Waffle tacos and a bot named 'Dom': Welcome to the future!

Apple and Google are not the only two giant companies are trying to destroy the other with new innovations. Sellers breakfast and dinner calorie bombs in the fast food industry are also channel his inner Steve Jobs ... and innovate.

 

All this will probably make for an exciting time for the industry in 2015 times.

 

Waffle Taco Bell taco.

Source: Taco Bell

Waffle Taco Bell taco.

Just look at how it unfolded 2014. Taco Bell, owned by Yum Brands, has launched its taco waffles in March. Stop evening to virtually Mexican food after a few beers tests sriracha-spray products, with a probable national rollout in 2015. Dunkin Donuts has recently introduced its new platform night munchers white steak. Founder and CEO John Papa John Schnatter shared in an interview with me this week the company seeks to add extra virgin olive oil to your pizza, probably the perception of healthy properties of the cake. As for Domino Pizza, CEO J. Patrick Doyle suggested in August the company could bring their "smart cut" for the market in a big way next year.

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Tilapia with Olives, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes

Tilapia, a tasty farm-raised fish originally from Africa, has become more and more popular here in the states. I recently brought home a whole tilapia from our local Asian fish market and made quite a mess of trying to fillet it myself. Dad pitched in, with no more luck than I, and we ended up throwing the pieces (you couldn’t quite call them fillets anymore) into a fish stew. Now we know better. Just buy the straight fillets.

Tilapia are mild tasting, and relatively inexpensive compared to other fish. Here is a quick and easy, one-pan way of preparing this versatile fish that we found years ago from Better Homes and Gardens. The preparation is similar to Veracruz-style, shallow poached on top of a bed of sliced onions, tomatoes, green olives and mushrooms. It’s fresh, easy, and delicious.

Tilapia with Olives, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4

Feel free to use any tender white fish fillet with this recipe, for example cod or red snapper.

Yum

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, 1/4 inch slices, sliced lengthwise
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
• 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup sliced cremini or button mushrooms
• 3/4 cup green pimento-stuffed olives, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 6-8 ounce tilapia fillets

Method

1 Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add the canned tomatoes and their juices. Add the sliced mushrooms, chopped olives, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.

2 Lay the fish fillets gently on top of the onion tomato olive mixture and spread a little sauce over the fish. Return to a simmer (it's just the juices from the tomatoes that are simmering). Lower the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook or 8 to 10 minutes or until the fish easily flakes when tested with a fork. Use a wide spatula to lift the fillets from the pan to a serving plate. Spoon sauce over fish. Serve with rice, and/or crusty bread.

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Smoky Paprika Shrimp Skewers

My dear friend, the ebullient, smiley, and somewhat wacky Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites has a new “schtick”, namely, food on a stick. On a Stick! is Matt’s new cookbook, aimed at the party crowd, and filled with every conceivable food one could put on a stick. There are the expected—kebabs, corn dogs and popsicles—and the whimsical—jello shots, potato chips, and my visual favorite, spaghetti and meatballs. All on a stick. It’s a seriously fun book, and even if you don’t ever try to make some of the more unusual stick foods, just the idea of them may make you smile.

At my last somewhat larger than normal gathering at my house, I decided to try out a few recipes from Matt’s book. This paprika marinated shrimp skewer recipe is the one that we all decided we liked the most. Spicy, smokey, garlicky, with sprinkle of lime. Best part? It was dead easy to make. Cooking for groups larger than say, 2 or 4, tends to fluster me, so when it comes to party food, for me the simpler the better. But those days of just putting out some salsa and chips are long gone. People have higher expectations! Even my parents. If I don’t tempt them with something good, they’ll just stay at home, where they know the food is good. They loved Matt’s shrimp, and went back for seconds.

Smoky Paprika Shrimp Skewers Recipe

• Prep time: 40 minutes
• Cook time: 8 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4.

If you are using frozen shrimp, defrost them safely by putting them in to a bowl of ice water.

Yum

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp sweet paprika
• 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 lb of large shrimp, cleaned and peeled, tails on

• Bamboo skewers

Method

1 Soak the skewers in water for at least a half an hour before grilling.

2 In a large bowl whisk together the spices—the paprikas, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper—and the lime juice and olive oil. Add the shrimp and toss to coat with the marinade. Keep chilled for half an hour to an hour.

