good luck deluxe

Some of you have inquired as to when you’re going to shake the Magic 8 Ball and get a Friday fish or seafood feature out of me…

Since I am selective as to what I feature on my blog (sometimes ), good things come to those who wait. Today’s your lucky day, because it’s Maine Scallops Day!

If you’ve never had seafood from the state of Maine, you’re only missing the freshest-tasting aquatic delights possibly on the planet. Even when frozen, Maine seafood is fantastic!

These succulent, fresh-frozen Maine scallops are ready for the grill or sauté pan.

Squeeze a fresh lime over them when they’re hot off the grill or seared on the stove, and sprinkle with a pinch of your favorite fresh herbs. Nirvana! And don’t forget to serve these sea gems with a great veggie… A frisée salad or white asparagus marry in perfect harmony with these scallops.

To commence with the ceremony and race to the honeymoon (always the best part!), click here to order!

Mango salsa is always a good idea.

I found this great recipe on Food TV in Canada. I love its pairing of Cajun blackening seasoning with a fresh, fruity, Caribbean salsa. Your mouth will grow more pleased
with each forkful!

If halibut is too dry of a fish selection for you, I would certainly substitute it with Chilean sea bass or any other moist, light fish. Yum!

Blackened Halibut With Mango Salsa

For the Fish

* 4 x 7 ounce portions of halibut or cod filets with skin on
* 1 1/2 tbsp blackening spice
* 1 tbsp olive oil

Mango Salsa

* 2 x mangoes cubed into ½ inch pieces
* 2 x green onions sliced thinly
* 2 tbsp red onion, chopped fine
* 1 x Thai chili, finely chopped
* 3 tbsp cilantro, chopped roughly
* 2 tbsp red pepper, chopped into ¼ inch cubes
* Juice of 2 limes
* Salt and pepper to taste

Fish Directions
1. Place a large cast iron pan over medium high heat. Allow pan to preheat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile pat fish dry with paper towels and sprinkle with spice rub.

2. Place oil into preheated pan then fish flesh side down. Allow to cook for 1 - 2 minutes or until a nice dark crust has formed on the fish. Carefully flip fish over and place into preheated oven for a further 7 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove from oven and serve with mango salsa.

Mango Salsa Directions
1. Combined all ingredients in a bowl and add season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill mixture in refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving.

This fish would go perfectly served with coconut rice and a carafe of chilled Riesling.

Mmm, now THIS looks appetizing! I found this delicious recipe on EatingWell.com.
The best part? They’re only 320 calories and pack 26 grams of protein per serving!

Shrimp Enchiladas Verde

Shrimp with a spicy tomatillo-cilantro sauce, a common combination in coastal Mexican cuisine, make bright-tasting enchiladas. Pre-cooked shrimp help get these enchiladas on your table in a hurry.

Makes 8 servings

1 pound peeled cooked shrimp (21-25 per pound; thawed if frozen), tails removed, diced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles (not drained)
2 cups canned green enchilada sauce or green salsa, divided
12 corn tortillas
1 15-ounce can nonfat refried beans
1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese, such as Mexican-style, Monterey Jack or Cheddar
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 425 degree F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Combine shrimp, corn, chiles and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce (or salsa) in a microwave-safe medium bowl. Cover and microwave on High until heated through,
2 1/2 minutes.

3. Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce (or salsa) in the prepared baking dish. Top with an overlapping layer of 6 tortillas. Spread refried beans evenly over the tortillas. Top the beans with the shrimp mixture, followed by the remaining 6 tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce (or salsa) over the tortillas. Cover with foil.

4. Bake the enchiladas until they begin to bubble on the sides, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil; sprinkle cheese on top. Continue baking until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare through Step 3, cover and refrigerate for up to one day. Allow the cold baking dish to warm slightly before placing in a hot oven.

Some of you may call this “Salade Niçoise,” but I just call it good!

I found this recipe on France Attraction.

Tuna and Warm Potato Salad

This is a fabulous salad for winter or summer gatherings, full of different textures and rich flavors. Excellent as a main course - try serving it in a large dish in the center of the table with plenty of crusty bread.

