It's Haaaat (Summertime Shrimp & Avocado Lettuce Cups)

Cool and refreshing.... summer captured in a lettuce cup!

It is officially summer. And whenever the tempreatures rise like this, I have to think of the Seinfeild episode what Elaine and Jerry spend the night at Jerry's parents' condo in Florida. If you don't remember it, search for the episode titled, The Pen, and prepare to laugh. But I digress......

The temps are in the 90s now and the humidity is starting to catch up as well. I'm continually surprised at how we've adapted, but as the days get hotter and more humid, a cold dinner can be just the ticket. That’s where this dish comes in. 

I made this today so I could photograph it for the August issue of Southerly. Steve just walked in -- haaaat off the golf course -- and took a taste. Big thumbs up.

So as the temps rise, I hope you give this a try.  

Granted, you have to turn the oven on to roast the shrimp, but the results are so succulent that you’ll get over it!

Ingredients

1 lb. shrimp, (I like 16-20 size), peeled and deveined 

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 TBS olive oil

2 ripe avocados, cut into large chunks

1/2 red bell pepper,  medium sized dice (save the other half for snacking)

1/2 orange bell pepper, medium sized dice (same as above)

3/4 cup English cucumber (the long ones sold in plastic that you don’t have to peel), medium dice

1/2 cup sweet onion, small dice

1/2 cup whole cilantro leaves

1 TBS finely chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup lime juice (typically 1 large lime if it’s juicy) + the zest from one lime

1/4 tsp ground coriander

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1 head bib lettuce, washed, dried and divided into individual leaves. (You can also use iceberg lettuce, prepping it in a similar manner.)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. )You can use foil, but I prefer parchment.)

• Toss the shrimp, garlic, olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 10 grinds of black pepper in a medium sized bowl and then tip it all out onto the lined baking sheet. Pop this in the oven and set a timer for 8 minutes. Check them when the timer goes off - if they don’t look done, set the timer for another 2 minutes and you should be good to go.  You don’t want overcooked shrimp! 

• When the shrimp are done, pull the pan from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Then pull up the paper on two sides and pour the shrimp and their juices into a glass bowl. Put this into the ‘fridge until chilled (about 15 - 20 minutes)

• While the shrimp is chilling, gently (don’t smush the avocado!) combine the bell pepper, cucumber, onion, cilantro, lime juice, coriander, 1 tsp kosher salt and 10 grinds of black pepper in a large glass bowl. Then add the chilled shrimp to the mixture, stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. 

• To serve, let everyone spoon the mixture into lettuce leaves and eat as you would a taco. (Or skip that whole process and enjoy it as a side salad.)

Enjoy.

Happy to be Home (Oven Roasted Lemon/Herb Salmon & Asparagus – 5WW PPV)

Roasted Salmon and Asparagus.
Clean eating at its best.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of airports, convention centers and meetings that were preceded by months of preparation and an intense push to the finish line. First Las Vegas. Then Barcelona. The yin and yang of convention venues. 

While I thrive on this kind of work, nothing feels better than coming home and getting back to normal. After arriving home in the wee hours of the morning, I took a mental (and physical) health day. It was wonderful to sleep in, unpack, check in with the dry cleaners and make a much needed run to Whole Foods for fish, and Harris Teeter for basic pantry and fridge supplies.  Among my purchases: the salmon and asparagus that became the perfect dinner to chase away that yicky feeling that comes from too many restaurant meals.

Barcelona was beautiful
and our meetings were successful
but there is no place like home.

Steve and a buddy escaped the cold weather for a little Florida Baseball Spring Training and golf, so I’m a solo act and hence the single dinner portion.  However, you can easily multiply the quantities to feed as many folks as you need to feed.  

As always, I encourage playing around with the herbs and other flavors – in fact, I think I’m going to do a riff on this with sea bass, cilantro, jalapeño, orange and lime tomorrow. 

Oven Roasted Lemon/Herb Salmon & Asparagus (5 WW PPV)

(Serves 1, double, triple or quadruple as needed)

Ingredients:

• 1 salmon filet, skin on if possible (4 oz = 5 WW PPV if that matters to you)  (I’ve said it a million times – if you are buying fish, buy the very best and freshest fish you can.  For me, that means Whole Foods or a local fish monger. Yes, you will pay a bit more.  If you are watching your pennies, enjoy a smaller portion, but make it the best.  Sermon over.)
• 1 TBS Lemon Juice
• 1 TBS Lemon Zest
• 2 or 3 shakes garlic powder
• 1 tsp or so of dried oregano
• 1 ½ tsp or so of dried thyme
• 1 TBS of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper
• 6 to 8 stalks of Asparagus, woody end trimmed off
• Cooking Spray

Method:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees
• Line a cooking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray
• Place the fish (skin side down) and the asparagus on the tray – season liberally with salt and pepper and spray lightly with the cooking spray
• Place the tray in the oven and cook for 13 minutes
• While the fish is cooking, mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well to soften the dried herbs
• When the timer dings @ 13 minutes, remove the fish and asparagus from the oven and top the fish with the herb lemon mixture
• Return the fish and asparagus to the oven and continue cooking another 3 to 5 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the fish – touch it to test for doneness, you want it to just give to a light pressure and not be too soft – but equally important, you don’t want it to be hard.  (Nothing is worse than over cooked fish!)
• When the fish is done,  place the asparagus on a plate and then gently slide a spatula between the skin and the flesh, laying the fish atop the asparagus to serve. 