3 Prepare grill for medium-high direct heat, or heat a grill pan. Thread the shrimp onto skewers (it helps to double thread with two skewers at a time to make it easier to turn over on the grill). Baste the grill grates with some olive oil so that the shrimp don't stick to the grill. Grill or cook a few minutes per side (2-4, depending on the size of the shrimp), until the shrimp are just cooked through. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

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Spicy Crab Cakes with Horseradish Mayo

The big food thrill of winter in Northern California is that it is Dungeness Crab season. There is simply nothing better than fresh cracked crab, but you have to make sure the crab is very fresh. During the season we will call Whole Foods and ask when the last shipment came in. If it is the same day, we’re there. Sometimes we greedily pick up more crab than we can actually eat in one sitting. In these cases, the crab meat gets formed into crab cakes to be eaten at the next meal. My father found this recipe for spicy crab cakes recently and they were are absolutely delicious.

Spicy Crab Cakes with Horseradish Mayo Recipe

• Yield: Makes six 4-inch wide crab patties.

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Ingredients

• 4-5 slices white bread
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 2 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 pound cooked fresh Dungeness crabmeat, picked over and drained

Horseradish Mayo:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp prepared horseradish (see how to make horseradish for a scratch version)
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt

Method

1 Chop up the bread into big chunks and place in a food processor. Pulse until you have fine bread crumbs. You'll need about 4 cups. Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of the chopped fresh parsley. Clean out the food processor bowl.

2 Put the egg yolk, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, mustard, paprika, thyme, celery seeds and black pepper into the food processor. Pulse until blended. While the motor is running slowly add a thin stream of olive oil through the feed tube until the sauce emulsifies. Remove from food processor to a large bowl.

3 To the large bowl with the sauce, stir in the chopped onion, bell pepper, and remaining 1/4 cup of parsley. Gently fold in the cracked crab meat. Do not over mix! Gently fold in the bread crumb mixture. Carefully form six crab cakes patties. Lightly dredge them in the remaining bread crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

4 Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Working in batches, fry crab cakes gently 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and heated through. Add more butter to the pan if necessary.

5 To prepare the horseradish mayonnaise, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate.

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Shrimp Risotto

Have you ever had a food epiphany? Years ago I had a seafood risotto at a restaurant on the Grand Canal of Venice (back in the cushy days of business trips with expense accounts) that was so silky, so luscious, so creamy yet still light, I didn’t know what hit me. I ate every grain with a stunned and happy look on my face and still remember that risotto more than what was inside St. Mark’s. Although I had no idea at the time, according to my friend Hank, seafood risottos are a specialty of Venice. There they are typically served all’onda, or “wave” risotto, which means a looser and almost soupy risotto best eaten with a spoon.

Hank and I spent the day cooking together and he showed me in great detail how he makes this Venetian-style shrimp risotto. My father happened by in time for lunch and ate his bowl completely, proclaiming, “Hank, I don’t like shrimp, and I don’t like rice, but I love this.” So there you have it.

Shrimp Risotto Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish or appetizer.

Use the smallest shrimp you can find. Try to find tiny pink shrimp in the supermarket’s freezer section. These “boreal” shrimp or Maine shrimp are uncommonly sweet and come pre-shelled and pre-cooked. Any shrimp you find larger than the last digit on your little finger should be cut in half. Risotto recipes require risotto rice, an Italian rice that has enough starch to help make the risotto's creamy sauce. Arborio rice works for this purpose, but if you can get it, use a Carnaroli rice or even better a rice called Vialone Nano, which is more delicate and creamy than the other risotto rices and is well suited for this seafood risotto.

Yum

Ingredients

• 1 cup risotto rice (Arborio or if you can get it, Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
• 8 ounces clam juice or fresh seafood stock
• 2 cups of the smallest pink shrimp you can find
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• Salt

Method

1 Add the clam juice to 4 cups of water in a pot, heat until steamy. Do not let it boil.

2 In separate pot (thick-bottomed), heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, and sauté the minced shallots for 2-3 minutes, until just translucent.

3 Add the rice to the pot. Stir-fry the rice for 2-3 minutes, until all the grains are well coated in butter and are beginning to toast.

4 Increase the heat to high and add the white wine. With a wooden spoon, stir the rice vigorously. Once the wine boils, turn the heat down until the wine is just simmering gently. Stir almost constantly. You are doing this to agitate the rice, which releases its starch and creates the creamy sauce you want in a risotto.

5 When the wine is almost cooked away – under no circumstances should you let the rice sizzle on the bottom of the pot – pour in two ladles of the hot clam broth-water mixture. Stir well to combine, and add a healthy pinch of salt.

6 Stirring almost constantly, let this liquid reduce until it is almost gone, then add another ladle of broth. Continue this until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Taste the spoon and see if the risotto needs salt. If so, add a small pinch.

