Tilapia Ceviche
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Diced Tilapia Fillets
1 Cup Lime Juice
½ Cup Seeded Chopped Tomato
½ Peeled/Seeded & Finely Diced Cucumber
½ Cup Finely Chopped Onion
¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro Leaves
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce
1 Serrano Chile
6 Grilled Tostadas
1 Halved/Pitted/Peeled & Thinly Sliced Avocado
1 Lime Cut Into Wedges
Put the tilapia in a medium sized bowl. Pour the lime juice (about 8 limes) over the fish and mix gently to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until the fish is white throughout. This should take about 20 minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator and drain off the lime juice. Gently squeeze the fish with your hands and discard the lime juice. Add the tomato, cucumber, onion and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the hot sauce and chile.
To grill the tortillas heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Put the tortillas on the grill or grill pan and let them dry out until they are crunchy. If you would rather used readymade tostadas you can do that as well.
Top the tostadas generously with the ceviche. Arrange the avocado slices on top of the ceviche and serve immediately with the lime wedges alongside. Serves 6
Grilled Spiced Salmon Steaks
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
4 (8 Ounces Each) Salmon Steaks – ¾ Inch Thick
Lemon Wedges
Prepare outdoor grill for covered direct grilling over medium heat. In a bowl, combine chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, thyme, salt and olive oil. Use mixture to rub on both sides of salmon steaks. Place salmon on the grill, cover and cook until just opaque throughout. Approximately 4 minutes per side. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4
Garlic Shrimp
This dish is super easy to make and everyone will love it!
INGREDIENTS
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
5 Minced Garlic Cloves
1/8 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/3 Cup Decent Quality White Wine
1 Pound Shelled & Deveined Shrimp
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Butter
Chopped Parsley To Garnish
Prepare the shrimp by shelling and deveining. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic to the skillet. Cook for a 1 minute and add the pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the wine and let it cook for 1 minute. Now add the shrimp and season with salt. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes and add the lemon juice and butter. Cook for another minute. Remove and serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley. Serves 8
Salmon Tetrazzini
INGREDIENTS
½ Pound Spaghetti
15 Ounces Cooked Salmon
12 Ounces Cream
½ Cup White Wine
1 Minced Garlic Clove
¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
¼ Cup Italian Breadcrumbs
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Cook the spaghetti and drain (do NOT overcook). Coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with olive oil. Place the spaghetti in the baking dish so that it is spread along the bottom. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Remove any skin and bones from the salmon. Place salmon in a medium sauce pan and add the cream and wine along with garlic, black pepper and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Cook over medium heat until everything is blended and the cheese has melted and the mixture begins to boil. Pour the mixture evenly over the noodles. Mix the bread crumbs with the remaining Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the top. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is crisp and browned around the edges. Remove from oven and serve hot. Serves 4
Victoria’s Crab Cakes
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Lump Crabmeat
½ Stick Unsalted Butter (Divided – 1 Tablespoon & 3 Tablespoon)
½ Cup Chopped Shallots
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
2 Large Eggs
1 ½ Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Paprika
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Teaspoon Tartar Sauce
1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
¼ Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
2 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley
2 Cup Cubed White Bread (About 4 Slices)
2/3 Cup Bread Crumbs
Pick through crab to remove any bits of shell. Try not to break up the lumps of crabmeat as you pick through. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and a half of teaspoon of salt. Cook until the shallots are translucent (about 2 minutes). Do not brown. Let the shallots cool. Whisk together the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, remaining half teaspoon of salt, paprika, freshly ground black pepper, tartar sauce, lemon zest, Tabasco, parsley and the cooked shallots. Gently fold in the crabmeat and bread cubes, taking care to not break up the lumps of crab meat. The mixture will be very wet. Using your hands, take a scoop of the crab mixture and gently form into a patty form about 2 ¼ inches across and ¾ inches thick. Continue until you’ve made 12 crab cake patties. Line a rimmed tray and a piece of wax paper just large enough to hold the cakes and sprinkle the bottom of the tray with half of the bread crumbs. Set the crab cakes in one layer on the top of the layer of bread crumbs and sprinkle them with the remaining bread crumbs. Cover the crab cakes loosely with another sheet of wax paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet on medium-high heat. The butter will melt and foam up. When the foam subsides, working in batches, place the crab cakes in the pan. Make sure not to crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown – for about 3 minutes on each side.
