Oyster Stew

(4 servings)

I had intended on serving this New Years Day, but that sort of fell by the wayside as things sometimes do. This delicious oyster stew comes together fairly quickly and can make a wonderful winter meal when served with slices of buttered toast.

4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
1/3 cup celery, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint small shucked oysters and their liquor
2 tbsp unbleached flour
2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
1/2 tsp crushed fennel seed
2 pinches cayenne
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, celery and garlic. Cook until the vegetables have softened; about 15-20 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent the mixture from burning.

While the shallot and celery mixture is cooking, pass the oyster liquor through a fine strainer to remove any sand. Set aside.

When the vegetable mixture has softened, sprinkle the flour evenly over the surface and stir. Gradually stir in the reserved oyster liquor, milk and half and half. Carefully heat the mixture until small bubbles appear around the edges. Do not boil.

Stir in the fennel and cayenne. Taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Stir in the oysters. They don't need to cook for very long (otherwise they might become tough), just until their edges begin to curl; about 2 minutes or so.

Remove from heat and serve the stew immediately. Garnish with the fresh chopped parsley. Nice with buttered toast.

Make Ahead Wontons

With the beginning September, the weather has begun to cool in this part of the country. Cooler weather always has me thinking of soup.

Preparing wontons ahead of time and then freezing them is great for those busy weekday evenings when you crave a hot bowl of soup. All you need is chicken or fish broth, sliced green onions and other greens if you have those handy. Add a few frozen wontons and you are good to go in less than 10 minutes.

wontons
1 lb raw shrimp, cleaned and roughly chopped
10-12oz ground pork
3 green onions, sliced
2-3 tsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce
2-3 tsp chili or plain sesame oil
2-3 tsp finely minced fresh ginger
3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1-2 (12oz) pkgs wonton wrappers, depending on how large you make them.

Bring a small pot of water to a simmer.

Meanwhile combine the shrimp, pork, green onions, the lesser amounts of tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and salt in a large bowl. Place a small amount of filling onto the center of a wonton wrapper. Wet the edges and fold together like a triangle and press to seal the edges.

Drop the wonton into the simmering water for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with the tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil. ginger and salt until the filling is to your liking.

There are several ways you can fold the wonton. I'll illustrate two ways, one using less filling and one with more.

To make wontons with less filling. Place a small amount (about 1 tsp) onto the center of the wonton. Wet the edges and fold together to form a triangle. Press and seal the edges. Wet the two narrower edges and bring those together. Pinch and place onto a large cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicon mat. This will make it easier to remove the frozen wontons later. Take care the wontons don't touch each other.

If you prefer more filling and less wrapper, then place a larger amount of filling (start with about 1 1/2 tsp) onto the center of the wrapper. Wet the edges and bring two opposite corners together and pinch together. Then bring the other two corners toward the two that are already pinched together. Wet any loose flaps and pinch those together as well. Place onto a large cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicon mat. This will make it easier to remove the frozen wontons later. Take care the wontons don't touch each other.

When all of your wontons are finished. Place the cookie sheet(s) into the freezer. They will be frozen in about 3-4 hours. Peel them off the parchment paper or silicon mat and place them into freezer bags to return to the freezer.

to prepare per serving
1 1/2 cups chicken or fish broth
1/2 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced spinach, watercress or beet greens (optional)
a drop or two, chili or plain sesame oil
3-5 frozen wontons, depending on size

Heat the broth in a pot with a lid. Add the green onion, spinach, watercress or beet greens if using, and the sesame oil. Simmer for a minute, then drop in the wontons.

Cover the pot and simmer 5-8 minutes more. Serve.

Greek Style Shrimp with Feta

(3-4 servings)

I just returned from an extended trip to southern California. During my visit there I prepared this dish a couple of times for my aunt who loved it. This has always been one of my favorite ways to cook shrimp. It's quick and easy to prepare, especially if you can get your hands on pre-cleaned raw shrimp.

Don't add any salt during the preparation as the feta will more than likely be salty enough. Add it later, if you must.

