Tag Archives: seafood

Crawfish Mac & Cheese

Still have leftover crawfish tails from your last crawfish boil? Here is another idea on how to make fine use of them! In this video Nonna makes a delicious mac and cheese with her leftover tails, zucchini, and mini elbow pasta. The cheeses she used gave the meal a delicious flavor. Watch the video to see how she cooks it and read below for the recipe.

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Crawfish Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

    • 1 box mini elbow pasta
    • leftover (pre-cooked) crawfish tails
    • 4 ounces butter
    • 3/4 cup flour (estimate)
    • 2 pints heavy whipping cream
    • jacobsen chili salt
    • jacobsen garlic salt
    • jacobsen rosemary salt
    • Dan Pastorini Garlic and Herb Seasonings
    • garlic powder
    • onion powder
    • pepper
    • Louisiana Hot Sauce
    • 3 chopped zucchini
    • 8 ounces Gruyere cheese (shredded)
    • 8 ounces smoked Gouda cheese (shredded)


Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
    2. Cook elbow macaroni to al dente and drain (read directions on the box for time). You will bake it for 30 mins so don’t make the noddles mushy.
    3. Melt butter
    4. Mix flour (a little at a time) in the melted butter. You want to make a paste that is neither too thin nor to thick.
    5. Add 1 pint heavy whipping cream and heat in microwave for 2 minutes.
    6. Stir thoroughly. You are making a white sauce so thickness matters. You want a creamy sauce.
    7. Add more heavy whipping cream (not the entire pint), mix, and heat in microwave for 2 minutes.
    8. Stir. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you have the thickness you desire for the sauce.
    9. Add spices to the sauce. There are no measurements. Taste test here and there to get the spices the way you like.
    10. Add shredded cheese (all of it) and stir. Add more heavy cream if needed to keep the thickness you desire.
    11. Microwave the sauce for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese.
    12. Taste test sauce and add spices if you desire.
    13. Mix sauce and elbow pasta.
    14. Add zucchini and mix. (See Note 1)
    15. Bake at 375° F degrees for 30 mins. Check at 20 mins to make sure zucchini is cooked through. There should be a nice brownish tint to the top of the mac & cheese.


Note 1: There is a lot you can add to this recipe such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, bell peppers, or mushrooms, to name a few.

Delicious Crawfish Casserole

In this video, Nonna put Nono’s crawfish boil leftovers to good and delicious use. This is by far one of her tastier inventions.

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Crawfish Casserole

Ingredients

    • Crawfish boil leftovers
      • – peeled and pre-cooked crawfish tails – potatoes – mushrooms – onions – brussel sprouts – corn on the cob (optional) – other veggies cooked in the boil (optional)
    • heavy whipping cream (or milk)
    • butter
    • freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • salt
    • 2 cans mushroom soup
    • garlic salt (optional) (see Note 2)
    • cooked bacon strips (optional)
    • 2 eggs
    • shredded cheddar cheese


Directions

      * See Note 1 on amounts
    1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
    2. Melt butter and mix in some lemon juice.
    3. Peel leftover potatoes.
    4. Combine butter and potatoes and reheat so the potatoes are soft. 2-3 minutes
    5. Mash the potatoes. Add heavy whipping cream (or milk) to get the consistency you desire. The short of it is, you are making mashed potatoes. Add butter if you didn’t earlier. (you can add salt if you like).
    6. Slice up the onions, sprouts, and mushrooms to bite size or not. Nonna sliced up the onions only. It is up to you.
    7. If you have left over corn on the cob, you can scrape all the corn off the cob and mix the corn with the other veggies.
    8. If you have left over bacon (like Nonna did from breakfast), break up the bacon into bits and mix with the other veggies.
    9. Put all the veggies into one bowl and mix. Add both eggs and cans of cream of mushroom and mix.
    10. Add peeled crawfish tails and mix.
    11. Pour all the veggies into a casserole dish/pan.
    12. Add a layer of shredded cheese over the veggies.
    13. Spread the mashed potatoes over the cheese and veggies.
    14. Put the dish/pan in oven until the potatoes are showing signs of browning in a few places and/or the liquid is boiling around the edges. (Everything is already cooked, so you are just heating it thoroughly. Make sure you give it enough time to cook the eggs.) Nonna cooked it for 45 minutes (she made a big batch).


