Whipped Tuna, by Diane

 

We've said this before...dips are hard to take photos of. But trust me, this is one of the best tuna salad recipes I've ever made!! This has some of the flavors of the Tuna Salad Bites I made earlier this month, but I also mixed it with the viral tunacado mousse that has been floating around the internet. This mashup is quick, healthy, easy, and a total keeper!! I ate mine with sundried tomato and basil almond crackers, yum!

Ingredients:

1 large can albacore tuna in water, partially drained (I kept some of the water in to reduce the mayo a bit)

2 tbsp mayo (I used avocado oil mayo)

Juice of 1/3 lemon

2 tbsp feta cheese crumbles

1 tbsp capers

6 small sweet baby gherkins

3 tbsp diced red onion

1 small garlic clove

1 pinch red pepper flakes

3/4 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp celery salt

Directions:

Whip everything in a food processor until creamy and smooth, adjusting seasonings for taste and mayo/lemon for texture. 

Shrimp Cakes, by Diane

 

I saw this recipe from tiffycooks.com and really wanted to make these as healthy lunches this week. These were so quick and easy, and a great riff on lunches. They tasted like the inside of shrimp shumai dumplings! I'll definitely make them again, served with a side of sweet chili sauce! Yum! They would even be good as burgers between some crispy lettuce wraps. 

I came up with a hack I really liked here to replace the dashi powder which had msg. I know from experience making my Rabokki that dashi broth is really just kelp, green onion, and anchovy boiled with water and strained. So, I found asian seafood soup packets at my local asian grocer that had anchovies, kelp, onion, burdock root, dried tuna, and chili flakes. I removed the whole anchovies and placed the rest directly into the food processor to create a powder with the same taste- perfection! 

Also- she pan fried these but the air fryer was convenient and healthy!

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs raw shrimp, peeled

3 scallions, green parts only

1.5 tbsp dashi powder (this had msg so I used some ingredients from an asian seafood soup stock instead)

1 tsp white pepper

3 tbsp arrowroot flour

1 tbsp oyster sauce

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in food processor and pulse until well combined and mashed.

2. Form into patties, place into air fryer that has been sprayed with nonstick spray and cook at 350 for 18 minutes. Flip halfway through.

Pork Floss and Seaweed Pull-Apart Rolls, by Diane

 

I have been following a chef on Instagram, Kristina Cho, and she just published a cookbook called Mooncakes and Milkbread which is full of recipes for sweet and savory Chinese pastries. It's the first time I've looked at a baking challenge and thought I'd like to try making them, plus I love Asian bakeries. Yesterday it was a snow day here, and I thought what a great way to fill the day by making this recipe, which I've had my eye on for a while. Her cookbook is backordered, but this recipe was published in Bon Appétit. 

I was floored that these came out so well. I had several moments where I was sure I messed up the dough, including yeast that didn't ferment in milk causing me to borrow milk from a neighbor during the storm, and not having a stand mixer so not being sure how long to mix the dough by hand. These tasted WAY better than any one I've had in a Chinese bakery, which also really surprised me! This is partly due to her famous milkbread recipe, which is soft and pillowy and just slightly sweet. Overall, these made 8 craveable and super fun rolls, and I had been anticipating they wouldn't be so good but here we all are trapped in the house together...

I did a few things differently than her recipe- I used a shrimp flavored furikake because I like the way pork and shrimp go together (in the end I couldn't taste the shrimp but everything blended so well!). I also had some leftover fried garlic and onion from an Indonesian recipe so sprinkle that on top as well with the sesame seeds- definitely a great addition. 

I can't say enough about what a surprise hit these were, so savory and sweet and the dough was just soft and pillowy and comforting. I would definitely make these again, for when more people were in the house... I also loved the freeze and reheat instructions! FYI, this recipe takes about 5-5.5 hours to complete from start to finish.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup milk, divided (I had to use half and half here since my first batch didn't ferment and it was fine)

2 tbsp plus 2 2/3 bread flour, divided, plus some for flouring surface

1 tsp active dry yeast

A pinch plus 1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp diamond crystal or 1/4 tsp morton kosher salt

4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

1 tsp vegetable oil

Filling/Assembly:

1/2 cup Kewpie mayo

1 cup pork floss

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

2 tbsp furikake

Nonstick cooking spray

1 large egg

1 tbsp milk or heavy cream

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

(I also added 2 tsp fried garlic and onion bits)

Directions:

1. Cook 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp milk and 2 tbsp bread flour in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly until thickened into a paste 2-3 min (mine never did so I added a bit more flour). Transfer this mixture, called tangzhong, to a small bowl and let sit until warm (should resemble mashed potatoes), 5-10 min. 