Enjoy!

Tilapia with Roasted Butternut Squash, Tomatoes and Spinach (8 WW Points Plus Value)

Packed with "Power Foods"
this dinner is filling and
as healthy as it gets.

I’ve been on a roasted butternut squash kick.  Cut into bite sized pieces, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt, pepper and whatever herb or spice floats your boat and butternut squash is a filling, figure friendly side dish or main event.  Yup, in my book these babies are crave-worthy.

Tonight I was also craving fish.  The two came together for a cozy winter dinner that pretty much cooked itself while we watched the Olympics. 

Tilapia with Roasted Butternut Squash, Tomatoes and Spinach

Serves 2 (8 WW Points Plus Value per serving)

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of tilapia – boneless, skinless filets  or “loins” (who knew fish had loins!?!)
• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces (or buy it prepped at the store)
• ½ cups cherry tomatoes
• ¼  of a large sweet onion, cut into ¼ inch slices
• A big handful of baby spinach
• 1 tsp olive oil for the fish, and 1 TBS olive oil for the veggies
• Kosher Salt
• Cracked black pepper
• Herbs d’ Provence (or whatever herb or herb blend you like)
• Juice half a lemon
• Tablespoon of capers (optional, but I love the briny punch they add and always have a jar on hand.  Try them in tuna salad!)

Method

The Veggies

• Heat oven to 375 degrees
• Cover a baking sheet with foil and scatter the squash, tomatoes and onions in a single layer
• Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and Herbs d’ Provence; and toss gently.  Then spread the mixture out to a single layer
• Put into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice for even cooking
• At the 30 minute mark, pull the sheet out.  The squash should be soft and the tomatoes deflating.  Add the spinach and stir again
• Replace in the oven and roast for another 15 minutes
• At the end of 15 minutes, pull from the oven and pull the foil up and around the veggies like a pouch to steam further.

The Fish

• Sprinkle each side of the fish with salt and pepper
• Heat a non-stick sauté pan and drizzle with about a teaspoon of olive oil. 
• When the pan is hot enough for the fish to sizzle when it touches the pan, add the fish and sauté  on one side for 2 minutes; then flip the fish, squeeze on the lemon juice and add the capers and cook for another 2 minutes or until the fish is firm to the touch.

To serve – spoon half of the veggie mixture onto a plate or pasta bowl and top with a fish filet. 

Enjoy!

Foiled again! (Fish in aluminum foil pouches.)

“Best way to guarantee that I'll make a pitch for going out to dinner is for me to thaw fish. Funny thing - I want to go to a seafood restaurant.” 

That was my Facebook post today.  But as the afternoon turned to evening and about 20 minutes on the deck listening to the cicadas with a glass of wine in hand, we decided to stay in.

I still wasn’t in the mood for messing with much in the kitchen. So I whipped out my trusty aluminum foil and made some tasty packets of seafood delight. 

 You can do just about any fish this way with any combination of veggies.  Served up with some pasta or rice and you are home free with little to no clean up. I often add some lemon slices, but tonight's version had more of an Italian flair.

 

Fish in aluminum foil pouches

Note – this is a very mild dish.  If you like things spicier, add more herbs.  Regardless, the fish stays super moist and is really yummy.

Serves two

Ingredients

• 2 tilapia fillets or other mild fish
• ½ zucchini, cut into matchsticks (julienne)
• A hand full of grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• ¼ Vidalia or other sweet, mild onion, cut into thin strips
• ½ stalk celery, cut into thin strips
• 8 – 10 fresh basil leaves
• 1 TBS butter
• Splash of white wine if you've got it
• Salt and pepper 
• Four large pieces of aluminum foil

Method

• Pre-heat a grass grill to 350 – 400 degrees
• Lay out one sheet of foil for each piece of fish
• Pile the half of the veggies atop each piece of foil.  Reserve a few slices of onion and half of the basil.
• Place the fish atop the veg. Season with salt and pepper.
• Dot the fish with the butter and lay the basil atop the fish.
• Scatter the remaining onion slices over everything.
• Add the wine if you've got it.
• Top with the remaining sheets of foil and crimp all the way around.

• Place the foil packets on the grill and cook for 10 – 12 minutes
• Remove and let rest 5 minutes

 Now for the big reveal.  This is so coo:

• Carefully remove the top sheet of foil.  Place a serving plate atop the packet of fish. Hold the foil by the edges with the plate and flip quickly.  Remove the foil.  Voila!

Serve with rice or pasta with a bit of butter and fresh chives if you have them.

Enjoy.