Note 1: This is a Nonna creation and as you know she doesn’t measure much. She had plenty of leftovers so made a large amount. Consider how much you have leftover and how big your baking dish/pan is and go from there!

Note 2: Nonna and Nono forgot to add garlic to the boil when they boiled their crawfish. As a result Nonna added garlic salt in a few places. However, most veggies when cooked in a boil are spiced very nicely. You may not choose to add any spices at all.

Creamy Scallops & Pasta

Nonna made a delicious creamy scallop and pasta recipe. She used goat milk and homemade goat cheese. The trick is to not over cook the scallops!

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Creamy Scallops & Pasta

  • Difficulty: Moderate (gotta pay attention)
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 lb scallops
  • 1 lb asparagus
  • 2 cups goat milk
  • 1 small onion (chopped)
  • 1/4 garlic
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Oregano
  • Romano cheese (grated)
  • Goat Cheese
  • 1 tbsp corn starch (if needed)
  • Jacobsen Chili Salt
  • Jacobsen Garlic Salt
  • Gumbo Daddy Cajun Seasonings
  • Dan Pastorini Garlic & Herb Seasonings
  • Butter
  • Olive Oil

Directions

    1. Rinse and prep asparagus. Chop off thick ends.
    2. In pan/pot, heat butter and olive oil (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan/pot)
    3. Add asparagus, onion, garlic and sauté.
    4. Add seasonings to the pan/pot. (Jacobsen garlic and chili salt)
    5. Season the scallops (DP’s garlic & herb on one side & Gumbo Daddy’s on the other)
    6. When the asparagus is somewhat soft (when you can poke a fork in it reasonably easily), add scallops. Mix. This is a brief step. You do not want to over cook the scallops.
    7. Reduce heat to low, add goat milk, some Romano and goat cheese. Nonna did not measure, it is simply a matter of taste and Nonna knows what she likes. However, she added about 1/4 cup Romano and 1/2 cup goat cheese. You can add more or less as you see fit. This will not take long. You want the milk mix to thicken up and the scallops to cook.
    8. While mixing, add the herbs (rosemary, oregano, thyme)
    9. As goat milk is thin, you will likely have to add some corn starch to thicken the sauce. If the sauce is too thin, scope up about 1-2 tablespoons of sauce into a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of corn starch. Mix thoroughly. You want the mixture to be smooth. You do not want it lumpy. When it is smooth, pour back into the pan/pot. Continue to stir/mix. When the sauce is thick enough for you, serve!

Goya’s Shrimp & Pineapple Taco

Nonna decided to check out some new flavors and recipes. She found herself on Goya’s website and just could not resist Goya’s Shrimp & Pineapple Taco recipe. She even ordered some products from Goya’s online store. The result was AWESOME!

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As Aunt Winkie is going fishing (or is fishing or was fishing or all three) the written recipe is going to be delayed. However, the truth is Nonna ACTUALLY followed Goya’s recipe. Really she did! As such you can find the written recipe by visiting Goya’s webpage or just click the link.

Delicious Tuna Risotto Pie

Something new with Aunt Winkie’s caught and canned TUNA! The recipe is made with a few absolutely DELICIOUS ingredients! It was just flat out GOOD…and so were the leftovers!

