Walnut Crusted Salmon

This is a definite redo in my house!! Wow, the taste of it was fabulous and the kids had so many extra pieces that the hubs and I only got one a piece and there were NO leftovers the next day... This is the first time that I have made salmon and I figured that it would go over pretty well since my kids love fish of any kind, but I didn't realize that it was going to go over quite so well!! We love it, as you can probably tell. I had pecans at my house, since the in-laws have a whole grove of them, so I used that in place of the walnuts. Go nuts, try it with whatever floats your boat!! Make sure you make extra though, because it will go fast!

Walnut Crusted Salmon
(Recipe found in Taste of Home)

4 salmon fillets (4 ounces each)
4 teaspoons dijon mustard
4 teaspoons honey
2 slices whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 400. Place salmon on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Mix mustard and honey; brush over top of salmon. Place bread in a food processor; pulse until coarse crumbs form. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in wannuts, oil and thyme, press onto salmon. Bake 12-15 minutes or until topping is lightly browned and salmon just begins to flake easily with a fork.

Artichoke and Parmesan Tilapia

We like eating fish in our house and tilapia is usually hanging out in our freezer on a weekly basis... I like the taste of it, but I wanted to have a different recipe to pair it with other then the one that I usually use. I like the taste of artichokes and parmesan, so this seemed like a nice bet! The hubs and I both really enjoyed this recipe and we will definitely be using it again...

Artichoke and Parmesan Tilapia
(recipe found on pinterest via www.laaloosh.com)

1 pound tilapia
6 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Wash tilapia, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients and top tilapia with mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Parmesan Tilapia

Yes! Another easy tilapia recipe that my family will eat! It is one of our go to fish dinners and I like to have a little variety in the ways that I cook it... This one was super easy to make and we all enjoyed it.

Parmesan Tilapia
(recipe found on pinterest via (thegingermama.com)

8 tilapia fillets
parmesan
paprika
salt and pepper
olive oil

Mix parmesan, paprika, salt and pepper. Drizzle your fillets in olive oil and dredge in your parmesan mixture. Lay on a sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees.

Ramen Shrimp and Veggies

As you know I am a big fan of quick and easy meals. We are on the run a lot of the time and I like to be able to feed the kids quick and get out the door. This incorporates my love of quickness and our families love of shrimp! Love it!

Ramen Shrimp and Veggies
(recipe found on www.bettycrocker.com)

1 lb uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen and tails peeled
2 cups water
1 package Oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
1 bag (1 pound) stir-fry vegetables
1/4 cup stir-fry sauce

Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp in skillet 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pink and firm. Remove shrimp from skillet; keep warm. Heat water to boiling in same skillet. Break up noodles from soup mix into water; stirring until slightly softened. Stir in vegetables. Heat to boiling. Boil 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in seasoning packet from soup mix and stir-fry sauce. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until hot. Stir in shrimp.

Cajun Shrimp and Cucumber Wraps

Like I have said in the past, shrimp is a favorite around the Connor house and we like it a whole variety of ways... Bella was craving cucumbers one day, so I thought that I would whip up this quick and easy snack. Definitely a hit! Although the hubs isn't too found of anything on a tortilla shell, the kids and I like wraps of all kinds...

Cajun Shrimp and Cucumber Wraps
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

1/4 cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning, divided
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed)
8 lettuce leaves
4 flatbread wraps (I used tortilla shells)
2 small cucumbers, cut lengthwise into quarters
4 thin sliced red onions
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, 3 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning and pepper. Toss shrimp with remaining cajun seasoning. In a large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium high heat. Add shrimp mixture; cook and stir until shrimp turn pink. Place lettuce on flatbread wraps; top with cucumbers, onion, parsley and shrimp. Drizzle with dressing; roll up and chow down!

Grilled Shrimp Scampi

Around here we are a hearty bunch! That means that we grill all year round, even if we have to shovel our way across the deck to get to the grill and scrape off the top of it... There's just something about grilled meat that is so fabulous! So, that's the way we cooked this scampi and it was wonderful - a perfect, light meal! Easy and yummy...

