fish/sea food

Honey Garlic Shrimp

6 Comments

Have you seen the meme on social media that says “January was a hard year but we made it.”?  That makes me chuckle because it must be the universal feeling everyone is having, me included.  It was LONG month. Not bad, just long. I guess because November and December just flew right by, the slower pace of the new year seemed to crawl in comparison.  

January has finally come to a close and, while I’m not one to wish time away, I’m happy to see February… mostly because it’s one month closer to Spring.  

Food-wise, winter has been a season of belly-warming comfort foods for me.  I have fully enjoyed all the foods and have about 7 pounds to show for it. Time to stop eating like I’m participating in hibernation.  While I love comfort foods, I truly appreciate a dinner that is not so heavy. This Honey Garlic Shrimp is sweet and spicy and, of course, garlicy… hence the name.  It’s also super-fast to make. We’re talking like 15 minutes start-to-finish. Can’t beat that! I can throw this on the table after work in no time and have a meal everyone will enjoy!  That’s why it’s part of my weeknight dinner rotation. I’m confident it will soon be part of yours as well. ~Erin

Ingredients:
  • 2 lbs. medium-sized shrimp that have been shelled and de-veined
  • 1 T. minced garlic
  • 2 tsp. sesame oil or olive oil
  • ¼ tsp. grated ginger root or 1/8 tsp. dry ginger
  • ½ c. less-sodium soy sauce
  • ½ c. water
  • 1 T. cornstarch
  • 2 T. honey
  • Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste; optional
  • Chopped green onion
  • Cooked rice, for serving

Instructions: 

  1. Add the shrimp and cook about 4 minutes.
  2. Flip the shrimp and add the remaining ½ tsp. of oil, the garlic, and the ginger. Cook for 3 or 4 more minutes, until the shrimp is cooked and the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
  3. Remove the seasoned shrimp from heat and transfer to a plate.
  4. Return the skillet to the stove and turn the heat up to medium-high. Immediately add soy sauce and water to the skillet. When it begins to bubble, add the cornstarch, whisking continuously, until thickened. This will take just a couple minutes.
  5. Turn off the heat and whisk in the honey.
  6. Return the shrimp to the skillet and stir to coat the shrimp and warm through.
  7. Serve over rice. Garnish with green onions and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

WW Freestyle info.: This makes 4 servings. Each serving is 3 points, not counting rice.

Smoked Tuna Dip

7 Comments

Y’all know, from a recent post of mine, that my husband and I recently went on a trip to Grayton Beach, Florida.  Such a lovely little laid-back beach town.  We ate at some great restaurants while we were there, the first of which was called The Red Bar.  It’s a local dive that was packed with tourists and locals alike.  Their menu was a bit of a shock, as it was written on a chalkboard that they bring to your table.  Apparently it changes daily!  They had a couple of appetizers, around 5 entrees, and 2 or 3 desserts to choose from.  One of the appetizers was Smoked Tuna Dip.  Confession:  I didn’t order it; I went for the artichoke dip instead (which was also amazing), but my friend ordered the tuna dip.  Of course she shared, and, OMG, I was hooked.  We proceeded to order Smoked Tuna Dip at every restaurant we visited in the Grayton Beach area for the rest of the weekend.  I guess it’s a Florida thing?  Sadly, we don’t get smoked tuna dip in Oklahoma…I guess that’s due to the lack of fresh tuna.  Bummer.  So, I’ve done the next best thing and developed a recipe using packaged smoked tuna.  You’re welcome.  I mean, it’s not fresh from the sea, but it’s Okie style and, dare I say, it’s just as good!  ~Erin

Ingredients:
  • 2 pouches (2.6 oz. each) smoked white albacore tuna (I do not recommend canned tuna)
  • 2 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
  • 3 T. light mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ tsp. liquid smoke, optional (but it makes it more smoky)
  • ¼ tsp. creole seasoning or seasoned salt
  • 2 tsp. smoked paprika, plus a dash for garnish
  • ¼ tsp. garlic powder
  • about a tsp. of fresh lemon juice

Instructions: 

  1. Mix all ingredients until smooth.
  2. Garnish with a dash of smoked paprika.
  3. Serve with pita chips or saltine crackers.

