Category Archives: Seafood

Seafood, Vegetarian

Cajun Shrimp

March 13, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Cajun Shrimp

Whenever I go to New Orleans I over eat. It’s that combination of ingredients that you get in NOLA classic dishes that can’t be beat. With Cajun spice, shrimp and green onions this one really comes together.

Ingredients:

¼ cup soy sauce
3 tbsps. olive oil
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. brown mustard
1 tsp. Cajun spice mix
2 tbsps. brown sugar
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tbsps. butter
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt & black pepper
sliced green onions

Thoroughly mix the first 7 ingredients in a bowl.

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the sauce and blend with the butter for a few minutes.

Add the shrimp to the pan. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes until the shrimp are done. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper is needed. Soy sauce can be salty.

We served it with spelt and it also goes well with rice. Add some chopped green onions and a dash of hot sauce.

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Seafood, Soup, Vegetarian

Shrimp and Bean Soup

March 6, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Shrimp and Bean Soup

My doctor says everyone should eat more beans and greens and less red meat. I’m trying, so here’s another bean and something recipe – Shrimp and Bean Soup. This one is from Evelyn. She adapted it from an old family recipe. You can use any kind of dried beans you like. I’m using Goya’s habichuelas blancas (small white beans).

Ingredients:

1 lb. beans (not canned)
Olive oil for frying
2 cups Italian coarsely chopped trinity
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper
1 lb. medium shrimp

To start – Pick through the beans and rinse them. Put them in a pot with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil and turn off heat. Let them sit for one hour. Or you can let them stand in 4 cups of cold water overnight.

In the meantime – Hear some oil in a large pot. Cook the trinity until it’s soft, about 10 minutes. Add 6 cups of water, the beans, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the beans are tender.

Remove a cup of beans and puree them in a blender or food processor and return them to the pot to thicken the soup. Add the Worcestershire sauce. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, add water. Put the shrimp in the pot, stir and cook for 5 – 8 minutes until done. Serve in individual bowls with a sprinkling of olive oil.

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Seafood

Sword Fish Sicilian Style

January 17, 2020 robiulo Leave a comment

Sword Fish Sicilian Style

2 things you should know about sword fish – 1. It’s expensive and 2. Don’t over cook it.

Heat oil and add salt.black and red pepper. Add the onion and simmer until it’s soft. Add the garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add wine and deglaze the pan. Pour in the tomato puree, stock and peas.

Simmer while browning the swordfish in another pan. Pour the sauce over the fish, add a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve.

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Restaurants, Seafood

The Lobster House in Cape May

December 6, 2019 robiulo 2 Comments

The Lobster House in Cape May

The Lobster House in Cape May New Jersey is a classic seafood restaurant. Lunch and dinner in five dining rooms and a full bar is available seven days a week. The Lobster House is located on an active commercial fishing fleet pier in Cape May Harbor. In the warmer months you can eat out on the pier. They also have a take-out shop and a fresh fish market.

THE COMMERCIAL FISHING PIER

ONE OF THE DINNING ROOMS

A LIGHT LUNCH

AN INTERESTING WALL DECORATION

READY FOR CHRISTMAS

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Seafood

Cod Fish Cakes

November 8, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Cod Fish Cakes

Here’s another recipe adapted from The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook. This one is for cod fish cakes. It was created by Ena Forde-Findlay of Brooklyn, New York.

The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook

Hailed as “One of the year’s more engaging cookbooks...” by the New York Times, the book has sold well over 100,000 copies.

“…a one of a kind collection of heartwarming stories and authentic recipes that you’ll want to have for your cooking library…these recipes recall special memories of far away lands or of dearly loved relatives…much more than a recipe compilation, it is a personal journey with stories and reminiscences that will touch your heart.” ~ Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book Club

Cod Fish Cakes – adapted from the Ellis Island Immigrant Cook Book

The cod fish needed for this recipe is preserved by salting. Before cooking, the salt has to be removed by soaking. The amount of soaking depends on how the codfish you bought was preserved. Goya sells it in 1-pound packages and I find this brand is the easiest to use. Some other brands come salted, dried and as stiff as a board and require more preparation. It’s your choice. Besides cod you can also use salted pollock.

Goya’s instructions:

After de-salting boil the fish for 30 minutes. Drain and let it cool then shred it by pulling it apart with 2 forks. Finely chop the peppers, onions and scallions. Saute them on medium-low until they are soft but not browned.

Add the vegetables to the fish in a large bowl. Scramble and add the eggs to the mix. Blend the flour, baking powder, black pepper. and paprika and then add it to the cod mixture, alternating with the water. Continue adding the flour mix and water until you come to a pasty consistency.

Pour an inch of oil into a pan and heat to 375^o. Scoop up some of the cod mix with a table spoon and scrape it into the oil with another tablespoon. Turn over when golden brown on one side, then brown on the other side. Add oil as you need it. Drain on paper towels and serve with lemon and/or hot sauce.

Get a copy of the The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook HERE.

Get information on Save Ellis Island’s Hardhat Tours HERE.

