Grilled Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream

I got this recipe out of a magazine. Fish tacos was something I just couldn't imagine eating until I finally tried it...and now I'm hooked. These are amazing and so easy!

1 lb. fish 1/2 inch thick (I went with Ahi steaks because it doesn't fall apart as easily)

1 T cooking oil

1 t. chili powder

1/2 t. cumin

1/4 t. each of salt and pepper

6 6 in. tostada shells or tortillas

1/2 cup sour cream

1 t. chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped

2 cups shredded romaine lettuce or packaged cabbage with carrots (coleslaw mix)

1 ripe avocado, cut into thin slices (optional)

1 cup refrigerated salsa

snipped cilantro (optional)

Preheat grill. Place fish fillets on plate and rub each fillet on both sides with the oil. In small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, slat and pepper; rub onto fillets on both sides. For chipotle cream, in another bowl combine sour cream and chipotle pepper, set aside. Grill fish until fish flakes easily, turning fish once. Top tortillas with coleslaw mix, fish and avocado slices. Serve with salsa, chipotle cream, cilantro and lime slices (if desired). Yum, yum!

Salmon Loaf with Cucumber Sauce

This is a favorite of mine that my mom used to make but I don't make very often because Jason doesn't like the sauce (the sour cream) and Salmon Loaf isn't the same without the cucumber sauce.

1 cup cracker crumbs (I used bread crumbs)

2/3 cup milk

2 T chopped onion

2 T butter/margarine, melted

1 egg, beaten

1 T lemon juice

dash of pepper

1 can (15 1/2 oz) Pink Salmon, drained flaked

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine first seven ingredients, stir in salmon. Shape into a loaf in greased shallow baking pan. Bake 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with cucumber sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 chopped cucumber

1/2 t. lemon juice

1/4 t. dried dill weed

1/4 t. salt

Combine ingredients; mix well. Chill.

Barefoot Contessa's Asian Grilled Salmon

Wow, I haven't done this in a while! Here's a great recipe I saw Ina make on her show over this last month that I haven't had to cook (since we've had meals brought to us every other night!). I was collecting ideas of things I wanted to make once I had to start cooking again...and this one was a hit! It's so easy and SO good!

1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
2 tbs. Dijon mustard
3 tbs. good soy sauce
6 tbs. good olive oil (I hope Great Value brand counts as "good"!)
1/2 tsp. minced garlic

Light grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4-5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in teh center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

becker barbequed shrimp

This is the recipe I mentioned in the post I did about shrimp being on sale. The recipe says that you should use 16-20 medium-to-large shrimp, but I used 2 lbs, and I didn't double any of the other ingredients. There was still plenty of sauce/broth for the shrimp.

2 tsp dried rosemary (I only use 1 b/c I'm not big on rosemary)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp sweet paprika (I used regular--not sure if it was sweet)
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
shrimp (however much you want to make)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup beer
2 tbs minced parsley (I didn't add this)
2 tbs fresh lemon juice

Grind the first 6 ingredients in a spice mill or coffee grinder. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add spice mixture and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan and add chicken broth and beer. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and return the shrimp to the pan to heat through. Season with parsley and lemon juice. Serve. (Be forewarned that this recipe packs a bit of heat. We don't like really spicy foods, and we don't think it's too bad though. It just might make your nose run just a bit.)
Now I'm off to make Erin's Mexican Polenta Pie. Mmm....

quick pan-fried catfish

I got this recipe back in the day when I used to get Southern Living magazine. It's one of Ken's favorites. I usually get my catfish from Walmart, and I think we've decided that we like the nuggets better than the fillets (probably b/c they are smaller pieces and there's more breading).

3/4 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tbs Old Bay seasoning
1 to 1 1/2 lb catfish fillets or nuggets
1/2 cup Ranch dressing (I use light)
3 tbs veggie oil (I use 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 Enova)

Combine Bisquick, cornmeal, and Old Bay in a shallow bowl. Pat catfish dry with paper towels; brush both sides of each piece evenly with Ranch dressing. Dredge in cornmeal mixture; lightly press cornmeal mixture onto catfish pieces.
Cook catfish in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3-5 minutes on each side or until fish just flakes with a fork. Serve immediately.

salmon souffle

This is a recipe I got from my mom. She made it for Ken and me when she came to visit one time, and we loved it. It's also not low-fat, but we use the light ingredients to try to make it a little better than the full-fat version. I actually made it at Ken's parent's house one time, and had to use regular mayo, and it was way too rich. I'd recommend using the light mayo and light sour cream if possible. It's really easy to make!

1/3 cup light mayo
1/3 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp onion powder
salmon filets

Mix first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Spread over top of salmon in a layer about 1/4 inch thick (give or take a little). Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes (little longer if salmon pieces are really thick). Broil on high for 2-3 minutes (watch closely b/c broilers can work their magic really quickly) or until topping begins to bubble and peaks begin to turn golden brown.

(I know I'm supposed to be working on my assignment, but I needed a break, and this was way more fun!)