This much risotto rice should need about 4-5 cups of liquid total (including the wine) to come together, so start tasting the rice at the 3rd cup. If it is almost there – firm in the center but translucent on the outside, and fully surrounded with a creamy sauce – add one more cup of broth, stir well, and taste one more time for salt. (If not, you have old rice and you’ll need to go one more cup and let it cook away.)

7 Now add in the shrimp, the parsley, and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir constantly until this last cup of broth is about half gone: Remember you want this risotto to be loose and creamy.

Right before you serve, add in the lemon zest and serve at once. Best served with bowls and spoons rather than plates and forks.

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Smoked Salmon Hash

Try this one for breakfast. A reader from Alaska recently mentioned to me that instead of fried with corned beef or ham, the way he likes his potatoes in the morning is as smoked salmon hash, potatoes cubed and fried with onions and mixed in with flakes of hot smoked salmon. Uh, yes, please! I love them with a runny egg and extra sour cream.

Smoked Salmon Hash Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6.

Dice the potatoes small, about 1/4 inch, otherwise they will not cook through before the outsides burn. Hot smoked salmon works best for this recipe. It's usually a thicker cut, and darker and firmer than cold-smoked.

Yum

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp grapeseed or olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 ounces hot-smoked salmon, broken into flakes
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp chopped chives or green onion greens
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges and extra sour cream for serving

Method

1 Heat the oil in a large cast iron frying pan on medium heat. Add the potatoes and onions, stirring to coat with the oil. Spread the potatoes and onions out in an even layer in the pan. Sprinkle the potatoes with a little salt. Cook, using a metal spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan and turn the potatoes over every 2-3 minutes, until the potatoes are mostly browned and cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.

2 While the potatoes are cooking, mix the salmon, sour cream, horseradish, mustard, chives and parsley into a bowl. When the potatoes are done, turn off the heat and fold in the salmon mixture until it is well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let this sit in the pan for 5 minutes before serving; the carryover heat in the pan will heat everything through.

Sprinkle with a little lemon juice if you want, and serve with a little extra sour cream on the side. Serve with runny eggs.

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Tuna Patties

Tuna patties! All you have to do is say these two words and I’m flooded with childhood memories. We kids are only a few feet high, have tiny feet, scabbed knees, and boundless energy. In between chasing each other around the dining room table we are squealing to our mother, “We’re having tuna patties!”

We were enthusiastic about food, to say the least. And always hungry. Back then, this was one of my mother’s go-to dishes. No idea what her recipe was, and it’s been so long since she’s made them, it’s long forgotten. This recipe is as close as I can come to what I remember, probably with a few added flourishes.

What I love about the recipe is that I almost always have the necessary ingredients in the pantry and fridge, the patties are incredibly easy and quick to make, and they’re budget friendly too. Oh yes, and they taste great! (At least to us. Big fans of canned tuna here.)

Tuna Patties Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Yield: Makes 4 patties.

Yum

Ingredients

• 2 6-ounce cans tuna
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup white bread torn into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp water (or liquid from the cans of tuna)
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives, green onions, or shallots
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• A couple squirts of Crystal hot sauce or tabasco
• 1 raw egg
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon butter

Method

1 Drain the liquid from the tuna cans. If you are using tuna packed in water, reserve a tablespoon of the tuna water, and add a teaspoon of olive oil to the tuna mixture in the next step.

2 In a medium bowl, mix together the tuna, mustard, torn white bread, lemon zest, lemon juice, water, parsley, chives, and hot sauce. Sprinkle on salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste the mixture before adding the egg to see if it needs more seasoning to your taste. Mix in the egg.

3 Divide the mixture into 4 parts. With each part, form into a ball and then flatten into a patty. Place onto a wax paper lined tray and chill for an hour. (You can skip the chilling if you want, chilling just helps the patties stay together when you cook them.)

 

4 Heat the olive oil and a little butter (for taste) in a cast iron or stick-free skillet on medium high. Gently place the patties in the pan, and cook until nicely browned, 3-4 minutes on each side.

Serve with wedges of lemon. You can also serve with tartar sauce on slider buns for a tuna burger.

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Tuna Macaroni Salad

Almost every other Friday growing up my mother would serve the family this tuna macaroni salad. With six kids she loved this standard; it was easy to make, filling, relatively inexpensive, and best, we all gobbled it up.

Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 quart water

• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup chopped red, orange, and or yellow bell peppers, seeded and de-stemmed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, packed
• 2 cans of tuna, packed in olive oil (do not drain), or if you get tuna packed in water, drain the water out and add 2-3 Tbsp olive oil.
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
• 1/4-1/3 a head of lettuce (preferably iceberg lettuce), sliced first and roughly chopped into 2 inch long strips
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (we use sweet Hungarian)
• Fresh ground pepper

Method

1 In a saucepan, add 1 cup of elbow macaroni to 1 quart of boiling water with an added teaspoon of salt. Simmer either covered or uncovered for about 10 minutes until the macaroni is just a little more cooked than al dente. When ready, remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water.

