Category Archives: Seafood

Lemongrass Coconut Curry

LEMONGRASS AND GINGER-INFUSED COCONUT CURRY WITH POTATOES, MUSHROOMS, BELL PEPPERS, AND CHERRY TOMATOES. WITH SEARED SALMON FILLET AND LIME.

While we can’t claim this recipe to be authentically Thai, we can say that a fragrant coconut curry is an easy way to get big flavors without too much attention or labor. More accurately, this one’s more a technique than a recipe with specific ingredients for a particular cuisine.

Until recently, we were a bit tentative on using lemongrass, knowing the flavor only from eating out at Thai places. When we finally overcame our lemongrass anxiety, we realized how easy, versatile, and revolutionary it would be to our meal prep for busy weeks! Though there are several ways to use it, we like to chop it up to infuse into a stew or broth-based dish for a few hours before pulling out the fibrous pieces.

For vegetarians and vegans, this can easily be made without fish sauce or the seared salmon. The same technique applies, and remember that the veggie combinations are far beyond the ones we listed here! Enjoy 🙂 – Pea and Boo

Servings: 4 (full courses)
Difficulty: 

Lemongrass curry:

  • Curry base
    2 lemongrass stalks
    2 ts ginger, grated
    1 star anise
  • Broth
    1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
    1 c vegetable stock
    3 tb soy sauce
    (optional) 1.5 tb fish sauce
    3 garlic cloves, grated
    1 tb sugar
    2 ts turmeric
    1 ts coriander
    1 bay leaf
  • Vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces
    8 oz button mushrooms
    2-3 carrots
    8-12 oz potatoes
    1 onion
  • 6 oz cherry tomatoes
  • Finish
    2 tb corn starch
    1 lime, zested and juiced
    10-20 thai basil leaves
  1. For lemongrass, remove out layer, and cut off leaves and tip of bulb. Rinse thoroughly. Slice into 3-inch sticks, and halve lengthwise.
  2. In a large sauté pan or pot over high heat, toast lemongrass, ginger, and star anise until lightly charred, 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add all broth ingredients, and cover to simmer on medium-low heat, 1.5-2 hours.
  4. Add vegetables to simmer until softened, 20-30 minutes.
  5. Add cherry tomatoes to cook, 10 minutes.
  6. In a small bowl, suspend corn starch in 2-3 tb water. Stir suspension into curry, and simmer until thickened, 2 minutes.
  7. Add lime zest/juice and basil leaves to cook until wilted, 1 minute.
  8. Serve with rice, or keep warm while preparing seared salmon.

Seared salmon fillet:

  • 4 (6 oz) salmon fillets
  • salt and black pepper
  • vegetable/canola oil
  1. Score the skin side of each fillet, and season on both sides.
  2. Drizzle and rub oil on both sides of fillets.
  3. In a pan over high heat, sear salmon on skin side until cooked pink halfway up, ~4 minutes. Flip over.
  4. Sear second side until cooked to desired doneness, ~3 minutes (medium).
  5. Remove to a plate to rest, 10 minutes.
  6. Stir resting salmon juices into curry, and serve salmon and curry with rice.

Salmon Balsamic Teriyaki with Garlic Bok Choy

SEARED SALMON FINISHED WITH BALSAMIC TERIYAKI SAUCE, SESAME SEEDS, AND GREEN ONIONS. GARLIC-SAUTEED BOK CHOY.

I’ve heard too many doctors say, “Doctors know how to take care of other people, but don’t know how to take care of themselves”. As Pea and I plow through some of our tougher weeks in medical school, it’s easy (and sad) to see how busy students, professionals, parents, and hobbyists alike may not have the time or effort to spare to eat well. In the name of time management, we’ve definitely caved several times to Chipotle and plenty of unhealthy snacks to mindlessly munch away studying for upcoming exams.

Besides just keeping ourselves healthy, Pea and I know how important it is to be good role models as future doctors, and so we used the start of 2017 as a great excuse to make some changes! First, we’ve been bringing lunch from home that’s healthier and cheaper than buying. Second, we’ve been planning ahead and making more food a few days before the study grind instead of resorting to fast food. Third, we’ve been trying to stick with fruits and nuts as snacks, besides the occasionally irresistible Cheez-Its. For those out there with even tighter schedules, it doesn’t take a laundry list of changes to be healthier – even one change over the long-term is great!

