Tilapia is growing in popularity in the United States. Related to tropical aquarium fish like Oscars, this member of the cichlid family has been farmed for hundreds of years in many parts of the world. Tilapia is fast growing and mild flavored. They are versatile enough to be used in almost any fish recipe that requires frying, steaming or broiling.

Tilapia is available year round either fresh or frozen. Tilapia has a mild, sweet flavor that goes well with many different cooking styles. You can use it in any recipe calling for white fish. Whole tilapia also grills well.

Apply the Heat

Grilling and broiling tilapia are similar. Both use high heat to cook your fish. Grilled tilapia can be whole or you can marinate fillets to add flavor. Tilapia will take about five minutes per side on the grill. Under the broiler, season your fish first. You can spread a sauce made of mustard or mayonnaise on the top to brown after the fish has cooked for a few minutes. Both methods make a great tasting meal.

Add Water

Poaching or steaming are two excellent ways to cook tilapia. For poaching, fill your pan with a few inches of water, broth, wine, or milk. Add your tilapia and let it completely submerge. Cook for 3 to 6 minutes, depending on the size of the fillet. Poaching creates a very delicate texture that complements many different dishes. Steaming is another popular method of cooking tilapia. Steaming can be done with water while you apply the seasoning to the fish or you can mix up a nice flavorful marinade that is used as the steaming liquid. If you use a marinade as your liquid and you are steaming whole tilapia, pour a little bit inside the body cavity of the fish to add more flavor. Whole fish will need to steam about 20 minutes; if you are making fillets, 6 to 10 minutes will be sufficient.

Dunk it in Breading

Dip your tilapia in flour, egg wash and the crunchy coating of your choice to create a nice crispy coating. You can use seasoned breadcrumbs, panko, crushed cereal, instant potato flakes or anything else that appeals to you. Once your fish is breaded, you can oven fry it or put it in a deep fryer. Both methods give you a nice crispy crunch when you bite into the fillet. If you are deep-frying them, you could cut up the fillets into smaller pieces and serve them as tilapia nuggets. This makes the dish appealing for the younger set, especially if you provide dips. These coatings hold up well to dipping in cocktail or tartar sauce and make a great pairing with fries for fish and chips.

Tilapia’s versatility and affordability make it a great option for families on a tight food budget. You may also find tilapia labeled as St. Peter’s fish or cherry snapper in some areas. No matter what it is called, this fish is a great way to enjoy fish in your diet.

When buying your shrimp, get the freshest you can. Live shrimp are the freshest you can get; if you cannot get live shrimp, look for raw, whole, frozen shrimp. The shell protects the meat from damage and drying out. Feel the bag of shrimp. Do the frozen shrimp shift in the bag? If it is a single frozen block, put it down and walk away. This is a sign of thawing and refreezing. While it may be more convenient to buy frozen shrimp that have already been peeled and deveined, don’t do it. You lose flavor and texture by going the easy route. You can figure that one pound of raw shrimp in their shells will give you about half a pound of peeled and cooked shrimp. If you must buy thawed shrimp at the grocery store, they only keep a couple of days, so use them immediately.

Deveining is not really necessary, but it looks nicer. In the case of larger shrimp, removing this long dark strip (actually the digestive tract) removes grit and dirt that you may be able to taste. Do your deveining before cooking. If you are stuffing the shrimp, you can do this when you cut the slit into the shrimp for stuffing. You can actually devein shrimp while leaving the shell intact if you wish to make a recipe calling for shrimp in the shell.

Recipe for Stuffed Shrimp

What You Need

1 pound 12-16 count shrimp, tails on, peeled and deveined

6 ounces cream cheese

3 ounces goat cheese

2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided

1 teaspoon cardamom or coriander

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 ounces panko crumbs

2 fresh eggs

2 Tablespoons water or milk

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 2 oranges

1 cup cornstarch

2 quarts peanut oil

How to Make It

Cut a slit down the back of each shrimp three-quarters of the way through the meat.

Mix cheeses, 1 teaspoon of the oregano, coriander, or cardamom, salt and pepper until it is smooth. In another bowl, mix the panko with your remaining teaspoon of oregano and some black pepper.

Whisk the eggs with the water or milk.

Stuffing the shrimp is easier if you use your fingers. Put about a tablespoon of the cheese mixture into the cut you made in each shrimp. Smooth out the top where the mixture comes out of the shrimp and let them chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to let the cheese mixture set.

Dredge the chilled shrimp in cornstarch, dip them in the egg mixture, and dredge in the panko crumbs.

Fry the stuffed shrimp in 2 quarts of hot peanut oil heated to 365 degrees Fahrenheit in batches of 4 to 6. Use a mesh basket to remove fried shrimp from the oil after about 90 seconds. Do not overcook them.