2 While the macaroni is cooking, assemble the other ingredients. In a large bowl mix the green onion, bell peppers, parsley, tuna, celery and lemon. Add the cooked and drained macaroni. Fold in the iceberg lettuce and mayonnaise until well mixed. Add the paprika. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.

Eat up. This salad does not make good leftovers as the lettuce will eventually get soggy.

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Shrimp with Orange Beurre Blanc

At a recent cooking class at Scott’s Seafood (Folsom, CA), Chef David Lamonica set us to work preparing shrimp with orange beurre blanc (a French butter and shallot sauce). Chef David says the best shrimp to get are fresh, Gulf of Mexico White shrimp, still in the shell. Gulf white shrimp are firm and sweet. For this particular dish I used Gulf of Mexico Pink shrimp, which are pink even when they are not yet cooked. The are also sweet, but a little more delicate than the Gulf white. By the way, if you are processing a lot of shrimp, the shells can be saved and used to make bisque or stock.

When choosing shrimp, they should be firm and smell sweet. If you see any yellowing at all, pass on them.

Shrimp with Orange Beurre Blanc Recipe

Yum

Ingredients

Shrimp Ingredients

• Fresh Gulf of Mexico shrimp - 6 per person, or about 1/4 pound per person
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Sauce ingredients (Sauce also posted here. Makes 1 cup, enough for 4-6 servings. Divide or multiply to needs.)

• 2 oranges
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 teaspoons minced shallots
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• Salt and white pepper

Method

1. Peel and de-vein the shrimp. Work with the shrimp one at a time, leaving the rest in a bowl of ice water. Holding on to the body of the shrimp, use your fingers to pull off head if it is still attached, and then the legs. Starting with the head end, gently peel back the shell. Use your fingernails or a knife to cut into the base shell segment. Remove the shrimp from its shell entirely. Place shrimp down flat on a cutting board and use a small sharp knife to make a shallow cut down the back of the shrimp. You may see a dark, vein-like intestinal tract running through the meat. Use your fingers, or the sharp tip of a knife to remove. As you complete each shrimp, put into a bowl of ice water to keep cool. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.

2 Zest half of one orange (about 2 teaspoons) and juice the two oranges (about 3/4 cup). Put the juice, zest, wine and shallots in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Cook until it is syrupy and almost gone.

3 On low heat, whisk in the butter continuously and vigorously, 1 tablespoon at a time. Butter is the only emulsifier for this sauce, and if you slowly add it, continuously stirring, the sauce will achieve a silky smooth texture. Do not let the sauce boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm while you continue with the shrimp.

4 Heat a skillet on medium high heat. Drain the shrimp and coat with olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the shrimp and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Cook the shrimp about 45 seconds on each side. Add some more olive oil if necessary to keep the shrimp from sticking to the pan. Do not overcook or the shrimp will be tough and rubbery.

Drizzle Beurre Blanc sauce over shrimp, or serve in a separate small container for dipping. Excellent accompanied by brown rice.

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Tempura Squid

Do you like fried calamari? If so, just imagine the lightest, crispiest, melt-in-your-mouth-iest coating over the most tender squid, and this would be it. The tempura version. I love fried calamari, but you know what? After this tempura, I’m not going back. This is just too good. Eat the whole batch good. And oddly enough, it’s light, or at least a lot lighter than the heavy cornmeal coating you usually find on its Italian cousin.

Tempura is a Japanese preparation of batter-dipped, deep fried foods, usually vegetables and seafood. Apparently the method was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese in the 1500s. When I lived in Japan we ate it frequently, and tempura can usually be found on practically every menu in typical Japanese restaurants here in the states. The batter is quite light, and fries up to a gossamer-like crispy crust. The tricks are 1) keeping the oil at the right temperature—too hot and the food will burn, too cool and the result will be greasy, and 2) working quickly while keeping the batter cold. Another nifty trick for keeping the batter light, taught to me by Hank, is to use bubbly soda water instead of flat water.

Squid is a perfect food for making tempura because it cooks up so fast. Squid you either have to cook very quickly, or slow and low. Anything in between and it’s chewy and rubbery. So the quick frying in tempura batter is ideal for squid. Of course if you would rather use other seafood, you can use this batter with shrimp, pieces of lobster, oysters, clams, small fish, or pieces of larger fish. Or you can skip the seafood altogether and just tempura fry some vegetables, like strips of carrot or broccoli florets.

