Tropical Ceviche
This one screams fresh and in season. We are spoiled here in Florida with our fresh seafood and tropical fruit and citrus locally grown and I fully take advantage of it call me spoiled. This recipe is very special to me as I actually caught the snappers and grew the pineapple so I decided to give a good old ceviche some Florida flair.
2 pounds mangrove snappers filets chopped small(any snappers will do)
1/3 cup chopped red onions
½ cup chopped tomatoes
1 Serrano chili pepper deseeded and chopped fine
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch sea salt
4 limes juiced
¼ cup cilantro
½ cup pineapple
¼ cup green bell pepper
In a Pyrex glass dish mix together the first 7 ingredients cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. After an hour mix once to coat all sides of fish cover and leave in refrigerator for 4 hours. Mix in cilantro pineapple and bell pepper before serving. Serves 6 large or 8 small portions.
Tropical Smoked Salmon Crostini
Bring the Tropical Islands to your party with these scrumptious creamy smoked salmon crostini top with fresh mango and lime flavors. These little crostini are perfect party appetizer whether you are having an outdoor party by the pool or an elegant indoor evening party and yet simple to make. Making them the perfect appetizer! These pair up with a simple crisp Pinot Grigio or bubbly Champagne sure to impress everyone!
1 French baguette
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 oz smoked salmon
4 oz Philadelphia cream cheese onion & chives
1 mango
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
Put oven on broil. Slice baguette in 1/8 thick slices to make 20 crostinis and place on a line cookie sheet drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt toss to coat well and arrange crostini so none over lap. Broil two to three minutes turn and broil another minute or two, make sure you do not burn them.
Peel and chop mango in small cubes and add to a mixing bowl add lemon juice and finely chopped cilantro season with fresh cracked black pepper mix well and set aside.
Chopped salmon in fine pieces and add to separate mixing bowl add cream cheese mix until well blended. Spread a thin layer of creamy salmon mixture over each cooled crostini utilizing entire mixture top each with a half teaspoon chopped mango. Enjoy!
Fire Cracker Shrimp with Spicy Mango Ramoulade
Serves: 6
1 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup instant potato flakes
1 cup crushed Ritz Crackers reduced Fat
Canola oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Creole mustard
1 green onion chopped fine
½ mango peeled and chopped small
Pinch Salt & pepper
Preheat oil to 375 degrees F.
In a bowl beat egg, water and cayenne pepper together. Toss shrimp in egg mixture and let sit 15 minutes. In a separate bowl combine potato flakes and Ritz crackers. Next toss shrimp in Ritz cracker crumbs to coat well.
Deep-fry in batches, but do not overload the fryer. Fry for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the paper towel lined baking tray.
In a small mixing bowl add remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve shrimp with mango roulade while shrimp are still warm.
Monthly Archives: December 2014
My winning recipes demo on WFLA channel 8 Daytime Show!
See link below—
http://www.wfla.com/story/27632154/daytime-world-food-championship-seafood-category
Beer and Smoked Gouda Seafood Bisque
1 pound cod
1 pound crab meat
½ pound piece of slab bacon, sliced 1/3 inch thick and cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large jalapeño, seeded and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
12-ounce bottle lager such as Warsteiner Premium Dunkel
2 1/4 cups seafood stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces sharp yellow cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Garlic-rubbed baguette toasts, for serving
If fish and crab is frozen in a large pot with water bring to a boil place a steam basket in pot and steam crab and cod for 8 minutes remove crab legs keep steaming the cod an additional 7 minutes remove meat from crab legs and coarsely chop fish and crab. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over moderate heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a bowl. Add the celery, carrot, onion, jalapeño, garlic and thyme to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 8 minutes. Add half of the beer and cook until reduced by half, 5 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups of seafood stock and bring to a simmer.
In a small skillet, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk this roux into the soup until incorporated and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the heavy cream, cheddar cheeses and the remaining beer and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes season with salt and pepper add seafood stir. Top soup with bacon. Serve the soup with garlic toasts.
Inshore fishing trip ends with “Old fashioned pan friend trout recipe!”
Old Fashioned Pan Fried Trout
1 large (or )2 medium trout
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
Lemon wedges
Chives
In a large zip lock bag add flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Add trout and coat well.
In a large cast iron pan add oil and butter on medium high heat when butter is all melted add trout and cook 10 to 12 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 10 minutes. Squeeze a lemon wedge over trout and garnish with chives serve with additional lemon wedges.
My latest competition takes me to 6th place in top #10 at the World Food Championship, Las Vegas Nevada 2014
One of the biggest cooking competition in the world! To be able to compete in this time of competition you have to have previously qualified for a specific category through recipe competition. This year I qualified in 3 different category with my wins in the previous 12 month period. Dessert, Recipe and Seafood category!!Of Course seafood is my favorite food to cook I wasn’t about to pass this opportunity and gave me the opportunity to compete with 48 other competitors in seafood category all but 5 were all professional chefs so I had to represent the Tampa Bay area and my town of New Port Richey, FL as a home cook! It was my second year in a row in qualifying to compete at the World Food Championship! I can’t wait for this year it’s going to be here in Kissimmee, Florida. I was also asked to do a seafood cooking demonstration while I was there competing. Here are some highlights of my experience!
With Food Network Chef Ben Vaughn! After they announced finalists
Beer Maple Glazed Ham!
Just in time for the Holiday season and perfect for a winter meal! To celebrate the holidays we gather with family and fabulous foods some traditional and some not so traditional. The good old ham always a favorite but why not make it a little easier for you by buying a precooked/smoked ham there is nothing wrong with that. Three simple ingredients and you will have a fabulous and super delicious ham. What you will need.
Ingredients
Roasting pan, Precooked ham, 1/3 cup Pure maple syrup, 1 beer(any) and 30 cloves. with a sharp knife cut through the outside fat of the ham and push cloves into ham like you see below.
Place ham on a rack in a roasted pan and pour 1 beer into the pan.
Brush the ham all over with maple syrup and repeat this step a few time while ham is cooking I did this twice while the ham was cooking.
Preheat oven at 325 and bake 15 minutes per pound mine was 9 pounds so 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Serve with your favorite roasted vegetables. I love serving the main course all on one huge plate to pass around the table for everyone to serve themselves family Style! Bon Appetit!
