Shrimp with Wine Sauce

1 lb raw shrimp

1 lemon

2 TBSP butter

1 TBSP olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 TBSP chopped cherry peppers

1 sprig fresh thyme*

1 cup chopped broccoli

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth**

Salt and pepper

1/2 box wheat pasta ***
Shredded Parmesan

Red pepper flakes

Cook pasta al dente according to package directions, reserving about 1-2 cups pasta liquid*.

Peel shrimp and remove tails. Rinse and dry well, squeeze half the lemon over shrimp and set aside. Save the other half of the lemon for sauce.

In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, melt butter with the olive oil. Add garlic, cherry peppers, and thyme sprig and cook until garlic is browned and crispy. Add broccoli and shrimp and cook about two minutes, stirring often to prevent garlic from burning. Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Combine juice from the rest of the lemon, wine, and broth. Pour over shrimp and broccoli and bring to a boil. Add pasta and toss to coat, adding a little of the reserved pasta cooking liquids if it needs more saucy-ness. Remove the thyme sprig and discard. Serve topped with shredded Parmesan and red pepper flakes.

* No need to remove the individual thyme leaves, just throw the whole sprig in and pull it out before serving.

** If I don't have stock or broth defrosted, I add 1 chicken bouillon cube to 1 cup pasta liquid instead. Stir to dissolve and add the wine and lemon and you good AND the dish cooks a little quicker because you don't have to heat cold broth to a boil.

*** While we always make this with angel hair, I didn't want the stress of my 3 year old trying to swirl his pasta, so rotini it was. Still just as delicious, just easier to eat.

10 Minute Lemon Seared Tilapia

4 tilapia fillets (thawed)
cooking spray
seasoned salt or MDP's seasoning
2 lemons

Heat a skillet on high heat until scorching hot. Spray one side of the fish with cooking spray and sprinkle with seasoning. Add fish to the pan seasoning side down, and spray the plain side with cooking spray and season.

Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Squeeze lemons into pan and cook an addition 1-2 minutes until juice is absorbed.

Voila! Dinner in 10. If you can make your sides that fast ;)

Pecan Crusted Tilapia

4 tilapia filets
1 egg
1 TBSP real maple syrup
1 TBSP water
1/2 c pecan halves
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
1/8 black pepper
pinch kosher or sea salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl, whisk egg, water, and syrup. Set aside.

In a small food processor, pulse pecans until coarsely chopped. Add bread crumbs and seasonings and pulse a few more times to blend. Pour into a different shallow bowl.

Dredge the fish in the egg mixture, and then in the crumb mixture to coat. Place on the baking sheet and spray the top with cooking spray. Repeat with the other 3 pieces of fish.

Bake 15-20 minutes until deep golden brown and flakes with poked with a fork.

You can find the salad recipe here: Berry Balsamic Salad

Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, ManPans and Rouxbe.

Salmon with Sour Cream Sauce

4 salmon fillets
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp MDP's seasoning
1/2 c light sour cream
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/8 tsp curry powder (can substitute garlic or onion powder to suit taste)

Preheat broiler to high setting. Place salmon on a baking sheet. Drizzle salmon fillets with olive oil and sprinkle with MDP's seasoning, turning to coat both sides. Place under the broiler and cook about 5-10 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until browned and and flaky when poked with a fork.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, vinegar, dill and curry (or sub) until smooth.

Serve each fillet topped with 1/4 of the sauce mixture.

Baked Stuffed Fish

4 white fish fillets
2 TBSP butter
1/2 c bread crumbs or crushed crackers
lemon pepper seasoning

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle each fillet with lemon pepper seasonings. Divide bread/cracker crumbs between the fish. Cut butter into small squares and place on top of crumbs.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until butter melted and topping is browned

Lemon Pepper Baked Fish (light version)

4 white fish fillets (I prefer a thin variety like tilapia)
2 lemons
lemon pepper seasoning blend
4 sprigs fresh dill
2 tsp olive oil (approximately)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Lay horizontally 2 pieces of aluminum foil, about 18" long. Place 2 pieces of fish in the center of each. Lift edges of foil slightly to create a well and place packets on a baking sheet.

