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A collection of selected
romantic seafood recipes.
Oysters Valentino
The Setting
This advanced setting takes
place in the Bedroom, right on top of your king or queen size bid.
Don't worry about bread crumbs. It won't be on the menu!
Ingredients:
24 blue point oysters,
raw in shells
1 large red bell pepper
1 lemon
6 small Jalapeño peppers
1 cup olive oil
1/8 cup lime juice
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup grated Romano cheese
1 package of favorite crackers or Melba toast
Rock salt
Recommendations:
1 bottle of Pully-Fuisse,
chilled
Preparations:
What we said about crumbs
in bed…well we lied, but who cares. It's worth it! First, scrub and
wash oysters thoroughly. Using a towel and an oyster knife you can
pry open oysters readily. Remove top lid and discard. Loosen
attached membrane of oyster. Line baking tray with rock salt and
place oysters on top. Wash red bell pepper and Jalapeño peppers.
Wipe dry and rub with a little olive oil. Place them on a cookie
sheet. Increase oven to broil and place tray under the broiler.
Broil peppers on all sides. When skin breaks, remove and let cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees. Peel bell peppers and
Jalapeño peppers; remove inside and dice finely. NOTE: seeds from
the Jalapeño pepper are very hot so do not use your fingers to
remove the seeds as the effect of them will remain on your fingers.
Use a knife or a paper towel. Mix olive oil, lime juice, chopped
parsley, peppers, breadcrumbs and grated Romano cheese together.
Spread equally on top of each oyster. Bake for eight to ten minutes
or until light brown and serve.
Makes 2 Servings.
Shrimp Dijon
The Setting
I always like to start the
preparation of my romantic food offerings by creating a romantic
mood. To set the mood for this one, candlelight, especially lavender
scented candles, will lift everybody's spirit. Make sure the music
you play in the background is uplifting as well. This is not the
time for melancholy love songs.
Ingredients:
10 large fresh shrimp
½ cup fresh cream (35%)
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon spicy seasoning (Aromantic Seasonings of Seduction
or Old Bay)
2 medium slices of French bread
Parsley
1 lemon
Preparations:
Peel and devein shrimp (or
perhaps the butcher at your store will prepare these for you) and be
sure to leave tails on the shrimp.
To begin rinse the cleaned
shrimp in cold water and then dry with a paper towel.
Dust shrimp with flour.
In a large frying pan, heat
oil on medium heat and add shrimp. Cook them on both sides for 3
minutes on each side. Drain oil from pan.
Push shrimp around the pan leaving the center free. Add cream and
bring to a boil. Cook two minutes.
Add mustard, seasonings and salt. Stir constantly. When sauce is
thickened, gently stir in shrimp. Still for 2 minutes and then
serve.
This whole procedure should take approximately 20 minutes.
The best way to serve this delicacy is to divide shrimp and sauce
evenly on two dinner plates. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.
Arrange French bread in a basket or side plate. Dipping the bread
into the sauce of this exotic Love Bite is delightful.
This Love Bite is rich in
presentation and content. Is it fair to say the more often you enjoy
this type of romantic sharing, the more enriched your love life will
be? Viola…and will your partner think you are a romantic chef
extraordinaire? But of course!
Makes 2 Servings.
Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 pounds jumbo shrimp
1/4 cup parsley
Preparations:
Put in sauce pan and melt
together-let sit until ready to cook. Peel shrimp and add to above
sauce and sauté until done. (About 2-4 min.) Sprinkle parsley as you
cook. Serve with parsley and lemon wedges to garnish. Spoon excess
sauce from pan over shrimp. Excellent over pasta or accompanied with
a Caesar salad.
Makes 2 Servings.
Smoked Salmon aux
Capres
Ingredients:
4 ounces smoked salmon
(lox)
2 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces capers
1 lemon
Dash of cayenne pepper
Preparations:
Drain capers. Spread cream
cheese on each layer of salmon. Sprinkle with pepper. Place some
capers on each. Roll salmon. Refrigerate. Before serving, cut into
small portions. Place on top of lettuce leaves. Cut lemon in half to
decorate. Serve.
Makes 2 Servings.
Sweet-Sour Shrimp
Ingredients:
21 ounces cherry pie
filling
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 green bell pepper, (seeded, cut in strip)
1 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 pound peeled cooked medium shrimp
hot cooked rice
Preparations:
Drain shrimp well. In a
2-quart microwave-safe bowl, combine cherry pie filling, vinegar,
brown sugar and ginger. Mix well. Stir in green pepper, water
chestnuts and shrimp. Mix just to combine. Cover bowl with waxed
paper. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) 4 to 5 minutes (stirring 2 or
3 times), or until hot.
Serve over rice.
Makes 2 Servings.
Broiled Halibut with
Strawberry Mint Salsa
Ingredients:
10 ripe strawberries,
stemmed and diced
½ cup chopped watercress
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon finely diced serrano chile
Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste
2 8-ounce halibut filets
Comments:
According to The Dictionary
of Aphrodisiacs by Harry E. Wedeck, halibut is considered to have
particularly strong aphrodisiac properties. Top this amorous denizen
of the deep with sweet spring strawberries, chakras-stimulating
mint, and serrano chiles, which contain capsaicin, a fiery chemical
that causes the brain to produce endorphins, igniting a sense of
well being.
Preparations:
1. Gently toss together the
salsa ingredients (all ingredients except halibut filets).
Refrigerate.
2. Heat broiler. Season
halibut with salt and pepper. Place under broiler and cook for about
4 minutes on each side, until flaky but tender. Serve immediately
with salsa.
Serve with steamed white
rice mixed with freshly chopped parsley and mint.
Makes 2 Servings.
Stir-Fry Shrimp
Scramble
Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons
vegetable oil
3 ounces frozen pea pods
2 ounces medium-large frozen shrimps
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 ounces water chestnuts, sliced, drained
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
green onion fans
Preparations:
In 10-inch omelet pan or
skillet over medium heat, cook pea pods, shrimp, onions and garlic
in hot oil until pea pods can be broken apart with fork. Stir in
water chestnuts. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through,
about 5 minutes.
Beat together eggs, ginger
and salt, if desired, until blended. Pour over vegetables. With
pancake turner, gently lift and turn mixture until eggs are
thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Garnish with onion fan
if desired. (To make green onion fans, slit the white part of the
green onion lengthwise. Put in glass of cold water in the
refrigerator and it will curl.)
Makes 2 Servings.
Grilled Garlic Shrimp
and Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
SHRIMP
12 ounces large shrimp,
(approximately 12)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup mixed herbs, (basil, tarragon, oregano)
1/2 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon shallots, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
MASHED POTATOES
1 1/2 pounds potatoes,
(seven medium-sized)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter, (1 stick)
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
Preparations:
SHRIMP - Preheat oven to
350 degrees F. Peel shrimp and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a
mixing bowl, combine herbs, garlic, shallots and shrimp. Oil a
cookie sheet with olive oil, and place shrimp on pan. Grill for 2
minutes or until pink on each side. Bake at 350 degrees F for 2
minutes until brown.
MASHED POTATOES - Peel
potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and boil in salted water until
soft. Drain all the water. Mash potatoes and put into mixing bowl.
Slowly whip with an electric mixer until smooth. In medium saucepan,
heat cream and butter until slightly warm. Add cream and butter to
the potatoes and mix for 2 minutes. Add garlic, salt and pepper and
mix for 1 minute.
Makes 2 Servings.
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