Today, a few days before some upcoming exams, we’re giving you a dish that takes some salmon, bok choy, and some basic pantry ingredients and turns it into a fast, flavorful, and healthy meal. As with all our recipes, it’s okay to omit or substitute if you don’t happen to have something on hand. Doubling the recipe adds almost no time at all, and will let you pack some away for the next few days, too. Here’s to a healthier, happier 2017! – Boo

Servings: 4 (full courses)
Difficulty: 

Balsamic teriyaki:

  • 4 tb balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tb soy sauce
  • 1 tb mirin
  • 1 tb brown sugar
  • 0.5 ts sesame oil
  1. In a small saucepan, stir and simmer all ingredients over medium-high heat until slightly thickened. Set aside.

Seared salmon:

  • 4 portions salmon fillet
  • salt and black pepper
  1. Salt and pepper salmon on both sides.
  2. In a large pan, sear salmon in olive oil over medium-high heat until cooked pink halfway up, ~4 minutes, and flip over.
  3. Sear second side until cooked to desired doneness, 3-5 minutes.
  4. Remove salmon to a plate to rest, and spoon teriyaki over fillets. Meanwhile, prepare bok choy.

Garlic bok choy:

  • 8-10 heads bok choy
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 tb cooking wine
  • 0.5 tb sesame oil
  • 0.5 tb vinegar
  • salt
  1. Separate and discard root from bok choy stems. Separate bok choy leaves from stems.
  2. In the same large pan, saute garlic and bok choy stems in vegetable/canola oil over medium-high heat until nearly cooked through, ~4 minutes.
  3. Stir bok choy leaves into pan until wilted, ~1 minute.
  4. Mix remaining ingredients into garlic bok choy, and serve with salmon. Optionally, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Crawfish Étouffée

crawfish-etouffeeCRAWFISH TAILS SIMMERED IN A BUTTERY AND SPICY CAJUN BROTH WITH ONIONS AND SWEET BELL PEPPERS. SERVED WITH RICE, AND GARNISHED WITH LEMON AND ITALIAN PARSLEY.

Crawfish étouffée deserves special attention as one of Pea’s all-time favorite dishes. Despite half the name deriving from the French word meaning “to smother”, a few funky accents over the vowels, and the stick of butter in a first step that would make the French proud (although I hear their sticks are twice as big as ours), the crawfish étouffée was actually invented in Louisiana. Though to be fair, the étouffée has quite the culinary overlap with French cuisine, aside from the butter. The technique in making  étouffée is pretty similar to French stews, and it often begins with a butter roux, with or without vegetables or other ingredients, to which spices and a flavorful stock is added with the main protein to cook to a thick, rich consistency.

We won’t get into too many details about the differences between Cajun and Creole – suffice it to say that Creole recipes tend to have tomatoes, and Cajun doesn’t – or the differences between light and dark roux in cousin dishes like gumbo. The idea behind this recipe is to flavor everything to your taste, so the amounts in our recipe might not be the same in yours! And since this dish is from Louisiana, and not France, no one will bite if you don’t follow the instructions to the letter, either. – Boo

Servings: 4 (full courses)
Difficulty: 1 star

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter
  • Minced vegetables
    1 onion
    2 bell peppers
    4 cloves garlic
  • 0.33 c flour
  • Cajun spices
    2 ts smoked paprika
    1.5 ts cayenne pepper
    0.75 ts salt
    0.5 ts black pepper
    0.5 ts garlic powder
    0.5 ts onion powder
    1 ts dried oregano
    1 ts dried thyme
  • 2 c chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 lb crawfish tail meat
  • 2 tb chopped parsley
  • Garnish
    lemon wedges
    chopped parsley

Directions:

  1. In a pot or large pan, melt butter over medium heat.
  2. Saute vegetables in butter until softened, 8-10 minutes.
  3. Add flour and spices to coat vegetables, and toast over medium heat, 3 minutes.
  4. Add chicken stock and bay leaves, and stir and simmer until thickened, 3-4 minutes.
  5. Add crawfish to cook or warm through, 3-5 minutes.
  6. Stir in parsley, optionally garnish, and serve with rice.