Grilled Shrimp Scampi
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a large bowl, whisk the first five ingredients. Add shrimp; toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, 30 minutes. Thread shrimp onto skewers. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4" from heat 6-8 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, turning once. Serve with rice.

Buttery Italian Shrimp

I love shrimp... I have a hard time cooking it at times, I know that I cook it too long and that is the problem. This recipe made it simple to have great tasting shrimp turn out fabulous! This was some delicious shrimp that was easy to throw together. Not the healthiest way to eat shrimp, but pair it with a healthy side and it's still a great way to go!



Buttery Italian Shrimp
(recipe found on pinterest)

12 ounces shrimp
1/2 cup butter
lemon, sliced thin
1 packet dried italian seasoning

Heat oven to 350. While heating, melt butter on foil lined baking sheet. Layer shrimp and lemon on pan and sprinkle with italian seasoning. Bake for 15 minutes.

Parmesan Sesame Chicken Strips

This sounded super good to me and for some reason my mind went straight to the tilapia fillets that I had in my freezer, so I thought that I would give it a whirl. Try them with chicken or fish, they were delicious!!



Parmesan Sesame Chicken Strips
(recipe found on pinterest via www.sixsistersstuff.com)

35 ritz crackers, finely crushed
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (or tilapia fillets)
1 cup light mayo
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 teaspoons ground mustard

Cover a large baking sheet with tin foil and coat with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 425. In a bowl combine mayo, onion and mustard. In a second bowl combine crackers, sesame seeds and parmesan. Cut into strips if desired, dip into mayo mixture and cover with cracker mixture. Place on baking sheet and bake 15-18 minutes.

Lemon Orange Shrimp and Rice

I think that this was one of my favorite meals in a long time!! I love rice-a-roni and I love the simpleness of this meal. I also LOVE when I don't have to fight with my kids to eat supper and this was that meal! They gobbled it right up and we didn't have any problems at all...

Lemon Orange Shrimp and Rice
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

2 packages (6.2 ounces each) fried rice mix (I used rice-a-roni)
1 1/2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup orange marmalade
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 cups frozen sugar snap peas, thawed

Prepare rice according to package directions, simmering for about 10-15 minutes or just until rice is tender. Remove from pan. In the same skillet, cook and stir shrimp in oil over medium high heat for 4-6 minutes or until shrimp are pink; stir in orange marmalade and lemon peel. Add snap peas and rice; heat through, mixing gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Lime Tilapia with Crisp Tender Peppers

This was a huge favorite of my whole family!! In fact a couple of days later my son asked if he could have the leftovers for breakfast... After we decided that he could have them for lunch he was ecstatic! Definitely an easy re-do... The only not so great part was peppers - I got a little crazy and heavy handed with the basil and they were not a favorite part of this meal for any of us!

Lime Tilapia with Crisp Tender Peppers
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

4 tilapia fillets
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 each medium sweet red, yellow and orange pepper, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Place fillets on a 13x9 baking dish. Drizzle with lime juice; sprinkle with lime peel, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook and stir peppers in oil over medium heat until crisp tender; stir in basil. Serve with tilapia.

Shrimp Cobb Salad

This was a wonderful take on a cobb salad! We all loved the taste and it was delicious the next day too... The presentation of this salad would be great for a potluck, especially if you take the time to layer it in a trifle dish. Since it was just us at home I didn't take the time to pretty it up, but it definitely tastes just as good either way! :) It was a refreshing meal on a hot day!

Shrimp Cobb Salad
(recipe found on pinterest via http://www.skinnytaste.com)

16 ounces large shrimp, cooked and cooled
1 tablespoon lime juice
chipotle chili powder and salt, to taste
6 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
15 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn kernels
2 tablespoons red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 seedless cucumber, chopped
2 cups diced tomato
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 cup mexican cheese blend

Rinse shrimp and chop into large chunks. Toss with salt, chipotle chili powder and lime juice. Set aside. Combine beans, corn, red onion, cilantro, juice of 1/2 a lime and salt to taste.

