Cilantro & Lime Fish Tacos

Cilantro and Lime Fish Tacos  by Closet Cooking

Fresh, healthy and tasty cilantro and lime marinated grilled fish tacos.
Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40minutesIngredients

• 1 pound white fish such as tilapia, cod, etc.
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 lime, juice and zest
• 1 jalapeno, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 green onion, finely sliced
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 (4 inch) corn tortillas or flour tortillas
• 1 batch tomatillo pico de gallo
• 3 cups cabbage, shredded
• 1 batch cilantro lime crema – see below
• 2 large avocados, sliced

Directions

1. Marinate the fish in the oil, lime juice and zest, jalapeno, garlic, green onion, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper for 10-20 minutes.

Put marinaded fish on aluminum “boat” and cook on preheated 400 degree grill or oven and cook 5-8 mins or until fish “flakes” off when separated with fork. **When I grilled this I did NOT flip it over**

1. Grill the fish over medium-high heat until cooked, about 4-6 minutes per side. The fish will be cooked when it flakes easily and it is no longer translucent.

Here is the finished product, ready to be brought in and be the main attraction of the fish taco!

 

1. Flake the fish and serve in tortillas garnished with your favorite toppings.

Here it is….ready to go! Dig In!!! I used a flour tortilla that I heated in a hot pan on both side, spread the sour cream sauce all over then added cole slaw ( from bag in the salad isle) , then sliced Avocado, next the fish and then topped with the tomatillo pico de gallo salsa and then more sour cream !!

Cilantro and Lime Sour Cream

Crema filled with the freshness and brightness of summer; the perfect garnish for fish tacos.
Servings: makes 1/2 cup

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients for Sour Cream with fresh herbs

• 1/2 cup crema or sour cream
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 handful cilantro
• 1/2 lime, juice and zest
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (optional)

Directions

1. Puree everything in a food processor.

A fresh and mild tomatillo salsa.
Servings: makes 2 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients for Tomatillo Pico de Gallo from Closet Cooking

• 2 cups tomatillos, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1 lime, juice
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Mix everything and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Closet Cooking is one of my FAVORITE sites to get recipes!!!!

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Scallops with Honey, Red Chili over warm Arugula

Seared scallops with a Honey/chili sauce over warm Arugula serves 4

I served these last night and they were a HIT!!!! Don’t be afraid of scallops just remember to add them to a HOT pan and make sure you have patted them dry so the take on a “sear”.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8-12 medium or large scallops cleaned and patted dry
• 3 TBS olive oil (1 for arugula and 2 for scallops)
• 1-2 tsp finely chopped red chili (depends on your tolerance for heat!!)
• 3 TBS honey
• 2 cups Arugula
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• salt

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat 1 TSB olive oil in sauce pan and then add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Add Arugula & salt and stir until just starting to wilt.  About 45 seconds.  Take off and put aside
• In a different pan, heat the other 2 TBS of olive oil and add the finely chopped red chili. Saute for about 40 seconds on a med-high heat, and then add in the scallops.  Cook the scallops for about 40-45 seconds (yes that is the magic number in this cooking process…hahaha) and then turn over and do the same until they are golden brown.
• Now add the honey and stir and bring to a simmer.  Add some salt
• Arrange the arugula on plates, then top with either 2 or 3 scallops and then drizzle the Chili/Honey sauce on top and serve!!!

YUMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!

Thank you Sweet Paul Blog for the idea!!!

Bacon Wrapped Scallops in Maple Marinade

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/4 c Hoisin Sauce 24 large sea scallops,

12 slices smoked bacon, halved 12 toothpicks

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Stir together maple syrup, soy sauce, Hoisin Sauce and Dijon mustard in a bowl until smooth. Add the scallops, and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate at least one hour.
2.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil.
3.	Arrange bacon pieces on baking sheet so they do not overlap. Bake in preheated oven until some of the grease has rendered out of the bacon; the bacon should still be very soft and pliable, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon from the baking sheet and pat with paper towels to remove excess grease. Drain or wipe grease from the baking sheet.
4.	Wrap each scallop piece with a piece of bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Place onto baking sheet. Add marinade sauce to each scallop then put in oven.
5.	Bake in preheated oven until the scallops are opaque and the bacon is crisp, 10 to 15 minutes, turning once.