It is simplicity itself to prepare and the tomato sauce base is very versatile – ideas for other mixtures of fish are after the recipe.

This quantity will serve 4 for a main course with crusty bread or 6 to 8 for a starter.

The recipe uses a glass of white wine which you could substitute for water if you prefer.

Spaghetti with Crab Meat

4 tbspns (1/4 cup) Olive oil

1 chopped onion

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 400g tin chopped, peeled plum tomatoes

1 tbspn tomato puree

1/2 tspn dried basil, or about 12 fresh leaves chopped

salt and pepper to taste

12 oz (300g) (2 cups) cooked crab meat

1/4 pt (150ml) (2/3 cup) white wine

2 tbspns freshly chopped parsley

1lb (450g) spaghetti

Put the oil in a pan and when it’s hot, fry the onion and garlic until softened – do not brown.

Add the tomatoes and let the sauce simmer gently for about 5 minutes.

Add the white wine and cook a further five minutes.

Let the mixture simmer gently for a few minutes so that it thickens.

Add the crab and cook gently for about 5 minutes – taste and add salt and pepper if required.

Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.

Drain and put on plates, adding the sauce on top.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and a twist of black pepper.

For the 12 oz of crab, you could substitute either one of or a mixture of shrimp, tuna fish, smoked haddock, fresh salmon, seafood cocktail (cockles, whelks, mussels)

You could make this seafood spaghetti recipe your very own – something different every time.

With the mixture of seafood, you could call it ‘Seafood Marinara’. You could use canned tuna, crab, shrimp, pilchards to make it a store cupboard meal.

It is such a versatile spaghetti tomato sauce you could even use it plain or add some cooked minced beef, meatballs or other meat.

There are many more seafood pasta recipes on my site which you can go to if you follow the link in the resource box.

Calamari is squid and this is a popular dish in various Mediterranean cuisines. You can serve calamari as an appetizer with sauces for dipping. This fish belongs to the highest order of the mollusk family and is related to oysters and clams. Squid have a compact internal shell, rather than an external one. They are long and thin and have two fins.

Squid can eject black ink to help them escape from predators. This ink is used in recipes, to add color and flavor. Calamari is high in phosphorous and protein and also contains thiamine, riboflavin, and calcium. You can get it fresh or frozen. Deep fried calamari is great if you want a crispy exterior and a smooth inside, but there are various ways to cook this interesting ingredient.

Preparing Your Squid

If you buy a frozen squid, you will need to thaw it and then cut through the arms, which are near the eyes. Squeeze out the beak and keep the tentacles. Grasp the hard shell and take it out.

Wash whatever is left and cut this into rings. You can also chop the arms for another recipe. This is the same preparation method that you would use if you wanted to stuff the fish instead of cutting it into rings.

Frying the Squid – Step by Step

Rinse the fish and pat it dry with paper towels. Season some breadcrumbs, cornmeal, or breading mix with salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, or garlic powder. Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer to about 365 degrees F. Dip the calamari rings into flour and shake off the excess. Next, dip them into a bowl of beaten eggs and again shake off the excess. Finally dip the calamari into your seasoned breadcrumbs.

Deep fry the calamari for one to four minutes or until it is golden brown. Add it to the deep fryer basket after the basket is in the oil, else the breadcrumb coating might stick to the basket. The cooking time will depend on how thick the rings are and how many you are frying at once. Be careful not to overcook the squid because it can go rubbery and tough.

Some Serving Ideas

Serve a dipping sauce like ranch dressing, marinara sauce, or sour cream with the seafood and serve some lemon or lime wedges on the side. For a hot sauce, what about a homemade tomato sauce with garlic, onion, and basil? This would add lots of Italian flavor to the dish.

You might like to serve the fried seafood on a bed of salad leaves with some feta cheese, olives, and cherry tomatoes, if you want to serve a lunch or light supper. If you are serving an appetizer, simply a few rings of squid and the dipping sauce is sufficient. You might want to serve two or three dipping sauces with it.

Most shoppers are aware that there are seasons for various fruits and vegetables, meaning particular times of the year certain food items aren’t just more affordable, they are tastier. While international shipping of produce means that just about any month you can find everything from strawberries to avocados, that doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea to shop regardless of the season.

Local food movements and more environmentally-conscious shopping attempts have led to a renewed interest in shopping for food within the right seasons only. And it is certainly easy enough for anyone to learn what fruits and vegetables should be available in a particular month, with numerous resources, as well as the option to go with a local CSA or farm share, which promises a crate of fresh produce for every month of the year.