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped

3-4 tomatoes, roughly chopped

freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2  tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined

6 oz feta cheese, cut into small cubes

fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and when it gets fragrant (about 30 sec.) add the onions. Saute them until they soften. Add the tomatoes, ground pepper, oregano, tomato paste and wine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the liquid evaporates, the onions and tomatoes soften, and the mixture thickens; 8 - 10 minutes. (Don't worry if the mixture seems too thick, once you add the shrimp it should thin out again. If it doesn't, then add a splash of wine or water.)

Turn up the heat a bit, add the shrimp and cook for 4-6 minutes or until the shrimp turn opaque. Take care not to overcook them. Gently fold in the *feta. Cook another minute or so.

Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread or cooked rice.

*I usually use regular feta cheese for this, but this time I tried one which contained bits of tomato and basil. It was quite nice.

Smoked Oyster Spread

(about 1/2 cup)

A fellow I met in high school introduced me to this delicious spread. He used to serve it on hot buttered toast. It's also great with crackers.

1 3.7oz tin smoked oysters
1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tbsp red onion, finely diced
1 or 2 pinches cayenne (optional)
1-2 tsp sour cream or plain greek yogurt (if needed)

fine onion slices for garnish

crackers for serving

Drain the oysters and place into a small bowl. Add the cheese, diced onion and cayenne, if using.

Mash everything together with a fork. Add a small amount of sour cream or yogurt if the mixture seems dry.

Serve with crackers.

Cod & Shrimp Fish Cakes (Gluten Free)

(4 servings)

Making these fish and shrimp cakes reminded me of making salad; I kept tossing and tasting as I went along. The shrimp were an afterthought. I had a small amount of shrimp in the freezer and thought they would be great in these tasty cakes.

cod & shrimp cakes
1 large russet potato (about 1 lb)
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
10 oz cod fillets, both sides sprinkled with salt and freshly cracked pepper
1/4 lb raw shrimp cleaned and deveined
1-2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice or use a splash of white wine
1 tsp lemon zest, minced
salt and freshly cracked pepper
2 green onions, sliced
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 egg
3 tbsp cornmeal
oil for frying
lemon wedges for serving

sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1-3 medium dill pickles, chopped (depending how sour you like your sauce)
1 tbsp capers
1-2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
a few tsp pickle juice

Wash and peel the potato. Cut into chunks. Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a simmer and drop in the potato pieces. Cook until they can easily be pierced with a fork or knife; about 15-20 minutes. Rinse the potatoes under cold water when they are done. Drain and set aside.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Stir in the garlic.

Add the fish and fry for a few minutes on each side until the fish is done and flakes easily. Remove the fish to a plate and add the shrimp the the skillet.

Cook the shrimp until they are cooked through; the time will depend on their size, but they cook quickly regardless. Remove the shrimp from the skillet.

Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice or wine, scraping up the browned bits. Pour over the fish and shrimp and allow to cool.

Place the zest into a large bowl. Add the potatoes; it's OK if they are still warm and mash them (you can leave them somewhat lumpy). Season with salt and pepper. Flake the fish and cut up the shrimp if they are large. Add these to the potato mixture as well as the green onions and parsley.

Gently toss the mixture and make any necessary adjustments to the seasonings; salt, pepper, lemon juice or wine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard and egg until the mixture is smooth. Pour over the fish and potato mixture and toss gently until evenly combined. Cover the bowl with wrap and place into the refrigerator for about an hour or two to chill.

Sprinkle the cornmeal over a plate. Form 8 fish cakes and dredge both sides through the cornmeal.

Combine the mayonnaise, pickles, capers and dill (for the sauce) in a small bowl. Stir in a bit of pickle juice if the sauce seems too thick. Set aside.

Heat the oil in the skillet and fry the fishcakes for 4-5 minutes on each side or until  they are golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges and sauce.

Blackened Shrimp Wraps & Mango Salsa

(2 servings)

This is another recipe I came across online I couldn't wait to try. There's something about a blackened dish that seems to hit the spot when it's incredibly hot outside. The spicy shrimp with the mango salsa were amazing!

