Cajun Red Snapper Fillets

Red snapper is one of my favorite fish. While I prefer working with whole fish, such a preparation is often not practical. My local market has fresh filleted portions which are convenient and lend well to dredging and pan frying. The seasoning of this dish was inspired by Cajun flavors. I enjoyed experimenting with various spice concoctions and look forward to more opportunities to visit the world of Cajun and Creole dishes. The fish was very flaky and the seasoning gave a nice bit of heat. Served with braised spinach and lemon slices, the meal was light and tasty.

Cajun Red Snapper Fillet
Serves 2

2 8 oz. red snapper fillets
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons table salt
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil

Rinse the fillets and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine the flour and seasoning ingredients. Place flour mixture on a flat plate or cutting board. In a cast iron or heavy bottom pan, heat the oil until very hot. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour. Place dredged fish in the pan and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes on each side. Serve warm.

Sockeye Salmon Ala Helen

At length I have discussed the great many things I learned from shadowing my mother in the kitchen. Her wisdom is never lost on me. Helen's rustic baked salmon with almonds and dill is another family favorite. In this version, finely chopped toasted walnuts with lemon zest and fresh dill encrust a beautiful piece of sockeye salmon. There is a fine line between undercooked and overcooked salmon, and while I may have moved closer to the overcooked side, the flavor more than made up for the cooking time error. Bottom line-- watch the fish! Since sometimes all you really need to serve is one, this dish can obviously be adjusted for a crowd.

Walnut Encrusted Sockeye Salmon

Adapted from my mom (Helen)

Serves 1

1 8 oz. sockeye salmon fillet

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

2 fresh springs dill, finely chopped

zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 tablespoon whole grain mustard

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor grind the cooled walnuts until finely chopped. Add the dill, lemon zest, salt and pepper, and pulse for a few seconds until everything is combined. Apply a thin coat of mustard to the fish. Place an even coat of walnut mixture on top of the mustard. Place onto a greased pan and bake for 15 minutes.

BB: Tuna Salad- The Real Stuff

I was thrilled that Tuna Salad was selected as the first Barefoot Bloggers May recipe. Kate of Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails, authors a fabulous blog and she could not have picked a better dish! Regardless of the price and extra effort in finding fresh tuna, the flavors truly delivered.

I was a bit concerned about the lime juice in this recipe as I am more accustomed to lemon with seafood. However, I found it truly complemented the tuna. I think lemon would be a bit harsh. The avocado brought creaminess to the party, while the red onion and scallion a bit of crunch. I did not know what to expect from an aesthetic perspective, because I had not seen a picture of this dish, but after the first bite, it tasted so good, I did not care what it looked like. This was prepared at my sister's home, and wish I would have brought a stainless steel pan as she only has non-stick coookware which did not give the sear I expected. Although the seared color was not pronounced, the flavor more than made up for that fault. I found the tuna to be perfectly rare while my sister indicated to cook for only 45 seconds as opposed to the 1 minute.

Please be sure to visit Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails for the full Ina Garten recipe and note I omitted the hot sauce and used reduced sodium soy sauce.

Scallop and Asparagus Lemon Spaghetti

If I had access to super fresh affordable seafood, I would likely integrate some element from the sea in every dish I consumed. In the Detroit area, one has to search to find fresh and reasonable seafood. I never understood why markets in the the "Great Lakes State" sold overpriced and old fish. Such actions are a disservice to the fishing industry in this great state.

I found a market, Papa Joe's, that supplies the freshest seafood in town. What I like best about Papa Joe's, is that they know their stuff and humor my quest to find only the best at the right price. I never buy seafood without first smelling the product, and they do not blink when I ask to see and smell my selection. There are so many ways to spruce the color of a fish, but it is difficult to mask the odor of old fish. However, this market has some of the highest prices in town, but they often have sales and is one of the only places that does not only put their "old" stuff on sale. This special this week involved one of my favorite ingredients- sea scallops. At $14.99 per lb as opposed to the normal $20-24 per lb, it is still quite expensive, but very much worth it.

When it comes to cooking seafood the more simple the approach- the better. Good stuff does not take a lot of work. Usually I just sear the scallops and serve either over lettuce or rice. In this case, I had some lovely asparagus and I was craving pasta. I really enjoyed the white wine/lemon/shallot sauce. The sauce held the dish together and complemented the buttery scallops. The roasted asparagus gave the dish a smokey flavor. I was afraid that the asparagus may over power the delicate scallop flavor. Nevertheless, I was surprised that the asparagus brought out the scallop flavor. My husband commented that a few red pepper flakes would have added some needed heat. This dish is definitely a keeper.

Scallop and Asparagus Lemon Spaghetti

Generously Serves 4

1 lb. fresh sea scallops

1 16 oz. box of spaghetti

2 shallots finely chopped

1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and cut in to thirds

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to season

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place asparagus on sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 10-15 min. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Slice scallops horizontally, wash and pat dry. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Add half the scallops and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook remaining scallops. Keep slightly warm. In pan used to sear scallops, add 1 tablespoon butter. Add shallots and cook until slightly soften a few minutes. Add wine and lemon juice. Cook until sauce reduces by half. Check the seasoning. Toss pasta and asparagus. Top with scallops and wine sauce.

Seared Scallop Salad

A great first course or a meal in itself, these seared scallops served over a simple salad are so satisfying. It is difficult to find good, fresh seafood in the winter months in Michigan. There are wonderful area markets such as Papa Joes that have a great selection of seafood but at $24.99 a pound it's not exactly a wallet friendly experience. Now I am sure scallops are pricey in any part of the country, so I only serve for special occasions or when we really crave this sweet treat. Enjoy!

2-4 servings

Ingredients:

Scallops:

1 lb fresh sea scallops about 6-8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

kosher salt and black pepper

Salad:

1 bag mixed greens

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat butter in large pan, meanwhile wash and thoroughly dry scallops, season each side with generous amounts of salt and pepper. When pan in very hot add about 4 scallops but do not crowd the pan. Sear about 3-4 minutes on each side for medium. While scallops are searing, whisk the shallots, lemon and oil and lightly dress the salad greens. Remove scallops from the pan and place on salad, serve immediately.