Ceviche a la Lupita

Ceviche a la Lupita

Feeds 8 easily

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 mahi-mahi filet, thinly sliced then diced or similar mild fish
• ½ lb med shrimp, deveined
• 1 med pot with water, bring to boil
• 10 key limes
• 2 Roma tomatoes seeded & diced
• ½ med onion, diced small
• 1 bottle ketchup
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 avocado, diced
• ¼ tsp oregano
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Take diced mahi-mahi and put in bowl. Squeeze 7 of the 10 limes into the bowl and marinade, turning frequently for at least 10 mins.
2. Take the shrimp and put into billing water for 2-3 mins then remove and dice, put into bowl with Mahi and stir and let sit for 5 mins.
3. Take the diced tomato & diced onion and toss in bowl. Then add the chopped cilantro.
4. Now, take the Mahi & Shrimp mixture and by the handful, take it out and “squeeze” the marinade out of it and then put into tomato mixture
5. Once that is done, add the bottle of ketchup & then rinse out bottle with 1 cup of OJ and put into mixture, with oregano, S & P and then squeeze the last three limes and the diced avocado Stir it up and taste it.
6. For those who want a little more “kick”, add some picante or hot sauce and then cover with saran wrap and put in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours and then VOILA!!!

Serve on a bed of lettuce, or in a cup with crackers…whatever you like!! Best part….it’s even better the 2^nd day!  ENJOY!!!

Marinade Mahi Mahi or whatever white fish you want

Take diced shrimp and put into boiling water for 2-3 mins, drain and add to Mahi Mixture

Mixed tomatoes & onion

Add Cilantro

Squeeze excess marinade from fish mixture and add to tomato mixture

Add 1 bottle of ketchup to mixture

Add 1 cup of OJ to Ketchup bottle then pour into mixture

Add your last 3 limes

Add Avocado and then season with Oregano, S & P

Put it in fridge and in 2-3 hours top it with sprigs of Cilantro and then ENJOY!!

Paella Grande!!

Paella is a Spanish dish of saffron rice and shellfish….to me, it’s like the Chinese version of  House Fried Rice.  You have your shrimp, chicken, pork, scallops and even some lobster.  Then you can add some chorizo or hot italian sausage for spice.  Next you add vegies like red or orange peppers, green peas, carrots….whatever brings color to the dish.  The possibilities are endless.  And then there is the rice…either a short grain Spanish rice or an Aborio rice that you would use in a risotto.  Once all this is gathered, then there is the paella pan that it is all cooked in….and the results are awesome!!!  It may seem like a LOT of work, but if you are organized…and have everything all chopped & measured and ready to go…it’s a breeze!!!

Ingredients

• Spice Mix for chicken, recipe follows
• 1 (3-pound) frying chicken, (or I used 4 thighs and cut the bone out) and then cut into 10 pieces and covered in Spice Mix then refrigerated of 1 hr
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 Spanish chorizo sausages, or4  Hot Italian Sausage, something to add “spice”, thickly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 Spanish onion, (or Red Bermuda onion) diced
• 1 red or orange or yellow pepper, thinly sliced (you choose the color!!)
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• Bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
• 1.5 cups short grain Spanish rice or Arborio rice
• 4 cups chicken broth, warm
• Generous pinch saffron threads (and put into chicken broth and let simmer there)
• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Now go and get EVERYTHING ….measure, chop &  put in dishes so that EVERYTHING is ready to go once you heat up that Paella pan with oil!!

Special equipment:

• Large paella pan or wide shallow skillet

Directions

1. Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and jumbo shrimp and marinate  for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
2. Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the Chorizo or Hot Italian Sausage until browned, remove and put aside.
3. Add chicken skin-side down and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and put aside.
4. Add the shrimp and cook 1 min on each side and remove from pan and put aside

In the same pan, add some veg oil (2 tbs) and the garlic…then start sauteing the onions, red pepper, carrot, celery, garlic, and parsley( I even added some asparagus that I chopped up) . Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in chicken broth with saffron and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, shrimp.  Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 40-45 minutes.  When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it’s perfect.

Cook’s note: The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.

Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with the thawed peas, parsley and lemon wedges.

Spice Mix for chicken:

• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken & shrimp & marinate for 1 hour, covered

This recipe can feed 8-9  people and takes about 1 hour to cook.

****Thank you Tyler Florence for your recipe*****

 

Shrimp Scampi this EASY????