This recipe called for large leaves of lettuce to use as wraps, but in all honesty I found them difficult to eat this way. The salsa kept falling out which was messy for sure. The next time I will simply spoon a mound of salsa over some torn up lettuce and place the shrimp on top of that. 

This shrimp dish is adapted from a recipe posted at The Charlotte Observer. 

mango salsa
1 roma tomato, finely diced
1 small mango, peeled, stone removed and finely diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper,  finely diced

1 green onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

salt, to taste

1 lime, juice half; other half cut into wedges

Combine the tomatoes, mango, jalapeno, green onions and cilantro in a small non-reactive bowl. Add a small amount of salt and gradually add the lime juice. Toss and taste, adding more salt and lime juice as needed. Set aside.

blackened shrimp
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1 tbsp butter, melted

8 large raw shrimp, cleaned (about 3/4 lb)
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1  tsp cumin
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne, to taste

Combine the garlic and butter in a small bowl. Brush the mixture onto both sides of each shrimp.

Combine the paprika, cumin, black pepper, salt and cayenne until evenly mixed on a plate. Dredge both sides of the shrimp through the spice mixture.

Heat a non stick skillet over a medium-high flame. Fry the shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. Remove from heat.

to assemble

4 bib or red lettuce leaves, washed and dried or *see note below

Place about 2-3 tbsp salsa on each leaf and top with 2 cooked blackened shrimp.

*Note: My wraps weren't very easy to eat. The next time I will tear up the lettuce and split that between two plates, spoon the salsa over the lettuce in a small mound on each plate and divide the shrimp between the two plates. It will just be much easier to eat this way.

Garnish with the lime wedges. Serve.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/27/2964134/blackened-shrimp-lettuce-wraps.html#storylink=cpy

Fried Shrimp Cakes

(3-4 servings)

Several years ago I sampled something similar to these cakes in an Asian restaurant. I tried to recreate them in my kitchen and although they were never quite the same, they were really delicious.

These savory clumps of shrimp and sweet potato are bound together with rice starch and egg and then served with a tangy and spicy sauce.

shrimp cakes
1/2 lb medium raw shrimp
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp garlic paste or minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 sweet potato, about 12 oz
1 Serrano pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup rice starch

dipping sauce
3-4 tbsp fish sauce
1-2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
2-3 tsp fresh lime or lemon juice
1 tsp honey or more to taste
1/2 tsp sesame oil
reserved Serrano pepper, sliced

oil for frying

Clean the shrimp by removing the shells and then the vein which runs along the backs.

Place the cleaned shrimp into a bowl. Drizzle with the fish sauce and add the garlic and ginger. Toss the mixture until everything is evenly combined and the shrimp are coated. Set aside.

Peel the sweet potato and then shred it. Place into a large bowl.

Wash the pepper and then slice about 3/4 inch off one end and set aside for the sauce. You can either remove the seeds or leave them in depending on how much heat you like. Chop the pepper fine and add to the sweet potatoes. Add the sliced green onions. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Toss the sweet potato mixture until it's well combined.

At this point you can either roughly chop the reserved shrimp or leave them intact. I prefer to leave them as they are, but that does create a bit of extra work later on.

Add the shrimp and the marinade to the sweet potato mixture as well as the egg. Stir until well combined.

Sprinkle the rice starch over the shrimp and potato mixture and stir until everything is well combined.

Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet until it is quite hot, (you might have to adjust the heat a bit after frying the first batch).

While the oil is heating up, make the sauce.

Combine the fish sauce, tamari, lime juice, honey and sesame oil. Begin with the smaller amounts and keep adding a bit of everything until you find a balance of flavours you like. You can always lighten up the sauce a touch by adding a tablespoon or two of water.

Slice the reserved Serrano pepper and add that to the sauce. Set aside.

If you roughly chopped the shrimp, then take a tablespoon of the mixture and carefully slide it into the hot oil. Pat it down a bit with the back of the spoon to flatten it out somewhat. Form a few more cakes taking care not to crowd them too much. If you left the shrimp intact, then scoop up a tablespoon of the potato mixture and then pick out a shrimp and place that on top. Slide both into the hot oil with the shrimp on top and flatten the cake out slightly in the oil with the back of the spoon.

