Classic Oyster Stew

Listen to Patty Page singing 'Old Cape Cod'

 while you put this yummy soup together.

If you are a fan of oysters you'll love it.

It takes very little time and you'll be 

singing along with Patty.

 Pick up two 8 ounce containers of fresh shucked 

oysters from the seafood section of your supermarket. 

My Publix doesn't always carry them, 

so I check every once in a while.

 Saute the minced shallot and celery in the

 butter until very tender.

 Stir in the half & half, the salt, pepper,

 and a pinch of cayenne.

 Stir constantly. When the mixture is almost
 boiling, pour in the oysters and their liquor. 

 Stir constantly on a low simmer for
just a minute or two.

 When the oysters float to the top they are done.

The edges will curl and the stew is finished.

Add chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Remove from heat.

Add a shot of hot sauce if you want a little kick!

 Serve along with crusty warm bread. 

Add a spinach or Caesar salad and a nice glass

 of white wine and you have yourself a 

a simple Friday night supper.

Classic Oyster Stew

5 T butter

2 T minced shallots

2/3 C minced celery

3C half&half

salt, pepper, cayenne

two 8-oz containers fresh oysters

2 T chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a large skillet over 
medium heat.Cook the shallots and celery
 until very tender. Add the half&half,
 about 1/2 t salt, 1/8 t pepper and 
a pinch of cayenne. When the mixture is

almost boiling, stir in the oysters and their

liquid. Stir constantly until the oysters
float and their edges are curled. 
Add the chopped parsley and serve 
with a shake or two of hot sauce.

Serves 2 for supper.

Enjoy!

It's a nice first course for Christmas Dinner

 or a light Christmas Eve dinner with a salad and 

crusty warm French baguettes.

Links: The Charm of Home,
Between Naps On The Porch,
Stone Gable, My Romantic Home,

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Roasted Parmesan Crusted Salmon

You can use any fish for this quick and easy

 oven roasted recipe.

We love salmon so that's what I used.

This is just over one pound of fish.

Rinse the salmon and pat dry with a paper towel.

Place on a foil lined pan. Salt and pepper. 

Cover the top completely with a mixture of 

3T mayonnaise and 2-3T grated parmesan. 

 Sprinkle on a bit of paprika if you like.

Bake @425 for 12-15 minutes depending 

on the thickness of the fish.

To serve, carefully slide a wide 

spatula between the skin and flesh. The

 skin will stick to the foil. Easy clean up too.

Dinner is served in 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Links: Designs By Gollum,
Between Naps On The Porch,
My Romantic Home

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Salmon with Spinach in a Blue Cheese Cream Sauce

This delicious salmon dinner is a favorite of ours. 

It's easy enough  for a gourmet dinner anytime, 

yet special enough for company.

If you love salmon, spinach and blue cheese,

you are in for a unique flavor combination!

You'll need fresh salmon fillets, one per person,

 a bag of fresh spinach, a small container each

of heavy cream, and blue cheese, 

garlic salt and pepper, and spaghetti or linguini.

Start boiling the salted water for the pasta. 

Generously season the salmon fillets' top sides 

with the  garlic salt and pepper.

Saute the salmon, skin side down in a hot skillet

 with a little olive oil or butter.

When you turn the salmon you will be able to

 easily pull off the skin. Season again.

Turn to brown both sides. Do not cook completely

 through. It should still be a little pink inside.

Remove from the pan and keep warm in a low heat

 oven along with your dinner plates.

Add the spinach to the saute pan; season and 

toss to cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the blue cheese.

Stir in the heavy cream and simmer gently

to heat through.

Return the salmon to the pan and spoon on

 a little of the sauce. Remove from heat.

Plate the salmon on the pasta and top with spinach

blue cheese cream sauce. 

sooooo good!

Salmon with Spinach in a Blue Cheese 

Cream Sauce~Over Pasta

2-4 salmon fillets ~ one per person

garlic salt ~ pepper ~ oil/butter

1 bag fresh spinach ~ about 9oz

1 4oz container crumbled blue cheese

1 small container heave cream ~ 1C

8-16oz spaghetti or linguini

(to serve 2 or 4)

Season the salmon with garlic salt and pepper.

Saute in hot butter or oil skin side down.

Flip and remove the skin. Season that side.

Saute until golden and flip again to lightly

brown the both sides. Do not overcook

Remove to plate in warm oven.

Add the spinach to the saute pan, season and 

toss to cook a few minutes. Add the blue cheese, 

then stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a simmer 

to heat through. Return the salmon to the pan. 