Serves 6

500g small new potatoes
olive oil for coating
250g cherry tomatoes
200g fine green beans, topped and tailed
200g tuna in olive oil, drained
4 anchovies, cut lengthways into thin strips
1 large bunch of basil

For the dressing:
2 shallots, finely diced
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp grainy mustard (such as Meaux)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Gently cook the potatoes in their skins in a pan of simmering water for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Lightly brush a baking tray with olive oil. Toss the cherry tomatoes in the oil to coat them and roast in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Place the dressing ingredients, except the oil, into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until well blended. Then add the olive oil and shake vigorously again.

Drain the potatoes, cut them in half and place in a salad bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat the warm potatoes. Plunge the green beans into boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well and add, while warm, to the potatoes.

Flake and add the tuna along with the anchovy strips and the tomatoes straight from the oven, and gently mix. Tear up the basil, scatter it over the tuna salad and serve immediately.

It’s so, so good!

I just can’t leave the Mackenzie Limited site alone! They make the BEST seafood delicacies!

Lobster pot pies are a classic Maine offering that suggest a relaxing evening in a seaside cottage. These pies of love are loaded with sweet Maine lobster, laced with a sherry cream sauce, and topped with buttery puff pastry.

Packed in reusable ceramic ramekins. Gorgeous, sumptuous, and delicious! Four 4-oz. pies.

Who needs a date on Friday when you have one of these beauties to come home to!

Honey, could I tell you stories about the fabu Shrimp Creole my mother makes. Hers is a Paul Prudhomme-inspired recipe, and MAN - is it GOOD!

I haven’t had authentic Shrimp Creole in eons. In fact, I can’t even remember when I last had it. OK, I’m seriously due for some Creole love!

I enjoy discovering new twists on old favorites. I recently happened upon this sexy
Shrimp Creole recipe. It’s certainly worth a try. Let me know how you like it!

If you fancy Cajun and Creole food (and who doesn’t?!), then I’m sure you’ll loooove
French Market Foods. Their Shrimp Creole, made with a tomato and roux base, looks seriously yummy. All the taste and flavor of real Creole food…with none of the work!

If Shrimp Creole ain’t your thing, then maybe French Market Foods’ Shrimp Etouffee and Shrimp Gumbo will beckon you.

For those of you who just flat-out hate shrimp, I give you permission to sift through the French Market Foods web site to check out their intriguing meat specialties, such as Stuffed Pork Chops…

…and their savory Meat Pies!

But just this once! Next Friday, we’ll be back on the bandwagon of fish and seafood ONLY.

See, mama knows how to treat you once in a while.

Salmon is my absolute favorite fish. I guess you’ve pretty much gathered that, considering how I always mention salmon sashimi when I do a sushi restaurant review.

But these Salmon Wellingtons take the cake!

Fresh Atlantic salmon is topped with mild mushrooms and wrapped in puff pastry for an incomparable combination of tastes and textures in this delicacy from Mackenzie Ltd.

The earthy mushrooms are an ideal counterpoint for the rich salmon and flaky pastry. Perfect for an afternoon party or an elegant supper, simply bake and serve. A gourmet classic!

These would also be great to serve at a wedding feast. One word - YUM!

I loooove Mahi Mahi!

A tropical delicacy, Mahi Mahi Fillets are a delicious gourmet game fish that surprisingly contain less than 1% fat. YES!

It’s no wonder that once people try this fish, they’re absolutely hooked. Mahi Mahi’s sweet, mild flavor and flaky texture make it an immediate favorite. Perfect for broiling, baking, and pan frying, these fillets are individually vacuum-sealed for your convenience.

Why not go all out and host a tropical-themed party complete with exotic drinks,
festive appetizers, and a pan of coconut rice? And pssst…with only 1% fat in your protein source, you would certainly have room to splurge on dessert. Hey, I won’t tell.

You MUST try this recipe, which I found on ActiveAngler:

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Ginger

Ingredients

• 4, 6 - 8 oz. mahi mahi fillets
• 6 shallots, coarsely chopped
• 4 quarter-size slices fresh unpeeled ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tbs. unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 4 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat grill or broiler; spray a grilling basket or broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray and arrange the Mahi Mahi fillets on top. In a food processor, mince shallots, ginger and garlic.