Blood Orange Sea Scallops Flambé

blood orange sea scallops flambeSILKY SEARED SCALLOPS WITH A SPICED BLOOD ORANGE REDUCTION. MISO-POACHED RADISHES AND SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS.

There are few better mealtime omens than a good scallop starter. And while scallops are great with the usual butter and white wine sauce, their natural sweetness and creamy texture complement fruity, tangy flavors delightfully! Blood orange may not be in season anymore, but of course regular oranges can be used, even though you won’t get the almost-berrylike tones as you would from the blood orange. For those of you who like playing with fire, there’s an optional step to flambé the sauce with Grand Marnier, too!

The focus of this recipe is definitely the sauce, while the method for the seared scallops is pretty much the same as any classic recipe – some light seasoning followed by a very hot pan and some oil for a minute or two a side. Happy cooking 🙂 – Boo

Servings: 2 (appetizer portions)
Difficulty: 1 star

Ingredients:

  • Blood orange sauce
    2 blood oranges, zested and juiced
    0.75 tb honey
    2 pinches salt
    1 pinch five spice
  • 1 tb Grand Marnier
  • 4 (large) sea scallops
  • Seasoning
    salt and black pepper, medium coarse
    garlic powder
  • Garnish
    pea sprouts
    blood orange zest
  1. In a small saucepan, stir and simmer sauce ingredients on medium heat until slightly thickened.
  2. Add Grand Marnier, and optionally set alight to flambé.
  3. Reduce sauce to 2-3 tb, or to a syrupy consistency. Remove from heat, and keep warm.
  4. Season scallops on both sides, and sear in olive oil over high heat, 1.5-2 minutes per side.
  5. Serve scallops with orange sauce, and garnish as desired.

Asian Honey-Glazed Salmon

honey glazed salmonCRISPY FILLET OF SALMON GLAZED WITH HONEY AND SEASONED WITH FRESH MINCED AROMATICS. BOK CHOY STIR-FRIED WITH GARLIC AND SESAME OIL. CINNAMON-ANISE STEAMED RICE.

As much as we love our comforting, spicy stews and hearty broths through the winter, we felt it was time to bring in the light, fresh, and crisp flavors to hit off the start of spring. And so we bring you our very quick and easy honey-glazed salmon, where the natural tanginess of the fresh green onion and the just-barely-cooked ginger and garlic mince were the life of the dish, maybe even more so than the salmon itself! Since this worked so well with the lightly salted bok choy dashed with sesame oil and the fragrant rice, we’re including the sides in the recipe, too. If you’re just feeling the salmon, though, feel free to go straight down to that part of the recipe. Hope you give this a try! – Boo

P.S. If you want some curly green onions for garnish, slice them into thin strips about 4 inches long, then put them in ice water for several minutes.

honey glazed salmon top-downServings: 2 (full courses)
Difficulty: 1 star

Anise rice:

  • 1.2 c water
  • Spices
    3 star anise
    4 cloves
    0.25 ts salt
    0.25 ts cinnamon
  • 1 c white rice, washed
  1. In a small saucepan, bring water with spices to a boil.
  2. Add rice to boiling water. Cover and steam over low heat until cooked through, 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare bok choy and salmon.

Garlic bok choy:

  • 4-6 heads bok choy, halved lengthwise
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 0.5 tb sesame oil
  • 0.5 tb cooking wine
  • 1 ts vinegar
  • salt and black pepper
  1. In a pan/wok, saute bok choy with garlic in vegetable oil over medium-high heat until slightly softened, ~3 minutes.
  2. Add sesame oil, and toss to coat vegetables.
  3. Add remaining ingredients, and cook to desired doneness, 3-5 minutes.
  4. Cover to keep warm, and set aside. Meanwhile, prepare salmon.