Top with a little sauce and serve the salmon

over pasta an top with spinach blue cheese 

cream sauce.

Enjoy!

Links: Savvy Southern Style,
Lady Behind The Curtain,
No  Minimalist Here,
Between Naps On The Porch,
Designs By Gollum,
My Romantic Home

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway for

Tumbleweed Pottery. Click HERE.

Tumbleweed is also giving my readers a 

discount all during May for 20% off!  

Stock up on gifts!

To get the 20% discount use the 

coupon code: maydays

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Easy Baked Fish

Sit down to dinner in under 30 minutes with

 this easy way to make fish in the oven.

I used catfish, but scrod or other mild fish would also work.

 Melt the butter in a shallow plate in the oven.

 Coat both sides of the fish in the butter. 

Sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

 Top with the crushed Ritz crackers and a little melted butter.

 Bake for 20 minutes. Longer for thicker fillets.

A nice buttery crunchy topping.

Easy Baked Fish

1 lb fish fillets, about 4

4 T butter, 1/2 stick

1-2 T lemon juice

salt & pepper

1/2 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

Put 3 T butter in a shallow baking dish and put it in

 the oven as it's preheating to 400. 

Rinse the fish and pat dry with a paper towel.

Remove the dish with the melted butter from the 

oven and lay the fish on and turn to coat both 

sides with butter. Squeeze 1/2 lemon, about 

1-2 T juice over the fish. Sprinkle generously with 

salt & pepper.Top the fish with the crushed Ritz 

crackers and drizzle the top with a the remaining

 melted butter. Bake at 400 for about 20-30 

minutes, until fish is opaque and 

the crumbs are golden.

tip: oven fries or small new potatoes can

bake along with the fish.

Enjoy!

Links: Stone Gable, Funky Junk,
Designs By Gollum

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Tilapia Meuniere

I love Sole Meuniere. 

It was one of my first French dinners at a wonderful restaurant in Chicago.

It's such a simple recipe that I have adapted it to use with tilapia.

Meuniere basically means dredged in flour and sauteed in butter with lemon and parsley.
It's very basic, quick and easy.
It's my favorite way to cook fish.

Start with fresh tilapia filets. One per person.
Season each side with salt and pepper.

Flour, butter, fresh parsley are all you need.
No exact measuring.

 Dredge the filets in about 1/3 C flour, or
shake in a bag. Shake off excess flour.

 Heat a large skillet over medium high and add the butter,
 about 1 T per filet. Let the butter melt and get bubbly hot.

 Add the fish and saute until golden one one side,
about 2 minutes.

 Carefully turn and cook another
2 minutes until golden.

 Remove the filets to plates and
keep warm in a 200 oven.

 Add the remaining butter to the skillet,
another 1 T per filet.
Let it melt and turn golden while stirring.
Watch carefully and do not let the butter burn.

Remove the pan from the heat and add
 the lemon juice, about 1/2 large lemon squeezed
or 2-3 T juice.

Whisk the sauce to combine well,
 them pour this sauce over the fish and
sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

 I like to serve this with fresh steamed
green beans and gold potatoes.

The lemon butter sauce enhances the vegetables.

Tilapia Meuniere
4 tilapia filets
salt & pepper
1/4-1/2 C flour
1/2 C butter (1 stick)
3 T lemon juice
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley

Season the fish with salt and pepper. 

Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.

Saute in half the melted hot butter 

until golden on both sides-about 5 minutes.

Remove to plate and keep warm in a 200 oven.

Add the remaining butter to the skillet, 

whisking until melted and golden.

Remove the pan from the heat and

 whisk in the lemon juice.

Pour the butter sauce over the fish

 and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Bon Appetit!

 Sole Meuniere is the first dish Julia Child had for lunch in France. That is when she fell in love with French cooking. I remember the scene in the movie. She wrote about that experience in her book My Life In France.

It arrived whole: a large, flat Dover sole that was perfectly browned in a sputtering butter sauce with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top. The waiter carefully placed the platter in front of us, stepped back, and said: “Bon appètit!

I closed my eyes and inhaled the rising perfume. Then I lifted a forkful of fish to my mouth, took a bite, and chewed slowly. The flesh of the sole was delicate, with a light but distinct taste of the ocean that blended marvelously with the browned butter. I chewed slowly and swallowed. It was a morsel of perfection.

I'll have what she's having!

Links:Somewhat Simple, Lady Behind The Curtain,
Stone Gable

Click HERE to see another favorite tilapia recipe.

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