Outside of the world of fruits and vegetables, though, things can get a little more complicated. After all, seafood–those fruits of the sea, as the French say–have seasons, too, unlike land animals like beef or chickens. But there’s already enough trouble in making sure to choose something that’s not on the overfished list, so what can help with picking and choosing fish carefully? The Alaska Harvesting Seasons Chart, of course.

With Alaska Harvesting Seasons Chart, shoppers can understand not just when to expect certain types of seafood, but also can learn the best way of shopping for the freshest fish and crabs possible. A simple way of figuring out when commercial fleets fish for particular seafood items, a regular consumer can use the chart to determine whether or not fish in a local store is actually fresh, as well as plan menus in advance. A number of professional chefs have also embraced the Alaska Harvesting Seasons Chart, planning their restaurant menus around what is practically the gold standard in knowing when something like king crab should be plentiful.

Upon examining the Alaska Harvesting Seasons Chart, shoppers will be surprised to find out which fish are highly sustainable and available year-round. King Salmon, for example, are harvested every single month of the year, wit Coho, Keta, Pink, and Sockeye salmon seasons each running a respectable five months’ each, with most of those months during the summer season. By contrast, snow crab and king crab season falls during winter, as does harvest time for Weathervane Scallops.

What this actually means is that year-round, consumers can rest assured that something is in season, as far as the ocean goes, from the waters of Alaska. Whether it’s the surprise that comes with learning that King Salmon and Alaskan Oysters are year-round sustainable products to purchase, or delighting in knowing that while certain seasons might run heavier towards the fall or winter, there are just as many options that are being harvested in the summer and spring months.

It may seem intimidating at first to work with Alaska surimi seafood, but you can use it in recipes that call for fresh shellfish. Here is a quick and easy recipe for crab salad using Alaska surimi seafood that is sure to please your whole family!

Ingredients

½ pound of Alaska surimi seafood

6 cups of lettuce

1 cup of extra virgin olive oil

½ cup of fresh chopped parsley

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of pepper

1 cup of red wine vinegar

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 lemon, cut in wedges

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and then toss in the Alaska surimi seafood. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and continue to toss every 4 hours or so. Once the mixture is thoroughly chilled, serve it over a bed of lettuce leaves. This can make for a great appetizer, or also a light meal on a hot summer day. You will be amazed at how delicious the Alaska surimi seafood is, and you can enjoy this delicious salad without feeling guilty. You can also use this versatile ingredient in crab cakes, soups and chowders and just about any recipe that calls for shellfish. Start experimenting today to see how you can incorporate it into your family’s diet. You will save some extra money and still eat nutritiously!

6 SERVINGS

* 3/4 Cup catsup
* 3/4 Rounded tablespoons horseradish
* 1-1/2 Teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1-1/8 Teaspoons minced instant dry onion
* 1-1/8 Teaspoon lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

Wow! Now wasn’t very complicated, was it. So easy, yet so good. Now all you need is something to dip into it.

I know that most people try to stay away from fried foods today, but I love fried foods. Yes, like everyone else, I try to stay away from eating too much fried food, but I do make exceptions…especially when it comes to the fish for this “Easy Seafood Sauce”.

First you want to make a nice light Chinese type of batter using corn starch. There are recipes all over the internet, so just type in “Tempura Batter” and choose the one that looks best to you.

After you have made the batter, you will want to heat up some oil. I use Canola for this, because it can take the heat and is not bad for you. Make sure your oil is at least 350 degrees. I us a “Fry Daddy”, which is a small deep-fryer that maintains the right heat for me and uses very little oil.

You won’t have to cook your fish for long, so try a few of whatever you have dipped in the batter and you will soon know how long to cook them.

When you are done, dip your tempura fish (or vegetables) into the “Easy Seafood Sauce” and enjoy!

A great recipe that is easy to prepare and enjoy right in your kitchen for dinner tonight is Parmesan Baked Alaska Cod. Serving four people, it is easy but really delicious, with a crunchy crust covering a flaky inside. To get started you will need the following ingredients:

- 3 T flour
- 3 T corn meal
- ¼ t onion powder
- 1/8 t pepper
- 1/8 t garlic salt
- 2 T butter (or margarine)
- ¼ C grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lb. Alaska cod fillets

Once you have your ingredients prepared and ready, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter in a baking dish. While the butter is melting, mix together the corn meal, the flour, the onion powder, the pepper, the garlic salt, and half of the grated Parmesan cheese. Dredge the cod in the flour and seasoning mixture by covering it on all sides. Put the dredged pieces of fish in the dish with the melted butter, covering all the sides. Use the rest of the Parmesan cheese by sprinkling the top of the fish. The fish should go in the preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes. Once it is ready it will be moist and flaky. Serve alongside vegetables for an all around healthy and delicious meal.