In a large glass bowl, like a trifle dish, layer ingredients beginning with lettuce, black bean mixture, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, cheese and ending with the shrimp on top.

Serves: 6
Points: 6 per 2 cup servings

Pasta Primavera with Shrimp

In keeping with Beau's new found love of shrimp, I thought that I would mix this quick dish up on the week night! It was another quick, easy meal that I could throw together and the kids all loved it! We ate on our deck for the first time this spring - love that the weather has been so nice so early this year!!



Pasta Primavera with Shrimp
(recipe found in Family Fun)

1 1/2 cups baby carrots, trimmed
2 cups sugar snap peas
8 ounces penne
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound medium size peeled shrimp
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup chopped parsley

In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add carrots and simmer for 1 1/2 minutes. Add peas and simmer for 1 minute more. As the water continues to boil, use a slotted spoon and transfer the vegetables to a bowl, then put the pasta into the pot and cook it according to the package directions. In a large skillet over medium high heat, warm the oil. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, peas, salt, pepper and garlic and continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute more. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits. Stir in the cream and lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add the pasta and grated cheese and combine well to coat. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the parsley.

Serves: 6
Points: 6

Shrimp Tortellini Pasta Toss

My kids never cease to amaze me... They come up with the craziest things and I can never figure out what they are going to like and not like! Supper on this night was one of those examples. Beau, my child who hates everything and anything.... tomatoes, any kind of potatoes, spinach every now and then and something new every time I put supper on the table, declared this meal to be the best ever and would I please make it for supper every night. WHAT?? Keep in mind that it had SHRIMP in it... Now what normal kid, who hates everything, is going to like shrimp?? Obviously my weirdo! :) Oh well, I aim to please and we have been having shrimp about once a week since then. Hey - if it's going to save a little fighting and cajoling at the supper table, I'm all for it!!

Shrimp Tortellini Pasta Toss
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

1package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 cup frozen peas
1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook tortellini according to package directions, add the peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking. In a large nonstick skillet, saute shrimp in 2 tablespoons oil for 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1-2 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Drain tortellini mixture; add to skillet. Stir in the salt, thyme, pepper and remaining oil; toss to coat.

Serves: 4
Points: 9 points per 1 1/4 cups

Baked Tilapia

It makes me so happy that my kids are so willing to try all the things that we make and it makes me even happier that they actually like "different" things that kids might not usually eat... The other night I made fish and they were actually annoyed with me that there wasn't enough from them to have more! I was just excited that they liked it let alone wanted seconds! :)

Baked Tilapia
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

4 (5 ounces each) tilapia fillets
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano

In a shallow bowl, combine ingredients. Coat tilapia in crumb mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet. (I used parchment paper.) Bake at 425 for 8-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves: 4
Points: 3 per fillet

Pan Fried Tilapia and the SRC

Once again, I was super excited to get my Secret Recipe Club assignment and once again, I was not disappointed. I received the blog I Was Born to Cook and man was she ever! There is recipe after recipe that I wanted to try and I could not wait to get started... Melissa and I share a lot in common as I was browsing through all of her recipes... We both have daughters named Bella, we both love food (especially chocolate) and we are both trying to keep our love of food in check with Weight Watchers! This meant a lot of recipes to go through and try to decide which would be my pick for this month's SRC???

A few tasty tidbits that drew my attention included these recipes for crustless quiche, since anyone that reads my blog knows about my love of breakfast, roasted asparagus with garlic, cocoa and chili rubbed pork chops, again with my love of pork chops! These were just the recipes for main dishes that I found!! I also have added hot artichoke dip, chocolate zucchini muffins, mint oreo fudge and hidden kisses Christmas cookies on my list of recipes to try very soon! I tried two recipes before I blogged for SRC and they included this great recipe for french onion soup (IN THE CROCKPOT!!) and the recipe that I ultimately decided to blog on for today's SRC - Pan Fried Tilapia.