Tempura Squid Recipe

• Prep time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6 as an appetizer.

The squid rings cut from the body are easier to fry than the tentacles, which tend to clump. If you have both, fry the rings first, then the tentacles. Do not double the recipe. The batter needs to be kept cold and used immediately after making. So it's better to work with small batches. If you want to make more, mix a second batch together after you've gone through the first batch.

Yum

Ingredients

• 1 pound cleaned squid
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup ice cold sparkling water (the colder the better)
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 3/4 cup rice or regular flour
• Canola oil or peanut oil for frying (high smoke point vegetable oil)

Special equipment recommended:

• A deep fryer

Method

1 Slice the squid tubes into rings about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch wide. Leave the tentacles whole.

2 This recipe was designed for a deep-fryer, but you can also fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot (keep a lid nearby, for safety reasons) halfway with oil, about 3 inches deep. Heat the oil to 360-370°F.

3 While the oil is heating, mix all the dry ingredients together well.

4 Once the oil has reached 360°F, take the sparkling water out of the refrigerator and mix it with the egg yolk. Immediately mix it in with the dry ingredients. Mix quickly. Do not worry if there are clumps or lumps. Over-mixing may cause the batter to become chewy when cooked.

5 Working in small batches at a time (about 8 pieces), dip the squid pieces in the batter. Pick them up one by one and gently put them in the hot oil. (Note if your fingers are coated with the batter, it will help protect them from splatter.) When the squid pieces are in the oil, use a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon to dislodge any squid pieces that may have become stuck from the bottom of the pot or fryer. Fry for 45 seconds to 1 minute, and remove to paper towels to drain. Note that when done, they will NOT be golden brown, but more of a pale yellow or tan. Repeat with the rest of the squid. Working in batches will help keep the oil temperature from falling too far while you are frying the squid.

Serve immediately with lime or lemon wedges, soy sauce, ponzu sauce, Tabasco or another hot sauce.

Once the cooking oil has completely cooled (after about 2 hours), strain it through a paper towel-lined sieve, and save it to reuse the next time you want to deep fry seafood.

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Seared Ahi Tuna

After completing graduate school in the late 80s, I spent a year studying martial arts at Kyoto University in Japan. The school cafeteria served many things that one would never encounter in the states (natto spaghetti for example), but one thing they did serve that I couldn’t get enough of was seared ahi tuna, prepared fresh to order. It was usually served with white rice, a little shoyu, some radish sprouts, a few slivers of nori, and some toasted sesame seeds. One ample serving may have cost as much as 200 yen (~$2) but I think it was probably less. Seeing a recipe for seared ahi in the South Beach Diet Cookbook got me thinking again of this delicious fish, and I found some gorgeous steaks at Whole Foods. The South Beach recipe calls for the steaks to be seared with peppercorns. I was looking for a more Asian twist, so I made up my own marinade with tamari, sesame oil and ginger.

Ahi tuna is also known as yellowfin tuna. To make seared ahi, you need to start with very fresh, sushi-grade ahi, as you will only be lightly searing the outside, leaving the inside raw. Not even rare, but raw. The freshness and the quality of the fish make a huge difference with this dish, so don’t even attempt it with a lower grade of fish.

Seared Ahi Tuna Recipe

• Prep time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
• Cook time: 5 minutes

Yum

Ingredients

• 2 (6-8 ounce) ahi tuna steaks (3/4 of an inch thick)

• 2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (or 2 teaspoons of wheat-free tamari for gluten-free option)
• 1 Tbsp of grated fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 green onion (scallion) thinly sliced (a few slices reserved for garnish)
• 1 teaspoon lime juice

Method

1 Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the tuna steaks with the marinade, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2 Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high to high heat. When the pan is hot, remove the tuna steaks from the marinade and sear them for a minute to a minute and a half on each side ( even a little longer if you want the tuna less rare than pictured.)

3 Remove from pan and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Sprinkle with a few green onion slices.

Can serve plain, with white rice, or over lettuce or thinly sliced cabbage or fennel. Shown served over sliced fennel salad.

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Shrimp Cakes

One of our hands-down favorite recipes is this one for shrimp cakes. My father pulled the original recipe from Bon Appetit magazine years ago, which he has since changed just ever so slightly. Dad doesn’t even like shrimp, and usually refuses to eat it, but he loves making and eating these shrimp cakes. The base is made with sweet potatoes and they are seasoned with spices, jalapeno chiles and cilantro. This really is one of the best recipes on this site, so if you have even an inkling for making these, do it!

Shrimp Cakes Recipe

• Yield: Makes six large cakes.