Fry for about 2 minutes or until the bottom is nicely browned, then carefully flip them over and fry the other side for another minute or two. Remove with a slotted spoon and set on a plate lined with paper towels to drain while you finish the rest.

Serve with the sauce.

Fresh Spring Rolls

(8 spring rolls)

These spring rolls are fairly easy to prepare, very flexible, and they make great appetizers or snacks.

I've listed what I had on hand to make these, but you can try combining different herbs and vegetables. The shrimp can be left out entirely or swapped out for leftover cooked chicken, beef or pork, or use tempeh or tofu for vegetarian versions and replace the fish sauce with tamari or soy sauce.

spring rolls
2-3 cups warm water
8x 9-inch rice noodle disks

2- 3 cups washed lettuce
3 oz rice vermicelli cooked to al dente, drained and rinsed
1 medium carrot, sliced with a potato peeler
a 4 inch section of English cucumber, cut into match sticks
16 Thai basil leaves
16 mint leaves
8 sprigs of cilantro
16 large cooked shrimp

dipping sauce
small clove garlic
1 tbsp - 1/4 cup *dry roasted peanuts (leave out if you are on a Paleo diet)
2 tsp sesame oil
up to 1 tbsp honey
2-3 tbsp rice vinegar
up to 1 tbsp fresh key lime juice
2-3 tbsp water
1-2 tbsp fish sauce
1/4- 1/2 habanero chili thinly sliced, to taste

For the spring rolls:

Place one rice noodle disk into the water at a time. It will only take about 30 seconds to soften. Lay it out onto a flat surface.

Place some lettuce, vermicelli, carrot, cucumber, 2 basil leaves, 2 mint leaves and a sprig of cilantro just off to the centre of the noodle disk leaving the edges clear. Place 2 shrimp over the noodles and vegetables.

Pull the shortest portion of the noodle over the filling snugly and start to roll it up. Fold in both sides and then continue to roll up the spring roll.

Place a moist towel over the finished roll/s while you finish making the rest.

You can make these a couple of hours ahead of time if you wrap them carefully in plastic wrap and store them in a covered container in the refrigerator.

For the sauce:
Rub the interior of a mortar with the garlic clove. Add the peanuts (*I use the entire 1/4 cup of peanuts for a chunky sauce which I end up spooning over my spring rolls as it becomes too thick for dipping; use less peanuts if you prefer a thinner sauce. Leave the peanuts out entirely if you are on a Paleo diet as they are legumes, not true nuts.) Pound the peanuts with the pestle until they are fine. Work in the sesame oil and honey. Starting off with the lower amounts of the rice vinegar, lime juice, water and fish sauce, stir these into the peanut mixture. Then tasting the sauce as you go along, add a bit more of whatever you prefer until you find a balance you like of sweet, sour, and salty. Stir in small amounts of the sliced habanero pepper until you achieve the desired hotness.

Serve this sauce with the spring rolls.

Clam & Fennel Chowder

(4-6 servings)

This tasty chowder is so full of vegetables, it's almost like a stew. Toward the end I added buttermilk instead of milk and its subtle tang was really nice. I will definitely be using buttermilk again the next time I make this.

1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
2 - 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 fennel bulb and its stalks sliced
1 cup dry white wine
1x 8oz clam juice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/8 -1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper, to taste
3x  6.5oz canned chopped clams with juice
1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2" dice
3 tbsp finely ground cornmeal
1/2 cup water
salt, to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp heavy cream

Heat the oil in a large pot with a tight fitting lid over moderate heat and add the garlic. When the garlic becomes fragrant add the onion and saute for a couple of minutes, stirring from time to time.

Stir in the celery, carrot and fennel and saute for about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat if necessary to keep things from burning.

Pour in the wine and clam juice. Add the ginger and ground pepper. Place a tight fitting lid over the pot, lower the heat and cook for about 25 minutes.