I usually have issues cooking fish but I wanted to give it a go again... These looked delicious, healthy for me and my family and super easy and I was right on all counts! The fish had a fabulous taste and my sometimes fussy kids gobbled it right up - that makes it a winner to me! This is definitely going on the repeat list!



Pan Fried Tilapia
(recipe found at www.iwasborntocook.blogspot.com)

2 tilapia fillets
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
1/4 cup seasoned italian bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Beat an egg in one bowl and mix bread crumbs and seasonings in another bowl. Dip fish in egg first, followed by bread crumb mixture. Put oil in a hot non stick pan on medium high heat. Move the pan around so the oil covers the entire surface and add fish. Cook each side for about 4-5 minutes. Squeeze some lemon over fish before serving, if desired.

Serves: 2
Points: 5

Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice

My advice on this one? Have all your ingredients chopped and ready to roll... It is a quick and easy one to throw together and you need to be ready to add everything to the pan quickly! We all enjoyed this one and it was just as good cold the next day for leftovers.



Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

2 eggs
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon canola oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cooked instant brown rice
1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 green onions, sliced
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add eggs; cook and stir until set; remove from the skillet and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the rice, pineapple, shrimp, cashews, peas and green onions; heat through. Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, sesame oil and pepper; stir into rice mixture. Stir in eggs.

Serves: 6 (1 1/3 cup servings)
Points: 7

Grilled Sirloin Teriyaki

This is a super versatile recipe that can be used with almost any meat! The real recipe called for sirloin steak but can use fish, chicken or pork chops, which is how we tried it!! It was fantastic... Easy to throw together in the morning and quick to grill up at night. It had a wonderful flavor and we all enjoyed it!

Grilled Sirloin Teriyaki
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
4 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 beef top sirloin steak (1 inch thick and 1/2 pound)

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first six ingredients. Add the steak; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and discard marinade. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack. Grill beef, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness.

Serves: 2
Points: 3 1/2 per serving (with pork chops)

Cajun Shrimp Skewers

These were one of those super quick and easy recipes that I love to find! I got the shrimp in the the mix during naps and just had to skewer them quick when we got home. Served with some rice and fruit, it was a perfect summer meal that we all loved!



Cajun Shrimp Skewers
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium lemon, cut into wedges

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first nine ingredients. Add the jumbo shrimp; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. On eight metal or soaked wooden appetizer skewers, thread shrimp and lemon wedges. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4" from the heat for 5-8 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, turning once.

Sea Scallop Stir Fry

This was a quick and easy meal to cook up... We got back from the playground a little late and I thought supper as going to be late too, but I whipped it right up and we were actually still sitting down to eat at our normal time! :) The kids were super happy about this since they were STARVING... It had a great taste to eat and my kids ate it pretty well.



Sea Scallop Stir Fry
(recipe found at www.bettycrocker.com)

1 package oriental flavor ramen noodle soup mix
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
3/4 pound asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 pound sea scallops, cut in half
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce

Reserve seasoning packet from noodles. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package. While noodles are cooking, heat oil in wok or 12" skillet over high heat. Add asparagus, bell pepper, onion and garlic; stir fry 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender crisp. Add scallops; stir fry until white.

Mix contents of reserved seasoning packet, soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil and pepper sauce; stir into scallop mixture. Stir in noodles; heat through.

Salmon Grilled in Foil

I believe, as far as I can remember, that this is the first time that I have ever had salmon. It had a slightly more fishy taste then I like, but once I got past that, this recipe was pretty good. My brother was over for supper and he went back for seconds on everything and was pretty impressed with the salmon especially! 2 thumbs up from him and the hubs!!



Salmon Grilled in Foil
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

4 salmon fillets (4 ounces each)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, cut into rings
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Place salmon, skin side down, on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Combine the garlic powder, lemon pepper, curry and salt; sprinkle over salmon. Top with onion and tomatoes. Fold foil over fish and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 10-15 minutes ro until fish flakes easily with a fork. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape.