Seafood Soup

This seafood blend is a wonderful product.  Shrimp, calamari, and little baby scallops.  Throw in some fish, or some extra shrimp, and you have a ton of protein for an easy, quick meal.  I've made this seafood soup twice in two weeks now, and served it once to company.  It is a yummy and filling soup for any seafood lover.

Seafood Soup
1 32. oz container fish stock
1 can light coconut milk (or regular)
2 cans water
1 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
3 large carrots, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup fish sauce, like red boat
salt and pepper to taste
1 bag trader joe's seafood blend
1 bag shrimp, chopped fish, langostinos, etc
1 bag frozen cauliflower florets

Saute your veggies in some EVOO until translucent, 5-7 minutes, in a large stock pot.  Pour in your seafood stock, coconut milk, and water, and add your garlic and salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer.  Add your fish sauce, and taste.  Add more, or more seasoning, to taste.  When you've gotten it right, add in your frozen seafood and cauli.  Bring back up to a simmer and you're done!  This tastes great right away, and really good after a day in the fridge.   Enjoy!

Seafood Hash

This is kind of an oops recipe.  It started out as something else, and somewhere between ideation and plate it became something else.  That's ok- it tasted as I intended.  Probably better I don't have a pic for ya this time though, it wasn't much to look at!

Have you ever tried the broccoli slaw from TJ's?  It's just a bag of pre-shredded broccoli.  I bought it instead of my requisite bag of lettuce, and there was actually a really really good recipe on the back of the bag.  Basically- some mayo, a chopped apple, raisins, and walnuts.  Normally I wouldn't make something with both a chopped apple and raisins in it but I knew S and M would enjoy it.

Back to the "hash." I get sick of chicken, like really really sick of it.  And we eat red meat about once a week, maybe two.  When on a grain-free, paleo/primal type diet, it's so stinkin' important to make sure you are getting plenty of variety into your meals and into your diet.  Otherwise, you risk not only getting too little key nutrients, but also, total diet-approved food burnout.  Blech!  You think- not another piece of chicken breast or broiled fish!?!?!

Enter seafood hash.  Next time you're at the store, get a couple cans of crab meat and one of those little cans of baby shrimp.  They are a cheap and plentiful source of protein that you probably don't think of too often.  Keep a few in your pantry along with the tuna.

I planned on making crab cakes.  Even formed them into patties and stuck them in the fridge for a few hours- alas- without using some sort of 'crumb they were too wet and didn't hold up in the pan.

Seafood Hash
2 cans crabmeat, drained well
1 can baby shrimp, drained well
3 bell peppers, chopped finely
2 green onions, chopped
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp mayo
2 tsp dijon
juice of half lemon
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper

Mix everything well in a bowl and refrigerate for a few hours.  Saute the mixture in a large pan with some EVOO, until browned.  This is definitely toddler approved.  Make a little remoulade sauce if you like to go with it, or add a pinch of paprika and cayenne to the pan if you aren't worried about a little spice.

I've seen low-carb recipes that call for quinoa, or almond flour, or coconut flakes, but I just didn't want to bother with them- and this was really good, so hindsight being 20/20 I still don't think I would have added anything.  Hope you enjoy!

Thai Shrimp and Snowpeas

Are you an "eyeballer?"  Or do you measure everything meticulously?  Do you read the directions on a recipe before you start or do you just jump in without preparing?  Yeah.  I am both an eyeballer and a jumper.  I rarely measure when cooking and never read through the directions fully.  That's what I love about cooking as opposed to baking.  I can get away with both.

I had pinned a shrimp recipe awhile back and after finally picking up some Thai Red Curry Paste last weekend I was ready to give it a shot.  I am not going to post a recipe because it was so dang easy.  Takes 10 minutes to prepare.