Yum

Ingredients

• 1 lb tan-skinned sweet potatoes
• 4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 4 Tbsp (or more) vegetable oil
• 8 oz peeled, cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup finely ground breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped pickled or fresh jalapeños
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mix (recipe included below)
• Flour for dusting (1/2 to 1 cup)

Spice Mix Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cumin seeds
• 3 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Method

Spice Mix Method

Add cumin seeds, peppercorns, and coriander to a heavy medium skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Let cool a few minutes. Grind spices in a blender or spice grinder (can use a coffee grinder that has been cleaned by grinding raw rice) until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in sugar and salt. Makes about half a cup. You'll only need 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mix for one shrimp cakes recipe, so store the remainder for future use.

Shrimp Cakes Method

1 Pierce sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Bake in microwave for about 15 minutes until done. Rub one tablespoon of oil over unpeeled garlic. Cook in microwave a few minutes, until soft. Let the garlic and sweet potatoes cool enough to handle. Peel the garlic. Cut the sweet potato in half and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Combine the cooked sweet potato and garlic in a bowl and mash until smooth.

2 Add the shrimp, cilantro, breadcrumbs, jalapeño, onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Spice Mix. Mix until well blended. Season with salt. Use your hands to form the mixture into six patties, 3-inches in diameter.

3 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly dust the shrimp cakes in flour. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the shrimp cakes until nicely browned, adding more oil as needed, about 2 minutes per side. Place the shrimp cakes on a baking sheet. Bake until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Tastes great served with lemon, tartar sauce, and coleslaw.

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Shrimp Etouffee

Another great dish from Hank. Enjoy! ~Elise

Even though I grew up in New Jersey, and my mother is from New England, I still think Louisiana has the best food in America. Every time I cook Cajun or Creole I’m in awe of the balance and strength in the cooking there; it’s one of the few places in the United States with a long-standing cuisine all its own. This dish, étouffée, is one of that cuisine’s crown jewels.

Étouffée basically means “smothered,” and it is a common cooking technique in the South; a fricassee is the same deal. You make a flavorful sauce and cook a meat or fish in it, not so long as a braise or stew, and not so short as a sauté.

Shrimp etouffee brings together all of the hallmarks of Louisiana cooking: Seafood (help our own shrimpers by making sure you use Gulf shrimp for your etouffee), a flour-and-oil roux, the “Holy Trinity” of onion, celery and green pepper, traditional Cajun seasoning and hot sauce.

Debates rage over whether etouffee ought to have a roux in it, whether you can use more than one seafood (wouldn’t that be a gumbo, then?), and whether to use tomato or not. We went with a roux, one seafood, Tabasco, and no tomato. You can alter this recipe to suit your own preferences.

You’ll note the long prep time in this recipe—that is mostly for peeling the shrimp shells for the stock and then for simmering that stock. If you use canned or pre-made stock, your prep time will go down to about 20 minutes.

Shrimp Etouffee Recipe

• Prep time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6.

You can use shrimp, crawfish or crab for this recipe interchangeably.

Yum

Ingredients

Optional Shrimp Stock:

• Shells from 2 pounds of shrimp
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• top and bottom from 1 green pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 5 bay leaves

Étouffée

• 2 pounds shrimp, shell on (remove shells for use in the shrimp stock, if not making your own stock, you can get shrimp already shelled)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or lard
• Heaping 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 pint shrimp stock (see above), or clam juice or pre-made fish or shellfish stock
• 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
• Salt
• 3 green onions, chopped
• Hot sauce (Crystal or Tabasco) to taste

Method

1 Pour 2 quarts of water into a pot and add all the remaining stock ingredients. Bring to a boil, drop the heat down and simmer the stock gently for 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into another pot set over low heat. You will have extra stock, which you can use for soup, risotto, etc. It will last in the fridge for a week.

2 To make the etouffee, start by making a roux. Heat the vegetable oil or lard in a heavy pot over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the flour well, making sure there no clumps. Let this cook, stirring often, until it turns a pretty brown; this should take about 10 minutes or so.

3 Add the celery, green pepper, jalapeño and onion, mix well and cook this over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.

4 Slowly add the hot shrimp stock, stirring constantly so it incorporates. The roux will absorb the stock and seize up at first, then it will loosen. Add enough stock to make a sauce about the thickness of syrup, about 1 pint.

Add the Creole seasoning, celery seed and paprika and mix well. Add salt to taste, then mix in the shrimp. Cover the pot, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 10 minutes.

