Cilantro-Lime Shrimp

Recently, I came across this recipe on pinterest, and I knew that it would be a perfect, quick week night meal.  I paired it with our favorite rice from Trader Joe's, and the two went perfect together.  Rick called it one of his favorites!  This recipe is another one that is going to be come a repeater on our table! I'm going to post the original recipe here since the only change that I made from the  is to use our Garlic Olive Oil from The Crushed Olive instead of regular. 

Here's what I did...

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
2 lb shrimp, shelled and deviened
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime
salt and pepper 

Directions 

Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan, when hot add shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. When the shrimp is cooked on one side, about 2 minutes, turn over and add garlic. Sauté another minute or two until shrimp is cooked, careful not to overcook. Remove from heat. Squeeze lime all over shrimp and toss with cilantro.

Enjoy!

Saturday Salsa Fresca

Those that know me well know that I disdain uncooked tomatoes.  It's something about that smushy, mushy core with the seeds that just kills me.  I don't mind them cooked, and I love them in salsa.  I've never successfully made salsa fresca. I haven't tried in a while, and my last attempt was way too chunky.  I have a food processor now (of course, I've had it for quite a few years now...yes, it's been that long since I made salsa) which should take care of the chunky problem.  I modeled my salsa after my favorite salsa fresca in the world which is found at Carrburritos in Carrboro, NC.  Mine had a few changes (I used lime instead of lemon because I had one here).  I decided to give making salsa another try as a way of using some of the jalapenos that my dad gave me last weekend.  I liked the end product though I think that next time I will use a sweet onion instead of a red onion because it was a wee bit onion-y.  Rick really liked the lime in it, and I agree.  It just adds something that is often missing from most store bought varieties.  A big improvement over my last salsa adventure!

Before

Here's what I did...

Salsa Fresca

Ingredients

5 tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced

1/2 onion, chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

Juice of 1 lime (or lemon)

Directions

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend together.  Refrigerate and serve.  

Enjoy!

Grilled Salmon with Roasted Corn Relish

For the past few weeks, I've actually been working out and trying to do something about the weight that I've put on since I went to nursing school.  Last week, I told Rick that we were going on a diet, and he wasn't too thrilled.  He told me that diets never worked, but I'm not talking about some fad diet.  I'm talking about eating better.  One of the good things about living in the Lowcountry is that the warm weather allows us to grill for more months than some of my more Northern friends.  Unfortunately, though, we are now entering what I like to call the "Oppressively Hot" time of the year.  It starts around my birthday (which is next week, btw) and goes until some time toward the end of August.  Luckily, the evenings aren't so bad which makes it a little bit easier to eat healthier!

For dinner last night, I was browsing the Cooking Light recipes on myrecipes.com when I came across this recipe.  Ever since I made that chicken with corn salsa, I'm a sucker for anything with a corn salsa or relish or whatever the recipe wants to call the corn goodness on top! I actually used the chicken with corn salsa recipe to help me out a bit because I didn't have the Anaheim peppers like the original recipe called for (and I also decided to add a minced garlic clove, too...I can't help it!!!). I did end up using the leftover relish on chicken tonight (it makes a lot!), and it was quite yummy!!  

Here's what I did...

Grilled Salmon with Roasted Corn Relish

Ingredients 

1 tablespoon, seeded jalapenos, chopped

Butter

3  shucked ears corn

1 can diced tomato, drained

1/4  cup chopped fresh cilantro

Juice from 2 limes
1 clove of garlic, minced

1  teaspoon  salt, divided

1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided

1  teaspoon  ground cumin

1 pound skinless salmon fillets

Directions

Butter corn.  Place corn on grill rack (I used a grill basket that I use for all the veggies that we do all our veggies on) ; grill  until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Cool and cut kernels from cobs.

Combine jalapenos, corn, garlic, tomato, cilantro, and juice; toss gently. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and cumin, stirring well. Rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of salmon. Place salmon on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with relish.

Enjoy!

Grilled Shrimp with Cilantro, Lime, and Goat Cheese

On the 4th, Rick and I decided to grill some shrimp on his new grill as an appetizer.  I found this recipe tucked away in my epicurious.com recipe box, and I thought that it would be perfect to help use up the cilantro and lime that we had leftover.  Since Rick's not a huge feta fan, I opted to follow the suggestion of one of the recipe reviewers who recommeded using goat cheese instead.  I also used 3 shallots as I totally forgot to pick up an onion at the new Harris Teeter.

After all was said and done, we had wished that we had made some pasta to go with it because it was just begging for it!  Instead, we just snacked and paired it with some garlic bread (for dipping if you are me!).  Turns out that it was enough of a meal for both us, though!  Very yummy! 

Here's what we did...

Grilled Shrimp with Cilantro, Lime, and Goat Cheese

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

4 cloves garlic, pressed

3 shallots, chopped (can use any type of onion)

1/4 cup white wine

2 1/2 tablespoons goat cheese

Directions

Mix oil, garlic, lime, and 1/4 cup of cilantro in a large bowl.  Add shrimp and shallots; toss to coat.  Refrigerate and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat grill to medium and spoon shrimp and shallots into a grill pan.  Cook for about 3 minutes per side for the shrimp (until pink). 

On the stove, bring the remain liquid to a boil with 1/4 cup white wine.  Mix in cheese and remaining cilantro.  Remove from heat and then mix in shrimp and shallots.

Serve with crusty bread for dipping or over pasta.

Enjoy!

Crab and Shrimp Cakes!!!!

Even though it turned out to be a not-so-great night for UNC basketball last night, Rick and I did have a wonderful dinner. As tempting as it is to expound on how poorly my Heels played, I will concede that they are young and confine all my complaining to messageboards.  

On Thursday, we had snow crab legs, but because we didn't eat them all, I decided to make one of Rick's favorite recipes:  Crab and Shrimp Cakes!  The recipe is from epicurious.com and called Asian-Style Crab and Shrimp Cakes.  Interestingly enough, for an Asian recipe, it calls for using French bread crumbs when using panko is so much better.  This recipe is another one that is perfect for two!  I paired the crab cakes with the cole slaw that I posted a couple of months ago.  I love this meal because not only is it easy, but it is lightening fast!  You can bake them in the oven or fry them in peanut oil.  Last night, I opted for frying.  I've also been known to add green onions if I have them handy.


I served the cakes with a horseradish sauce that I made Thursday night to go with the crab legs.  I was hoping to replicate the crab sauce that Harris Teeter sells (which they have been out of for WAY too long). Usually, I serve the crab and shrimp cakes with a wasabi sauce.  I am going to include that recipe because I like it better than the horseradish sauce!


Here's the recipe that I use:

Asian Style Crab and Shrimp Cakes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce (nam pla) or soy sauce
• 1 cup crab meat (or 6 oz canned crab meat)
  
• 4 oz chopped shrimp (peeled and deveined)
  
• 1 1/2 cups panko
• 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil

Directions

Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add crabmeat, shrimp and 3/4 cup panko and mix well. Season with pepper. Place remaining panko to a  plate. Drop 1/4 of crab mixture into panko and turn to coat. Shape into 2 1/2-inch-diameter cake. Repeat coating and shaping with remaining crab mixture and panko to 4 cakes.

Heat peanut oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add cakes and sauté until crisp, about 5 minutes per side. 

Another option instead of frying is to bake them in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes and flipping half way through.


Wasabi Dipping Sauce
1 cup light mayo
2 tablespoons wasabi paste (water and wasabi paste mixed together)

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 small pinch of salt


Mix ingredients together and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.