Glazed salmon:

  • 2 (6-8 oz) salmon fillets
  • Seasonings
    salt
    white pepper
  • 1.5 tb corn starch
  • Toppings
    2 green onions, minced
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 tb grated ginger
  • 2-3 tb honey
  • Garnish
    green onions
    roasted salted peanuts
  1. Salt and pepper salmon on both sides, and sift a thin layer of corn starch onto both sides.
  2. Sear salmon in olive oil over medium-high heat until cooked pink halfway up, ~4 minutes, and flip over. Spread toppings on seared side, and drizzle honey over fillets.
  3. Continue searing second side until crisped and cooked to desired doneness, 3-5 minutes.
  4. Remove salmon from heat to rest, 3 minutes.
  5. Serve, optionally with green onions and roasted salted peanuts.

Saffron Crab Cakes

saffron crab cakesTENDER, CRISPY, CREAMY CRAB CAKES BODIED WITH SAFFRON AIOLI AND ALMOND MEAL. WITH BAKED PARMESAN CRISPS, FRESH PARSLEY, AND OLIVE OIL.

The blue crab is Maryland’s official state crustacean, a tidbit I took for granted during the 10 years I grew up there. Not until I moved away did I realize what I was missing. Finally, I decided my craving was due, and I picked up a can of quality lump crab meat for a nostalgic taste of a Maryland classic.

Usually, crab cakes use mayonnaise, breadcrumbs, and other seasonings that are quickly mixed together before being pan-fried until golden-brown and crispy on the outside. And while these simple ingredients already make crab cakes absolutely delicious, I wanted to add just a touch of luxury by whisking up a saffron aioli in place of mayonnaise and using almond meal instead of breadcrumbs. A touch of smoked paprika and cayenne also gives the cakes a spiciness that isn’t “hot”, but brings an extra layer of excitement. To keep the shape a little better, I folded some aluminum foil into a ring mold and tied it in some twine before frying them. You can serve it with a lemon wedge and tartar sauce like many restaurants do, a quick drizzle of nice olive oil and some cheese, or just eat it plain. Whatever you do, these are a guaranteed hit as an appetizer, lunch, dinner, or snack! – Boo

Yield: 6 (3-inch diameter) crab cakes
Difficulty: 2 star

Ingredients:

  • Saffron aioli (or 1 c mayonnaise)
    0.25 ts saffron, ground
    1 tb hot water
    1 egg yolk
    1 lemon, zested and juiced
    0.5 c olive oil
    1 clove garlic, grated
  • Slurry
    0.75 c almond meal (or breadcrumbs)
    1 tb Dijon mustard
    1 tb Worcestershire sauce
    1 tb lemon juice
    1 egg
  • 1 lb crab meat
  • Seasoning
    4 green onions, minced
    3 tb cilantro, minced
    0.5 tb thyme
    1 ts salt
    0.5 ts black pepper
    0.5 ts smoked paprika
    0.5 ts cayenne pepper
  • Garnish
    olive oil
    parsley
    parmesan cheese
    lemon wedge
  1. For aioli, soak saffron in hot water, 5 minutes.
  2. In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolk with saffron water and lemon zest/juice until slightly thickened.
  3. Gradually add olive oil to egg mixture in a thin stream while whisking until thickened. Stir garlic into mixture.
  4. Stir slurry ingredients, crab, and seasoning into aioli. Refrigerate mixture, ~30 minutes.
  5. Fold 6 3-inch diameter rings from aluminum foil, and set on a baking sheet.
  6. Fill each aluminum ring to the top, and optionally tie twine around the middle of the ring.
  7. In a pan, fry cakes in olive oil over medium heat until browned, ~4 minutes per side.
  8. Remove onto serving plate, and remove string and foil.
  9. Garnish as desired, and serve.

Sea Scallops with Tarragon Pea Purée

sea scallops pea pureeSEA SCALLOPS SEARED IN HERB-INFUSED BUTTER. PEAS PURÉED WITH BUTTER AND TARRAGON. PARMESAN CRISPS AND SALMON ROE.