5 Add the green onions and hot sauce to taste. Serve over white rice with a cold beer or lemonade.

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Provencal Seafood Bisque

Hank made this seafood bisque for us the other day and it was so outrageously good I begged him to make it again. I served some of it to a friend from Provence whose eyes lit up upon tasting it, “This is just like we have at home! ‘Bisque de Fruits de Mer'”. The saffron is essential, and even though I usually don’t like saffron, this soup has turned me into a saffron lover. I hope you make it. ~Elise

This is a curious, blended fish soup I’ve been making, in various forms, for many years. I like blended soups, which can seem creamy even without cream – although this one does have a little cream added at the end. They’re just, well, more refined than a typical country soup. And sometimes I feel the need for a touch of elegance, even on a busy midweek night.

One of the things that makes this soup so lovely? It only takes about 30 minutes to make. Yet, eaten with fresh bread and a glass of wine, you feel like you’re sitting at an oceanside bistro in Provence; there is a similar soup made like this in the South of France.

The flavor comes mostly from the stock (shellfish stock or a combination of fish stock and clam juice), the orange zest and saffron. You cannot substitute something else for the saffron; its color and aroma are integral to the soup. A pinch of cayenne adds the faintest zing that brings everything together. For fish I used a Pacific flounder. You can use any mild, white fish: Cod, haddock, any flatfish (flounder, fluke, halibut, sole, turbot, etc), walleye, bluegill, or rock cod.

Blend this soup well. You want a smooth, silky texture, not a grainy one. I puréed the soup first with an immersion blender, then poured it into a regular blender to finish. In the past I’ve even passed it through a fine-meshed drum sieve to make it even smoother. But you need not go to such lengths. The soup will be just fine if it is well blended.

Once its blended and you add the cream in, don’t let the soup boil; it could break. And if you have leftovers, just heat them gently in a pot until warm enough to eat.

Provencal Seafood Bisque Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6.

The soup is particularly good served with crusty French or Italian loaf bread for dipping.

Yum

Ingredients

• 3 slices of bacon, roughly chopped (can substitute olive oil or butter, 3 Tbsp)
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 pound white fish fillets, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon of orange zest
• A pinch of cayenne
• A large pinch of saffron
• 1 quart of shellfish stock, OR 16 ounces of clam juice plus 16 ounces of fish stock or water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Salt to taste

Method

1 Cook the bacon on medium heat in a 6 to 8 quart pot until it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon. Set aside on a paper towel to use for garnish later.

2 Increase the heat to medium high and add the onions, celery and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent. Do not brown. Sprinkle some salt over everything as it cooks.

3 Add the fish, tomatoes and the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

4 Add the orange zest, cayenne and saffron, then pour in the shellfish stock or whatever stock you are using. In a pinch you could even use chicken or vegetable stock, but the flavor of the soup will be different. Simmer this gently – do not let it get to a rolling boil – for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5 Get another pot ready. Fill a blender a third of the way with the soup and blend it on high (starting on low then increasing to high) for 1 minute, or until it is well puréed. Work in batches to purée the rest of the soup. Pour the puréed soup into the clean pot.

6 Put the soup on medium-low heat and add the cream. Stir well and taste for salt, adding if needed. Do not let this boil! Or it might break.

Serve garnished with bacon bits or dill fronds, and alongside some crusty bread. A dry rose or light red wine would go well with this; I’d suggest a Beaujolais or a Pinot Noir.

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Salmon Teriyaki Skewers with Pineapple

Now that grilling season is officially upon us, I’ve been experimenting with teriyaki salmon skewers. Last night’s version (frozen salmon, canned pineapple) got two thumbs up from the rents, but there were too many leftovers for me to be convinced. Conditioned for politeness, sometimes they are just not willing to be as critical as I’d like. (You can’t like everything mom!) Tried again tonight, this time with fresh pineapple and very fresh salmon and as expected the salmon skewers were a thousand times better (mom agreed). The trick to great salmon skewers is high heat (charcoal grill better than gas better than broiler), the freshest salmon available, and watching the grill (or broiler) like a hawk. Fish can go from perfect to overcooked in a minute.

Salmon Teriyaki Skewers with Pineapple Recipe

• Yield: Serves 4.

Yum

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin rice wine or rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup minced green onions
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• Pinch chili pepper flakes

• 1 lb salmon fillet, rinsed, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 lb fresh pineapple, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 green onions, cut into 1-inch segments

• 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 20 minutes before using

Method

1 In a medium bowl, mix together the soy sauce, mirin or rice vinegar, and brown sugar, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the fresh ginger, minced green onions, chili pepper flakes, and vegetable oil. Place the cubes of salmon in the bowl, coat completely with the marinade. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.

