Luscious Joys: Seafood

The Newsy Neighbour
September Issue 107
www.thenewsyneighbour.com  

I love watching cooking shows. The truth is, I never used to watch them. Then I found myself channel surfing, trying to find an interesting show to watch instead of all the garbage and news channels, and found myself watching the cooking channel. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives can be fun and I love all the different cities Guy visits. But what I like the best is all the different cooking ideas I get from watching these shows. Like, whoever would have thought to add pineapple to coleslaw or to make your own garlic mayonnaise?

I have learned a ton of different recipes when it comes to cooking seafood. I LOVE SEAFOOD and it just might be one of those foods I could eat each and every day. Now, I do also know that it can be very expensive. So I thought in this Luscious Joys I would share with you some ways in which you can have your fish and eat it too! Sometimes the canned stuff can be just as good; well, not really, but when you just cannot bring yourself to lay out the cash for fresh, you can still enjoy your seafood. All these recipes are quick and easy and perfect for when you get that desire for seafood.

This first one is one of my very favourite dishes because I absolutely LOVE crab and you do not have to deal with all the work of cracking the shells but still enjoy the flavour of delicious crab.

CLASSIC CRAB CAKES

8 oz canned lump crab meat                                    1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup finely chopped onion                                  1/2 small clove garlic, finely minced

¼ tsp garlic powder                                                  1 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper

1 egg                                                                         2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce                                       1 cup soft bread crumbs

1 ½ tsp Creole seasoning                                          4 tbsp butter

Drain crab meat trying to leave lumps as large as possible. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over low heat; slowly sauté finely diced onion, celery, red pepper, and garlic until tender. Whisk egg in bowl, add mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and Creole seasoning. Combine with sautéed vegetables and soft bread crumbs, mixing well. Add the crab meat and form into loose patties; place on waxed paper-lined plate. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until firm, heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Gently place crab cakes in skillet and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook for 4 to 5 minutes longer, until cooked through. Serve with a remoulade sauce or tartar sauce.

CRABBY CRAB DIP

6 oz. cream cheese, softened                                        1 cup sour cream

1 tbsp chopped green onion                                          Few drops hot sauce (to your taste)

1/2 tsp paprika                                                              1 envelope Ranch Dressing mix

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste              6 to 8 ounces crab meat, drained and chopped

Beat cream cheese with sour cream until well blended. Blend in the green onion, hot sauce, paprika, dressing mix. Stir in crab. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, if desired. Chill until serving time or heat in a 350°F oven to serve hot.

Now, if you do not like the classic seafood, there are at least a million different canned salmon recipes and salmon is sooo good for you. It is an excellent source of vitamin B12, vitamin D and selenium. It is a good source of niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, phosphorus and vitamin B6. It is also a good source of choline, pantothenic acid, biotin and potassium.

This truly is delicious, even if it does not sound good – trust me.

SALMON MACARONI SALAD

2 cups dry macaroni pasta                                                 Salt

2 (7-ounce) cans salmon                                                    1/2 cup mayonnaise or to taste

1 tsp mustard                                                                     1 tsp lemon zest

1 tbsp lemon juice                                                              1/3 cup red onions or green onions

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley                                                    

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill)       2 stalks celery, chopped

Tabasco to taste (about 10 drops)                                      freshly ground black pepper

Boil the macaroni pasta by bringing a pot of water (2 quarts) to a boil. Add 1 tbsp salt. Add the dry macaroni pasta and cook, uncovered, in a rolling boil for about 10 minutes, or until the macaroni is al dente (slightly firm). Remove from heat, drain, rinse briefly in cold water (macaroni should be still warm after rinsing) and drain again. Mix salmon, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix in the shallots, parsley, dill, and celery. Stir in drained, warm macaroni, mix while it is still warm. Add Tabasco and freshly ground black pepper to taste. As the macaroni absorbs the mayonnaise, you may need to add some water to the salad to keep it from being dry. Adjust seasonings. Chill before serving.

This is so easy and so good you’re going to love it.

Salmon Hash

2 medium red potatoes cut into pieces                                1 can salmon, drained and chunked

½ small onion, chopped                                                      1 red pepper, sliced

2 eggs

Boil the potatoes until tender and drain. While potatoes are cooling, sauté red peppers and onions until tender. Gently stir in potatoes and salmon; set aside and keep warm. Poach or fry eggs (over-easy method). Divide salmon-potato-pepper mixture on two plates and top each with an egg add salt to taste.

Canned clams may turn some people off but until you have actually had them, don’t turn up your nose—they truly are delicious. This may be my favourite recipe, and one of my own.

Spaghetti with Canned Clams

Since we are on the subject of spaghetti, I want to share a little secret on trying to decide how much to cook per person. I use the quarter, nickel, and dime method; it works pretty well. So a quarter-sized portion of dried spaghetti feeds 3 to 4 people. A nickel-sized portion feeds 2 to 3 people and a dime-sized portion is perfect for just one!

So depending on how many people you are cooking for, decide how much spaghetti to cook; boil your pasta and drain, saving about 1 cup of the water. Put the pasta into a deep dish frying pan with about 2 tbsp of butter and heat, add one whole can of canned clams, drained and 2 chopped fresh garlic cloves, add about 2 tbsp of fresh parsley, and now the best part, add a few glugs of either vodka or tequila. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with a little parmesan and serve with garlic toast. Oh, my goodness, this is so delicious. Also don’t forget to use your imagination by adding some hot sauce, Creole spice, oregano or any other spice that comes to mind.

Experimenting with food is FUN – give it a try.

Kathryn Hartwell

References: thekitchen.com, southerncooking.com, eatingwell.com and wisebread.com