Category: Fish/Seafood

Salmon Fried Rice Bowl

I don’t know about you, but I love making bowl for dinner lately. You can add any protein, veggie or starch of choice! They are quick to put together, easy for meal prep and a perfect balance of nutrients.

This Salmon Fried Rice Bowl was made with very quick ingredients . I actually used a frozen blend fried rice and spiced it up. I know some people aren’t for the frozen veggies or canned items that are a short cut but life gets busy and it’s good to have a these items in the freezer for those quick and healthy meals.

Salmon Fried Rice Bowl

Ingredients:

Rice:
1 small yellow onion, diced
6 mini colored peppers, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
16 oz bag frozen fried rice
2-3 eggs
1-2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado cooking spray
1-2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
sprinkle pepper

Salmon:
1lb salmon, cut into bite size pieces (try and cut around same size for even cooking)
1 tablespoon of olive oil or avocado spray
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Sprinkle salt & pepper

Toppings:
Avocado, sliced
Fresh jalapeño, sliced
green onion, sliced
sriracha

Directions: Heat a medium skillet on high heat. Pre-heat air fryer for 4 minutes. In a medium bowl add in the salmon pieces, oil and seasoning. Mix well to make sure salmon is evenly coded. Add the salmon to air fryer pan or basket. Cook at 400° for 8-10 minutes flipping halfway through. (Note: Cooking time will vary based on air fryer and sizes of salmon pieces)

In the heated skillet add the olive oil and let heat for a minute. Next add in the onion, peppers and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes until it becomes fragrant. Add in the frozen fried rice next and cook 3-4 minutes. Mixing often to avoid sticking. Season the mixture with seasoning (add other flavors if you’d like) and drizzle in soy sauce and let cook another few minutes. Make a well in the middle of the rice, add in the eggs and scramble. Let cook 1-2 minutes and then mix all the rice together.

To assemble the bowl add the fried rice to the bottom and top with the salmon bites. Add your desired toppings. I used avocado, green onion, jalapeño and sriracha. Enjoy!




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Lemon & Garlic Baked Lobster Tails

It’s been forever since my last post. I’ve got so much to catch up on but I’m working on it slowly!! Life’s been a little hectic the last 4 months! I made these lobster tails for my Mom, who LOVES her lobster. I try and catch lobster tails on sale at my local grocery story and make them often!! These were on the smaller size, only about 4 oz.

There are many ways to cook lobster. I’ve butter poached, grilled, baked and even put in the air fryer! I was making 4 this time so decided to use the oven.

Garlic & Lemon Baked Lobster Tails

Ingredients:
4 lobster tails (about 4-6 oz each),
4 tablespoons butter (I used salted) , melted
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tablespoon dried minced onion (optional)
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons, onion powder
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°.

Prepare the lobster tails by using the butterfly method. Using kitchen shears cut the shell starting at the opening of the tail. Cut a slit down the tail, stopping before you get to the end. Gently open the shell on both sides and pull the meat out and place over the top of the shell. Complete this step with all lobster tails.

In a small bowl add in the melted butter, spices, garlic and lemon juice and mix well. Add the lobster tails to a oven safe dish. Spoon the butter mixture evenly over the lobster tails.

Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the tail or when the lobster reaches 135°-140°. Remove from the oven, serve immediately with melted butter and a lemon wedge and ENJOY!

Chef Notes: If using salted butter be careful of any extra salt so the lobster doesn’t get to salty. Lobster tails can overcook very easily. Make sure to watch them closely as overcooked lobster is rubbery and not pleasant. Change up the seasoning to your preference. No fresh garlic on hand? Garlic paste works just as well!

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Air Fryer Garlic Butter Lobster Tail

I love seafood! Recently I made a seafood feast with crab legs, lobster tails, mussels and clams and it was so delicious! I call it “working” on content but it’s a delicious way to work if you ask me! Anyway, I love lobster and I decided to try to switch up how I make it! These were cooked in the air fryer and I must say they came out phenomenal. So quick, so tender and so delicious.

The best way is to butterfly the lobster. I started doing this a while back to my tails and I love how they come out. It looks pretty professional, too but it’s so simple! Start by cutting the top of the shell, pull the shell open and using your fingers pull the meat out and lay on top of the shell. You still want the meat attached to the shell slightly to keep it in place.

This recipe has a very simple garlic butter. You can just use butter and lemon and keep very simple. Check out the recipe and cooking instructions below.

Air Fryer Garlic Butter Lobster Tails

Ingredients:
2 lobster tails, butterflied
1/2 stick salted butter, melted
1 garlic cloves, grated
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp parsley
sprinkle salt
sprinkle pepper

Directions: Preheat the air fryer. (Mine preheats for 3 minutes at 400°) Add the lobster tails to an air fryer safe pan. Add the butter, garlic, parsley, lemon and salt & pepper to a bowl and mix well. Using a brush, brush the butter mixture over the lobster. Add into the air fryer and cook at 380° for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, brush more butter onto the lobster and cook another 4-5 minutes until fully cooked. The tail is done when the meat turns a milky white and the shell is a bright red. Note: Cook time will vary depending on the size of the lobster tail. These lobster tails were only about 5 oz each, anything larger make take 10-12 minutes to fully cook. Avoid overcooking as the lobster will become chewy and rubbery if over cooked.

