Salmon Fillets with Creamy Dill

My second favorite fish is salmon. I've had this dish before and I thought it was excellent.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
2 teaspoons dried dill, or to taste

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2.In a bowl, stir together mayonnaise and mustard. Stir in thyme, oregano, and basil. Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet, and spread with the mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle with dill weed.

3.Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the salmon is easily flaked with a fork. Serves 4.

Marinated Scallops Wrapped in Bacon

My parents recommended this recipe. This is a good appetizer for any occasion.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
12 large sea scallops, halved
12 slices smoked bacon, halved
24 toothpicks
2 tablespoons brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Stir together maple syrup, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard in a bowl until smooth. Add the scallops, and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate at least one hour.

2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil.

3.Arrange bacon pieces on baking sheet so they do not overlap. Bake in preheated oven until some of the grease has rendered out of the bacon; the bacon should still be very soft and pliable, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon from the baking sheet and pat with paper towels to remove excess grease. Drain or wipe grease from the baking sheet.

4.Wrap each scallop piece with a piece of bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Place onto baking sheet. Sprinkle the scallops with brown sugar.

5.Bake in preheated oven until the scallops are opaque and the bacon is crisp, 10 to 15 minutes, turning once.

Crab Dip

OMG! CRAB DIP?! WHERE?! I LOVE crab dip. That's all I can say. I love crab dip. Another favorite appetizer. Also quick and easy.

Ingredients

8 oz. whipped cream cheese with chives

2 tbsp. heavy cream

3 tbsp. minced Bermuda or sweet onion (optional)

2 tsp. bottled horseradish

1/2 to 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

3 tbsp. sharp Cheddar cheese

1 lb. fresh lump crab meat, undrained, picked over for shells and cartilage

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.In a large mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese and cream until smooth. Mix in the onion, horseradish, Old Bay, and Cheddar cheese. Stir in crab meat and its juices. Place in a medium ovenproof dish, such as a 9-inch pie plate, and bake until bubbly, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Stuffed Clams

ANOTHER food I didn't like when I was little. But now they're one of my favorite appetizers. We would usually have these on a night when we were either having fish, or doing a whole frozen food dinner extravaganza. One variation to this recipe would be to leave the clam whole insted of chopping it up. You'd leave it and put the stuffing on top.

Ingredients

24 large clams
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dried bread crumbs
4 slices bacon
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions


1.In a small skillet, cook bacon until crisp over medium heat. Crumble, and set aside.

2.Wash clams. Place on a baking sheet. Heat in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 1 to 2 minutes, or until clams open. Discard any that do not open. Remove meat from shells. Chop, and set aside.

3.Add 2 tablespoons oil and butter to a small skillet, and place pan over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic; saute until tender. Remove from heat, and cool.

4.In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, bacon, oregano, cheese, sauteed vegetables, and chopped clams. Mix well. Fill clam shells with mixture, and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Drizzle with olive oil.

5.Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Serve. Serves 4.

Crab Cakes

I love crab cakes with as little filler as possible. Crab cakes should consist of what their name implies, crab. Crab cakes make an excellent appetizer when they're small. And the sauce, YUMMY!

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds crabmeat
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 cup saltine crackers, crushed
1 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM
3 ounces fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1 3/4 cups vegetable oil

Directions


1.In a large mixing bowl, combine crabmeat, 1 egg, lemon zest, Old Bay Seasoning, chopped basil, crushed crackers and mayonnaise. Mix thoroughly.

2.Form 5 ounce patties out of the crab mixture (should make about 16 patties), and chill until cold before cooking.

3.In a skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Saute the crab cakes for 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

4.For the sauce, in a blender place the egg yolks, Old Bay Seasoning, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Blend for 10 seconds. Keeping the blender running, slowly drizzle the oil into the blender. Blend until sauce is creamy. Serves 16.

Clam Chowder

I can't believe I didn't put on a recipe for clam chowder yet! CLAM CHOWDER ROCKS! Yet ANOTHER food I didn't like when I was little but love now. My favorite thing to do is put those little hexagonal oyster crackers on top. DELICIOUS!

Ingredients

2 bacon strips, diced
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 (6 ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried savory
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

1.In a 3-qt. saucepan or Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon; set aside.
2.Saute onion in drippings until tender. Add flour; stir until smooth. Drain clams, reserving juice; set clams aside.
3.Gradually add water and clam juice to pan; cook and stir over medium heat until smooth and bubbly. Add salt, thyme, savory, pepper and potatoes; bring to a boil.
4.Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring often. Add bacon, clams, milk and parsley; heat through. Serves 6.