2. Bring remaining 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp milk to a gentle rolling simmer over medium heat. Pour milk into a small bowl and let cool until warm to the touch (110 degrees). Stir in yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit until foamy, 5-10 min. (I had to sprinkle and stir the yeast in as my first batch clumped).

3. Combine egg, salt, remaining 2 2/3 cup bread flour and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a stand mixer w dough hook. Add in tangzhong and yeast mixture and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Add 1 piece of butter at at time, mixing until incorporated, then increase speed to medium high until dough is tacky and slightly sticky about 8-10 min. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, wet hands and form into a ball. (I just used my hands for all of these steps until it formed a tight ball and was a bit sticky). 

4. Coat a large bowl with oil and turn the dough until all sides are covered in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm draft free spot for about 2 hours until doubled in size. 

5. Roll dough on a floured surface to 18x10". Spread mayo over dough, then sprinkle pork floss, scallions, and furikake. Roll it up lengthwise into a tight log and pinch the ends and remove. Turning log seam side down, cut into 8 equal pieces.

6. Coat a 10" diameter cake pan with cooking spray, arrange rolls leaving a small gap between each one. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1-1.5 hours in a warm draft free place.

7. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk egg and 1 tbsp milk/cream in a bowl and lightly brush the tops with this mixture. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the tops (and garlic/onions if using).

8. Bake for 28 min until golden brown (I needed maybe another 3). Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool in pan until warm.

9. If storing, chill in airtight container in fridge (warm at 300 degrees until warmed through about 5 min or 30-45 sec in microwave) or freezer (bake 350 for 10-15 min).

Grain Free Crabcakes, by Diane

This recipe is from @primalgourmet, and it seemed really easy to make for dinners this week! As a Marylander I take my crabcakes seriously, and this one was really good! I would like to change the seasoning a tiny bit more next time and also add butter (I’ll add here if I do!), but this was quick and delicious! I also cut the mayo in half because it wasn’t needed. The sauce I wasn’t a huge fan of and would stick to classic tartar next time. 

Ingredients:

Crabcakes-

2 egg yolks

4 tbsp mayo

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp old bay

1 tsp dried parsley

1 lb lump crab meat

3/4 cup finely ground almond crackers 

Sauce-

1 tbsp mayo

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp old bay

1 tsp dried parsley

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine eggs through parsley well. Fold in the crab meat, then gently fold in the crackers until well mixed. Form them into balls (mine made 5 good ones).

2. Spray the bottom of an air fryer basket with oil, then place the crabcakes inside and spray the tops with oil. Air fry at 400 for 10 min or until golden.

3. While the crabcakes are cooking, whisk all sauce ingredients together. 

Scallops Provençal, by Diane

This was my first attempt at scallops and I couldn’t believe how fresh and easy they were to make! This recipe was the other 1/2 of my virtual dinner with friends and everyone was very impressed. It was a delicious mix of flavors and took about 10 minutes in total, 15 with prep. Recipe by Ina Garten.


Ingredients:

1 lb sea scallops
Flour, kosher salt, black pepper
4 tbsp butter
2 large shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 lemon


Directions:

1. Pat the scallops dry and coat them in flour, salt and pepper.

2. Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a sauce pan until hot, then add scallops. Cook 2 minutes each side until golden brown.

3. Add the shallots, garlic and parsley and stir for 2 more minutes.

4. Add in the white wine to deglaze the pan for one minute.

5. Remove from pan and squeeze lemon juice over scallops.

Scallops with Tomato and Peach Couscous, by Cheryl

I was shopping at Whole Foods (it's rare these days that I actually get to a store... usually I just do delivery!) and their scallops were on sale for Amazon Prime members for $10 a pound cheaper than normal. I just found dinner for that night! I went home and diced some cherry tomatoes and a couple of peaches to give the tricolor couscous I decided on some sweetness. The result was a light, healthy, and sweet dinner that was the perfect summer dish. The scallops were easy to make and I think I cooked them quite well as they can be easy to overcook and make chewy. Overall, this was a solid dish and I would make it again. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 lb scallops
A couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 peaches, diced
avocado oil or another high smoke point oil (not olive)
butter
salt and pepper
1 cup uncooked couscous

Directions:

1) Cook couscous according to package directions

2) Pat and dry the scallops. Make sure they are dry as this will give it a nice brown crust. Season one side with salt and pepper. Put some avocado oil in a pan and heat to medium high. Place scallops in the pan without crowding, giving them enough room to breathe between one another. Salt and pepper the second side. Cook for 2-3 minutes without moving them.