Remove from skillet and serve. Makes about 12 crab cakes
INGREDIENTS
2 Limes
4 Cups Shredded Green or Purple Cabbage
½ Cup Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 ¼ Pounds Tilapia Fillets
¼ Teaspoon Ground Chipotle Chile
¼ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
¼ Teaspoon Salt 8 Corn Tortillas
1 Cup Salsa
Avocado Slices (Optional)
Grate 2 teaspoons lime peel and squeeze ¼ cup lime juice. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine cabbage and lime juice. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir lime peel and smoked paprika into sour cream and set aside. In a large skillet heat oil on medium-high until hot. On a sheet of waxed paper, sprinkle tilapia fillets with chipotle and salt to season both sides. Add fish to skillet and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until it turns opaque throughout, turning over once. Meanwhile, warm the tortillas. To serve cut fillets into 8 pieces. Place 2 pieces tilapia in each tortilla, top with cabbage, lime/paprika sour cream and salsa. Top with avocado slices if you wish. Serves 4
Warm Crab Dip
INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ Cups Cream Cheese
1 Cup Sour Cream
4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Pound & 2 Ounces Fresh Cooked Crabmeat
1 Cut In Half Garlic Clove
Butter For Greasing
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Dill For Garnish
Crackers Or French Bread To Serve
Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the crabmeat, salt & pepper and gently stir together. Taste and add extra Worcestershire sauce if needed. Cover and let chill for up to 24 hours.
When you are ready to heat the dip, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350° F. Rub the cut sides of the garlic cloves over the base and sides of an oven proof dish suitable for serving from. Then lightly grease and spoon the crab mixture into the dish and smooth the surface. Heat the dip through in the oven for 15 minutes.
The dip is best kept warm when served, traditionally by using a chafing dish heated by a candle. Either spoon the dip into such a dish, sprinkle with dill and set over the heat source or set the dip in its ovenproof dish over a fondue burner and garnish with dill. Serve with crackers or French bread pieces. Serves 8 to 12
New England Clam Chowder
In the 16th and 17th centuries, fish chowder was enjoyed by the French as well as by the Native Americans. In America, by 1751, recipes for fish chowder began to appear in newspapers. Many were prepared by “layering chowder ingredients.” Each ingredient was placed in a pot in a layer of uniform thickness, then slowly cooked. By the mid-18th century, chowder was a mainstay throughout the Northeast. Clams and other shellfish were added to chowders largely because of their great availability, as all one had to do along the shore was to dig them up. When the 1896 edition of the Boston Cooking School Cookbook contained three recipes for chowder, it was clear that chowder was here to stay.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 ½ Cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
4 Pounds Scrubbed Litleneck Clams (About 1 ½ Dozen Large Clams)
3 Slices Chopped Bacon
1 Finely Chopped Medium Onion
1 Tablespoon Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
1 Pound Peeled & Chopped Potatoes (About 3 Medium Potatoes)
2 Cups Half & Half
1 Cup Milk
¾ Teaspoon Salt
In a medium saucepan, heat water to boiling over high heat. Add clams and heat to boiling. Reduce heat slightly. Cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until clams open up. Transfer clams to a bowl as they open. THROW away any clams that have not opened. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove them from their shells and coarsely chop. Throw away the shells. Strain clam broth through a sieve lined with paper towels into a measuring cup. If necessary add enough water to equal 2 cups.
In a medium stockpot cook bacon over medium high heat until lightly browned. Remove bacon to paper towels. Add onion to bacon drippings and cook until tender – stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, pepper and salt until blended and cook for about a minute. Gradually stir in the clam broth until smooth. Add potatoes and heat to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (for about 20 minutes). Stir in half & half, butter, milk, bacon and chopped clams. Heat through, but do not boil. Serves 6
Mediterranean Tuna Pasta Bake
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
5 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Diced Red Pepper
1 Diced Green Pepper
2 Teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes
2 Cans Italian Tuna Packed In Olive Oil (Drained)
6 Ounces Cooked Pasta of Your Choice
1 Pound Grated Parmesan Cheese
Black Olives (optional)
Preheat oven to 350º F. Heat oil in skillet and sauté garlic until golden. Add onion and continue to cook, stirring, until transparent (for about 2 minutes on medium high heat). Add the red and green peppers and stir for about 4 minutes. Add red pepper flakes. Toss with tuna, pasta and parmesan cheese. Pour into a greased baking dish and bake, covered, for about 45 minutes. Great with a green salad. Serves 6
Tom Yum Soup
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Water
1 Cup Shrimp
5 Mushrooms
2 Limes
1 Lemon Grass 
3 Kaffir Lime Leaves
2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
6 Sprigs Cilantro
3 Tablespoons Chili Peppers
Boil the water in a 2 quart pot. Peel and de-vein shrimp and set them aside. Cut lemon grass into pieces that are 6 inches long. Use the back of your knife to pound the lemon grass – just to bruise it to release the flavor. If you want, you can tie the lemon grass into a knot to make it easier to manage. Drop the lemon grass in the water and let boil for about 5 minutes. Next, put the fish sauce and juice of the lime into the bottom of the serving bowl(s) that you will serve the soup in. Crush the chili peppers and add to the bowl. Now remove the stems from the kaffir lime leaves and add the leafy part to the pot. Clean and half the mushroom and add them to the pot. Add the shrimp and turn off the heat. The shrimp tends to get tough very quickly and will cook even when sitting in warm broth. Scoop the shrimp and liquid into the serving bowl(s) immediately. As soon as you add the liquid to the serving bowl, you will see that the broth becomes cloudy because of the lime juice. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. Serves 2