Lobster Bisque

This is another food that I didn't like when I was little, but loved when I tried it again. I tried it in a tiny restaurant next to a fish market and port in Cape May, New Jersey. My parents were going on and on about this restaurant, saying how good it was. My father said that this was the place were all the fisherman came to eat. The only seats were a dozen stools pulled up to a long counter. I know from personal experience that the smallest, run down restaurants have the best food.

Ingredients

1/2 c. diced carrots
1/2 sm. onion
1/4 lb. uncooked lobster meat
1/2 c. butter
1 tbsp. dry sherry
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. minced parsley
Pinch of thyme
4 tbsp. flour
2 c. scalded milk
2 tbsp. heavy cream

Direction

1-Mince the carrots and onion in a food processor. Mince the lobster meat.

2-Melt half the butter in a pot and saute the carrots and onions for 3 minutes. Add the lobster meat.

3-Heat and ignite the sherry and pour it over the mixture.

4-Add the wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, parsley and thyme and simmer for 15 minutes.

5-Melt the rest of the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook it for a few minutes and then add the hot milk, beating vigorously with a wire whisk.

6-Pour this into the lobster pot and simmer very slowly for 12 minutes.

7-Add the cream and correct the seasoning.
Makes 4 servings.

Seafood Risotto

My father makes an excellent risotto. He can put anything in it, too. Once he made a whole pot of cheddar and broccoli risotto. The whole pot was gone in less than half an hour between my father, my mother and I. I love risotto and a seafood version makes it even better.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup Arborio rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1.Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet.

2.Saute onion and garlic clove over medium heat until soft. Add rice, stir frequently and saute about 3 minutes.

3.Add half the chicken broth (1 cup) and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer about 10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Add remaining chicken broth; cover and simmer for 5 minutes more.

4.Add shrimp, and frozen peas.Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once. Stir in chopped parsley and cook about 5 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Stir in grated parmesan cheese.
Makes 4 servings.

Steamed Mussels

I've recently come to adore mussels. I even had them last night, no kidding! This method of making them is probably my favorite, and they are best accompanied by a warm piece of crusty bread to soak up any remains.

Ingredients

4 dozen or so mussels
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves

Directions

1.Before you even start, you want to wash off your mussels and check to see if they are closed. If you see one that is slightly open, press it together to see if it will stay shut. If it doesn't shut, or if the shell is wide open, DON'T USE IT! IT'S A BAD MUSSEL! YOU MIGHT GET SICK IF YOU EAT IT!
2. Heat olive oil in large pot. Brown garlic. Add parsley, white wine, and water. Place well scrubbed mussels in pot and cover.
3.Heat on medium until shells open. Remove mussels from pot, place in a bowl, and pour the remaining juices over them.

Buttermilk-Battered Calamari

When I was little, I hated calamari. But as I got older, I expanded my horizons for food. I tried calamari a second time, and I loved it! This is one of my favorite appetizers and one of my favorite foods overall.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound squid, cleaned and cut into 1/2 inch rings

DIRECTIONS

1.Heat oil in a saucepan or deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2.Pour buttermilk into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Dip squid rings into the buttermilk, then into the seasoned flour.

3.Place the coated pieces in the hot oil, and fry in small batches, turning if necessary, for even cooking. When evenly browned, remove to paper towels to drain, and continue with the rest of the squid. Serve hot. Serves 6.

Shrimp, Clams, and Scallops Pasta

This recipe sounded interesting. I was used to having seafood over pasta, but not this many at once.

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked spaghetti
1 pound clams
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound shrimp
1 pound scallops
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1.Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Mix in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, sugar, salt, oregano, red pepper, and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

2.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place spaghetti in the pot, cook 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

3.Place the clams in a pot fitted with a steamer basket over boiling water, and steam until opened. Discard clams that do not open. Stir into the sauce.

4.Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the shrimp and scallops 2 minutes, or until opaque. Mix in garlic. Stir into the sauce. Serve sauce with seafood over the cooked spaghetti, and top with Parmesan cheese.

Crab Rangoon

If I was forced onto a deserted island and I could only bring three things with me. one of those items would be two dozen of these. I LOVE THESE! Whenever my family and I order take-out, I get these as my appetizer.

