We tested out almost all my soups for the perfect second course of Christmas dinner (all soup recipes here). They were delicious – but I wanted something new. We always use clean, never “previously frozen” and wild caught seafood preferring to purchase from Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon and Seafood. We’re lucky enough to have our…
Category: Seafood
quick easy sushi: my take on the california roll with baked salmon and a coconut amino sauce
We went to one of our favorite restaurants with family who were here visiting and we fell in love with one of their sushi options. I am not someone who eats sushi with fish… I can’t stomach the idea of uncooked fish. At all. But this sushi had baked salmon on the top of a…
grilled coconut bbq citrus ginger tuna with baby potato salad and avocado
Tuna Steaks are some of our favorite seafood. The simplest to cook, in my opinion, outside of shrimp and they are extremely versatile. These basically make themselves! You Will Need: * Tuna Steaks (wild caught, fresh or frozen) * Baby Potatoes (red or white – enough for the people you’re feeding; estimate six per person)…
sexy salmon squid ink pasta
I can’t believe I’m sharing this recipe to be honest… Everyone has that recipe they don’t share. Or don’t completely share (leaving out one key ingredient so it’s a treasure when only they make it) and this would be mine except… I want to share it. Down to the last ingredient. It is the BEST…
grilled garlic and cilantro shrimp, polenta and bosc pears
Polenta is one of those overlooked, versatile yummy comfort foods that I don’t think gets enough attention. I know a lot of people have used the kind of creamy polenta you have with shrimp as opposed to shrimp and grits but, I’m talking about these formed “logs” of polenta you can find in all different…
stuffed toads in the hole with smoked salmon, goat cheese, spinach, bacon and a truffle mayo
New Years this year, had a more poignant meaning to me. I’ve had some health struggles that stemmed from a simple (or rather, common) gallbladder removal surgery that had me in and out of the hospital spanning four months. To say I was thankful to turn the page into the new year was an understatement….
wild sockeye salmon lettuce tacos with guacamole, grilled eggplant and peaches
We typically get our salmon from only one place: Vital Choice because we trust their quality; they do not break the cold chain and therefore the product arrives as fresh as if you were there on the day it was caught. That being said, it’s not always convenient to wait (though as short a wait…
salmon with apricot mousse and mandolin apples over sautéed veggies with an avocado citrus pesto
I love salmon on weekends… It’s perfect for any day of the week really but, something about the anticipation of the pretty pink fish with a glass – or three – of sweet rose, that makes the weekend feel like it really started. And, I love to surprise my husband with new ways of making…
salmon and lemon orzo with tarragon
I’ve written before about how hard it is for me to get creative with salmon during a weeknight. I’m tired, I’m hungry… I’m just coming back from a walk and I don’t want a lot of cleanup. I discovered the best way to cook salmon was in parchment because it ticked all those boxes: quick,…
wild caught salmon en papillote with turkey bacon, air-fried sprouts and dill
Salmon is still such a treat for us – no matter how many times we have it – so I try to create something new whenever I can. I love baking our salmon in parchment “pockets” covered in some sort of moisture-sealing topping and a seasoning. The salmon comes out perfectly moist and flaky and…
christmas table-setting and dinner, our still-unpacking-style
This was my first Christmas with my husband in our new town of Franklin, and we were only a month into living here. Boxes everywhere… I did the best I could using what we found. I’ll outline the menu and then just show photos, as well as where I got some of the things you’ll…
pan fried tarragon shrimp over polenta with a roasted red pepper sauce
I have a love for polenta that I don’t think has been adequately expressed on this site… So here we go again with some happy yellow discs that are like little creamy plates to host something crunchy on top. In this case it’s shrimp but if you’re more partial to scallops, I have that recipe…
chilean sea bass in a brown butter garlic lemon sauce with seasoned brussel sprouts
The first time I had Chilean Sea Bass was in a small restaurant, Red Fox Tavern in Middleburg, VA. This restaurant / Inn resides off a main street two street lights long. It is an “old money” town where people love their horses as much as their children, there are big homes, a tiny post…
roasted herbs de provence shrimp in a lemon, garlic butter sauce
In this unprecedented time of fear and uncertainty, I have not only slowed down on cooking, I have decided to not even use my bone china. I have used (with my husband’s curious enthusiasm) paper plates and napkins. Well, that’s not entirely true; I still use cloth napkins… I just can’t find the energy and…
pretty in pink, shrimp charcuterie tray