2 Remove salmon from marinade. Place marinade in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, set aside.

3 Thread salmon, pineapple, and onion pieces on skewers. If using a grill, prepare grill for high, direct heat. Oil the grill grates. Place skewers on grill. Cover. If using an oven broiler, place on a rack on a broiling pan, so that the salmon pieces are 6 inches from the element. Turn after 2 to 4 minutes. Baste with reserved marinade. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes more, basting frequently, until salmon is just barely cooked through.

Serve immediately.

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Shrimp and Avocado Salad

What better way to cool down in the heat of summer than with a delicious cold salad? Freshly cooked shrimp and creamy avocado are a perfect match, especially with a crisp vinaigrette. The best news? It only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad Recipe

• Yield: Serves 4.

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes.

Yum

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb small or extra small shrimp, cooked, peeled, and de-veined
• 2 ripe avocados
• Lettuce - preferably butter lettuce or red leaf lettuce

• Optional - 2 Tbsp chopped roasted walnuts or pistachios
• 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• Lemon slices for garnish

Method

1 Combine oil, vinegar, and green onions in a bowl. Chop shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces and add to oil mixture.

2 Arrange leaves of lettuce on individual plates. Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Remove some of the avocado around the pit area and mix in with the shrimp. With a spoon, carefully scoop out avocado halves from their skins in one piece. Place avocado half on plate with lettuce.

3 Spoon shrimp mixture on to avocado. Sprinkle with walnuts and cilantro (optional).

Serve with lemon slices for garnish.

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Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta

Okay, pardon me in advance, but I think I’ve just had a Sandra Lee moment with this dish. Wait, the parsley is fresh from the garden, does that count? Let’s look at the ingredients – shrimp (best to get frozen and defrost yourself, unless you can get fresh, because most of what you buy in the store is “previously frozen” anyway), artichoke hearts (frozen, I would rather eat fresh artichokes whole), peas (frozen, they’re good!), basil pesto (not in season, but I make mine in the summer and freeze it, add Parmesan back to it when I use it), and pasta (from a box, I guess you could get fresh or make it yourself), onion greens and garlic from the farmers market, and parsley (redemption).

A great weeknight pasta dish assuming your freezer is well stocked. ;-)

Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta Recipe

• Yield: Serves 4.

Yum

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound linguine, fettuccine, spaghetti, or other pasta
• 2 Tbsp prepared basil pesto
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 16 large shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 20 frozen artichoke heart quarters, thawed, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion greens
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Heat to boiling a large pot with at least 4 quarts of water in it. Once the water is boiling, salt it with 1 Tbsp of salt for every 4 quarts of water. Once the water returns to a boil add the pasta to the pot. Leave uncovered, let cook on high heat with a vigorous boil. Put the timer on for 8-10 minutes, or whatever your pasta package says is appropriate for al dente (cooked but still a little firm).

2 Once the pasta is done, and before draining the pasta, scoop out one cup of the pasta cooking liquid and reserve. Drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with the pesto and keep it warm.

3 Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the shrimp is just pink. Add the peas and artichokes, lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for an additional minute. Add the green onions and parsley, reduce the heat to low. Add the pasta and about a third of a cup of the reserved cooking water. Toss to coat evenly. Add more cooking water if the pasta is still a little too dry.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

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Salmon with Tomato, Onions, and Capers

Every year in mid September, my friend Jim organizes a group of his friends to go salmon fishing off the coast of Marin, north of San Francisco. For the second year in a row, I didn’t a catch a fish; Jim however was luckier, and I lucky to be his friend as I got to take some gorgeous salmon home with me. Here is how we cooked it up today – poached in a tomato, onion, lemon, and caper sauce.

Salmon with Tomato, Onions, and Capers Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4.

Yum

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
• 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• The juice of one meyer lemon, or half a regular lemon with a teaspoon of sugar
• 2 Tbsp of capers, drained
• 1 teaspoon of chopped jalapeño peppers (no seeds, no stem, no ribs) either fresh or pickled
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup water
• Salt and pepper
• 2 fresh salmon fillets, 1/2 lb each

Method

1 In a large, wide (at least 12 inches wide) saucepan (one that comes with a cover), heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes, thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, and jalapeño peppers. Simmer for 10 minutes, adding a little water if needed to prevent the sauce from getting too dry. Salt and pepper to taste.

2 Add 1/3 a cup of white wine - a simple Chardonnay will work. Add 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a simmer. Place the fillets in the pan on top of the sauce, skin side down, if the fillets are still in their skin. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 5-10 minutes, depending on how thick the cuts of fish are. Poke the fish with a fork and look for doneness. The fish should still be somewhat rare in the middle, but not raw. Serve immediately, with tomato sauce generously applied.

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