Seafood delights

FISH is nutritious, low in fat, easy to prepare, versatile and takes just minutes to cook! If buying fresh fish, double your order and portion freeze it. You will drastically reduce your mealtime prep time. If you can’t get fresh fish there is always the frozen option.

Bon apétit.

Island exotic seafood paella

This is a rather exotic dish, if you would prefer to substitute fresh vegetables for the seafood, simply add 4 cups of chunky veggies to the recipe in the same way as the seafood.

1 lb mixed seafood (shrimp fish, squid, crab)

2 cups white rice

2 tbs olive oil

1 large onion, minced

4 tsp minced garlic

4 cups vegetable broth

1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large tomato or 2 small, chopped

1 tsp roucou liquid or

1 tsp saffron powder

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

½ lime

Clean seafood and if using fresh fish cut into one-inch chunks, marinate seafood in one teaspoon minced garlic, mixed with one tablespoon olive oil, salt and black pepper, squeeze lime juice from a half of a lime over and stir to combine. Let sit for about ten minutes.

Wash rice in several changes of water, place in a strainer until ready for use. Heat one tablespoon oil in a paella pan, a large shallow pan, or saute pan.

Add seafood and flash fry for about five minutes, remove to a bowl, add a little extra oil to pan if needed, add onions and garlic, sauté until fragrant.

Add tomatoes and green peppers, toss to combine, add rice and turn to coat rice with the flavoured ingredients in the pot.

Stir saffron powder or roucou into broth, add broth to rice, and bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, at this point, return the seafood to the pot, adding all the drippings from the seafood. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes more.

Sprinkle with lemon juice and parsley.

Serves 4 to 6

Tilapia fish tacos with lime cumin slaw and chipotle mayonnaise

For the fish:

1½ lbs tilapia fillets cut into 8 pieces

1 tbs minced chives

½ tbs thyme

½ tbs minced celery

1 tbs lime juice

4 cloves garlic minced

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 egg lightly beaten

1 cup fine bread crumbs

Vegetable oil for frying

12 taco shells

Wash fish.

Remove dark layer on back of fish.

Combine chives, celery, thyme, garlic, lime juice and olive oil, add salt and pepper.

Rub marinade over fish and let marinate for 20 minutes.

Place breadcrumbs in a plate and season with salt.

Dip fish into egg then into crumb mixture.

Shallow fry fish for about 3 minutes per side until golden.

Remove and drain.

Cut fish into 1-inch strips.

Place into taco shells, dress with slaw and chipotle mayonnaise.

Chipolte mayonnaise

1 cup mayonnaise

½ tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced chipotle chilli in adobe sauce

Combine all ingredients and let sit refrigerated until ready for use.

Lime cumin slaw

2 cups shredded cabbage

½ cup shredded carrots

1 tbs minced onion

1 tbs chopped celery

Place vegetables in a large mixing bowl.

Dressing:

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp ground roasted cumin

dash cayenne pepper

2 tbs honey

Mix all dressing ingredients together and pour onto vegetables toss and let sit for about one hour before serving.

Steamed red snapper with ginger black bean and chives

2, 3lb red snappers, cleaned and left whole

1 tbs sesame oil

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tbs chopped ginger

1 tbs black bean sauce

6 blades chive, sliced

Combine sesame oil, garlic, ginger and black bean sauce.

Make slits into snappers and rub with black bean mixture.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Heat bamboo steamer, by placing into a wok and filling wok to about ⅓ with water.

When steaming, place snapper onto steamer base and cover, steam for about 10 minutes per side.

Remove, keep warm, and repeat with other snapper.

Garnish with chives, and serve immediately.

Serves 2-3

Spicy Caribbean fish bites with pink sauce

1 lbs boneless fish fillets

1 clove garlic

1 tbs minced chives

½ cup biscuit crumbs (about 12 biscuits)

¼ cup milk

½ cup finely-chopped mixed herbs, (parsley, thyme, basil, chives, chadon beni)

salt and freshly-ground black pepper

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp fresh lime juice

½ cup cornstarch

Vegetable oil for frying

Steam fish with garlic and minced chives.

Soak biscuit crumbs in milk.

Drain fish, flake and remove bones, place in a food processor, add biscuit mixture, herbs, salt, peppers, mustard and lime juice.

Process for a few seconds until mixture is well minced.

Form mixture into ½-inch balls, roll in cornstarch and deep fry in hot oil, until golden.

Makes about 36.

Pink sauce

For the dip combine

½ cup each of mayonnaise and unflavoured yoghurt

1 tbs horseradish sauce

1 tsp pepper sauce

1 clove minced garlic

¼ cup finely-chopped chadon beni

2 tbs ketchup.

Mix and taste and adjust seasonings.

Makes about one cup.