Panko Crusted Salmon

Recently I've been able to purchase salmon fillets for $5.99/lb. That's a really great price. Usually the prices hovers closer to $10/lb. So I've been searching for new ways to prepare it so we don't get bored.

This recipe is a from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. It calls for salmon with the skin on. But my sale-price salmon was skinless, so I modified the recipe just a bit. If you can find skin-on salmon, by all means follow Ina's method as written.

Either way, the tang from the Dijon and the crunch from the panko crumbs make this dish a simple, elegant meal.

Here's what you need:

4 salmon fillets, about 4-6 oz each
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2 teas dried parsley
1 teas garlic powder
2 TBSP olive oil or melted butter
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
olive oil for the pan

In a small bowl, combine the panko crumbs, parsley and garlic powder. Drizzle the olive oil or melted butter over the crumbs and stir until moistened.

Sprinkle each salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Brush the Dijon mustard over each fillet. Press the panko mixture on the top of each one.

Brush a 12-inch cast iron pan (or other oven proof pan) with some olive oil. Heat over medium heat on the stove until the pan is very hot. Carefully place the salmon fillets in the pan and let cook for about 2 minutes.

Transfer the pan to an oven heated to 425 degrees. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until panko is browned and the salmon is almost done.

Remove from the oven and cover the pan tightly with foil. Allow the salmon to rest for 5-10 minutes. This will allow the fish to finish cooking without drying it out. And who likes bone dry salmon?

My family adores this dish. It's their favorite way to eat salmon. And it's quick and easy, so you'll get no complaints from me!

Low Country Crawfish Boil

When my husband lived in south Georgia, he attended many a Low Country boil. Potatoes, corn, sausage, and shrimp are all cooked together in one pot, then drained and dumped out onto a table where you basically help yourself to what you want.

But here in the Gulf Coast states, crawfish are added to the pot. When I was a kid, I used to catch little crawdads in our creek, but never tried to eat one. The crawfish we used were fresh from Louisiana, shipped via FedEx to our door.

Now, I've never done a Low Country boil before, but we have some good friends who volunteered to show us how. They set up on our carport and got down to business.

One pot held the spicy version, the other a more mild version for the kids. Potatoes and corn went in first, then sausage and shrimp, and finally the crawfish.

Then all of it got dumped out and we filled our plates.

I can't tell you how much fun this was, especially since I didn't do the cooking! As big as the crawfish were, you don't get much meat out of them - only from the tails. It was still interesting, learning how to do it. And I'd happily do it again!

Herb Crusted Tilapia

Tilapia is probably my favorite type of fish to prepare. It cooks quickly and can be baked, fried or grilled. My family loves it, no matter how it's cooked.

This version is tasty and crispy. It is perfectly yummy eaten straight from the frying pan. But put this on a sandwich and wow! It's amazing! I've also cooked it and then broken it into pieces for fish tacos. So versatile!

Here's what you need:

4 tilapia filets
1 cup flour
2 teas garlic powder
1 teas sea salt
1/2 teas pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 TBSP dried parsley
1 TBSP dried Italian seasoning
Coconut oil or palm shortening for frying

In a shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place the beaten eggs in another shallow dish. Then combine the bread crumbs with the parsley and Italian seasoning in another shallow dish. I simply use styrofoam plates for this.

Dredge the tilapia filets in the flour mixture, then dip into the eggs. Shake off any excess egg and roll in the bread crumbs, making sure all sides are covered.

Heat the coconut oil or palm shortening in a frying pan until very hot. The oil should shimmer just a little. If it's not hot enough, the bread crumbs will soak up the oil and not get very crispy.

Cook the tilapia for about 4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.

Tilapia Po'boys

My family loves tilapia, so I'm always trying to come up with new ways to prepare it. I thought, why not in a sandwich? This po'boy-style sandwich with Creole slaw fits the bill perfectly.

The first thing you need to do is make the slaw. It needs a few hours to sit so the flavors can blend. You'll need:

1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 TBSP cider vinegar
1 TBSP milk
2 teas Creole seasoning (I use homemade, see the recipe below)
1/4 teas celery seed
2 cups cole slaw mix

Blend the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Stir in the cole slaw mix and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

For the tilapia fillets, you'll need:

4 tilapia fillets
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 TBSP Creole seasoning
2 eggs, beaten
coconut oil for frying

In a shallow dish, combine the flour, cornmeal and Creole seasoning. Place the beaten eggs in another shallow dish. Dredge the tilapia in the flour mixture, then dip into the eggs, then back into the flour mixture. Allow to rest on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes.

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet. Fry the tilapia fillets for 3-4 minutes on each side until done. You can tell if they're done if the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Drain on paper towels.

Assemble the sandwiches on crusty French rolls. I placed the fish fillets, then tomatoes and pickles, then a generous helping of Creole slaw.

To make homemade Creole seasoning just blend together:

2 TBSP paprika
2 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP black pepper
1 TBSP dried thyme
1 TBSP dried oregano
1 TBSP sea salt
cayenne pepper to taste, up to 1 TBSP

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

We love fish around here and I'm always looking for new ways to prepare it. I bookmarked this Rachael Ray recipe a while back, but never got around to making it until last week. I wondered why I had waited so long. It's incredibly easy and delicious! Of course, I tweaked it a bit, as is my way. Hope you enjoy!

