As noted in the serving size above, the original recipe is for crab cake sandwiches. I made the crab cakes as directed and simply formed nine smaller cakes vs. the four instructed. If you want to serve as sandwiches, top with a specialty mayo (such as lemon, Green Goddess, or green aioli), thin tomato slices, and crisp lettuce. Green Goddess would also be great as a dressing for this salad.

Source: Cooking For the Weekend: Food For the Best of Times cookbook

5 T. unsalted butter

1/4 c. finely diced yellow onions

1/4 c. finely diced celery

1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over

1/2 c. finely crushed saltine crackers

1 egg

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 T. fresh lemon juice

freshly ground black better

salad greens

In a small skillet over low heat, melt 2 T. of the butter. Add the onions and celery and cook, covered, stirring once or twice, of 8 minutes. The vegetables should retain some of their crispness. Cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, gently toss the crabmeat, sauteed vegetables, and cracker crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, mustard, and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the crabmeat, season generously with fresh pepper, and stir until just combined. Form the crab mixture into 8-10 patties, depending on how many small plates you plan to serve. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate the crab cakes for 1 hour.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining 3 T. butter over medium-high heat. When it is foaming, carefully add the crab cakes and cook, turning once, until crisp and brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Place each crab cake over salad greens and serve with your favorite salad dressing.

Marinated & Grilled Skewers: Shrimp & Chicken

Marinated & Grilled Skewers: Shrimp & Chicken

Serve with Sauvignon Blanc

Serves 8-10 small plates; 6 main courses.

Light and flavorful -- perfect for summer! These were a crowd-pleaser. Feel free to add whatever you like to the skewers. I did only onions for simplicity.

Source: AllRecipes.com

1 c. olive oil

1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley

1 lemon, juiced

2 T. hot pepper sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. tomato paste

2 t. dried oregano

1 t. salt

1 t. ground black pepper

1 lb. shrimp

1 lb. chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

skewers

In a mixing bowl, mix together olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper. Reserve a small amount for basting later. Pour remaining marinade evenly into two Ziploc bags (one for shrimp, one for chicken), and marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill to medium-low heat. Soak skewers for 30 minutes in water (to prevent burning while cooking). Thread shrimp and chicken onto skewers, adding any extras such as onion, peppers, pineapple, etc.

Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp for 5 minutes per side, until opaque, basting frequently with marinade. Chicken skewers will take longer, about 6-8 minutes per side.

The shrimp:

And the chicken:

Jalapeno-Baked Fish with Roasted Tomatoes & Potatoes

Jalapeno-Baked Fish with Roasted Tomatoes & Potatoes

Serves 4.

This is a fantastic recipe. It's easy to prepare, cooks quickly, and pleases the crowd! The spicy, flavorful tomato mixture complements the mild fish perfectly. We licked the serving dish clean!

Source: The Way The Cookie Crumbles

4 medium (1 lb.) red-skin boiling or Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4" thick

1 T. olive oil

salt

1 (15-0z) can diced tomatoes, with juice OR 3 fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped

1 large garlic clove, peeled and cut in half

1/3 c. (loosely packed) coarsely chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish

1/4 c. sliced canned pickled jalapenos

1 T. jalapeno pickling juice

4 (4- to 5-oz. each) skinless fish fillets, such as tilapia

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scoop the sliced potatoes into a microwaveable baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, and spread in an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and poke a few vent holes in the top. Microwave on high for about 4-5 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, blender, or using an immersion blender, puree the tomatoes (with their juice), garlic, cilantro, jalapenos, and pickling juice. Leave some texture.

Remove potatoes from microwave and lay fish fillets in a single layer over potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Pour the tomato mixture evenly over the fish.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the fish flakes easily. Serve each fish fillet with potatoes.

Tilapia Tacos

Tilapia Tacos

Serves 2.

The inspiration for the avocado cream comes from a blogger who found the original recipe here. I made a few slight changes and have linked my post for taco seasoning in case you don't want to open a store-bought package for only a few teaspoons.

To the avocado cream, I added lime juice and fresh cilantro to give it some added flavor. What a great addition it is! This tasted great on tilapia tacos, but would also work for chicken, ground beef, or steak as well.

3-4 tilapia filets, thawed if frozen

2-3 t. taco seasoning

6 taco-sized tortillas

topping options: fresh, chopped tomato, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, taco sauce, sour cream

avocado cream: 1/2 avocado, 1/8 c. sour cream, 1 T. fresh cilantro, juice from 1 lime wedge

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and warm tortillas wrapped in foil, if desired.

Heat 1-2 T. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Season tilapia with taco seasoning and add to skillet. Pan fry (you could also grill or broil) until fish is white and flakes easily, about 2-3 minutes per side. Tilapia cooks fast!

Make avocado cream by combining the flesh of 1/2 an avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and lime juice.

Assemble avocado cream, flaked tilapia, and desired toppings and you've got dinner!

Tiger Shrimp

Tiger Shrimp

This recipe has been passed to me from my family, and to my family from a good friend who made it famous. These are delicious. The Mr. hates shrimp, but loves these. Although he still won't touch other shrimp, he gobbles these up with the rest of us.

1-2 lbs. raw shrimp, peeled, deviened, and tails removed
1 bottle Tiger Sauce (see picture below for visual)
1 lb. pkg. raw bacon

Cut bacon slices in half. Wrap each shrimp with a bacon slice, and secure with a toothpick. Marinate in Tiger Sauce for 4 hours, or overnight. Grill over medium heat until shrimp is cooked and bacon is crispy.

Broiled Parmesan Tilapia

Broiled Parmesan Tilapia

Serves 2.

This recipe was slightly adapted from AllRecipes.com. It's a quick & easy, tasty fish recipe.

1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. bread crumbs (optional; see note below)
2 T. mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/8 t. dried basil
1/8 t. onion or garlic powder
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 lb. tilapia

Preheat broiler. Mix all ingredients except fish. Grease a broiler pan (or line with foil) and arrange fish on pan; season with salt and pepper. Broil on each side for 2-3 minutes. Cover with topping and broil until brown.

A Note From The Little Lady: I have made this both ways -- with and without breadcrumbs. I think my preferred version is without breadcrumbs, for two reasons: 1) With the breadcrumbs, the mixture is more of a paste and it can be tough to "spread" on the fish (especially with a blazing hot pan that's been under the broiler!) and 2) it has more of a breaded (obviously, I know) texture vs. the creamy texture of the mayo/cheese mixture. Try it both ways and see what you think.

Another Note: I've also tried lime juice (instead of lemon) and it works well too. You can barely even notice a difference.