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Tuna Risotto Pie

  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Print

Ingredients

      See Note 1
    • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
    • 2 Onions (chopped)
    • 1/2 cup Garlic (minced)
    • 2 cups Arborio Rice
    • 3.5 cups chicken broth
    • 2 pints canned Tuna (home caught and canned is the best)
    • 1 bag Semi Dried Tomatoes (3 ounces)
    • 3 cups Mozzarella Cheese (thinly cut)
    • 1 cup Romano cheese (shredded or grated)
    • 1 bag kale leaves, roughly chopped (10 ounces)
    • 6 eggs
    • Dan Pastorini Garlic and Herb (optional)
    • Gumbo Daddy Cajun Seasoning (optional)
    • Jacobsen Chili Salt
    • Freshly chopped Basil & Oregano

Directions

    1. Coat bottom on a large pan with olive oil and heat.
    2. Brown onion and garlic.
    3. When the onions are translucent, add Arborio rice. Brown the rice for 1-2 minutes.
    4. Add spices and seasonings (DP Garlic & Herb, GD Cajun Seasonings, Jacobsen Chili Salt) (See Note 2)
    5. Add chicken broth.
    6. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Let simmer until the broth is absorbed by the rice. (15ish minutes)
    7. Once the broth is absorbed, removed from heat and let cool.
    8. Once cool, add tuna, sun dried tomatoes, and eggs. Mix.
    9. Add romano and mozzarella cheese (Save some mozzarella for later). Mix.
    10. Add kale, oregano, and basil. Mix.
    11. Coat baking pan (spring form pan or pie shaped/sized pan) with non stick canola oil.
    12. Fill the baking pan with tuna/kale mixture. (See Note 3)
    13. Place thinly sliced mozzarella cheese over the tuna/kale mixture (on top).
    14. Bake on 350° F for 25 minutes.

    Note 1: Nonna found this recipe on Chew Town. She doubled the recipe to ensure plenty of leftovers! You can half Nonna’s ingredients list to make less. Cooking times will remain the same. Also, Nonna used some of her own favorite spices. She recommends you do the same. If there is a taste you love with fish, Nonna says use it!

    Note 2: Nonna loves Dan Pastorini’s and Gumbo Daddy’s seasonings. She uses the Jacobsen chili salt in combination with the 2 seasonings above to give the pie a little kick. However, you can use other spices. In this recipe simply using salt and pepper will suffice!

    Note 3: As Nonna doubled the recipe, she used 3 pie sized pans. If you cut the recipe in half, 1 – 20cm pie pan or spring loaded pan should work.

Ketolicious Creamy Tuscan Shrimp: Nonna Style

Check out this out! It looks absolutely delicious and Nonna even measured some stuff!

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Shrimp Tuscan

Ingredients

    • 2 pounds raw peeled Shrimp
    • 4 tbsp Olive Oil
    • 4 tbsp Butter
    • 2ish cups Romano Cheese
    • Jacobsen Garlic Salt
    • 1 large bag/package Spinach Leafs
    • 1/2 cup minced Garlic
    • Lemon Balm (See Note 1)
    • Rosemary
    • Basil
    • 1.5 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
    • 2 cups Cherry Tomatoes (cut in half)

Directions

    1. Put butter and olive oil in a big pot and sautée shrimp. Only until they are pink on both sides. Do not cook them for long or they will over cook. They do not need to be cooked through at this point. You can add some salt if you choose.
    2. Remove the shrimp when they are pink.
    3. In the same large pot, add herbs (lemon balm, rosemary, & basil), minced garlic, mushrooms, and sautée for 2ish mins.
    4. Add 2 cups cheery tomatoes and stir briefly.
    5. Add spinach leaves (don’t worry if they take up the whole pot, they will cook down). Let them cook down (3-4ish mins).
    6. Add 1.5 cups of heavy whipping cream and mix.
    7. Add 1-1.5 cups shredded or grated GOOD Romano cheese and mix.
    8. Turn heat to low and let simmer (4-5 mins). Stir occasionally. Don’t let it burn on the bottom.
    9. Taste test. Add more garlic salt or other seasoning as you see fit.
    10. Add the shrimp. Let simmer for 4-5 mins. Stir occasionally.
    11. If the sauce isn’t think enough you can add more cheese (1/2-1 cups).
    12. After 4-5 mins make sure the shrimp is cooked through. If it is dinner is ready. If it is not just let it simmer a few more minutes!