3) Turn over the scallops and immediately put in a tablespoon or two of butter. Swirl it around the pan to hit all of the scallops. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

4) Meanwhile, a couple of minutes before the couscous is fully cooked put the tomatoes and peaches in the pot with a dash of salt and cook with the couscous. Stir.

5) Serve the couscous with the scallops placed on top of them.

Old Bay Shrimp Boil, by Cheryl

We have a great farmer's market on Saturday mornings about a mile away from us. I'm really going to miss it when we leave because one stand has the BEST peaches every summer! They got me to love peaches when I was never really a fan. Anyway, there's a sausage guy there that has maybe 15 different kinds of flavored sausages. He had an old bay flavored kind that I ended up buying and per his recommendation I decided to make a sausage and shrimp boil. So this was good, not great. I found it to be very one dimensional and although I do love old bay, it just didn't do much for me as it being the only spice in the recipe. The recipe itself has great reviews, and it wasn't bad at all, but it's just not something I would make again. That being said, it was tasty and tender and reminded me of Maryland. Yum!

Ingredients (makes 4 servings) Recipe from here:

1/4 cup old bay seasoning
2 quarts water
6 ounces beer
4 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 large vidalia onion, cut in wedges
4 ears frozen corn on the cob (I used 3 large ones and cut them in half)
2 lbs shrimp (I used only 1 lb)
I added some cauliflower as well and it soaked up a lot of flavor!

Directions:

1) Bring Old Bay, water, and beer to a boil.

2) Add potatoes and onions, cook for 8 minutes.

3) Add sausage, cook for 5 minutes.

4) Add corn, cook for 7 minutes.

5) Add shrimp, cook for 4 more minutes.

6) Drain cooking liquid. Pour contents of pot into several large bowls or pails. Sprinkle with a litle Old Bay.

Ligurian Stuffed Mussels, by Cheryl and Diane

Cheryl and I got together for our last menu meal yesterday, and this was our appetizer. It was fairly easy to make, but the recipe was horrible to follow so I'm posting a more clear version. We liked these a lot!


Ingredients:

1 lb mussels, cleaned
1/4 cup minced mortadella or hard salami
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs
1 tsp each dried thyme and marjoram (we subbed oregano here)
Salt and pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup white wine
3 large peeled tomatoes, chopped 


Directions:

1. Steam the mussels with hot water in a pot until just opened.

2. While the mussels are steaming, prepare the filling by combining the mortadella, cheese, 2 garlic cloves, eggs, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper. Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for a few minutes, strain any leftover milk, and add to the filling mixture.

3. Create the sauce by simmering olive oil, parsley, and remaining garlic clove over medium heat. Add in the wine and tomatoes until softened.

4. Preheat the oven to 200.

5. Stuff the mussels with the filling, pushing the shells together, and layer in a baking dish. Pour the sauce over top and bake for 30 minutes.

Paellalaya, by Diane

I was trying to come up with a mixture of rice and protein for this week's lunches and remembered how much I love paella. So I asked a friend who had learned to make it in Spain and attempted to create the recipe this weekend. Even though I followed all of the instructions, this dish came out tasting less like authentic Spanish paella and more like a fusion of paella and jambalaya- hence the title, paellalaya (it rhymes!). It was good, but I really wished it had more flavor. On the upside, it was quick and easy to make and the recipe made a TON! 

**Update** The leftovers were WAY more flavorful than the night I made this, so good I'm repeating it this week for round 2!!

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cubed

2 tbsp sweet or Spanish paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper

EVOO

Sausage (any kind, I used smoked turkey sausage)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Spanish onion, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

3/4 cup chopped parsley

1 pinch saffron

1 bay leaf

2 cups short grain rice

1 cup white wine

24 oz. chicken broth

1-2 cups frozen peas, thawed

Shrimp, deveined 

Directions:

1. Mix together chicken, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Let marinate for 1 hour.

2. In a large sauce pan (or paella pan if you have it!) heat EVOO over medium high heat. Cook sausage for 2 min, browning on each side, and set aside. 