WW Freestyle Info.: This makes 5 servings of ¼ cup each. Each serving is 3 points.

 

 

 

Mahi Mahi Blackened Fish Tacos

3 Comments

I love, love, love a great fish taco, but I do not love the heavy, breaded fish restaurants too often throw into them.  This perfectly light and spicy blackened mahi mahi, on the other hand, can hold its own against the veggies for the perfect Mexican-flavored blend that a fish taco should have.

MahiMahiTacosPlated_Logo

Mahi mahi is in fact, by far my favorite ocean fish.  It’s a really lovely light mild flavor, and it’s a thicker fillet than most readily available fish, so it doesn’t get lost in a flavorful recipe like this one.  It is a little more expensive than some alternatives in my land-locked Oklahoma, but its quality makes it well-worth the extra dollar or two for me, depending on the market, for that just-right taco every time.

This recipe is the perfect mix of spicy blackened fish, veggies, & lime juice.  It tastes like summer, and I’m all for anything that makes me feel like I’m on a beach somewhere!

BlackenedMahiMahi_zoomed

Your mahi mahi should have this lovely golden coloring once it’s cooked up in the blackening seasoning.

Taco_lime_final.jpg

Ingredients:
  • 12 oz. mahi mahi fish fillets (fresh is always ideal but I got mine frozen at the grocery store and they were great)
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 6 Ole Extreme Wellness high fiber low carb tortilla wrap (8 inch)
  • ½ c. yellow onion, chopped
  • ½ c. pico de gallo (fresh pico de gallo can usually be found in the produce sections of major grocery chains)
  • 2 c. cabbage, shredded
  • ½ c. cilantro, rough chopped
  • 2 limes for juice
Blackening Ingredients:
  • 1 ¾ tsp. packed brown sugar
  • 2 T. smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp. garlic salt

Instructions: 

  1. If mahi mahi is frozen, thaw completely.
  2. Mix blackening ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. Reduce cayenne pepper if you prefer less heat; ½ tsp. makes for a rather spicy blackening.
  3. Once thawed, pat fish dry so that seasoning will stick.
  4. Sprinkle blackening seasoning onto a plate (a plate with a lip is best so it’s less likely to make a mess) to lay fish in and coat thoroughly. Flip and coat the second side of each fillet well.
  5. Heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Add fish and cook on medium heat until cooked through — approximately 4 minutes on each side, flipping only once. Fish will be an opaque white color and will flake easily when cooked (internal temp should reach 145° F).
  6. Set cooked fish aside. Because there is very little oil in the pan already I do not recommend setting on a paper towel-lined plate, as it may remove too much of the blackening.
  7. Chop the fish into bite sized chunks once it’s cool enough; each taco will need about 1.5 oz. of fish.
  8. For each taco, I pile the Ole Wellness Wrap with a healthy sprinkling of yellow onion, then a small bed of cabbage, followed by the fish chopped into bite-sized chunks, a healthy serving of pico de gallo, and a good-sized pinch of cilantro sprinkled across the top. Finally, I drizzle it all with fresh-squeezed lime juice to taste.

WW Freestyle Info.: Each taco is 3 points. Enjoy!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 Comment

We were raised Catholic, so growing up in our house meant fish on Fridays during Lent. I can still hear young Tracy groaning, even in my memories. Ha!! She hates all things seafood related. Luckily, I like it. One of my favorite dishes to make on Lenten Fridays is this Tuna Noodle Casserole. It reminds me of a something my mom made when we were kids so, for me, it’s comfort food…creamy and cheesy with a crunchy breadcrumb topping. Yum! And honestly, the albacore tuna in this is so mild, I’m confident that even fish-hating folks like Tracy will like it! I’ll serve it to her next time she visits and report back. 😉  ~Erin

TunaNoodleCasserole_Logo

Ingredients:

12 oz. uncooked egg noodles (I use No Yolks brand.)

3 pouches (2.6 oz. each) low sodium, white albacore tuna (I use Starkist brand.)*

2 cans (10 ½ oz. each) condensed 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup

1 can (10 ½ oz.) condensed cream of celery soup

1 c. fat free shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup chopped green onion (OR desired amount of frozen green peas, thawed)

1 c. panko breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. salt

Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Cook the egg noodles according to package directions, drain & set aside.