Stir in the juice from the canned clams, setting the clams aside. Stir in the potatoes, cornmeal and water. Top with the lid and cook gently  for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Check and adjust the seasoning with salt, if needed. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the reserved clams, parsley, buttermilk and cream. Cook until heated through, but don't allow the chowder to come to a simmer or boil or else it might curdle.

Remove from heat and serve. This chowder seems even better if you wait and reheat it the next day.

Cod, Shrimp & Fennel Chowder

(4-6 servings)

I've wanted to make a fish or seafood chowder with fennel ever since Sue, from The view from Great Island, posted her Springtime Salmon and Fennel Chowder. I've mostly had fennel raw in salads, although years ago I used to pull the bulbs apart, stuff them with a mixture of herbs and bread, then bake them with tomato sauce and cheese. Fennel has a delicate anise-like flavour which people seem to either love or hate. I thought it was really quite tasty in this chowder.

Sue mentioned her chowder was best made ahead of time and reheated after the flavours had a chance to mingle. I followed her suggestion and prepared mine in two steps. This is one of the most delicious chowders I've ever made.

I didn't have any on hand, but I think a small splash of Pernod right before serving would have been pretty amazing in this!

3/4 lb raw shrimp (in their shells)
a few ice cubes
1  fennel bulb with stalks (about 1 lb)
2 cups clam juice
1/2 cup white wine
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 small bay leaf
4-5 whole peppercorns
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped or sliced
2 medium carrots, diced or sliced
1 cob corn, shucked
3/4 lb baby potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (I used purple for their colour)
2 cups milk (replace part of the milk with half and half or cream, if you prefer a richer soup)
1 tsp sweet paprika
a few pinches cayenne
3/4 lb cod fillet, cut into bite sized pieces
salt

Clean the shrimp by removing their shells and tails and heads if you have those (reserve), then running a knife along the backside to remove the black veins. Place the cleaned shrimp on ice and return them to the refrigerator.

Wash the fennel and cut off the stalks about 1 1/2 inches above the bulb. Set the bulb aside. Pull off the ferny fronds from the stalks and reserve those for garnish. Slice the stalks and place them into a small pot with a lid.

Add the shrimp shells, clam juice, wine, fennel seeds, bay leaf and peppercorns to the pot. Bring the mixture to a light simmer, lower the heat, cover and cook for about an hour.

Slice the fennel bulb into thin slices. Set aside.

Heat the butter or olive oil in a soup pot and add the onion. Cook the onion until it's translucent. Stir in the celery. Cook for a minute or two.

Strain the clam broth into the soup pot with the sauteed onions and celery. Add the sliced fennel bulb, carrots, corn, potatoes, milk, paprika and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a simmer, set the heat to the lowest setting (you don't want it to boil at this point), cover (leaving the lid slightly ajar) and cook for  about 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the cod and stir, then turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow the chowder to cool for several hours or overnight. This gives the flavours a chance to blend.

When you are ready to serve, gently reheat the chowder taking care it doesn't come to a boil. When the chowder has heated up, add the shrimp and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through. Check and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.

Serve. Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds.

Roasted Hatch Chile Peppers & Shrimp

(4 servings)

Every year around this time, Central Market in Dallas puts on a Hatch Chile Festival. Aside from different types of fresh hatch chile peppers, they also offer a ton of prepared foods, all containing these tasty peppers in some form. I had picked out a bag of them in the produce section before coming across stacks of containers of their in-house roasted hatch chile peppers; mild or hot. My lazy side kicked in. I swapped out my bag of fresh peppers for a container of wonderful looking roasted peppers which ended up in the following dish.

1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup *roasted hatch chile peppers, mild or hot
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 lb raw shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1/4 cup heavy cream

4 servings cooked linguine or rice

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and fry for about 30-45 seconds or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the onions and adjust the heat to prevent the onions from burning. Cook until they are translucent and beginning to brown slightly; about 6-10 minutes.

Stir in the wine, roasted hatch chile peppers and salt. Simmer the mixture until the wine has reduced by about half.