Note 1: Nonna didn’t measure the herbs. Start with a tbsp of each and add more if you see fit.

Note 2: Nonna modified her recipe from http://www.GIMMEDELICIOUS.com. Feel free to check that recipe out!

Carp Chowder: Cajun Cuisine meets Boston Chowder

Nonna tried something new. She took some Asian Carp, clams, potatoes, and corn on the cobb and made a chowder. Wasn’t too bad, if she says so herself!

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Carp Chowder: Cajun Cuisine meets Boston Chowder

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients

    • 1-2 Asian Carp fillets
    • 1/2 pound clams (or 2 cans)
    • 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
    • 4 cups chicken brothd
    • 2 tablespoons Goat Butter
    • Splash of Olive Oil
    • Cooking Sherry
    • 1 large onion (chopped)
    • 1/4 cup garlic (minced)
    • 2-3 corn on the cobb stalks (halved)
    • Dan Pastorini’s Garlic and Herb Seasonings See Note 1
    • Gumbo Daddy Cajun Seasonings See Note 1
    • Jacobsen Chili Salt See Note 1
    • Louisiana Hot Sauce
    • Cajun Power Garlic Sauce

Directions

    1. Ground Carp fillets twice. Remove bones in-between grindings.
    2. Put butter and olive oil in a pot and heat. Melt butter.
    3. Add a splash or 2 of cooking Sherry, onions, and garlic.
    4. Sauteé onions and garlic. Onions should be translucent.
    5. Add 2 cups chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, potatoes, and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Potatoes should be about half way cooked through. A fork should penetrate the potatoes with little effort.
    6. After 15 minutes, add clams, carp, corn on the cobb, 2 more cups of chicken broth, and seasonings. See Notes 1 & 2
    7. Simmer until everything is cooked through. No lid.


Note 1: Nonna used her favorite spices. However, there are a lot of different spices the would go well with this recipe. Here are few ideas: lemon salt, lemon juice, lemon pepper, cappers, white wine, red pepper, white pepper, bay leaves, tarragon, celery sticks, bell peppers, green onions…

Note 2: All the online recipes I, Aunt Winkie, checked used the clam juice just as Nonna did. However, I would have drained & rinsed the clams in an attempt to reduce the “fishy taste”. Fresh clams are also best if you can get them. Just a thought or two, but Nonna is a much better cook than I am!


Paella: A Spanish Jambalaya

Nonna and Gamma make a delicious Seafood and Chicken Paella! The recipe are from the Food Network, but Nonna made a few minor changes (mostly because her backwoods grocery store didn’t have all the ingredients)! Nonna dubbed this meal a Spanish Jambalaya and gave it an A+ rating. It was simply DELICIOUS!

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Paella: A Spanish Jambalaya

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Intermediate
  • Print

Ingredients

    • Paprika
    • Oregano
    • 4 chicken quarters
    • Olive Oil
    • Jacobsen Chili Salt
    • 1 chopped onion
    • 4 garlic cloves (minced)
    • Bunch parsley
    • 1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
    • 4 cups short grain Spanish rice
    • 6 cups water
    • Generous pinch (’bout dat much) saffron
    • 1ish pound shrimp (peeled & de-veined)
    • 2-4 lobster tails (if budget allows)
    • Lemon wedges for serving
    • 1 large deli salami (1.5ish pounds)

Directions

    1. Season chicken with paprika and oregano.
    2. Marinate the chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
    3. Brown (or sauté) the salami in a medium to large pot. Once browned put the salami in a bowl and set aside until needed. (See Note 1)
    4. Brown the chicken on both sides in the same pan. Once browned put the chicken on a plate and set aside until needed.
    5. Sauté onions, garlic, and parsley over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes (use the same pan).
    6. Add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes, but don’t let it burn.
    7. Add the rice and brown it (basically stir-fry the rice for a short period)
    8. Add the water and simmer for 10 mins. No need to cover. (See Note 2)
    9. After the rice simmers for 10 mins, add chicken, salami, and shrimp. Try and put the meat/seafood under the rice. Simmer (covered) for 15 mins (until rice is al dente.)
    10. After about 10 mins you can add the lobster tails. Cover the pot. How long it cooks depends on the lobster tails…Cook it until it is done!(See Note 3)