3. Add the chicken to the pan, cook through and remove. 

4. Add in garlic and onion, brown for a few minutes. 

5. Add in tomatoes, parsley, saffron, and bay leaf and stir to combine.

6. Add in rice, stirring to coat. Add in wine to deglaze the pan, then add chicken broth. Let simmer without stirring over medium low heat for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy.

7. Add in peas and shrimp, stir to combine. Season to your liking.

Seared Scallops with Mango Puree, by Cheryl

I was fully planning on buying some wild caught cod today when I walked into Wegmans, but I came across these delicious fresh scallops just a few feet down that I couldn't resist. I had just put some frozen mango chunks into my cart so I thought a nice mango puree would go nice with the scallops. I got the mango recipe from here and seared the scallops in butter and garlic. Honestly, the scallops were so good on their own that I didn't use the mango sauce on them that much. But it really went well with the couscous and zucchini! Yum!

Ingredients:

Scallops
butter
garlic
Israeli couscous (or other side)
Spinach, zucchini, or other veggie

For Mango Puree:

1 cup mango
1/4 fresh orange juice (I juiced half an apple and used that)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
salt and pepper

Directions:

1) For the mango sauce combine the first 5 ingredients in a food processor and mix until combined. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

2) For the scallops I put some butter and garlic in a pan on medium-high heat. Sear the scallops (make sure they're not touching each other) for about 1.5 minutes on each side. Serve with some sides!

Thai Green Curry with Shrimp, by Diane

I love Thai food, and there is a restaurant outside of my office that makes amazing green curry. My coworkers and I love to get it with shrimp, so when I saw this recipe in Rachael Ray Magazine I knew I had to give it a shot. It was surprisingly easy! I added in some other veggies to make it heartier like carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms. Overall this was quick, easy, and healthy and I would definitely make it again!


Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large shallot, chopped
2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb. peeled deveined shrimp
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
5 oz. baby spinach
1 tbsp fish sauce
Optional: cooked rice, lime wedges


Directions:

1. Cook first 4 ingredients over medium heat, stirring often for 3 minutes.

2. Add the next 4 ingredients, stirring often for 4 minutes.

3. Serve with rice and lime wedges if desired.

Spicy California Shrimp Stack, by Cheryl

Like my picture and presentation?

This recipe was circulating Facebook from Skinny Taste and it looked so good that I just had to try it! It basically tastes like one big sushi roll, and is incredibly healthy. It made 4 stacks and while it was a delicious dinner, I think that it's better suited for lunch or for dinner when you've had a heavy lunch. This shouldn't take away from the deliciousness of this dish though... it was so so good! And doesn't it look pretty? This might be my most beautiful dish yet! The original recipe has gorgeous pictures of each step as you put it into a one cup measuring cup to stack. You won't find that here, but you can click on the link to see for yourself. So good and super easy to make. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups cooked short grain brown rice (I love Trader Joe's frozen organic brown rice... great texture for this and quick to make)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
8 ounces cooked shrimp, deveined and tails removed
1 cup diced cucumber (about 1 small)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup mashed avocado (about 1 medium)
4 teaspoons Furikake (I used sesame seeds)
4 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sriricha sauce

Directions:

1) Cook rice. When rice is done add the rice vinegar and stir.

2) Cut shrimp into one inch cubes. In a bowl combine the chives and cucumber. In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise and sriracha.

3) Using a 1 cup measuring cup, layer 1/4 cup cucumber, then 2 tablespoons avocado, then 1/4 of the shrimp, and 1/3 cup rice (I just layered them all until the previous layer was covered).

4) Carefully turn the cup upside down to turn the stack out onto a plate. Sprinkle with Furikake and drizzle with 1 teaspoon soy sauce and sriricha mayonnaise. Repeat 3 more times.

Goat Cheese Rotini with Shrimp and Tomatoes, by Cheryl

I had taken out shrimp to defrost earlier in the day with the hopes that I would figure out what to make with it eventually. Closer to dinner time I stared into my refrigerator, willing for ingredients to pop out at me in order to figure out what to make. Then I saw the goat cheese! We had a lot of goat cheese leftover from our crostini appetizers the other night and we needed to use it quickly. I decided to make a cheesy pasta dish with it, which also included shrimp and tomatoes. It obviously had a very strong taste due to the goat cheese, but it was good! The shrimp didn't contribute too much to it and can easily be substituted for chicken. I wanted to also put spinach in it, but when I suggested it to Jon he wasn't feeling it. But I would definitely add a green in there :) Yum!