Thai Shrimp and Snowpeas- Saute four sliced scallions in a little oil and add some minced garlic and salt, let cook for a few minutes.  Then add a tbsp of thai red curry paste and cook for another minute.  Add your shrimp and cook for three minutes.  Pour in coconut milk, between half and one cup, and a few liberal dashes of fish sauce.  Stir and cook for a minute, then throw in your snowpeas.  Cook until veg are heated through and shrimp is done.  Super easy, super fast.  M and I ate ours with chili garlic sauce to give it some heat, but S scarfed hers down happily without it. 

I need to get some recipes together for this weekend.  We aren't all that into hannukah and we have no family in town so this weekend is going to be long and pretty uneventful.  Lots of cooking, hanging out, and family time, just the three of us.  I'm just kind of sick of baked goods.  Sick of almond flour, coconut flour, flour in general.  Maybe it's time to play with my ice cream maker again.

I hope you all have wonderful, fun, and happy plans for this holiday weekend and for New Years as well.  However you spend your time, and whoever it's with, may it be pleasant, joyful, healthy, and happy.  Much love to you all and your grain-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, whatever-free families! XoXo GFG

Parmesan Broiled Tilapia

I'm pretty sure there was once a rule mandating that fish and cheese were not to be combined.  Maybe some old school Italian rule.  But paremsan and tilapia, or any mild white fish for that matter, go incredibly well together.  And it couldn't be easier.  Sprinkle some seasoned salt over your fish, heat up some EVOO in a pan, and cook 2 or 3 minutes per side, while your oven is preheating.  This entree takes about 15 minutes top to prepare.

Parmesan Broiled Tilapia
2 large tilapia or white fish filets
2 tsp seasoned salt (I used Curt's from Door County WI but use whatever you like!)
2 1/2 tbsp shredded parm, freshly grated or pre-grated, though fresh is preferable
2 tsp EVOO

Set your oven to broil.  While it's heating up, coat your fish on both sides with your seasoned salt.  Pour EVOO into saute pan and cook fish 2 or 3 min per side depending on how thick your fish is.  Transfer fish to a baking dish and sprinkle generously with parm, a sprinkle of black pepper would be great too.  Place in broiler for 3-5 minutes or until parm is starting to brown and bubble.  So delicious!  With a big helping of lemony asparagus, dinner is dunzo in minutes!

I actually like to buy frozen fish from Trader Joe's so I always have a healthy and super easy protein ready to go.  What's your favorite way to cook frozen fish?  I get sick of salmon pretty easily and am always looking for a nice flaky, mild white fish.  Let me know your favorite way to cook fish, and what your favorite kind of fish is!

Salmon with Asian-Inspired Sauce, Snap Peas and Water Chestnuts

This has been a pretty horrible week- not going to lie.  I made these recipes I'm not sure what day, the whole week kind of runs together in my head.  Some weeks are going to be like that though right?  Good news is, I just went to an insanely hard Bar Method class, it was free as the studio has just opened up, and all that hard work released some major endorphins, so definitely feeling a little better now.  What do you do when times are tough?  Cooking is always therapeutic for me, but when I'm really upset, the thought of it irritates me!

I had some frozen salmon and snap peas and some water chestnuts that I wanted to use.  On a recent epi of Barefoot Contessa, my fave, she made a super quick side dish with snap peas and water chestnut.  And I had pinned an asian sauce preparation I was anxious to try.  The meal was ready in about 15 minutes, super easy, and really yummy.

Salmon and Asian Inspired Sauce
2 large salmon fillets, grilled, broiled, or seared to preferred doneness
1 bag frozen snap peas
1 small can of water chestnuts
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
3 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp peanut butter
1 tsp sriracha
1/4 cup water

You'll need one saute pan and one small pot.  In the saute pan, with a bit of oil, begin sauteing chopped green onions and garlic.  After a few minutes, toss in snap peas.  I was lazy and threw them in frozen.  Let cook for a few minutes, then add 1 of the teaspoons of sesame oil.  After 3 or 4 minutes, toss in drained water chestnuts.  I wanted the veggies to brown, so I sauteed mine for quite awhile.  In your pot, add 2 tsp remaining sesame oil, soy sauce, water, rice wine vinegar, sriracha (or vietnamese garlic chili paste) and peanut butter.  Stir to incorporate, and bring to a low boil.  Turn down to simmer for a few minutes, before pouring over salmon, and vegetables.  So easy, and really delicious.