Sometimes – in this case, when you’re swamped with exams and try to make a reservation for Valentine’s day a little too late – it’s nice to stay in and cook with your special someone. I wanted to make a dessert with some of my Boo’s favorites: chocolate and passionfruit. Boo complemented the rest of the “menu” with tangy flavors – seared scallops with pea puree, and duck breast with a orange-blueberry sauce. Over the next few days we are going to post the recipes of our home cooked three-course Valentine’s day meal, starting off with the appetizer. – Pea

sea scallops pea puree 2

Servings: 2 (appetizer portions)
Difficulty: 1 star

Oven: 350 F, 4-6 minutes

Parmesan crisps:

  • 3 tb grated parmesan (or parmigiano-reggiano)
  1. Onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, divide cheese into six oblong mounds.
  2. Bake until browned, 4-6 minutes, while preparing scallops and pea puree.

Seared scallops:

  • 6 sea scallops
  • Seasoning
    sea salt, coarse
    black pepper
    garlic powder
  • Seasoned butter
    2 tb butter
    0.5 tb olive oil
    1 sprig thyme
    1 sprig tarragon
  • 0.5 lemon
  1. Pat scallops dry.
  2. Sprinkle and press seasoning into both sides of scallops.
  3. In a pan, heat butter and olive oil with thyme and tarragon over medium heat until fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Discard thyme and tarragon.
  4. Sear scallops in hot butter until browned on both sides, ~1-2 minutes per side.
  5. Remove to a warm plate, and sprinkle lemon juice over scallops. Rest, 2 minutes, while preparing pea puree.

Pea puree:

  • 0.5 tb butter
  • 0.5 tb olive oil
  • 0.25 c peas
  • Seasoning
    4 leaves tarragon
    0.25 ts salt
    pinch black pepper
  1. Saute peas in butter and olive oil until just cooked through, 1 minute.
  2. Blend peas with seasoning and any accumulated juices from resting scallops.
  3. Serve scallops over pea puree.

sea scallops pea puree 3

Miso-Poached Salmon with Shiitake Mushrooms

miso poached salmon 2SALMON FILLET POACHED IN A FRESH AND LIGHT MISO BROTH INTENSIFIED WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS AND A TOUCH OF CHILI FLAKES. WITH STEAMED RICE, POACHED VEGETABLES, AND SHREDDED PURPLE CABBAGE.

Don’t let Pea’s 5 foot, 2 (and a half!) inch frame fool you. She grew up in Brazil and trained in the buffet-eating arts of rodízio churrascarias. As an adept of Louis C. K.’s philosophy of stopping only when you get to the point of hating yourself, Pea and all-you-can-eat restaurants make for a wonderful (or dreadful, depending on your point of view) combination. Usually, after a night of gorging on infinite food, the imminent regret is converted into a craving for a lighter, but still comforting next meal. And this poached salmon really hit the spot.

Since I actually forgot to think ahead and soak some dried shiitake mushrooms beforehand, we let the mushrooms soak and infuse into the poaching liquid we used for the salmon and veggies, infusing our dinner with savory and mushroomy flavors. To top off the broth, I added a sprig of rosemary for an interesting fresh taste. Just to make an easy dinner even easier, our veggie portion of sliced onions and Chinese spinach was poached for a minute or two after taking the salmon out. Hope you enjoy this one-pot (or pan) recipe as much as we did! – Boo

Servings: 3 (main portions)
Difficulty: 1 star

Ingredients:

  • 3 tb miso paste
  • 3 c water
  • 8-12 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • Seasoning
    3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
    1 cm ginger, sliced in half
    1.5 tb soy sauce
    2 bay leaves
    1 sprig rosemary
    1 ts chili flakes
  • 3 (4-6 oz) portions salmon fillet
  • sesame oil

Directions:

  1. In a large pan, saute miso paste in vegetable oil over medium-low heat, 30 seconds.
  2. Gradually whisk in water until miso paste dissolves.
  3. Add mushrooms and seasoning. Gently simmer until mushrooms are soaked and softened, ~1 hour.
  4. Lay salmon fillets into the broth, and poach in barely simmering broth, 8-9 minutes for medium.
  5. Serve salmon with shiitake mushrooms, rice, and vegetables. Drizzle each plate with poaching broth and ~1 tb sesame oil.

miso poached salmon