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs jumbo shrimp, shelled & deveined
• Kosher salt & pepper and season shrimp
• 3 TBS butter
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 1 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 TBS finely chopped parsley
• 1 TBS grated lemon zest

Gather all your ingredients, and measure, clean & chop.

Over a medium heat, add butter to pan.

Once foaming butter subsides, turn up the heat and add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute without moving them.

Add shrimp & cook 1 minute

Add minced garlic and cook about 30 more seconds then turn over and cook another minute

Once cooked on both sides, remove from pan and put aside in bowl.

Now add to the pan with the butter, the wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil..about 30-40 seconds, scrapping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Stir in the lemon zest and parsley.

Take the shrimp from the bowl and then spoon the butter mixture on top of the shrimp and then serve with side dishes of choice.

This will feed 4 people and take about 30-35 mins to prepare and cook!!!

Thank you food network for another delicious recipe!!!

Stuffed Eggplant with Shrimp & Chorizo

Only in Ixtapa

Eggplant Stuffed with Shrimp & Chorizo

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Med Eggplant Cut in half lengthwise, then make criss-cross markings to allow removal
• ½ med onion, chopped
• 2 TBS chorizo chopped (optional, but gives it a nice kick)
• 1 med sized Portobello mushroom, chopped
• 10-12 medium shrimp – peeled, deveined and chopped
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
• Salt, pepper, garlic seasoning, some red pepper flakes..whatever you want!
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 cup white wine (good stuff, that you would drink yourself!!)
• 1-2 TBS bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant, chop, and reserve. Coat shells with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper; and put in oven on top shelf to soften shells
2. Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Sauté minced garlic and then add onion and cook for 1-2 mins.  Then add chopped Chorizo and cook another 2-3 mins. Stir in the reserved chopped eggplant and chopped mushroom. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in wine, and cook 5 minutes.  TAKE EGGPLANT SHELLS OUT OF OVEN.
3. Next add chopped shrimp and cook 1-2 mins.  Add breadcrumbs if too moist, a little at a time.
4.  Stuff mixture into eggplant shells, and sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and then Monterey Cheese and put back in oven
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.
6. Then ENJOY!!!

*****Thank you, once again, All-Recipes for the guidance of this recipe!!!*****

Stuffed Poblano Chilies with Shrimp & Chorizo & Rice

I have been making chili rellenos for years, but being down here in Mexico they are fond of stuffing the chilies with things other than just cheese.  So, I found a recipe that combined chorizo (Mexican sausage that is hot) and shrimp and then added other things to it and made it for 9 people here and they loved it…so, here’s the recipe and of course you can substitute hot italian sausage for the chorizo, or use mild sausage…the choice is up to you!!!!  You can follow the recipe the way I did it…or “step out of the box” and wing it on your own!!!  That’s the fun of this blog…whatever works, is my motto!!!

This recipe served 9 people!!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 TBS oil
• 1/2 lb of chorizo or any kind of sausage
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow pepper, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 serano pepper, minced
• 2 TBS minced garlic
• 1 c white rice
• 1 c chicken broth
• 1/2 c white wine (one that you would drink!!!)
• 1/2 c water
• 9 lg Poblano chilies
• 1 lb shrimp, shelled & deveined and cut into 1/2 ” pieces
• 1 1/2 c chichuahua cheese (Monterey jack will be just fine or pepper jack for some zing)

DIRECTIONS:

Pre Heat Oven to 400 degrees.  Put poblano chilies on a baking dish and cook in oven for 15-20 mins.  Remove from oven and cool.  Once cooled, cut top 1/4 of chili and remove ribs and seeds. put a slit down the front the chili to open it up and put aside.

1. in medium saucepan, heat the oil and add the chorizo and cook for about 3 mins
2. add peppers (red & yellow), serano, onions, garlic and cook until translucent.
3. add the rice & cook until all the grains are coated with oil
4. add the shrimp and cook about 2-3 mins
5. now add all the liguids (chix broth, wine, water) and stir over high heat for another 3 mins then cover & reduce heat to low for 20 mins. Check rice for doneness….

When rice is finished cooking, take the slit chilies and stuff the rice mixture into them and set back on a baking pan and put all of them in the oven for 10 mins. Remove from the oven and then add the shredded chichuahua or monterey jack cheese and cover the peppers with cheese and put under broiler for 2-3 min to melt the cheese.  Take out and top with salsa or sour cream and voila…another great meal!!!