Spray a 9”x13” casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine tuna, soups, cheese, noodles, salt, and green onions; spread mixture evenly in prepared casserole dish.

In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs together with olive oil; sprinkle evenly over tuna/noodle mixture.

I like to lightly spray the top with a bit more cooking spray, just to make sure it browns well, but that step is optional.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.

Weight Watchers info:  This makes 8 servings at 8 SmartPoints each on Freestyle.

Shrimp & Peppers Cajun Skillet

2 Comments

This shrimp & peppers Cajun skillet is great all by itself.  And it hit me after I’d made it a couple of times that it would make a mean shrimp fajita too, if thrown into a nice warm tortilla.  Barry flips every time I make this–definitely one of his favorites.  I make it a little too spicy for the kids so I make sure I’ve got some leftovers for them so I don’t have to be conservative with the jalapeños.

As an aside, we love this blackening seasoning so much that we’ve started making a double batch most of the time…that quantity fits really nicely into a regular sized spice container. For easy storage, I reuse another emptied spice container.

You could tone down the spices if needed – tips for doing that in the recipe below. I love the heat though. It tastes just like I imagined one of Justin Wilson’s dishes would have when I watched him with Pappaw as a kid.  Enjoy!  ~Robin

CajunShrimpandVeggiesLogo.jpg

Ingredients:

  • Four Sisters Dish blackening seasoning (see recipe below)
  • 12 oz. frozen container of deveined, peeled shrimp
  • 3 T. olive oil, extra virgin, Divided (EVOO)
  • 8 The Little Potato Company baby boomer fresh creamer potatoes, quartered
  • 1 white onion, cut into 1” wedges
  • 1 T. minced garlic (I use Spice World brand when I use jarred garlic – or fresh if it’s handy).
  • 1 jalapeño pepper (slice into rings, then half the rings*)
  • 1 bell pepper, green, cut into 1” chunks
  • 2 bell peppers, red, cut into 1” chunks
  • 1 tsp. garlic salt (sprinkle over veggies before add shrimp back to skillet)

Ingredients for Four Sisters Dish blackening seasoning: 

  • 1 3/4 tsp. light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp. garlic salt
  • ½ to 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (1 ½ tsp. is VERY hot – most will want ½ tsp. — or 1 tsp. if you want to go pretty spicy.  I love spicy food but 1 1/2 was almost too hot for me – tissues needed nearby.)
  • 2 T. paprika (smoked paprika if making for lighter fish fillets; regular paprika for all other meats, shrimp included)

Instructions:

  1. Thaw shrimp; then pat to dry. Set aside.
  2. Mix up blackening seasoning (using regular paprika), stirring together all ingredients. Set aside.
  3. Begin heating a T. of EVOO in a skillet on medium heat.
  4. Coat a plate well with the Four Sisters Dish blackening seasoning. Place shrimp on the plate, then sprinkle the tops with the spice mixture as well so both sides are coated.
  5. Cook small shrimp on medium heat for 8 minutes (do not stir or they’ll lose the seasoning), turning to the other side halfway through cook time. When fully cooked, set aside.
  6. Do not wipe out the pan. The spices will help season your vegetables.
  7. Add remaining 2 T. of EVOO to the pan. Then add potatoes and onion; then lightly sprinkle them with blackening seasoning too (just to add a little flavor, not to coat them). Cook for 5 minutes.
  8. While the potatoes and onion cook, carefully remove the tails from your shrimp (be sure it’s cool enough before attempting).
  9. After potatoes and onions have cooked for five minutes, increase heat to medium-high and add jalapeño, bell peppers, & minced garlic. Sprinkle vegetables with 1 tsp. of garlic salt.  Cook for 9-11 minutes on medium-high heat until vegetables are seared and have picked up some of the spice flavors.  Be sure potatoes can be cut easily with a fork as well.
  10. Reduce heat to medium. Add shrimp back to pan, cooking another minute or just until shrimp is heated well.

Weight Watchers Info.: 4 SmartPoints (same on Freestyle plan) per serving; serves 5 (serving size: 1.5 cups).

*You could seed, then mince the jalapeño to make it less spicy.  However, if you don’t like things at all spicy, you could also use less than the whole pepper or none at all.

