Cornmeal Tuna Cakes
People love going to relax at the beach. People love indulging in seafood from fresh oysters to grilled fish and curried shrimp. People love partying on yachts and competitively sailing boats. The question is, are people doing what it takes to protect the bodies of water that make these experiences possible? Not only do oceans provide beautiful beaches, delicious seafood and amazing memories, but they also provide food for millions of people. They provide oxygen in the air we breathe and hold 97% of the earth's water.
We need to protect the oceans from the pollution that kills ecosystems like the coral reef. We need to reduce the emissions that contribute to global warming, which raise sea levels and threaten natural habitats and coastal areas where people live. We need to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in the stomachs of sea turtles and sea birds. We need to protect the oceans from overfishing and ensure food security for everyone.
June 8 marks World Oceans Day, and one of the key messages is that we can help the oceans by making more sustainable choices when we purchase seafood. How do you identify what’s sustainable? Buy MSC branded products marked with a little blue label. They are easy to spot as you can see below! The products are sustainably caught and you can trace back to the source. MSC is a science-based global nonprofit dedicated to the prevention of overfishing worldwide. You can read more about their work at www.msc.org.
Tinned fish is a versatile ingredient and one of many MSC-approved products. I was challenged to make something creative and decided to treat tinned tuna in a similar way to crab, and replace the breadcrumbs with cornmeal bread to give the cakes added sweetness and a soft but gritty texture.
Next time you need seafood, find the products in the grocery store with the MSC label! Make the right choice when you shop, your decision contributes to a #BigBlueFuture and a delicious meal.
Ingredients
3 (5-ounce) tuna cans
1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
2 cups cornbread, crumbled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fish spice
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worchester sauce
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chili pepper, chopped
Cornmeal
Vegetable oil
Instructions
Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix everything with your hands until evenly incorporated.
Heat some vegetable oil in a pan on medium heat.
Coat your hands with cornmeal and shape the cakes, but don't make them too thick to ensure they cook through.
Fry the cakes in batches until each side is crispy and golden brown.
Serve hot with aioli and guacamole! Makes about 10-12 cakes.
Easy Shrimp and Grits
This is easily one of my favourite brunch options but I can eat it any time. It is certainly a crowd pleaser and the ultimate comfort food, one of many out of southern states like Louisiana and Georgia. Some of the best shrimp and grits I ever had was in New Orleans, you can read about it here. This dish has a lot of interesting history, borrowing from different cultures and cuisines. However, the bottom line is it’s delicious, and you can make a simple version in your kitchen!
One thing I will note is there are tomatoes in this dish, along with Cajun seasoning. Why is that worth mentioning? Well because technically that is one of the ways you tell the difference between Creole and Cajun dishes that come out of Louisiana - Creole dishes are the ones that typically use tomato. In this instance, you can ignore it unless you truly want to align with the essence of what is Cajun!
Video Tutorial
Easy Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb. raw large or medium shrimp (they may shrink/curl up when cooking so you may want them on the bigger side. You can also add a bit more if necessary)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup tomato, diced
- 1/2 cup peppers, chopped
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worchester sauce
- 1 bouillon cube
- 1/2 - 1 cup water (add after bouillon cube)
- 1 cup broth
- 1 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Some cream or milk (optional)
Instructions:
- In a pan heat the butter and olive oil, add the garlic and seasoning for the shrimp and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the onions and sweat them out for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomato and peppers and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the broth, Worchester sauce, bouillon cube, and water. Simmer for 5 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Add the lemon juice to the shrimp then add the shrimp to the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring sometimes. Turn over the shrimp if necessary to cook through, they are done when pink and no longer translucent.
- Prepare the grits. Boil the water, broth, and milk.
- Whisk a well in the middle of the pot and gradually pour in the cornmeal. Bring to a boil again but careful not to get hot cornmeal on you!
- Close the pot with a lid and simmer the cornmeal for about 20 minutes, periodically stirring and adding more water when necessary.
- Once the grits are done, whisk in the butter, cheese, and pepper. You can add some cream or milk to get them to your desired consistency.
- Serve hot with the shrimp on top! Garnish with parsley.
Calories
574Fat (grams)
28.02Carbs (grams)
55.08Protein (grams)
27.81
Coconut Shrimp Po Boys
I love coconut and I think it's safe to say peoole either have a love or hate relationship with it. Not only do I like the taste, but the sheer vertility is just magical. You can use it in various forms in multiple ways - I'm talking coconut milk, oil, flour, water, cream, flakes you name it.
This recipe uses 3 of those forms - flour, cream and flakes to make one of the most famous sandwiches in the American South - the po boy! A delicious yet simple sandwich stuffed with fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and topped with an aioli, what more do you need? You can make them at home easy, with the infusion of some coconut to give a unique flavour. Try it out!
Ingredients
1/2 lb. shrimp, skin and tail removed, deveined
1/4 cup + 1-2 teaspoons old pay seasoning
3 eggs
1 cup coconut flour
2 cups shaved coconut
2 tablespoons coconut cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise (low sodium)
3-5 coco bread pockets/ sub rolls/ whatever bread rolls you have
1 cup lettuce, shredded
Video Tutorial
Instructions
Step 1
Pat your shrimp dry and season with old bay, set aside.
