Scallops and Grits inspired by Oceanaire

 

Pan-seared scallops on top of a bed of creamy, cheesy grits all covered in cajun butter sauce.

 

I made Scallops and Grits a few months ago, and I already have a new recipe for the dish to share. The first time I made the dish, I attempted to recreate a healthier version of one of my favorite restaurant dishes. This time when I made the dish, I stumbled upon the restaurant's recipe online. I realized how unhealthy the restaurant dish actually is (which I knew in the back of my mind, but chose to ignore), so I'm glad I only eat it a few times a year.

 

While the dish from Oceanaire I'm obsessed with is listed as Shrimp and Grits on the menu, I customize the dish to be Scallops and Grits. But, it's delicious with either shrimp or scallops. My homemade version below is equally as delicious and much healthier.

 

Scallops and Grits

Inspired by The Oceanaire

 

Ingredients:

·2 cups skim milk

·1/2 cup grits

·1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

·Salt and black pepper, to taste.

·1 TBS unsalted butter

·1 lb scallops

·1/2 tsp each - minced garlic, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper

·Half of a lemon

·Green onions, chopped for garnish (optional)

 

Directions:

Carefully bring the milk to a low boil; then add grits, reduce heat, and stir constantly for 8 minutes until grits are cooked. Remove from heat, stir in cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

 

In a small pan, heat unsalted butter and add scallops, minced garlic, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Deglaze with juice from half of a lemon. Spoon cajun butter and scallops over a bed of cheesy grits, sprinkle with green onions, and serve. 

 

Scallops and Grits

                      

A few Lenten Friday nights ago, my husband and I had a cooking date night. We went to the store to get fresh seafood (scallops for me, shrimp for him) and came home to prepare it our favorite ways. I made a pot of grits to go along with both of our dishes, and also snagged a piece of Mike's shrimp to top my plate of Scallops and Grits.

The scallops were seasoned and cooked perfectly. Don't cook for too long, or you may overcook the scallops and they'll be chewy. The grits were phenomenal - creamy, cheesy, and full of flavor.

Scallops and Grits

Ingredients:
·1 cup water
·3/4 cup grits
·6 oz. chive and onion cream cheese
·Salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
·1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
·1 lb scallops
·Half of a lemon
·Salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste

Directions:
For the grits, combine water and grits in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until creamy. Remove from heat, stir in cream cheese until melted. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.

For the scallops, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add scallops, season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Cook for 3-4 minutes, turning once. Remove from heat and squeeze juice from half a lemon over the scallops. Serve over a large spoonful of grits.

Open-Faced Tilapia "Clubs"

This past summer, I posted a recipe for Grilled Bacon Wrapped Tilapia with Red Potatoes. My husband and I didn't care for the combination of bacon and tilapia then, but we definitely do now that we've tried this Open-Faced Tilapia "Clubs" recipe. Coating the tilapia in cornmeal and topping it with bacon is all we needed to love bacon and tilapia served together. This dish is balances crispy fish and bacon with fresh spinach and juicy tomatoes. We served with a rice and veggie pilaf.

Open-Faced Tilapia "Clubs"
Adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
·4 slices turkey bacon
·1 cup cornmeal
·1 tsp dried dill
·1/2 tsp chili powder
·2 tilapia fillets
·Salt and pepper
·2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
·Handful of fresh spinach
·Handful of cherry tomatoes
·Juice from 1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat to 375°. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a pan and roast until crisp, 20 to 25 minutes; halve crosswise.

On a plate, combine the cornmeal, dill, and chili powder. Season the tilapia with salt and pepper on both sides and coat with the cornmeal mixture. 

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 TBS EVOO, over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook, turning once, until dark golden, 8 to 10 minutes total. 

Place a tilapia fillet on a plate, top with bacon, spinach, and tomatoes. Squeeze the lemon on top and serve. Serves 2.

Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice

Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice is healthy, tasty, and quick to prepare. While any type of oil can be used, coconut oil adds a nice nutty flavor to the shrimp and dish.

Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice
Adapted from Skinny Taste

Ingredients:
·1½ cups brown rice, cooked
·1 tsp coconut oil
·1 lb pre-cooked shrimp, thawed
·3 large carrots, chopped
·½ onion, chopped
·2 tsp minced garlic
·10 pickled jalapeno slices, chopped
·1 cup crushed pineapple, with juices
·1 TBS GF Soy Sauce Substitute
·2 tsp cilantro, chopped
·Salt and pepper

Heat coconut oil in a large skillet. When it liquefies, add shrimp and cook for a few minutes on each side. Remove from pan and add carrots, onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add brown rice, pineapple, soy sauce substitute, cilantro, and salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add shrimp. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.

Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Dipping Sauce

Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Dipping Sauce is fresh, fruity, nutty, and spicy.

This was our first time cooking with coconut oil and we love it. It added a nice, nutty flavor to the shrimp and is healthy (bonus!). The dipping sauce is sweet and spicy, which is a perfect complement the fresh and nutty coconut shrimp.

Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Dipping Sauce
Adapted from Tablespoon

Ingredients:
·1 lb. pre-cooked shrimp, thawed
·2 tsp coconut oil
·1 egg
·1 TBS cornstarch
·1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
·1 TBS lime juice
·5 pickled jalapeno slices, chopped
·1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice

Directions:
Combine lime juice, jalapeno slices, and crushed pineapple in a food processor. Process until smooth and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Beat egg in a small, shallow dish. Place cornstarch and coconut on two separate plates. Coat the shrimp in cornstarch, then dip in the egg, and then dip in the coconut.

Heat coconut oil in a skillet. When it liquefies, add the shrimp and lightly pan fry on both slides until golden brown. Serve with pineapple dipping sauce.


I've also shared this recipe on: This Week's Craving

Blackened Tilapia Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce

Blackened Tilapia Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce are tasty and fresh. They are fairly easy to prepare, making for a delicious and quick weeknight meal.

Blackened Tilapia Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce
Ingredients:
·1 recipe for Blackened Tilapia
·1 recipe for Homemade Corn Tortillas
·¼ cup mayonnaise
·Juice of 1 lime
·Handful of fresh chopped cilantro
·Salt and pepper

Directions:
Prepare Blackened Tilapia and Homemade Corn Tortillas according to the recipes. To prepare the Cilantro Lime Sauce, combine mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Taste and adjust flavors to taste. Spread sauce on a tortilla shell and top with blackened fish and additional toppings if desired.


I've also shared this recipe on: This Week's Craving

Garlic Shrimp Fettuccine

Garlic Shrimp Fettuccine is super flavorful, tasty, and simple to prepare.

Now that I like shrimp, Mike has put together a simple and flavorful recipe to prepare it. We've enjoyed it over brown rice and with the recipe below for fettuccine alfredo. Both ways are delicious.

Garlic Shrimp Fettuccine
Ingredients:
·½ lb pre-cooked shrimp
·1 TBS butter
·1 tsp minced garlic
·1 tsp Italian seasoning
·Dash of black pepper
·1 recipe Low Cal Fettuccine Alfredo

Directions:
Prepare Low Cal Fettuccine Alfredo according to recipe. Note: Reserve 1 cup of starchy cooking liquid before draining the noodles.

In a medium non-stick skillet, melt butter. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper, and shrimp. Cook shrimp for 3-4 minutes.

In a large dish, combine cooked pasta, prepared alfredo sauce, and reserved cooking liquid. Place pasta in bowls and top with cooked shrimp. Serve with a green vegetable on the side.

Yield: 2-3 servings

Spicy Shrimp with Peanut Noodles

This meal consists of sweet peanut noodles topped with spicy shrimp and crunchy water chestnuts. I absolutely loved it!

This meal has just the right amount of spice for me. If you don't like spicy dishes, gradually add the hot chili sauce, taste, and adjust the amount of spice according to your taste buds.