Note 1: We know Paella means frying pan in Valencian and that Paella is meant to be cooked in a shallow pan. Nonna started with the only shallow pan she had (a frying pan), but it was not deep enough to hold the rice and water. As such she switched pans after browning the meat. Considering the point is to brown the meat and then add the rice into the same pan so that the rice absorbs the meat flavor while browning, we recommend you pick your pot carefully!

Note 2: You don’t need to stir so much as you need to make sure the rice is spread about (not clumped) so that the rice absorbs the flavors and water.

Note 3: The original recipe suggested 5 minutes for the lobster tails to cook, but it took Nonna an additional 25 minutes before the lobster tails were cooked through. Be careful the lobster is cooked before you eat it. Putting the lobster under the rice or flipping it will likely help it cook faster.


Gamma found this recipe on Food Network. The recipe is titled “The Ultimate Paella.” Their directions are a little different from Nonna’s directions. Feel free to check it out!

Fire Place Cat Fish

In this video I continue my series of food for the upcoming Zombie Apocalypse by making delicious fish and veggies in the fire place. Please check out the whole play list. The whole alligator is one of my favorites. Recipe is below!

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Fire Place Cat Fish

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 cup minced garlic
  • 2 fillets (cat fish or any white fish fillet)
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1 zucchini
  • 2 medium to small baking potatoes (See Note 1)
  • Dan Pastorini’s Garlic and Herb Seasonings
  • Jacobsen Chili Salt
  • Gumbo Daddy Cajun Seasonings
  • 1/2 cup goat butter
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Lemon Juice
  • Spinach leaves (1 package)
  • sliced mushrooms (1 package)

Directions

  1. Start a fire. You will want hot coals and not so much a flame.
  2. Peel and chop or slice yellow squash and zucchini.
  3. Peel and chop baking potato.
  4. Place 1 potato, 1/2 squash, 1/2 zucchini, and 2 tbsp butter on sheet of aluminum foil
  5. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of onion and 1/4 cup of garlic over the veggies.
  6. Season the squash and zucchini with the seasons listed above or your favorite spices.
  7. Enclose the ingredients in the foil and place the foil in the fireplace hot coals. Make sure the food is NOT exposed. The veggies will take about 20 mins to cook.
  8. Place fish fillet on an aluminum foil sheet.
  9. Add 1/4 cup onion and 1/4 cup garlic over the fish.
  10. Season with the seasonings above or your favorite spices.
  11. Add mushrooms and spinach leaves (as much or as little as you like)
  12. Sprinkle lemon juice over the fish and ingredients.
  13. Enclose the ingredients in the foil and place the foil in the fireplace hot coals. Make sure the food is NOT exposed. The fish will take about 15 mins to cook. (See Note 2)

Note 1: Potatoes are optional. If you want a keto meal, simply don’t add it.

Note 2: The larger the fillet the more time needed to cook it. The smaller or thinner the fillet, the less time needed to cook it. You will have to check it to make sure it is cooked through.

Note 3: If the fish or veggies are not cooked through when you open the packet, simply close it back up and put back in the coals!

Note4: One tin foil package per person.


Tuna Salad: Caught, Canned, and SERVED!

This tuna salad is DELICIOUS and goes well with everything! The recipe itself is keto, but can be served with bread. It would go well as stuffing for tomatoes or avocados. Or you can eat it with lettuce and tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits. It is, also, (and as is Nonna’s way) interchangeable! What I mean is, you can easily swap out the tuna for left over turkey, chicken, or ham!

Click here for the written recipe. The main ingredient in this recipe (canned tuna), can be swapped out with LEFTOVER Thanksgiving turkey, chicken or ham! Just chop it up and put in the mixing bowl!

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