Cheese. Enough said. For the most part, I’m a massive fan. You put cheese and creamy marinated artichoke hearts on a shiny silver tray with other goodies and a gorgeous full bodied wine, and I’m not going anywhere. Let’s be honest, if you’re avoiding this heat, use a charcuterie tray like this What a gift…
panko fried scallop over polenta discs, with a roasted red pepper sauce and marinated artichoke heart salad
I’m not sure there is anything you can’t fry. Shouldn’t fry? Maybe. But can’t… not convinced. I try not to fry too much, and certainly never deep fry. While I’m not a big scallop fan, nor am I the big scallop fan (sea scallop over bay scallop), lightly frying these and placing them over a…
toasted coconut mahi mahi with a lime avocado mousse
I don’t usually follow fads. When the new “coconut oil everything” trend started I ran in the opposite direction; I wanted nothing to do with it. I like the taste of coconut but usually, when these things happen, it’s a saturation of epic proportions which for me, is a complete turn-off. Same with pumpkin spice…
honey bacon wrapped tarragon shrimp over a pineapple disc with dill and tarragon mayo
On most days I just stare into my teeny tiny pantry and wish things into existence. It doesn’t work of course but, I do sometimes find things I forgot I had and make some miracle I can later play off as planned. I don’t remember what day I decided to make this little miracle but,…
sweet onion split pea soup with basil, parmesan panko fried flounder and a mustard lemon vinaigrette (variation)
I am getting a bit of cabin fever. I have never really had it before and prided myself in not being someone who goes stir-crazy in one place for an extended period of time. That being said, I’m going a little mad stuck in my condo day after day, night after night because of these…
dinner party and chess, feast before battle (salmon wellington)
When I was in college I had a boyfriend who tried in vain to teach me how to play chess. He did his best to be patient with me however, I simply would not stay still and focused; too interested in the mundane basic boring things (like what party at which fraternity house we were…
smoked salmon avocado toast with coddled eggs and champagne
Smoked salmon is a true pleasure in my family. This goes back to visits to NY to see my uncles or visiting my father and step-mother in DC, and my uncles providing the typical NY brunch with bagels and lox. I learned early on, even with my mother who likes to combine smoked salmon, lemons…
split pea, lima bean soup, strawberry, shrimp and almond salad with a mustard lemon vinaigrette
Whenever I have leftovers it’s mandatory to get them eaten. I don’t know why I feel that way; more often than not, food tastes better when they’ve sat in their juices or herbs for a day or more but, I cannot make them more enticing than if I were to cook something new. If we…
soy ginger scallops, wilted spinach, baby potatoes and a strawberry almond amaretto crumble
The storm off the gulf is pounding us with rain, more than the usual amount we get in Florida this time of year. I’m thankful for it. The storm keeps the construction workers on their toes and rushing off roofs in a screaming frenzy because they wait until the most deliberate painful last minute, only…
parmesan, dill tuiles with garlic shrimp and fresh basil
Another week has passed and we’re already headed towards mid-July. The days are hotter and oppressive. These are the months when I wonder why I live in Florida. The relentless sun drags on and on, until it’s well into the tomb of the evening and you’ve dug into your couch so long it no longer…
basil and parmesan panko fried flounder, baby greens with a mustard lemon dressing
Fried food isn’t usually my thing. I probably should admit this up front. When I do fry things they don’t then ordinarily go over a salad. Today I felt like I needed a change; something about the start of a new week does that to me. I wanted to try to lighten things up and…
fresh lemon and dill pasta, sautéed shrimp with basil and garlic
I have never met a pasta I didn’t like. In fact, my pasta preference has gotten me into some trouble as I also really like clothes… Nevertheless, my relationship with this carb has been an overall positive one and I have experimented with it greatly. In my vast catalog of experience I’ve found, I prefer…
smoked salmon, cheese and cucumber, yellow potatoes with soft scrambled eggs
When I think of the weekend, I think of two things: Friday night and Sunday morning. It’s almost as if Saturday gets lost in the shuffle. I would feel bad about it if it weren’t for the fact that Sunday has such a bad rep and needs a champion in its corner! Here’s where brunch…
garlic and tarragon shrimp over homemade cheese-free pesto
Sundays nights in Florida aren’t typically nights you can enjoy long walks holding hands with your partner, thinking about the week to come… It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s a problem. Sometimes though, we get a break from all that and even better still, it lasts for weeks. Just long enough to forget about running away…
live a curated life 