In a small skillet, melt butter. Add shallot-ginger mixture and cook, stirring until just golden, 8 - 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Brush mahi mahi fillets with half the ginger-shallot mixture. Grill or broil mahi mahi fillets 4 - 5 inches from heat, turning once, until lightly colored and the flesh just flakes when tested with a fork, about 6 minutes.

In a small bowl, blend together chicken broth and cornstarch. Return skillet to medium heat and stir in wine, lemon juice, zest, and pepper. Bring to a boil, add cornstarch mixture and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute or until thickened and slightly glossy.

Transfer mahi mahi fillets to plates and drizzle shallot-ginger glaze over them.

Click on the picture above to get this party started!

After a recent disappointment with crab cakes that I ordered at a popular L.A. restaurant, I now have a serious craving - borderline full-blown Jonesing - for them.

Perhaps I’ll have better luck with ordering tried-and-true crab cakes and warming them up at home instead of playing crab cake Roulette at some hyped-up eatery.

I haven’t yet tried these, but Oprah raves about them, so Chesapeake Bay certainly has my attention. Here’s what they have to say:

“To make our Perfect Crab Cakes, we start with premium, handpicked jumbo lump crabmeat. Once the crabmeat is added to our signature binding, it’s hand shaped into individual cakes. Each is then flash frozen to preserve the fresh taste and homemade flavor.

Enjoy our four-ounce Perfect Crab Cakes on their own, in a sandwich or alongside your favorite vegetable dish. Our Perfect Crab Cakes were featured in O Magazine’s “O List” where Oprah touted them as, “the most spectacularly crab-filled crab cakes I’ve ever tasted.”

Hey - spectacularly works for me!

I’ll bet you would have never guessed that I like Sizzler. I most certainly do.
Luxury, to me, has nothing to do with cost. Good is good. And the Colossal Shrimp at Sizzler is just that.

So is their Strawberry Lemonade, which is perfectly tart and topped with sugared FRESH strawberries. And you know how I feel about strawberries. Yep, this drink is right up my alley!

What can I say - I’m the type of chick who can unearth gems almost anywhere.

I had to be all incognito snapping pics of my food with my camera phone at the restaurant. That explains the picture quality. I was all hunched over trying to work fast and covertly.

Now, back to that fabulous shrimp… They’re huge! I’ll even venture to say they’re the poor man’s lobster. Sizzler’s Colossal Shrimp are plump, succulent, and satisfying. My kind of delicacy!

Keep in mind, though, that this is not health food. I’m not insinuating that Sizzler is the place to go for an organic, free-range meal.

Who knows if the “drawn butter” that is served on the side is even real butter, but I really don’t even care. It’s a pretty tasty meal regardless. And it’s not like I have any business eating butter anyway…let alone a heaping side of sour cream and chives for my baked potato!

I had no idea I was doing Sizzler that night…it was just kind of the convenient thing to do. See, I don’t think anyone actually gets cravings for Sizzler. It’s one of those places that you just kinda happen upon.

I mean, has anyone actually planned to go to Sizzler? No offense, but I’m sure you know what I mean.

I got into a debate with a friend the other night about Sizzler in general. I happen to like it in spite of the fact that it is an inexpensive chain restaurant. He loathes it.

OK, time out…

We’ve got to compare apples to apples here! Sizzler is NOT Morton’s of Chicago,
Ruth’s Chris, or an even more elite establishment. When you compare Sizzler to a restaurant that is infinitely more upscale, you’re not being fair.

But if you were to compare Sizzler to Red Lobster, Sizzler is going home with the Oscar! They get bonus points for their nice salad bar. The veggies are always fresh and crisp at my local Sizzler, and they have a pretty decent selection of salad fixin’s.

So if you’re famished and in the mood for ginormous, behemoth shrimp, I say give Sizzler’s Colossal Shrimp a go. I give it the green light!

If you’re in L.A., maybe I’ll join you!