Fall has truly arrived, and it's time to get a few more visits to the park in before it's too cold.  Fresh air and crisp leaves can cheer anyone up- so I'm off!  Have a great weekend, XoXoGFG!

Spinach and Feta Salmon Patties

I am a big fan of HEAB, especially her baby-friendly recipes, and recently she mentioned salmon balls or salmon dip that her baby really liked.  This got me thinking of some ways to use this giant can of salmon I've had in the pantry for awhile.  I also had half a block of feta in the fridge, leftover from feta egg muffins, and wanted to throw that in too.  These salmon patties were super simple, and best of all, S scarfed it up.  It was a great way to get a protein AND veggie in at the same time.


Spinach and Feta Salmon Patties
8-10 oz of frozen, thawed and drained chopped spinach
4-6 oz of feta, crumbled
1 14 oz can of salmon (if you get the kind with skin/bones like I did, you can leave it all in for added nutrients, although I tried to pick most of it out)
1 beaten egg
juice of one lemon
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp mayo

Combine everything except the egg in a large bowl and make sure you have the seasonings right.  Once it's to your liking, add in a beaten egg and combine.  Form into patties about the size of your palm and place on foil/parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 30-35 minutes at 375, or until the top is starting to brown.  This made 6 patties for me- but may make more depending on how much spinach you use.  Enjoy! XoXoGFG

Use What You Have Tuesday= Cumin and Paprika Spiced Carrots and Orange Roughy

 

Yes, that's right.  I am beginning yet another post with an ode to some frozen bag of veg from TJ's.  S looooooves carrots.  I love carrots.  We all love carrots.  I have had this bag in the freezer for awhile and have seen some awesome carrot recipes lately- many of them calling for cumin.  One of my top five favorite spices- well, top ten anyways (celery salt- how did I not know about you until now?).  Along with some frozen fish and a can of chickpeas- dinner dunzo in about 25 minutes.  Best of all, the pumpkinhead scarfed down her spicy fish and carrots like a champ.

Honestly- there is no need to post an actual recipe.  I sprinkled cumin, paprika, salt and pepper quite liberally over the carrots and a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas on a sheet pan with EVOO and roasted at 500 degrees for about 25 minutes.  I seasoned the fish just the same and cooked in a large saute pan over med-high heat, 3 or 4 min. per side.  I drizzled just a bit of EVOO over the fish so the spices would stick, et voila!  The fish I was using is super easy to cook, it comes skinless and boneless, and there is about 16 ounces total, certainly plenty for 2-3 people.

I've also discovered that my favorite Door County Tart Cherries can also be ordered online!  OMG that is definitely going on the list of things to order.  I have not been able to find dried unsweetened cherries that actually taste like something resembling a cherry.  These cherries are a rare find- www.countryovens.com!
   Having a grand old time swallowing five hundred vitamins a day, although I'm pleased to report no more burping clouds of cinnamon through my nose.  HIIT is also super (not) fun and I like how efficient it is- I was in a rush this morning so squeezed my workout into 20min, how can you complain about that?!  Last random thought of the night- have you heard of these? 
Teeny tiny eensy weensy little cans of champagne!  Or, sparkling white wine I suppose since it's from CA.  OMG these things are freaking cute as hell!  My cousin was serving them at her rehearsal din and I about died.  They are so stinkin' cute.  It's ridiculous.  I could just be woefully behind the times, I don't get out much and certainly not to very many drinking establishments these days, but these things are just obscenely presh.  If I ever have a party, with like, adults, again, I'm so serving these little babies.  Alrighty then- that's it for me.  G'night all- XoXoGFG