Spicy Shrimp with Peanut Noodles
Ingredients:
·½ lb pre-cooked shrimp
·½ cup cornstarch
·2 TBS extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
·1 - 8oz. can water chestnuts, drained
·1-2 TBS Sriracha hot chili sauce
·1 TBS lime juice
·1 recipe Thai Peanut Noodles

Directions:
Prepare Thai Peanut Noodles according to recipe. In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with cornstarch. In a large non-stick skillet, heat EVOO and add shrimp. Cook for a 2-3 minutes on each side, until they begin to brown. Add water chestnuts, hot chili sauce, and lime juice. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until flavors are mixed well together.

Serve spicy shrimp and water chestnuts on top of a bed of peanut noodles.

Yield: 4

Dijon Fish Cakes

Flavors of dill and Dijon mustard pair well with mild, flaky fish resulting in a tasty fish cake. I really enjoyed this meal Mike prepared last weekend.

The fish texture is evident without the fishy taste in these Dijon Fish Cakes. I am finding that I really like mild, white, flaky fish if it is seasoned to my preferences. This Lenten season has definitely expanded my tastes for seafood.

Dijon Fish Cakes
Adapted from Real Simple

Ingredients:
·8 oz. mild fish fillets (like tilapia, cod, or Pollock)
·Salt and pepper
·1 egg
·1 TBS Dill
·⅓ cup mayonnaise
·1 TBS Dijon mustard
·½ cup gluten free bread crumbs
·1½ TBS EVOO

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400˚. Place fish fillets in a metal baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and bake until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool and then flake fish into small pieces. In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, egg, dill, and mustard. Fold in the fish and bread crumbs. Form the mixture into 4-6 cakes and chill for 30 minutes. Heat the EVOO in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the fish cakes until golden, 3-5 minutes per side.

Parmesan Breaded Tilapia with Roasted Parmesan Asparagus and Brown Rice

This delicious and healthy meal doubles up on the parmesan with Parmesan Breaded Tilapia and Roasted Parmesan Asparagus. This meal was easy to prepare and flavorful.

The fish was stellar, but the real star of this meal was the asparagus. Even my asparagus-hating-husband likes roasted asparagus. When I was growing up, my neighbors had an asparagus farm. We ate asparagus a lot when it was in season, and I've always liked it. Mike, on the other hand, has always hated asparagus - until he ate Roasted Parmesan Asparagus. It's crisp and flavorful; we devoured it.

To prepare the brown rice, I used my crockpot as a rice cooker by using this tip from Stephanie O'Dea. It was the easy to make and turned out perfectly. I doubled the recipe and saved the leftovers to serve with other meals throughout the week.

Parmesan Breaded Tilapia with Roasted Parmesan Asparagus
Tilapia Ingredients:
·½ cup gluten-free bread crumbs
·1 TBS Italian seasoning
·¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
·½ tsp paprika
·½ tsp garlic powder
·¼ cup skim milk
·1 egg
·2 lbs tilapia fillets
Asparagus Ingredients:
·1 bunch of asparagus
·1 tsp each - salt, pepper, and onion powder
·1 TBS extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
·¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450˚. Mix bread crumbs, spices, and cheese in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, mix milk and egg. Dip each tilapia fillet in the egg mixture then coat with the bread crumb mixture. Place breaded fillets on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, or until fish is flaky when cut into with a fork.

Lay asparagus out on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with seasonings. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese, and then return to the oven for a few minutes until cheese melts.

Bang Bang Shrimp

Bang Bang Shrimp is super flavorful and slightly spicy. The crispy texture and creamy sauce masks the shrimpy taste, making this a dish I enjoyed.

After Mike made his Cornmeal Fried Shrimp last week, I searched Pinterest for more shrimp recipes. I wanted to try another recipe to see if I really do like shrimp, or if it was just a fluke. Mike made Bang Bang Shrimp for dinner last week and I liked it! I'm shocked. Two shrimp recipes in one week?! And, I (the self-proclaimed shrimp hater) liked them both?! Even more shocking.

Mike made a few changes to the recipe linked below. To make it gluten free, he substituted gluten free all-purpose flour and gluten free breadcrumbs. Instead of deep-frying the shrimp, he pan fried them in skillet with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Click here for the Bang Bang Shrimp recipe

Mike’s Cornmeal Fried Shrimp

My husband wrote this tasty shrimp recipe. While I hate having a kitchen smell like fried food, Mike's Cornmeal Fried Shrimp is crispy and flavorful. Even I, a self-proclaimed shrimp hater, liked it.