Ingredients:

Rotini, or other pasta
shrimp
cherry tomatoes, cut in half
basil, chopped (I didn't have this on hand, but wanted to add it in)
2 garlic cloves, minced
goat cheese, cut into cubes
red pepper flakes
salt
olive oil

Directions:

1) Cook the pasta according to the directions.

2) Add the tomatoes, goat cheese, basil, salt, and red pepper flakes into a bowl. Set aside

3) Add the garlic and olive oil to a pan. When hot add the shrimp and cook until done, about 4 minutes.

4) Strain the pasta when done and add immediately to the cheese bowl. Mix until the cheese has melted and the pasta is covered. Add the shrimp and olive oil from the pan. Mix until shrimp is coated.

Black Bean, Shrimp, & Quinoa Bowl, by Cheryl

This recipe comes from Eating Well magazine. It's really easy to make and is very healthy! This is a great filling too if you want tortillas with it... I had it plain as the bowl, but Jon had it with the tortillas. I made a few adjustments: I added shrimp to make it a little more filling for dinner, and avocado because I can't have a Mexican inspired meal without avocado! I wasn't sure how the cabbage would tie in, but it added a nice flavor and crunch! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (I found this to be too much)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 medium poblano pepper, chopped
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa

Directions (original recipe):

1) Cook quinoa according to package directions. Fluff with fork and stir in cumin. Partially cover and set aside.

2) Whisk rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add cabbage and onion. Toss to coat.

3) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and add the poblano pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and chili powder and cook for about 2 more minutes.

4) To serve, layer in each bowl: 3/4 cup quinoa, 1/2 cup bean mixture, and 1/4 cup cheese. Top each portion with cabbage mixture and salsa.

5) I marinated the shrimp in lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and salt, and then cooked in a pan.

Belgian Ale-Braised Mussels (Belgium), by Cheryl

Not the best picture! 

Next up on the list, Belgium! So there are five foods I could have chosen from that are the essence of eating food in Belgium: waffles, fries, chocolate, beer, and mussels. Mussels are pretty fast and easy (unless you're outside of the US and then you have the long task of cleaning and debearding them) and are always delicious so I went with that! In Italy I made the classic white wine mussels often, which you can find here, so I went with a different recipe that includes braising them in a Belgian beer. I didn't follow the recipe to a tee and made adjustments as needed, but below is the original recipe. Yum!

Ingredients:

Mussels
4 strips thick cut bacon, diced (didn't use this)
olive oil
2 medium shallots, very finely chopped (substituted onions)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle of Belgian ale
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh tarragon (didn't use this)
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
1 baguette, sliced and lightly toasted - for dipping

Directions:

1) Rinse the mussels under cool water to remove any grit. Scrub the shells and debeard if necessary.

2) Fry the bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel. Leave a tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot.

3) Add the olive oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium. Add the shallots, garlic, and thyme leaves, and saute until the mixture is nice and fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the mussels and toss gently to coat. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the ale, cover, and bring mixture to a simmer. Continue cooking until all of the mussels have opened. About 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and discard any that haven't opened.

4) Add the butter, tarragon, parsley, and lemon juice to the broth in the pan. Season with salt and pepper and whisk until the butter melts. Pour the broth over the bowl of mussels and serve immediately with crusty bread.

What I did: I just put everything in the pot and steamed the mussels like that.

Slow Cooker Shrimp & Chicken Sausage Gumbo, by Cheryl

Forgot to take a picture! Taken from here

This is my first post since the new addition to our family came into our lives! It's been 7 weeks since Julia was born and while I'm trudging through the day on limited sleep, I am surprised that I have found some time and energy to try some new recipes. I've been on the lookout for easy recipes that don't require too many ingredients or time. Slow cooker recipes are my friend! And since it's been so cold lately, they are also perfect to warm us up. I got this recipe from my sister-in-law's friend's website. Mine seemed to be very peppery when it was done so I had to add another cup of chicken broth, another can of diced tomatoes, and then some tomato paste to thicken it up a bit. It was ranked number 2 on her site for the top recipes of 2013, but I didn't fall in love with it. Maybe you will?

Ingredients:

8 ounces shrimp, tails removed
12 ounces (4 links) chicken sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch coins
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with chills
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups frozen okra
1 1/12 cups chopped celery
1 green pepper, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (or 1/8 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes)

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients except shrimp in a slow cooker.

2) Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Add shrimp about 30 minutes before serving, stirring to combine.