Add the shrimp and cook until they begin to lose their translucency and turn pink. Stir in the cream and simmer until it's heated through. **Shrimp cook very quickly. You want to just cook them long enough to be done, otherwise they might become rubbery.

Serve immediately with either the cooked linguine or cooked rice.

*If you can't find roasted hatch chile peppers, then you can roast them yourself. This recipe uses red bell peppers, but the method is the same. I usually remove the seeds when I roast peppers, but the prepared ones I purchased contained seeds and they were fine; it's up to you!

Coconut Soup with Kelp Noodles & Shrimp

(4-5 servings)

When I was looking for Shirataki noodles, I also noticed kelp noodles which I had never heard of. I grabbed a package of those to try out. They're made with seaweed and when used as a raw food, they have a wonderful crunchy texture similar to those Japanese seaweed salads. I dropped them into this coconut soup which softened them a great deal, yet they didn't become mushy or anything like that. They held up when I reheated the leftover soup the next day! I couldn't discern much of a smell or taste, and came away mostly loving their texture both raw and cooked.

These noodles are high in minerals and very low in carbs. The entire package (of 3 servings) only has 18 calories (3g carbs)! Plus they are gluten free!

2 cups chicken broth
3-4 tbsp fish sauce
3-4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
1 tbsp minced ginger, about 1 1/2 inch piece
1 tsp garlic paste or a finely minced small clove
2-3 tsp honey or brown sugar
1 1/2 - 3 tsp Harissa or chili sauce, to taste
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 bell pepper, red or green or a combination, sliced
12oz package kelp noodles, rinsed
13.5oz can coconut milk

1 cup *cooked salad shrimp at room temperature, or raw, cleaned
small handful cilantro, chopped
1 green onion, sliced

1-2 tsp hot sesame oil (optional)

Combine the chicken broth, fish sauce, lemon or lime juice, ginger, garlic, honey or brown sugar, Harissa or chili sauce, ground corianger and red pepper flakes in a pot. Use the lower measurements, saving the rest for later when it's time to check to see if you need to adjust anything. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

Stir in the **bell pepper, kelp noodles and coconut soup. Heat up to just where it begins to boil. Check and adjust the seasoning if necessary; salty, sour, sweet, hot (the extra amounts you reserved). Remove from heat.

Stir in the *shrimp, cilantro and green onion.

Divide among bowls, Drizzle with a small amount of "hot" sesame oil, if desired. Serve immediately.

*I'm working my way through a large amount of frozen cooked shrimp I purchased impulsively. If you prefer to use raw, then add the raw, cleaned shrimp to the soup just before you remove it from heat and cook a minute or two until they turn pink. Don't over cook as they might become rubbery.

** The bell pepper added at this point will be somewhat crunchy when the soup begins to boil. If you prefer a softer texture then add it sooner.

Tofu Noodles (Shirataki) with Peppers and Shrimp

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(2 servings)

Tofu noodles, OMG! They are absolutely delightful! I've read complaints on the Internet about them smelling "fishy" and having an odd texture.  Even the package doesn't inspire a great deal of confidence, "Parboil for 2-3 min. to reduce the authentic aroma", lol.. what does that mean exactly? Who's going to purchase this except someone desperate for noodles while on a low-carb diet?

I love noodles and eat a higher proportion than I should, so I wanted to explore alternatives. I didn't think the Shirataki tasted bad at all, if anything I couldn't discern a flavour at all. I liked their texture which struck me as noodle-like. If this product wasn't so darn pricey, I would probably use these exclusively except for those times I felt like hauling out my pasta machine.

These tofu noodles only have 3g of carbs, 2g of fiber and 20 calories per serving and they are filling!

1 tbsp olive or canola oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp *minced ginger paste
1/2 large yellow onion. chopped
2 tbsp rice wine
1-2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce, to taste
2 tsp oyster sauce (gluten free)
1 tsp "hot" sesame oil, or regular sesame oil with a bit of chili
3 tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 red or green bell pepper (or a combination), cleaned and cut into matchstick pieces
1 cup defrosted cooked salad shrimp, **see note if using raw

1 8oz pkg Tofu Shirataki noodles, prepared according to directions

sliced green onion,  for garnish

Heat the oil in a wok and add the garlic. Cook for a minute then add the ginger and onion. Stir to combine everything, adjust the heat if necessary and cook until the onion becomes translucent.