INGREDIENTS
1 quart oil for deep frying
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 (6 ounce) cans crab meat, drained and flaked
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (14 ounce) package won ton wrappers

DIRECTIONS

1.In a large, heavy sauce pan heat oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).


2.In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, crab meat, garlic powder, paprika and water chestnuts.

3.Place approximately 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of won ton wrappers. Moisten wrapper edges with water, fold over the mixture and pinch to seal.

4.In small batches, fry the won tons 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Serves 15.

Asian Tuna Salad

My father and I have always loved Asian food, from sushi to egg rolls. I also enjoy tuna salad. So to combine the two? Genius! It's also incredibly easy.

INGREDIENTS
1 (6 ounce) can solid white tuna packed in water, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon wasabi paste, or to taste
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon minced green onion

DIRECTIONS

1.In a medium bowl, mix together the tuna, mayonnaise, wasabi paste, ginger and green onion. Serve on lettuce leaves or make a sandwich with white bread. Serves 2.

Clams over Linguini

Another favorite of mine are clams. I was introduced to clams at a young age, but I didn't like them. Later, I tried them again, and I loved them! I thought this recipe looked good. Garlic, butter, and clams? What an awsome combo!

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package dry linguini
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons dry white wine


DIRECTIONS

1.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add linguini and return water to a boil. Let linguini cook until al dente; drain well.

2.In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Drain the cans of minced clams, reserving half of the juice.

3.Stir the clams, reserved juice, butter, salt and pepper, and wine. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced 1/3 and has thickened.

4.Spoon the clam sauce over the linguini and serve. Serves 4.

Cioppino

This also is a traditional holiday dish. However, since my family is italian, we normally use salt cod when we can find it. The salt cod makes the soup VERY fishy and strong. Ah, memories!

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup butter
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp - peeled and deveined
1 1/2 pounds bay scallops
18 small clams
18 mussels, cleaned and debearded
1 1/2 cups crabmeat
1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, cubed

DIRECTIONS

1.Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large stockpot, add onions, garlic and parsley. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onions are soft.

2.Add tomatoes to the pot (break them into chunks as you add them). Add chicken broth, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, water and wine. Mix well. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

3.Stir in the shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and crabmeat. Stir in fish, if desired. Bring to boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes until clams open. Ladle soup into bowls and serve. Serves 13.

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

Shrimp is another favorite in my household. I've been eating shrimp as far back as I can remember. I also love Alfredo sauce. It's just so good! I just had to include this recipe.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound fettuccine pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound cooked shrimp - peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup half-and-half
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS


1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2.In a large skillet, saute shrimp and garlic in the butter for about one minute. Pour in half and half; stir. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese in one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly. After all Parmesan is added, mix in parsley and salt. Stir frequently making sure it does not boil. Sauce will take a while to thicken.


3.When sauce has thickened, combine with cooked pasta noodles; serve hot. Serves 5.

Baked Tilapia

This recipe is the closest to how my parents make it on busy days. Tilapia is currently my favorite fish. It has a certain earthy essence which I enjoy.

INGREDIENTS
4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
1 lemon, sliced

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.


2.Place the tilapia fillets in the bottom of the baking dish and dot with butter. Season with Old Bay seasoning and garlic salt. Top each one with a slice or two of lemon.

3.Cover the dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serves 4.

Stuffed Calamari

This was always a favorite around the holidays. My dad would always make enough to fill two whole pans. This was in Jersey, because the whole family could get to my parents house. Many of my memories of delicious food were around the holidays.

INGREDIENTS
12 calamari tubes
2 green onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound chopped cooked shrimp meat
1/2 pound cooked crab meat, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup butter
12 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups milk
10 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch ground black pepper
3/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 (8 ounce) package linguine pasta

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse the calamari tubes and pat dry.


2.In a large bowl, stir together the onions, 6 cloves of the garlic, shrimp, crab meat and lemon juice. Spoon some of this mixture into each squid tube and seal the ends by 'sewing' with a toothpick. Arrange in a single layer in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Set aside.

3.Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cream cheese and 2 cloves of garlic. Cook and stir until cream cheese has melted. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook until heated through and then remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and pepper. Pour over all of the calamari tubes in the baking dish. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of Romano cheese on top of each one.


4.Bake uncovered until the cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly. While the calamari is baking, Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain. Serve the stuffed calamari and sauce over a bed of linguine. Serves 6.