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Garlic & Wine Butter Mussels

I love a nice comfy bowl of delicious goodness! This recipe is exactly that. It’s a little splurge meal because of the sauce but it’s totally worth it. Growing up my Dad use to order mussels in a red tomato sauce at pizza places in his home town of Bayonne, NJ! I can still picture him eating those mussels. Every time he’d go into town on business it was pizza and mussels for one of his meals! I definitely thought of my Dad while I was making this dinner!

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think. So Delicious!

Garlic Wine Butter Mussels

Ingredients:
3-4 lbs mussels, cleaned (Fresh or frozen, partially thawed)
16 oz bay scallops (I used Magdalena), optional
1 1/2 sticks salted butter
1 cup white wine
2 shallots, diced
6 garlic cloves, chopped (I like to keep pieces a little big)
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 T Italian seasoning
1 t salt
1 t pepper
2 T olive oil

Directions: Heat a large deep sauté pan on high heat. Add it 1 tablespoon of olive oil and let heat 2 minutes. Next add in the bay scallops and let cook 4-6 minutes mixing often. (No need to cook till they get a sear as they will be going in the sauce.) Remove the scallops from the pan and set aside.

Add the last tablespoon of oil to the pan. Next add in the shallots and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Next you add in the butter and let melt fully. Add in the juice of 1 lemon and then add the lemon halves to the sauce, pour in the white wine and parsley and let cook about 6-7 minutes on medium high heat, stirring often. Discard the lemon halves from the sauce. Season the sauce with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.

Add the bay scallops back into the pan and add in the mussels and cover with the lid. Cook the mussels about 5-7 minutes until they open. Discard any mussels that don’t open.

Spoon mussels with sauce into a deep bowl serve with crusty bread for dunking! Enjoy!

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Baked Lump Crab Dip

This lump crab meat dip is a huge hit at gatherings or just making for the family at home for game day. It’s made with real lump crab meat and is full of delicious flavors. It’s one of my favorite go to recipes!

Give this recipe a try!

Baked Lump Crab Meat Dip

Ingredients:
8 oz lump crab meat
2 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Romano cheese, finely grated
2 t dried parsley
salt, sprinkle
pepper, sprinkle
1 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
1/2 T olive oil

Directions: In a medium bowl add in the cream cheese and mash completely with a fork. Next add in the mayo, lump crab meat, green onions, Romano cheese, garlic, lemon and seasoning and mix well until everything is blended.

Add dip into an oven safe bowl. Top the dip with the panko breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 375° for 25-35 minutes until dip is hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes. This dip is great to make ahead of time, just bake about another 10 minutes if the dip is refrigerator cold. Serve the dip with crackers, pita chips, pita bread or veggies!

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Creamy Shrimp & Grits

I had grits for the first time when I started going to South Carolina, about 4 years ago. I never really thought about making them myself, and I never really thought I’d actually like them. Boy, was I wrong! I love them. After my trip was canceled this year due to Covid, I decided to try and make some grits myself! These are simple to make, I just used quick grits for the time. Hey, it was my first time…cut me some slack!! Ha Ha! Honestly, even with using the quick grits, they were DELICIOUS and took half the time. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. Give it a go!

Ingredients:
Quick Creamy Grits:
1 cup quick grits
4 cups chicken broth, low sodium or water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 T butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

1lb medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 large red pepper, diced
3/4 cup cooked corn, (I used cooked corn on cob, but can also use frozen thawed corn)
4 slices bacon, crispy cooked & chopped
3 green onion, sliced (both green and white parts)
2 t chili powder
2 t paprika
1 t cayenne pepper, optional
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
2 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Directions: In a medium sauce pan add in 4 cups of chicken broth, bring to a boil. Once boiling, slowly stir in the grits. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the grits have thickened add in the butter, cheddar cheese and cream. Mix until cheese is completely melted and the grits are creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Season the shrimp with chili powder, paprika, cayenne and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add in 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and let heat 1 minute. Add the shrimp into the pan, cook about 3-4 minutes on each side until shrimp is pink and has a nice golden crust and shrimp is cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Next add in the last tablespoon of olive oil and let heat 1 minute. Next add in the red pepper and cook until peppers are slightly tender (or to your preference) about 3-4 minutes. Then add in the cooked corn, season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder and put the shrimp back into the pan. Let heat 2 minutes on low.

To assemble the shrimp and grits, add a large spoonful of grits to a bowl. Top with cooked shrimp, the peppers and corn mixture, chopped bacon and chopped green onion, serve!



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