To customize this dish, you can add other seasonings to the dredge mixture. Try some different spices to make the dish a little different. Other fishes will also work well in this recipe.

Steps for making seafood crepes recipe:

Make the crepes with the basic crepe recipe given here. This can be done a day in advance. Wrap the cooked and cooled crepes in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble.

Make the mornay sauce. This too can be done in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a day.

Assemble the crepes. Make the seafood crepes recipe up to the point where they go in the oven. You can then refrigerate them until dinner hour. Allow about 45 minutes from the time you turn the oven on, until these crepes are ready to come to the table.

Crepes aux fruits de mer

2 pounds mixed frozen seafood

2 cups Mornay sauce (recipe follows)

12 crepes (recipe follows)

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook the seafood according to package directions. Normally this involves simply dropping the frozen seafood in boiling water for 2 minutes, then draining.

Mix the seafood with all but 1/2 cup of the mornay sauce.

Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the middle of each crepe. Fold the sides of the crepe in and then close the crepe by folding over the other two sides. Place the folded crepes, seam side down, in a greased baking dish.

Pour remaining mornay sauce on top of the crepes, then top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until piping hot. The crepes may need to bake a little longer if you have refrigerated the assembled crepes. Sprinkle with paprika for a pretty presentation.

Makes 4 main dish servings, or 6 or more entree servings.

Mornay Sauce

Because seafood is low calorie itself, I do not mind making the mornay sauce even richer with some cream. If you prefer a lower fat version, just use all milk in this recipe.

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and mix well. Continuing stirring over low heat for two minutes.

Begin adding the wine in small quantities – about two tablespoons at a time. Make sure that you fully incorporate the liquid before adding more – this way you will get a smooth sauce.

After you have added the wine, gradually stir in the milk and then the cream. Continue to heat the sauce on low to medium heat, stirring often. Cook just to below boiling until the mixture thickens.

Add the cheese about 2 tablespoons at a time, thoroughly incorporating each addition.

Remove from heat and whisk in the cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.

Crepe Pancake Recipe

(for about 15 crepes)

3 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, 1/2 the milk, vegetable oil, and salt and whisk together. Pour in the remaining milk as you whisk. Depending on the size of the eggs, you may need to add a little more milk. The consistency of the batter should be about like heavy cream. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for an hour.

Heat a 10 inch round non-stick crepe pan on medium heat until hot. Ladle about 1/3 cup batter into the pan, turning and tilting the pan to evenly coat bottom. Cook until the top surface is no longer wet and the edges starting to brown (one to two minutes), then turn with a spatula and cook 15 seconds more on the other side.

Remove from the pan. You can stack the crepes as you cook them.

It is your choice whether you want to focus on a single type of seafood in your salad or if you want to combine several types. A shrimp salad, for example, is simple and elegant. Likewise, a seafood salad containing shrimp, fish, crab, mussels, and scallops is delicious and can make up an entire feast.

Pair your seafood with appropriate greens. Add some iceberg lettuce for a little crunch. Leaf lettuce adds nutrition and color. The different flavors of leaf lettuce also complement your seafood. For robust seafood salads, use romaine and butter lettuces. Spinach works well when you want to add more flavor, as do spicy greens like arugula and mizuna. For a light salad, you can also mix in wild greens like baby dandelion leaves, chickweed, and miner’s lettuce.

Small portions of your seafood salad can be served as appetizers. Just fill small cups or lettuce leaves with a spoon or two of salad and set them out at parties or potlucks. Seafood salad can also be served as a side dish or a main dish with a few slabs of crusty bread.

Recipe for Spicy Seafood Salad

This light and refreshingly spicy salad is simple to throw together.

What You Need

1/2 pound medium shrimp (31-40 per pound), shelled, deveined

1/2 pound bay scallops, rinsed

1 ripe mango

1/2 cup salad oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 garlic clove, peeled

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 ripe avocado

3-1/2 quarts baby lettuce leaves, rinsed

How to Make It

Boil 3 quarts of water in a 6 quart sauce pan over high heat. Add shrimp and let them cook for 1 minute. Add the scallops and cover tightly. Remove the pan from the heat. Let the seafood stand until the shrimp and scallops are barely opaque but still moist looking in the center. This takes about 2 or 3 minutes. Drain and rinse the seafood in cold water to cool.

Peel the mango and remove the pit. Slice it lengthwise in 1/2 inch slices. Set aside. Chop the smaller mango pieces and put them in a food processor or blender with the oil, cumin, lime juice, ginger, cinnamon, and garlic. Process until smooth. Add 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt and taste. Add more if desired.

Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Slice into 1/2 inch pieces lengthwise.

In a large salad bowl, gently mix the seafood, mango dressing, salad mix and mango slices. Garnish with avocado slices. Serve immediately.