Here's what you need:

4 tilapia filets
1-2 TBSP olive oil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teas dried parsley
1/2 teas paprika
1/2 teas Old Bay seasoning
the juice from 1/2 a lemon (or about 1 TBSP lemon juice)

Just wanted to say I don't buy Parmesan cheese in wedges to grate up. It's way too expensive. So I get the shredded stuff in the deli and just crush it up with my fingers to get finer crumbs.

 

Combine the Parmesan cheese and seasonings on a shallow plate. The mixture will be a nice orangey color thanks to the paprika.

Drizzle the fish with a little olive oil, then press each filet into the crumbs, coating both sides well.

 

 Place the filets on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle a little lemon juice over each filet for a nice tang.

 

I loved the way the Parmesan cheese melted together and formed a nice crust over the fish.

Tasty Tilapia

My family loves eating fish, especially tilapia. I enjoy cooking it for them because I know it's a healthy meal. Whenever Mr. Lego sees it pop up on the menu, he cheers. So I guess I'm doing something right. LOL

I especially like this recipe because the fish is baked, not fried. And I usually have all of the seasoning ingredients on hand. The result is a flavorful, colorful dish that everyone loves.

Here's what you need:

4 tilapia filets, thawed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teas garlic powder
1 teas ground mustard
1 teas ground ginger
1 teas paprika
1 teas coarse salt
1 teas dried oregano
1/2 teas black pepper
1/2 teas chili powder
1 TBSP lemon juice

In a shallow bowl, combine the olive oil and seasonings. Let sit for about 10 minutes to give the flavors a chance to blend. The oil will turn a lovely orange-red color.

Dip each filet into the bowl, making sure both sides are covered. Place on a greased baking sheet. If there is any of the oil mixture left, pour over the filets. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Bake at 400 degree for 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Loaded Jambalaya

I call this Loaded Jambalaya because it's loaded with three kinds of meat - chicken, sausage, and shrimp. Most people just pick one of the above when preparing jambalaya, but the flavor each ones gives this dish is incredible. It helped that I was trying to use up leftovers, too. I had just a little of everything, but it all worked together well.

Here's what you'll need:

1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 green or red pepper, diced
1 can diced tomatoes - I used fire roasted for more yummy flavor
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup rice
2 teas dried thyme
1/2 teas garlic salt
1/4 teas black pepper
a few drops of hot sauce, to your taste
1 cooked chicken breast, chopped
1/2 lb. kielbasa, cut into chunks
1/2 pound cooked shrimp (I used frozen and thawed them before adding to the dish)

Start by heating some oil in a large pot. Saute the celery, onion and green pepper for several minutes until soft.
Add the tomatoes, broth, rice, spices, hot sauce, chicken, and kielbasa. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender.


Stir in the shrimp and heat through. Always add the shrimp last because they will become tough and chewy the longer they're cooked.


Adjust the seasonings and hot sauce to your taste, then enjoy!

Creamy Seafood Casserole

It's been snowing here in Alabama, so it's time for some comfort food! This casserole reminds me of a dish I had at Red Lobster once. I don't think it's on their menu now, but since I haven't eaten there in ages, I really don't know.

Here's what you need:

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
4 TBSP butter, divided
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced mushrooms
1 lb. cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cans (6 oz) crab meat
1 cup cooked rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used homemade)
1 teas garlic powder
dash of cayenne pepper (if you want a little more zip, add 1/4-1/2 teas)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers (12 crackers)

First, melt the cream cheese and 2 TBSP butter together in a small saucepan. The oils in each make them hard to mix together. But if you stir constantly, they will evenutally combine and become smooth. Set this aside for later.


Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet and saute the diced vegetables until tender. This will take about 5 minutes or so.


Stir in the shrimp, crab, rice, mushroom soup, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and cream cheese mixture. Make sure everything is combined well.


Transfer to a greased 8x8 square pan. Sprinkle with cheese and Ritz crumbs.


Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until browned and bubbly. The crackers and cheese add a nice crunch.

Now enjoy the creamy goodness!

For more yummy recipes, visit Tempt My Tummy Tuesday being hosted today At the Well.

Pan-Seared Tilapia

I rarely cook any kind of fish but salmon. And with the price of salmon these days, I rarely even cook that!

But when I found a simple recipe for tilapia, I knew I wanted to try it. I bought frozen fillets and thawed them in the fridge overnight. They were then good to go for this easy recipe.

Here's what you need:

4-6 tilapia fillets
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup flour
1 teas Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teas garlic powder
oil for searing
1 TBSP melted butter, optional

Place the fillets on a baking sheet and salt and pepper both sides.


Combine the flour and seasonings on a paper plate. Dip each fillet in the flour mixture and make sure the entire surface is covered.


Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet. You don't want to fry the fillets. You just want enough oil to keep the fish from sticking to the pan.

Add the fish fillets and sear for about 4 minutes on each side until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Brush with melted butter if desired.



The beauty of this recipe is the simplicity. The basic flour and spice coating provides a nice crunch and plenty of flavor. My family raved about this fish and everyone agree we should add it to our meal plan often. I liked that it took less than 15 minutes to prepare. Couldn't be easier!

For more yummy recipes, visit Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace.