Cap’n Crunch Seared Tuna

 Hostess with the Mostess posted this recipe and said: “Why must cereal only be for breakfast? This might sound crazy, but there’s just something about the sweet crunchy outside and the tangy little mix you make for it.” I haven’t tried it but it sounds interesting!

 

Cap’n Crunch Seared Tuna

by Sam Zien

 

(Serves 6 as an appetizer)

 

Why must cereal only be for breakfast? This might sound crazy, but there’s just something about the sweet crunchy outside and the tangy little mix you make for it.

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard

• 2 cups regular Cap’n Crunch

• Olive oil

• 1 pound fresh tuna, ideally cut in 2 long rectangular blocks

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• Asian chili sauce

• 5 green onions, finely diced

 

Directions

1)     Mix mayo and mustard — set aside.

2)     Put the cereal in a large plastic zip bag and crush it really well, you want it like dust

3)     Lightly oil the tuna, season it with salt and pepper, then press down into the cereal, making sure it’s covered on all sides.

4)     Heat a nonstick pan really well first and then add about a tablespoon of oil.

5)     When it just starts to smoke, add the tuna and sear quickly on all sides until lightly browned — if it’s hot enough, probably no more than about 15 seconds a side.

6)     Remove and slice into 1/2-inch pieces.

7)     I serve it by spreading the mayo mix on a plate, topping that with the sliced tuna and drizzling a bit of the chili paste around it.

8)     Top with green onions and make sure you get some of everything in each bite.

 

Buffalo-Style Catfish Strips with ranch

Good Wednesday everyone! Today’s recipe is from Myrecipes.com. I don’t celebrate Mardi Gras, but the catfish always reminds me of New Orleans. The inspiration for this appetizer is Buffalo chicken wings. We breaded and baked catfish strips, then drizzled them with a spicy sauce. If you don’t like spicy foods, omit the hot pepper sauce. This will make about 8 servings (serving size: about 2 ounces fish, 1/2 celery stalk, 1/2 carrot, and 1 tablespoon dressing)

Ingredients

                               2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour

                               1  teaspoon  garlic powder

                               1  teaspoon  paprika

                               1/2  teaspoon  onion powder

                               1/2  teaspoon  salt

                               1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper

                               2  large egg whites, lightly beaten

                               1 1/2  cups  coarsely crushed cornflakes

                               1  pound  catfish fillets, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips

                               Cooking spray

                               1/3  cup  hot sauce (such as Crystal)

                               1  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

                               1/2  teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce

                               1  tablespoon  butter

                               1/2  cup  fat-free ranch dressing

                               4  celery stalks, cut into 1/4 x 3-inch sticks

                               4  carrots, cut into 1/4 x 3-inch sticks

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Place cornflakes in a shallow dish. Working with 1 fish strip at a time, dredge in flour mixture. Dip in egg whites; dredge in cornflakes. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining fish strips, flour mixture, egg whites, and cornflakes.
3. Lightly coat fish strips with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until done, turning once.
4. Combine hot sauce, pepper sauce, and Worcestershire in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter.
5. Drizzle hot sauce mixture over fish. Serve with ranch dressing, celery, and carrots.

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta and Green Bean Orzo

This is another recipe from the fab Everyday Food blog.
This takes 25 minutes prep time, 40 minutes total time and serves 4 people.

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 thinly sliced scallions
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds peeled and de-veined large frozen shrimp, thawed, tails removed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish
4 ounces feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees with rack set in upper third. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add scallions, garlic, and oregano; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add tomatoes. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until no liquid remains in skillet, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add shrimp and mint to skillet. Stir to combine; transfer to an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish. Crumble feta over top.
4. Bake until liquid is bubbling, cheese is beginning to brown, and shrimp in center of dish are opaque, 15 to 20 minutes.

Everyday Food recommends  serving the shrimp over green beans and orzo. Here’s that recipe too!

Green Beans

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup orzo
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil 

In a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, cook orzo 4 minutes. Add green beans; continue cooking until beans are tender and orzo is al dente, 5 to 6 minutes more.
1. Drain orzo, and return to saucepan. Mix in lemon juice and oil. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon Caper Sauce

I know seafood is hard to prepare for other people, but after all the heavy treats from the holidays {cookies, brownies, hot chocolate and candy galore!} I’ve been craving something lighter and….healthier?

Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Caper Sauce
(adapted from Cooking Light)
{Borrowed from Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen}

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. drained brine-packed capers, lightly crushed
2 Tbsp. butter, divided
2 tsps. vegetable oil
4 (6-ounce) tilapia or sole fillets
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp butter
Lemon wedges and parsley (optional)

• Combine first three ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Melt 1 Tbsp of butter with oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.
• While butter melts, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish.
• Dredge fillets in flour; shake off excess flour.
• Increase heat to medium-high; heat two minutes or until butter turns golden brown. Add fillets to pan; sauté three minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan, place on a serving dish and keep warm.
• Add broth mixture to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to about a cup. Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
• Serve sauce over fillets. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley, if desired.

Mint Mango Salmon

{Sent to my by myfriend Joellen, but actually from Allrecipes.com}

Mint Mango Salmon
 ”Northwestern salmon meets the tropics. This unique medley of flavors is sweet yet has a bite. The mango is an excellent source of antioxidants, which may help prevent cancer and lessen the effects of aging. This is a free sample recipe of our Quick-Smart™ premium recipe collection. The complete Premium Collection is available by subscription only.”
Original recipe yield: 4 servings.
Servings:4 (change)

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound salmon steaks
Fresh lemon juice
1 very ripe fresh mango, cubed
1/2 cup water
1 small, mild chili pepper, seeded and finely sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Drizzle the lemon juice over the salmon steaks. Broil the salmon approximately 7 minutes on each side.
Meanwhile, combine the mango, water, and chili pepper and cook in a saucepan over high heat until the mango is soft or the water has been absorbed. Add the mint to the sauce and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
When the salmon is cooked, place on a platter, pour the sauce over the salmon, and garnish with fresh mint. Or place the sauce on the platter first and put the salmon on top.