Smoky Blackened Tilapia

1 Comment

SmokyBlackedTilapiaLogo

Growing up, I loved to fish. It was one of my favorite ways to spend time with my dad — and his parents, Mammaw and Pappaw, before they passed.  They were big crappie (important note: pronounced “croppy”) fishers, which is still my favorite fish to eat.

My dad and I have clocked many hours at my aunt & uncle’s pond, on the river (for catfish, but no noodling for us, thank you very much!), or–when we could get there, out on the lake, usually angling for bass. I am still filled with peace picturing being out on the water at Pine Creek Lake in SE Oklahoma as the sun rises with a thick mist across the water, surrounded by pine trees.  It never really matters if they’re biting on a day like that.

Having a big fish fry after a morning of fishing was almost as much fun as the fishing itself.  As I’ve gotten older I a) have less time to do the fishing myself, alas, and b) have been trying to find healthier ways to prepare it than the cornmeal frying I grew up with — though I still love a big fish fry now and then. Don’t get me wrong!

Fortunately, I also get my love of all things spicy from my dad’s side of the family, and this blackened tilapia I threw together tonight after some fiddling with different possibilities is simple to make, a really fast meal, and scrumptious!

~Robin

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz. tilapia, 4 fresh fillets (about 4 oz. each when cooked)*
  • 1 3⁄4 tsp. packed light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp. garlic salt
  • ½ tsp. to 1 1⁄2  tsp. ground cayenne pepper (depending on desired spiciness—1.5 was pretty warm, but I love spicy food so that was perfect for me)
  • 2 T. smoked paprika (I like McCormick’s organic)
  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients except fish and olive oil in a small bowl and set aside.

Pat fillets of fish dry with a paper towel.

Sprinkle seasoning on the fillets of fish generously & coat evenly on both sides.

Heat 2 T. of olive oil in a large skillet on med-high heat.

Cook all fillets for about 3 1/2 minutes on the first side, then 3 minutes on the 2nd side — or until cooked through, opaque white and flaky.

Weight Watchers Info.: 4 SmartPoints on the Freestyle plan for a 4 oz. filet; 5 SmartPoints under the old plan.

*If you have frozen fillets, be sure to thaw and pat dry with a paper towel before you begin cooking.

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

3 Comments

Erin’s husband loves shrimp and brings a bunch home every year on his annual fishing trip to Louisiana. Erin rarely cooks it, however, because of the work to peel and devein it. On his most recent trip, he got wise and bought shrimp that’s already been peeled, deveined, de-tailed, and individually frozen. At last, all are happy… the cook & and shrimp-lovers alike.

This recipe was born on a Friday during Lent. It’s funny how sometimes your Lenten fasting meals can end up more decadent than your normal, weekly suppers, simply because you have to get creative. This is one of those meals. While being actually pretty low fat, you’re still able to treat yourself to a rich bowl of creamy, spicy pasta.

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces whole wheat rotini pasta
  • 1 orange and 1 red bell pepper sliced
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 24 ounces raw, peeled & deveined shrimp, tails removed
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 2 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can mild Ro-Tel (tomatoes with green chilies), drained
  • 16 ounces fat free chicken broth
  • 4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
  • 4 T. fat free half & half
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1 T. Cajun seasoning (such as Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning)
  • Shredded parmesan cheese, optional (not included in Weight Watchers calculations)
  • Chopped green onions, optional

Instructions:

Sprinkle shrimp lightly with salt & pepper.

In a large, nonstick skillet, sauté shrimp in cooking spray for about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until shrimp are pink and opaque; set aside.

Clean the skillet with a damp paper towel (careful!).

Heat olive oil over medium heat and add bell peppers and onions; cook until onions are translucent and peppers are tender, stirring often.

Add garlic and continue to cook until fragrant (just 30 seconds or so).

Add tomatoes, Ro-Tel, chicken broth, Cajun seasoning, and uncooked pasta to the skillet; bring to a boil and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is evaporated.

Stir in cream cheese until melted.

Add fat free half & half and stir to combine.

Stir in shrimp and heat through.

Top with shredded parmesan and green onions, if desired.

Serve hot.

WW Freestyle Info..:  Each 8 oz. serving by weight (about 1 heaping cup) is 5 points.  (Old SmartPoints: 6 SmartPoints.)