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Seafood, Soup, Vegetarian

Mrs. Fisher’s Fish Chowder

September 27, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking – on Amazon

Mrs. Fisher’s Fish Chowder

I came across this recipe for fish chowder while browsing through an old cookbook on line. The book’s title is What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking. It was published in 1881 and written by Mrs. Abby Fisher. Mrs. Fisher was a former slave and her cookbook is believed to be the first ever written by an African-American.

The fish chowder recipe appealed to me. I decided to try to make it although Mrs. Fisher doesn’t give very precise instructions, ingredient amounts, or cooking times. Onion, butter, cayenne, and salt were easy but I had to Google ‘sea cracker’ and eventually found a modern equivalent. She doesn’t say what kind of fish so my choice was hake, an inexpensive white fish For ‘Irish potatoes’ I used Idaho and instead of ‘salt pork’ my substitute was pancetta. I added some olive oil and paprika. I think Mrs. Fisher wrote this book for people who knew how to cook. so she was able to make some assumptions. This recipe worked for me and I’ll definitely make it again.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. pancetta cut in one inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 & 1/2 lbs. fish cut into one inch pieces
1 large, peeled and cubed Idaho potatoes
3 ground Pilot Bread Crackers
3 pats of butter
1/4 tsp . cayenne
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
salt to taste

Cook the pancetta on a low heat until it ‘s brown and the fat rendered. Then remove it from the pot.

Also on low heat, in the same pot, lightly brown the onions and removed them.

As Mrs. Fisher says, “Having all now prepared,” add 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil to prevent sticking to the rendered pancetta fat if the pot appears to be too dry, then put in the fish. Next add the pancetta. Then a layer of potatoes and then the onions with the sprinkled cracker crumbs. Dot the butter on top of that, sprinkle the cayenne and paprika and that’s it. Cayenne is pretty spicy so be careful how much you use.

Add 2 cups of water, cover the pot and simmer for one hour on a low heat – don’t stir it and disturb the layers. Check it occasionally and add water if it starts to dry out. Use a ladle when you serve it and be sure to get each layer.

Pilot Bread substitute for sea crackers

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Seafood, Vegetarian

Cajun Garlic Butter Shrimp

August 16, 2019 robiulo 2 Comments

Cajun Garlic Butter Shrimp

I was in the mood for shrimp and came across this recipe – Cajun Garlic Butter Shrimp – on Alyssa River’s site The Recipe Critic. It’s simple and quick to make and yet has some very complex flavors. I served it with faro which went well with the sauce. Rice goes well too.

Ingredients:

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Black pepper
Sliced green onions, for garnish

Mix the first six ingredients together in a bowl to make the sauce. Put the butter in a frying pan on high heat. When it melts, add the sauce and let it reduce for a few minutes.

Add the shrimp to the pan and sprinkle with black pepper. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the shrimp is done. Garnish with the chopped green onions. Really good and easy to make.

Also good with snow peas and rice.

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Seafood, Vegetarian

Michele’s Breaded Deep Fried Gamberetto

April 6, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Michele’s Breaded Deep Fried Gamberetto

Michele was the chef at my Uncle Charlie’s restaurant, The Fisherman’s Wharf. This was one of my favorites.

Michele’s Breaded Deep Fried Gamberetto

Rinse the shrimp and blot them dry. Season with salt and pepper. Beat the egg with about two tablespoons of the milk. Dip the shrimp into the egg wash and drip off any excess. Coat with the breadcrumbs and place on a rack for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil to 375^o. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a few breadcrumbs in the oil, and if it sizzles, it’s hot enough. Deep fry until golden.

Serve with lemon wedges and Heinz Chili Sauce on the side.

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Seafood, Vegetarian

Kristina’s Filet with Seasoned Bread Crumbs

March 15, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Kristina’s Filet with Seasoned Breadcrumbs

Kristina’s Filet with Seasoned Breadcrumbs – My daughter came up with this one. It was so good we added it to our Christmas Eve seafood menu.

Ingredients:

1 chopped garlic clove
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup plain fine bread crumbs
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley

Salt and black pepper
2 large filets – grey or dover sole, or flounder

Mix the first 5 ingredients. Blot the filets dry, season with salt and black pepper and place in an oiled roasting pan. Cook in 350^o oven for 12 minutes. Remove and cover with the breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.

Return to oven for 5 minutes and then under broiler for 3 minutes – just enough to brown the crumbs.

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Vegetarian, Seafood

Shrimp with Orange Sauce and Salad

March 8, 2019 robiulo Leave a comment

Shrimp with Orange Sauce and Salad

Shrimp with Orange Sauce and Salad – An interesting recipe adapted from Bon Appetit – the mix for the marinade is also used as sauce and salad dressing.

Mix orange juice, Sriracha, honey, soy sauce and ¼ cup oil. Reserve ½ of it to be used as salad dressing and sauce. Add the shrimp to the remaining half. Let it stand 30 minutes, mixing occasionally.

Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. oil in a pan. Drain the shrimp, reserving the liquid and cook them until pink. Remove the cooked shrimp and add the reserved liquid. Boil until slightly reduced, check for seasoning and then ladle over the shrimp.

Serve with rice and salad using the marinade as dressing.

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