Seafood Lasagna

This recipe is AMAZING.

My husband was worried that the sauce would be too "fishy" with an entire bottle of clam juice, but it was PERFECT.  I made it for a special New Year's dinner.  With all the seafood, it is a bit pricey to make, but SO worth it.

I bought small, bite-sized scallops, and I cut each shrimp into three pieces.

Click here for the original link on the Taste of Home website.

Seafood Lasagna

Ingredients

1 green onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup butter, divided

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice

1 pound bay scallops

1 pound uncooked small shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 package (8 ounces) imitation crabmeat, chopped

1/4 teaspoon white pepper, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups 2% milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

Directions

In a large skillet, saute onion in oil and 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Stir in broth and clam juice; bring to a boil. Add scallops, shrimp, crab and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and scallops are firm and opaque, stirring gently. Drain, reserving cooking liquid; set seafood mixture aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the remaining butter; stir in flour until smooth. Combine milk and reserved cooking liquid; gradually add to the saucepan. Add salt and remaining pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from the heat; stir in cream and 1/4 cup cheese. Stir 3/4 cup white sauce into the seafood mixture.

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with three noodles; spread with half of the seafood mixture and 1-1/4 cups sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

Grilled Shrimp and Tomatoes with Linguine

If you're craving a decadent, yet simple, grilled shrimp recipe, look no further!  This recipe is PERFECT.

Normally I make small tweaks to a new recipe.  I wouldn't change a thing with this!  My only note is that the recipe says it makes 4 servings, and Chris and I ate it all ourselves. :-)

We used frozen, uncooked shrimp.  To thaw, submerge the shrimp in cold water, changing once, for 10-15 minutes.  Also, I have trouble remembering to reserve cooking liquid.  I have a colander that hangs over the sink.  I put my glass measuring cup in it to remind me before I drain it all down the sink that I need to save some of it!

I was wondering if the linguine itself would be too bland with just butter and Parmesan.  But the shrimp is so flavorful, anything with more zip would just compete with the shrimp.  So don't doctor up the pasta!

The recipe comes from the August/September 2014 issue of Simple & Delicious.

Grilled Shrimp and Tomatoes with Linguine

8 oz uncooked linguine
16 cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp each salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp torn fresh basil
1/4 reserved pasta water

In a saucepan, cook linguine according to package directions.  Meanwhile, thread tomatoes onto skewers; brush with some oil.  Thread shrimp onto skewers; brush with remaining oil.  Mix seasonings.  Sprinkle over shrimp.

Grill shrimp, covered, over medium heat 3-4 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn pink.  Grill tomatoes 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened, turning occasionally.

Drain linguine, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.  In same saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  (I just melted it by putting it back on the burner after turning it off.)  Add linguine, cheese, and reserved pasta water, tossing to combine.  Remove shrimp and tomatoes from skewers; serve with pasta.  Sprinkle with basil.

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms and Crab Cakes

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Crab Cakes

When my sister was here in September, I knew we would LOVE to make these crab-stuffed mushrooms!  They were exactly the kind of thing we like.  And this recipe was fabulous!

Chris isn't a mushroom fan, but he loves crab cakes.  As soon as I tasted the filling, I knew it would make the perfect crab cake.  So I used the rest of the crabmeat from the mushrooms to make crab cakes.  After pressing them into cakes, I coated them in breacrumbs and brushed them with olive oil.  I baked them for about 30 minutes or so at 350, turning them half way through.  They were my first attempt at homemade crab cakes, and they were the best I've ever had!

We didn't make the horseradish sauce that goes with this.  I couldn't find plain horseradish at the grocery store, so I bought horseradish sauce from Heinz.  It was delicious.

This recipe comes from the blog Neo-Homesteading.  Check it out for some more yummy recipes.  I originally found this recipe posted on Pinterest.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

6 medium sized portobello mushrooms about 2" in diameter
4-6 button mushrooms (I skipped these)
extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

8 ounces crab meat

2-3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2-3 tablespoons chopped chives
1 egg
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons mayo
1/2-1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (I used regular bread crumbs)
(I skip the salt) 1/2 teaspoon salt
*fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl combine crab meat, pepper, chives, egg, mustard, mayo, old bay. Stir to mix and add panko, do not add too much you just want enough for the mixture to bind together. 

Remove stems from the mushrooms, using a spoon hollow out the centers and then toss mushrooms with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Using about 1-2 tablespoons of filling stuff crab filling into the mushrooms. Place on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is golden. You don't want to over cook the mushrooms or they will be too moist and the filling will become soggy.