Step 2
Heat some oil to fry you shrimp ( the amount will depend on the size of your pot, use about 1 quart/ 4 cups to start). Watch carefully so it does not burn.
Step 3
While your oil heats up, prepare your shrimp. In 3 separate bowls, line up the coconut flour, the beaten eggs and the coconut flakes. Pat your shrimp dry, then systematically dip them in the flour, eggs, and coconut, set aside. Make sure as much of the surface is covered. ( You can use one hand for the eggs, the other for the flour and flakes to avoid clumping.)
Step 4
Once the oil is ready, get to frying! Do so in batches if necessary you don’t overcrowd the pot. Place the coated shrimp in the hot oil and cook for about 4-5 minutes. When browned, scoop out and place on a paper towel to soak excess oil. Turn off the heat.
Step 5
To prepare your sauce, whisk the mayonnaise and coconut cream. Add in the old bay tasting along the way, then set aside.
Step 6
Now you are ready to assemble your sandwich! Spread your sauce on the bread/roll. Lay on the lettuce, a few tomato slices, and the fried shrimp on top. Drizzle about a tablespoon of the coconut cream sauce on top.
Serve with pickles, fries, a salad, or whatever!
This recipe was developed as part of the Black Foodie Battle contest, a cooking challenge to make coconut a star of the dish. Check out the full episode and other contestants dishes at blackfoodie.co.
Eggplant and Fish Stew
Garden egg is another term for eggplant, and they lend themselves well to stews because they absorb like sponges. The traditional Ghanaian ‘garden egg stew’ - what inspired this recipe - uses a white eggplant different the type I have always known (the elongated, purple version). The palm oil adds a unique flavor and reddish colour to the dish, but if you don’t have any babassu or coconut oil should do! That said, with the palm oil, this is a dish you will want to make once in while since it's on the greasy side, but it’s super yummy!
Ingredients
1 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon butter
3 large eggplants (chopped and peeled)
1 can diced tomato (15oz)
1/2 jalapeno, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic
1/4 cup palm oil
2 tablespoon fish spice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemongrass
1 tablespoon lemongrass spice
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt
3 trout fillets or steaks with skin, halved
3 cups broth
2-3 boiled eggs (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Marinate your fish in 1 teaspoon lemongrass, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Put it in the fridge for about half an hour.
Step 2
Heat the butter, onions, jalapeno, and garlic in a large pot, sauté for 3 minutes.
Step 3
Add the can of tomatoes, broth, and palm oil, cook for 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add the fish, eggplant, fish spice, lemongrass, salt, and black pepper, simmer for about 20 minutes. Top with the boiled eggs and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Careful while cooking not to over stir and break down the fish.
Serve with mealie cobs, rice, plantains, or your starch of choice, enough for 3.
Spicy Orange Shrimp
Even if you aren't much of a citrus lover, you can probably appreciate when it's featured in chocolate, poultry, fish, cake, and pork dishes. Orange chicken is one of the most popular, but you can make some delicious, rich shrimp that will make any dinner fabulous and reminiscent of Friday night take away too.
Ingredients
1/2 pound of shrimp (I already had some precooked)
1 teaspoon ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon old bay
1/4 + 1/4 cups soy sauce (I used Worcester sauce as a substitute)
2 tablespoons garlic
2 teaspoons orange peel, grated
1/4 + 1/4 cups orange juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon chili and garlic seasoning
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Step 1
In a bowl, marinate your shrimp. Whisk 1 tablespoon garlic, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon orange peel, 1/2 teaspoon salt, vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon black pepper. Allow the thawed shrimp to marinate in the fridge, covered for 20 minutes (take out the shrimp 10 minutes before cooking). Keep the liquid.
Step 2
In a pan on medium-high heat, melt the butter and olive oil. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, about a minute. Add the seasoning - 1/2 teaspoon old bay, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon ginger. Sauté for another minute.
Step 3
Add the shrimp, and cook until they are opaque, about 2 minutes on each side (if you are using precooked shrimp you just want to get the flavour in). Try to avoid overcrowding the pan, don't put the shrimp on top of each other.
Step 4
Add the orange juice, soy sauce, and sugar, cook for 2 minutes.
Step 5
Dissolve the cornstarch in some of the remaining marinade liquid, add it to the pan to thicken the sauce. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, chili garlic seasoning, and 1 teaspoon orange peel. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring to thicken the sauce.
Serve hot with broccoli and vegetable rice, garnish with sesame seeds if you have them available. Serves 2.
Spanish Shrimp (Gambas al Ajillo)
Garlic butter shrimp is one of the tastiest Spanish tapas. They are protein rich and super filling. If you are tired of having to pay for them in restaurants, make them yourself! The recipe is super easy and a crowd pleaser.
Spanish Shrimp (Gambas al Ajillo)
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions:
- Heat pan to medium temperature and melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the fresh garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
- Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, lemon, paprika, coriander, and powdered garlic. Let them stand in a bowl and marinate for about 10 minutes. (If you place in the fridge remove 5 minutes before cooking 5).
- Sauté the shrimp for 4-5 minutes until it is a pinkish white colour and longer translucent.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine to finish, cook for a remining 3 minutes, take off the heat (take care not to overcook the shrimp).
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot with some toasted bread.
Calories
504Fat (grams)
40.39Carbs (grams)
6.83Protein (grams)
24.4