As you know, I am not a fan of seafood. Over the past year, I've been trying fish more often. I am finding that I like mild, white, flaky fish if it is seasoned to my taste. Mike made shrimp last week for himself for dinner. I've had cocktail shrimp in the past and I hated it. I don't know why I decided to try Mike's shrimp dish. Too my surprise, I liked it! The fried cornmeal batter was flavorful enough to somewhat mask the shrimpy taste.

While giving up meat for Lent has been hard, it has been exciting too as I keep expanding my pallet. If you would have told me a month ago that I would actually enjoy mushrooms and shrimp, I would have laughed in your face.

What are your favorite shrimp recipes that you'd recommend I try?

Mike’s Cornmeal Fried Shrimp
Ingredients:
·12 pre-cooked shrimp
·½ cup cornmeal
·1 TBS onion powder
·1 TBS garlic powder
·½ tsp cayenne pepper
·1 tsp each - salt and pepper
·1 egg
·EVOO

Directions:
In a shallow bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a separate shallow bowl, beat the egg. Toss shrimp in the cornmeal mixture and then place in the egg mixture to coat. Then toss the shrimp back in the cornmeal mixture to coat evenly.

Fill the bottom of a large skillet with EVOO, about 3 TBS. Heat the oil, then add the prepared shrimp. Cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes on each side until batter is brown. Serve immediately.

Cilantro Lime Tilapia Tacos

Cilantro Lime Tilapia Tacos were quick to prepare and tasted fresh and delicious! We loved the flavorful meal so much that we've already made it twice. One bite instantly took me back to our Mexican vacation last summer...

Click here for the recipe from Skinny Taste

Crispy Fish with Creamed Sweet Corn

Wow - this meal was fantastic! The texture is well-balanced with crispy fish and smooth, creamy sweet corn.

I've never been a big fan of creamed corn, until now! I've shied away from creamed corn in the past because I had no idea it could taste different than what was served on school lunch trays. When it's cooked right with fresh sweet corn, it's amazing! The fish was also delicious, and I don't even like seafood that much!

Crispy Fish with Creamed Sweet Corn
Ingredients:
·2 mild fish fillets (such as tilapia, or pollock)

·Salt and pepper

·2 TBS grainy mustard

·½ cup gluten-free bread crumbs

·2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels

·2 TBS butter

·¼ cup half ‘n half

·2 TBS EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

·Handful of fresh parsley

Directions:

Pat fish dry with a towel, then season with salt and pepper. Spread mustard evenly over the top of each fillet. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. Refrigerate while you make the creamed sweet corn.

Using a food processor, puree 1½ cups of sweet corn kernels. Transfer to a small saucepan and stir in the remaining ½ cup kernels. Add butter and cook over medium heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in the half ‘n half and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

In a skillet, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add fish fillets and cook, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes.

Serve the fish on a bed of creamed sweet corn, topped with parsley.

Yield: 2 servings

This recipe is adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray, 2011

I've also shared this recipe on: Seasonal Sunday

Blackened Tilapia

If you know me, you know I'm not a seafood eater. I never have been; however, over the past few years, I've become more open to trying foods that I used to dislike. Last year, my mom made this dish for my birthday and I actually liked it! A few nights ago, Mike planned to make tilapia, so he called Mom for her recipe. And, it turned out just as I remember it a year ago...SO good! I gobbled down my fillet very quickly!

·4 tilapia fillets (if frozen, defrost according to package directions)

·EVOO

·2 TBS paprika

·2 tsp onion powder

·2 tsp garlic powder

·¼ tsp cayenne pepper

·A few fresh cracks of black pepper

·1 tsp oregano

·½ tsp coriander

·½ tsp thyme

Pat fish dry. Combine all spices in a small bowl and rub tilapia with spice mixture. Drizzle EVOO in a medium-sized pan and then pan-fry fish about 4 minutes on each side.

I've also shared this recipe on: Seasonal Sunday