Horseradish Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream

2-3 tablespoons mayo

1 tablespoon horseradish (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce 

Stir to combine. For a fuller fat version you can use more mayo or substitute the mayo in this recipe for horseradish cream. 



Crab-Alfredo Baked Shells

Oh. My. God.  This is TO DIE FOR!!!  And you know what?  It's a very simple recipe!!

The alfredo sauce would be good alone on linguine or as the top layer of lasagna (I always top mine with alfredo, since I discovered a recipe from Classico years ago -- I'll blog that next time I make it!).  It's a tasty recipe that is very versatile.  The secret ingredient?  Nutmeg!

You are supposed to make these in individual baking dishes, but I made it in a 9-inch square glass instead.  It is VERY rich, so you won't be able to eat as much as you think you can -- or as much as you want to!

I fear the broiler because I tend to char things.  Quickly.  So instead, I baked it at 350 for about 12 minutes.  Also, I used imitation crab meat, because I think it has more flavor than canned crabmeat.  It would also be great with shrimp, scallops, or even chicken.

This recipe comes from the October 2011 issue of Cuisine at Home.

Crab-Alfredo Baked Shells

8 oz dry medium pasta shells
2 cups heavy cream
3 Tbsp minced shallots (I just used onion)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 stick unsalted butter
2 cups grated parmesan cheese, divided
4 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I used about 1 1/2 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp fresh ground pepper (I used WAY less)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt to taste
2 cups pasteurized or premium canned jumbo lump crabmeat (13 oz)
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat broiler with rack 6 inches from element.  Coat four 8 oz or six 6 oz individual baking dishes with nonstick spray.

Cook shells according to package directions; drain.  Rinse shells under cold water and set aside.

Heat cream, shallots, and nutmeg in a large saucepan over medium-low until steaming.  Whisk in butter until completely melted.

Add 1 1/2 cups of parmesan, 3 Tbsp parsley, and pepper.  Increase heat to medium; cook, whisking often, until thickened, 10 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice; season with salt.  Transfer sauce to large bowl.  (To cut down on dishes, I just poured it into the pan I boiled the shells in)

Fold crabmeat and shells into sauce.  Divide mixture among prepared dishes.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup parmesan and bread crumbs.  Sprinkle over each casserole.  Broil casseroles until golden and bubbly, 3-4 minutes.  Garnish with parsley.

Crab-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This is one of those recipes that tastes difficult, but is really, really easy.  It comes from The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever by Beatrice Ojakangas -- EXCELLENT COOKBOOK!!  It is chock full of great recipes, including how to make your own cream soups.  (Haven't tried that yet though!)

In this photo, I served it with roasted potatoes with dry onion soup and olive oil.
Crab-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

(Actually, the recipe called for turkey breasts, but I used chicken)

4 Tbsp butter
2 pounds chicken or turkey breasts
½ cup sliced green onions (white and green parts)
¼ pound thinly sliced mushrooms
3 Tbsp flour
2 tsp thyme (I used HALF this and it was plenty I thought!)
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup half and half or light cream (I used half and half)
½ cup dry white wine
Salt
Pepper
¾ pounds fresh crabmeat or 2 packages (6 oz each) frozen crabmeat, thawed and drained
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 350 (I've started baking it at 400 because it doesn't get done for me).  Grease shallow 3 quart casserole dish with about 2 tsp of the butter.
2. Wash chicken/turkey and pat dry.  Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound until thin and about tripled in size.
3.  Melt remaining butter in a nonstick skillet.  Add green onions and mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft.  Stir in flour and 1 tsp of the thyme.  Whisk in the broth, cream and wine and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  Cook until thickened and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup of the sauce, the crabmeat, parsley, and remaining thyme (I didn’t add more thyme here).  Divide mixture evenly between chicken/turkey slices.  Roll up into tight bundles and place in greased casserole seam side down.  Spoon remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese.  (You can cover the dish and refrigerate one day, add 10 minutes to cooking time)
5. Cover the casserole with a sheet of aluminum foil coated with cooking spray on one side.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the turkey/chicken is cooked through.

One note:  I used just two chicken breasts, so they were super full.  I had to put them back in for 10 minutes because they weren’t quite cooked.  If I had used four smaller ones, I think 30 minutes would have been fine.

ALSO, the second time I made them I used real crabmeat, instead of the imitation stuff, and believe it or not the real crabmeat didn't taste as good!  I'm going with imitation from now on.