Pan-Seared Swai Fillets with Basil-Mint Cilantro

1 3/4 cups lightly packed fresh basil and mint leaves (I typically use 3 parts basil to 1 part mint)
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. good olive oil
3 Tbs. toasted chopped walnuts 
1 1/2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 Tbs. chicken broth
4 swai or other firm white fish fillets, approx. 4 oz. each
1-2 Tbs. unsalted butter

In the bowl of a food processor, place the basil and mint leaves, 1/4 cup olive oil, walnuts, lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 tsp. of salt, a few grinds of black pepper and 2-3 Tbs. chicken broth; process till smooth and set aside.

Pat fillet dry with a paper towel and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. of oil and 1 Tbs. of butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat until the butter melts; add two fillets and cook until nicely browned and just cooked through, turning once, approx. 4-5 minutes total.  Transfer to a platter and cover; keep warm.  Repeat with the remaining two fillets, adding remaining tablespoon of butter, if needed, lowering heat, if needed.  Serve swai garnished with pesto.  

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Creole Shrimp Pasta - As Seen on WIBW 13 News at 4, Feb. 13, 2013

This is a Hy-Vee recipe that is easy to create, luscious, and requires only 2 pans!

Serves 6

1 (16 oz) box Hy-Vee fettuccine

1 lb peeled, deveined raw Gulf shrimp

2 tsp Tony Chachere’s™ Creole seasoning

1 tbsp Hy-Vee unsalted butter

1 (15 oz) jar Bertolli™ Alfredo sauce

1 tsp chopped parsley

    1.  Cook fettuccini according to package directions.

2.  Meanwhile, toss shrimp gently with Creole seasoning to coat. 

3.  Melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.   Add shrimp; sauté 2 minutes or until slightly opaque.

4.  Stir in Alfredo sauce and simmer over medium-low heat while fettuccine cooks.

5.  Drain fettuccine to skillet and gently toss with Creole shrimp sauce. 

6.  Let stand 2 minutes; top with parsley and serve with warm, crusty bread.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 480 calories, 16 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 920 mg sodium, 61 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 22 g protein.

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Firecracker Shrimp

This is the recipe that I was serving from the sales floor when cooking at Hy-Vee Topeka last week. Please note that I have tweaked the recipe just a bit since then by adjusting the spice amounts called for below.

Spices: 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, 1/2 Tbs. dried oregano, 1/2 Tbs. paprika, 1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1 Tbs. evoo (extra virgin olive oil)

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 sweet red bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth

½ cup bottled Caesar salad dressing (I love to use Cardini’s)

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce (woozy)

½ -1 tsp. chipotle sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 lbs. large raw shrimp

French bread, sliced thick, toasted

Bloom spices in a large, dry non-stick skillet over medium heat for a few seconds, just until fragrant.  Add evoo to spices in pan, then stir in onion and pepper; cook for 3-4 minutes, until onion is softened and translucent; add garlic and cook just until fragrant, approx. 30 seconds longer. Stir in wine to deglaze pan, bringing up any bits of fond attached to the bottom of the pan. Increase heat to medium high; add bay leaves, dressing, woozy and chipotle sauce; bring to a high simmer; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add shrimp and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, cooking just until shrimp turn from gray to pink in color; remove from heat. Serve at once using the grilled bread to sop up the sauce.  Delicious served over rice or polenta!

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Tomato-Basil Cod

Tomato-Basil Cod

½ lb. cod fillets, rinsed and patted dry

½ Tbs. olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 Tbs. fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 hydroponic tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
1 Tbs. aged parmesan cheese, freshly shaved

 In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, lemon zest, juice, basil, salt and pepper; cook until tomatoes are thickened and begin to form a sauce, approx. 5 minutes.  Season fish with pepper and push sauce to the side of the pan; place seasoned fillets into skillet and spoon a little of the sauce over the fish, cover pan with a lid (or foil) and reduce heat to medium.  Simmer until the fillets are opaque in the center and flake easily with a fork, about 10-12 minutes.  Garnish with shaved Parmesan. 

Recipe provided by Hy-Vee Dietitian, Amber Groeling, 785-272-1763. 

Nutrition facts per serving:  190 calories, 6 g fat, 250 mg sodium, 3 g carb, 2 g fiber, 29 g protein.  Makes 2 servings.

Baked Swai with Tropical Fruit Salsa

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
¼ cup lime juice
1 ½ T. honey
1 mango, diced
1 peach, chopped
1 cup chopped pineapple
2 kiwi, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
4 swai fillets, defrosted
Old bay or Cajun seasoning to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.

2. Combine lime juice and honey in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the fruit, jalapeño and cilantro. Drizzle the lime mixture over the fruit and toss to coat.

3. Coat the fish with Old Bay or Cajun seasoning to taste. Bake the fish in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

4. Serve salsa over fish. Leftover salsa can be served with tortilla chips or whole grain crackers.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 195 calories, 1 g fat, 12 g carb, 2 g fiber, 50 mg sodium, 34 g protein

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Mediterranean Salmon

Fresh - Fast - Fabulous!  This salmon recipe is a definite keeper.  We should be eating at least 2 servings of salmon each week to load up on the omega 3's!

6 salmon fillets, boneless, skinless, 5-6 oz. each
Extra-virgin olive oil, for basting
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs. chopped Italian parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of ½ lemon
6 thin lemon slices
8 green olives, sliced

Serves 6

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill, broiler or grill pan. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack, broiler pan or grill pan with non-stick cooking spray. If using a grill or broiler, position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Brush salmon fillets with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and lemon zest. Top each fillet with equal amounts of the fresh herb mixture. Place the fish herb-side down on the grill. Grill over medium high heat. When the edges turn white, after about 3 to 4 minutes, turn the fish over and reduce heat or move to a cooler part of the grill. Grill until the fillets are opaque throughout and very fork-tender. (Instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish reads 145 F) Garnish cooked fillets with green olives and lemon slices. Serve at once.

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Halibut Sliders with Spicy Mango Coleslaw

These Sliders turned into COD Sliders on Saturday, but they were DELICIOUS, just the same!  Here's the recipe in case you need it or want to share.  I added a few red pepper flakes to my coleslaw at home to take it up a notch in the SPICY dept!


Chef Alli’s Fried Halibut Sliders with Spicy Mango Coleslaw

4 halibut fillets, 6-8 oz. each, skins removed
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. Old bay seasoning
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
4 large sandwich rolls, halved and toasted
1 tomato, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Rinse halibut fillets and pat dry; set aside. In a shallow dish, combine flour with Old bay seasoning, salt and pepper; dredge each fillet in flour mixture to coat. In a large skillet or saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat; cook fillets in hot oil for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Place fish fillet onto prepared rolls and top with Spicy Mango Coleslaw.

Spicy Mango Coleslaw
14 oz. bag coleslaw mix
2 fresh mangos, peeled, pitted and diced
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
½ cup sour cream
½ cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
2-3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. fresh lime zest
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large mixing bowl, combine cilantro – garlic; stirring well; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in coleslaw mix; toss to coat. Gently fold in diced mango. Chill.

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Topeka, KS 66611
(785) 272-1055
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