While the onion mixture is cooking, prepare the sauce by combining the rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, water and cornstarch. Stir, then set aside.

Add the cut up bell pepper to the onion mixture,  and cook for 1-3 minutes depending on how crisp or done you like them.

Stir in the sauce and cook until it begins to thicken; about 1-2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook just long enough to warm them, but not cook them further.

**I am working my way through a ton of frozen pre-cooked salad shrimp I impulsively purchased. If you are using raw shrimp, cook them for a couple of minutes until they turn pink, taking care not to cook them for too long, lest they become rubbery. You might need to adjust the cooking time for the bell peppers.

Serve immediately with the tofu noodles. Garnish with the green onion.

*I have been using prepared ginger paste for several months now. There's a fresher product sold in a tube from Australia with a 1-2 month expiration date; can't recall it's name atm.  I ran out and decided to try the paste in a jar from The Ginger People which I quite liked. If you are using fresh ginger root, then a 1 1/2-2 inch piece (peeled and minced) should be enough.

Fried Oysters

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(3 servings)

I love oysters on the half shell, but in all honesty I love fried oysters even more. If they are fried quickly, they can be crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. I try to stay away from fried foods, but I have been thinking about these oysters for several weeks now, and took the plunge this weekend when I saw some nice plump ones at the seafood counter.

I served these with tartar sauce, I made.

tartar sauce
1/4 cup cornichons, finely diced
1 tbsp small capers
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp anchovy paste
1/4 tsp paprika
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp plain yogurt

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl until well mixed and set aside.

fried oysters
1/4 cup flour
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4-1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4-1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
about 1 1/2 cups Panko
16 shucked oysters, about 9-10 oz.

oil for frying
lemon wedges for garish

Combine the flour, cayenne, salt and pepper on one plate.

Whisk the egg and milk with a fork in a shallow soup dish.

Place the panko on a third plate.

Heat the oil to ***about 360°F.

Shake the excess liquid off an oyster and dredge it in the flour. Coat it with the egg wash, then  roll it in the Panko. ***I like to test one oyster first for a couple of reasons. To see if I need to adjust the seasoning for the flour mixture, and to check the heat of the oil so that I can fry the oyster fast enough to brown the outside and keep the inside tender and juicy. If the oysters fry for too long, they can become rubbery. (I ended up increasing the heat a bit.)

When I'm happy with my test oyster, I coat the remaining oysters in the flour/egg/Panko mixtures and fry them in small batches. Drain on paper towels.

Serve with the tartar sauce and garnish with lemon wedges.

Southwestern Shrimp Cocktail

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(2-3 servings)

This cocktail can be found at various restaurants here in Dallas. One of the more popular versions comes from "Big Shucks", and this recipe is fairly close to that. This fresh and delicious cocktail is very easy to prepare.

1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
up to 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste
1 tsp horseradish
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce, to taste
1 small avocado, diced
1 small plum tomato, diced
1 tbsp red onion, finely diced
1 tbsp jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 cups salad shrimp, cooked

lime wedges for garnishing


Combine everything except the shrimp in a bowl.

Add the shrimp when you are ready to serve them and toss to combine well.

Serve immediately. Garnish with lime wedges.

Pad Thai; Thai Fried Noodles

(2 servings)

I have a lot of delicious tamarind paste on hand, and it's one of the ingredients in Pad Thai.

The four main flavours for the sauce are salty, sour,sweet and spicy hot. I like to start with about 3 tbsp of fish sauce to which I add both tamarind and sugar in small amounts until the salty, sour and sweet seem balanced to me. Then I adjust the heat by adding  red chili flakes to this mixture. Needless to say this can be very subjective and I imagine that might be why Pad Thai tastes so different from place to place.