Classic Crab Cakes, by Cheryl

What a surprisingly easy recipe! I got this recipe from Cooking Light magazine and boy is it good! You can make them up to a day ahead of time, which can be a big time saver when it comes to dinner time. They were excellent on their own, but next time I'll buy some tartar sauce to accompany them. I served them with a sweet potato and asparagus and it was a great dinner! Yum!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup panko, divided
1 tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped green onions
2 tbsp canola mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces lump crabmeat
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, quartered

Directions:

1) Combine 1/3 cup panko and next 10 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl, stirring well. Add crab; stir gently just until combined.

2) Place remaining 1/3 cup panko in a shallow dish. Using wet hands, shape crab mixture into 4 equal balls. Coat balls in panko. Gently flatten balls to form 4 patties.

3) Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve with lemon wedges.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chimichurri Salad, by Diane

This is a Diane creation, inspired by an organic restaurant I love that always mixes these cool "bowls" of things I wouldn't think to combine. This is a protein-packed, healthy vegetarian dish that will keep you full forever and is pretty easy to make too! This was my first time making chimichurri sauce, a typical south american sauce, and I thought it would go really great with these ingredients- which it did!!

As a note: I only had salad shrimp which cooked down so tiny that you can't see them in the recipe- so make sure you start out with bigger ones!

Look to the right of the fork to see how small the shrimp got- they got confused with the rice at times!

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh parsley 
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar  
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin  
1 teaspoon salt  
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic  
1/2 tablespoon pepper sauce
1/2 cup black bean liquid
1 package baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup shrimp, cooked and cleaned
2 cans black beans, lightly drained
1 package quinoa brown rice blend (I used rosemary and olive oil flavor), cooked according to package
3 sweet potatoes, steamed until just soft and cubed
1 avocado, cubed




Directions:

1. Combine parsley through black bean liquid in a food processor, and pour into a medium hot skillet along with the mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms are softened. 

2. Add in shrimp, beans, and quinoa. Mix through and cook for 2 minutes.   

3. Gently fold in sweet potatoes and avocados and heat on low for 5 minutes. 

Fragrant Cambodian Noodle Salad, by Diane

I found this recipe on the Kind Cook's website. It looked like the perfect dish for lunch on these hot summer days. It was easy, and really, really good! All my coworkers loved it too. I will definitely be making this more often!

The link to the recipe is here: http://thekindcook.com/fragrant-cambodian-noodle-salad/ I added shrimp to increase the protein!


Ingredients:

1cup of green cabbage, finely shredded
2 medium carrots, grated
1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, grated
4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup (or agave or brown sugar)
1 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 cloves of crushed garlic
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of fresh basil leaves, gently washed
¼ cup of roasted peanuts
1 handful of fried shallots
300 grams of rice noodles
Shrimp, cooked


Directions:

1. Place the cabbage, carrots, capsicum and cucumber in a large bowl, stir to combine and set aside.

2. Whisk the sugar, salt, fish sauce, garlic, lime juice, stock and olive oil together in another bowl until well combined and set aside.

3. Cook the rice noodles as per the packet instructions. Drain and refresh slightly under cold water. Then toss the noodles through the vegetable mix.

4. Pour the sauce over the top of the vegetables and noodles and stir. Add some fresh red chilli if you want some heat.

5. Mix though loads the fresh basil leaves just before serving. Garnish with the peanuts and fried shallots.

Basil Shrimp with Feta and Orzo, by Cheryl

I found this recipe on Cooking Light's website while looking for a shrimp dish. This was really easy to make and very light! I enjoyed it very much, although I think I might have cooked the orzo too long. Jon could take it or leave it as he said it was good, not great. I had the leftovers for lunch today and they really filled me up for the entire afternoon. I really wasn't sure how the feta cheese was going to play into the dish and though that it might not belong, but it worked really well and was great! I'll definitely be making this again, but maybe just for myself as a lunch option. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced tomato
3/4 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used precooked shrimp, but it calls for uncooked)
1/4 cup fresh basil

tin foil or oven bag

Directions:

1) Preheat 450 degrees.

2) Cook pasta in boiling water for 5 minutes. Place the pasta in a large bowl.

3) Stir in the olive oil, and the next seven ingredients through pepper and mix. Add shrimp and basil and mix.

4) Place in an oven bag or hand-made oven bag (I used tin foil) and bake for 25 minutes if shrimp are raw or 15 minutes if shrimp are already cooked. Open the foil and voila!