1/4 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
20-24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 red onion, cut into wedges, about 1/4 inch wide
2 sweet red peppers, seeded and cut into strips 1/2 inch wide
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and chopped
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 cup Manchego cheese, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
Heat the oil and butter in frying pan until butter foams, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp and sauté them over a fairly high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes, until colored. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add onion and peppers to the pan, cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes until softened.
Stir in the tomatoes, cayenne, and paprika and cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir together, adding Manchego and sauté for 30 seconds. Season to taste, garnish with cilantro, and serve.
Halibut is not a cheap fish — in fact, here where I live, it goes for upwards of $20/lb. However, it’s well worth it, and the ease in preparation makes this most likely the closest to a Non-Recipe you’re going to get on The Wannabe Gourmet, so… here goes!
1 six-to-eight ounce halibut fillet
1 tbsp butter, cut into small squares
1/4 tsp dill, minced
1/4 tsp fresh finely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp fleur de sel
lemon juice
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking dish with foil, and spray with a non-stick spray. Place halibut fillet, skin side down, on the foil, and sprinkle dill, pepper, and salt (I recommend fleur de self for the subtleness). Dot with butter and spritz with lemon juice.
Bake for 20-25 minutes (check after 20 minutes — the halibut should flake easily with a fork. Be VERY, VERY careful not to overcook the halibut, as it dries out amazingly quick, and that ruins the flavour.)
Serves 2 (or, 1, if you’re really hungry). This dish multiplies well. Serve alongside oven-roasted frites, and haricot verts with shallots.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 large egg
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 lb fresh crab meat
1 cup panko bread crumps
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Vegetable oil spray
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a medium saucepan, heat oil until it shimmers. Add minced onion and sauté until translucent but not coloured. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and zest. Stir to combine.
When mixture has cooled, place in a mixing bowl and add yogurt, egg, Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Carefully fold in breadcrumbs and crab meat (attempting to keep crab in as large of pieces as possible.
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Using a medium sized scooper (not as large as ice cream, not as small as truffles), dish out individual crab cakes and gently flatten in your palms before placing on cookie sheet. This recipe should make about 24-26 crab cakes of the smaller size.
Spritz the top of each crab cake with cooking spray. Place in oven for 20 minutes or until nicely browned.
Serves: 4 with a salad. Also may be served with cocktail sauce, tarter sauce, or a rouille (see below note)
This recipe has been lightened up by the inclusion of non-fat yogurt versus the regular mayonnaise that you would traditionally find in a crab cake recipe, and by baking instead of deep fat frying the cakes.
Note: Rouille Sauce (adapted from Julia Child’s “The Way To Cook”)
6 large cloves of garlic, pureed
1/4 tsp salt
18 large leaves of basil (or 1 1/2 tsp dried savory, oregano or thyme)
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 to 3 tbsp hot milk
3 large egg yolks
1 roasted red pepper (seeds, core, and stem removed)
3/4 to 1 cup olive oil
5 drops of Tabasco sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
N.B.: If you are making this in a food processor, it is imperative that the garlic be pureed. A food processor chops instead of pureeing, and you’re wanting a smooth sauce. (If you’re using pre-purchased pureed garlic, you may make this in a food processor from this point forward, as long as you are careful to make sure each step is followed as closely as possible for a smooth sauce.)
Puree the garlic in a heavy bowl (or add purchased pureed garlic, if you are familiar with the quality of the product) and add salt, pounding into a paste. Continue pounding while adding the herbs. When well mashed and blended, add panko and milk to form a paste. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Now, using a whisk or electric mixer (hand mixer preferred over stand mixer here so that you keep the sauce in motion), beat for 1-2 minutes until it thickens slightly. Then, start beating in the oil in a series of slow additions (almost dribbles to begin with), as if you were making a mayonnaise. The sauce will be thick and heavy. Season to taste with Tabasco, salt and pepper.
Rouille is perfect for use on crab cakes, in fish soup, on pasta, on potatoes, broiled or grilled fish, in fact, anything that you would sauce, as long as you’re wishing for the flavour of garlic and peppers.
Sesame Encrusted Tuna Steaks (served with sautéed Chinese cabbage and brown rice)
3 six-ounce tuna steaks
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil (separated)
2 oz sesame seeds
In a zip-top bag, place tuna steaks. In a bowl, combine vinegar and 2 tbsp olive oil, whisk to combine. Pour over tuna steaks, zip bag, and turn to completely coat. Place in fridge for 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Heat your skillet with remaining olive oil until wisps of smoke appear. Reduce heat to medium.
On a plate, spread your sesame seeds out and using tongs, remove steaks, one at a time, and coat on all sides with sesame seeds. Place in skillet and cook on each side, 3 minutes (for medium rare, 5 minutes per side for well done). (Be careful to not burn the sesame seeds.) Remove to cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes, then slice, and serve atop brown rice, alongside sautéed Chinese cabbage. Provide lemon alongside for those who wish to “spritz” their tuna before dining.
1.5 lb bay scallops
2 cups dry white vermouth (or dry white wine)
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped shallots or scallions
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp quality butter
3 tbsp all purpose flour
12 ounces fat-free half & half
grated Swiss cheese
In a skillet with large sides, place vermouth, bay leaves, shallots or scallions, salt and pepper over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Add scallops and sauté until they are just springy to the touch (this will only take 4-5 minutes). Remove from heat and drain through a sieve, reserving the liquid. Remove bay leaves and discard.
In a saucepan, melt butter and combine with flour, stirring until well combined. Cook over medium heat for two minutes to cook out the flour taste, but not to colour. Remove from heat, and add reserved scallop/wine liquid. Whisk vigorously to combine, being careful that there are no lumps. Add half & half (the recipe called for heavy cream, but this is in the interest of being a bit more calorie conscious), and return to medium heat. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes until your velouté sauce thickens. Once thickened, remove from heat and enrobe your scallops in your sauce, heating them through. Preheat your oven to 400F.
In buttered scallop shells, or ramekins, or oven proof dishes, place 1/2 cup scallop/sauce mixture and top with 2 tbsp grated Swiss cheese. Place in oven 10 minutes or so until cheese is melted and bubbly and browned.
Serves 6.
This recipe is modified from Julia Child’s recipe located in her book The Way To Cook, and part of her 6-part video series (now out of print).
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb 26-30 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges, about 1/4 inch wide
1/2 red bell pepper, green bell pepper, orange bell pepper (each), seeded and cut into 1/2″ wide strips
14 ounces tomatoes (chopped, seeded and juiced) (one large beefsteak tomato, or two smaller tomatoes, as long as not hothouse)
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Cooked brown rice
Heat the oil and butter in frying pan until foamy. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp and sauté over a medium-high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, just until they turn pink. Remove and keep warm in a covered bowl. Next, add onion and peppers to the pan and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes, until just softened but not mushy.
Stir in the tomatoes, cayenne, and paprika and cook for about 5 minutes (tomatoes will begin to break down and blend into a sauce). Add the shrimp back to the pan and stir to combine, adding Pecorino Romano and cook for one additional minute. Add salt, pepper, and cilantro, stir to incorporate, and serve with a side of brown rice.