Zest and juice the lemons over the fish. Sprinkle lightly will lemon pepper seasoning. Add additional black pepper if you like a little more kick (the blend has salt so adding extra raises the sodium up too much instead of the heat). Add 2 sprigs of dill to both packages. Light drizzle fish with olive oil. Fold up packets to seal most of the way, leaving a small area open as a vent for the steam.

Cook fish for 25-30 minutes if frozen, 15-20 if thawed. Remove from packets and drizzle with the sauce in the packets from the lemon juice, olive oil, and fish drippings.  Delicious served with or over veggies.

Buffalo Tilapia

Per serving:
1 tilapia filet
1 tsp buffalo sauce
1 tsp corn meal
1 TBSP panko bread crumbs
cooking spray

Spread the sauce over top side of the tilapia with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with half of the corn meal and half of the panko. Flip over and repeat with the other half.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, place tilapia filets spread apart and spray the tops with cooking spray.

Bake in a 400 degree oven until browned, about 20-25 minutes.

** This is delicios served with a green salad topped with light ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Shrimp Stir Fry

1/2 box (8 oz) angel hair pasta
2 c broccoli florets
1 lb asparagus spears, cut in half
1 bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow), sliced
1 bunch green onions cut into thirds
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
1 medium zucchini, cut into thin strips w/ vegetable peeler
1 large carrot, cut into thin strips w/ vegetable peeler
1 lb raw shrimp peeled w/ tails removed
1 dried ancho pepper
2 TBSP peanut butter
1/2 c apple juice
1/4 c reduced sodium soy sauce
5 cloves garlic
1" piece of ginger, grated
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 TBSP olive oil
MDP's Seasoning


Tear top out of pepper and remove seeds. Place in a small saucepan, and cover with 1" water over medium heat.

Sprinkle shrimp with MDP's seasoning and set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside in pasta pot.

Heat 1 TBSP of olive oil in a large skillet or Wok on high heat. Saute broccoli, carrot, asparagus, peppers and bottom third (whites) of the scallions about 5 minutes, only turning once halfway through. Put vegetables over pasta.

Heat 1 TBSP of olive oil in skillet. Saute cabbage, zucchini, and remaining scallions (greens) about 3 minutes until wilted, turning once halfway through. Add vegetables to pasta.

Sear shrimp in skillet until golden on both sides.

In a food processor, combine ancho and liquid, peanut butter, apple juice, soy sauce, curry, peppers, garlic and ginger until smooth. Pour sauce into skillet with shrimp and stir to release the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes longer and pour sauce and shrimp over pasta and vegetables. Toss well to combine.

This makes a HUGE pot of food and feeds 8-10. Made exactly, 1/8th of the pot has 285 calories and 7g of fat. Not bad at all.

Faux Fried Catfish

This was so yummy even my non-seafood liking husband happily chowed down it!

4 catfish fillets
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c corn meal
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
zest of 1 lemon

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse fish and soak in the buttermilk for 15-20 minutes. Spray baking sheet well with cooking spray.


Mix remaining ingredients together, and dredge fillets one at a time before putting on baking sheet. Spray the tops of fillets with cooking spray.

Bake 15-20 minutes until fillets are deep golden brown.

Sammie Cakes

1 14.75 oz can Pink Salmon
1/2 c saltine or oyster cracker crumbs
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/2 c finely chopped red bell pepper
2 TBSP light mayo or salad dressing
2 eggs, beaten + 1 separate egg beaten with 2 TBSP water
juice from 1 lemon
3 TBSP chopped parsley (fresh) or 1 TBSP dried
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2-1 c Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Drain and flake salmon in a medium bowl (it will have skin and small bones, which are edible, soft, and a great source of calcium and Omega 3's)

Combine cracker crumbs, onion, bell pepper, mayo, 2 eggs, lemon, parsley, garlic, black pepper and salmon.

Shape into 8 patties. Dip each patty in 1 egg/water wash, then the Italian breadcrumbs to coat.

Heat 1-2 TBSP oil in a large skillet. Cook patties over medium heat, turning only once, until both sides are golden brown and heated through.

Remove from skillet to platter lined with paper towels to remove excess grease.

*** These are very kid friendly and a great way to get kids to eat more healthy seafood! ***