Earthly Eating

These quick and easy recipes will help you put a twist on your regular fish-thinking recipes. Fish can be combined with just about anything to bring a recipe from drab to awesome. Being football season is here and more and more people are having parties and get-togethers, try these fishy dips to bring the entire party appetizer table together.

Fish, just not your thing? You can replace any of these dishes with chicken or even beef. If you are a vegetarian, replace the meat with fresh herbs or even tofu for an added flair of flavor. Don’t forget the chips!

• Citrus Shrimp with Salsa
Serves: 12

1 jar medium salsa
1 package (8 oz. package) cooked and peeled salad shrimp, thawed
3 tbs. pulp-free orange juice
2 tbs. lime juice
1 tbs. cilantro, chopped
1 package tortilla chips

1. Stir together the first five ingredients, cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Fill the chips evenly with the shrimp mixture; serve immediately.

• Lobster Dip and Chips
Serves: 12

1 package frozen lobster pieces
2 jar Monterey jack queso cheese dip
2 cans chopped green chilies
2/3 cup medium salsa
1 bag tortilla chips

1. Boil the lobster according to how the package directs. And chop coarsely.

2. Stir together the lobster, queso, green chilies and salsa in a large cooking pot and heat over medium high heat. Cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated through. Serve with warm chips.
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Earthly Eating Recipe

Blueberry Pancakes with Orange Sauce
Serves: 8

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cover and heat on low, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved. Cool for 5 minutes. Beat with a whisk for about 3 1/2 minutes or until the moisture has thickened up. Serve warm on top of Blueberry pancakes.

Happy Eating!

Cooking with Shrimp

• Ginger Teriyaki Shrimp Kebabs
Serves: 6

1/2 cup teriyaki marinade and sauce
2 tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbs. minced fresh or bottles ginger
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and divined
2 tbs. sesame seeds

Whisk together teriyaki sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes in large bowl; set aside. Add shrimp to bowl; toss with teriyaki mixture. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Coat grill rack with canola or olive oil spray. Preheat grill to med. Thread shrimp onto 12 skewers. Grill shrimp, covered, 3 to 5 minutes per side or until shrimp turn opaque. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before servings.

• Grilled Shrimp Scampi
Serves: 4

6 tbs. fresh lemon juice, divided
3 cloves of garlic, minced, divided
1 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and divined (thaw if frozen)
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2 tbs. sliced green onions
3/4 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 tbs. minced fresh parsley
Hot cooked angel hair pasta

Coat grill rack with canola or olive oil cooking spray. Preheat grill to med. high. Stir together 2 tbs. or the lemon juice and two-thirds of the minced garlic, drizzle over shrimp.

Grill shrimp, covered, 2 minutes per side or until the shrimp turns ink. Remove from the grill. Melt butter in large skillet oven medium high heat. Add green onions, lemon peel, remaining 4 tbs. lemon juice and remaining garlic, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. Reduce the heat to med. Stir in shrimp and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve over hot pasta.

Cooking with Catfish

• Herb Baked Catfish Fillets
Serves: 4

1 lb. thawed catfish fillets, cut into servings size pieces
1/2 tsp. garlic pepper
1 egg white, beaten
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 cup dry or fresh breadcrumbs
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray baking sheet with canola or olive oil cooking spray. Rinse fillets and par dry with paper towels. Sprinkle fish with garlic pepper.

Blend egg white, lemon peel and lemon juice in a pie plate or shallow dish. Combine breadcrumbs, dill, basil and oregano and spread on a plate or wax paper.

Dip 1 pieces of the fish in the egg white to coat; coat with breadcrumb mixture. Place the fish on a baking sheet, Repeat with the remaining fish. Spray the fillets lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until they are golden and thickest part of the fish and will flake easily with a fork or knife. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

• Blackened Catfish-Slaw Wraps
Serves: 4

2 tbs. flour
2 tbs. paprika
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 (6 oz.) catfish fillets
2 tbs butter to margarine, melted
4 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups coleslaw

Combine flour, paprika, oregano, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour mixture; place on a platter and drizzle with melted butter.

Coat a nonstick rack with canola or olive oil cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium-high (350°F-400°F). Grill fish, covered for about 7 minutes per side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Heat tortillas according to the package directions. Cut each catfish fillet lengthwise into 4 strips. Arrange 4 fillet strips on each tortilla, top with about 1/2 cup slaw and roll them up. Serve immediately.
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Earthly Eating Recipe

Non-Dairy, Low Fat Pumpkin Pie
Makes: 8 Servings

Drain the tofu and blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; blend well. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for about 1 hour. Filling will be a bit soft, but will firm as it chills. Chill and serve after chilling.

Happy Eating!

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp
Serves: 4

1 spaghetti squash (about 3 lb.), halved and seeded
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped (3/4 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red-pepper flakes (optional)
2 oz. mild feta cheese, crumbled, divided
8 kalamata olives, halved lengthwise and pitted
16 Chile Sautéed Shrimp, halved lengthwise (about 1 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place squash cut-side down on baking sheet. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until flesh just yield to pressure. Remove from oven and let cool enough to touch.

2. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 5 minutes until softened. Pour in tomatoes (with juice) oregano, and red-pepper flakes (if using) and bring to a simmer. Stir in half of the cheese. reduce heat to medium-low and cook 4 minutes longer.

3. Scrape fork against flesh of cooled squash in long diagonal motions to yield long strands ( 4 cups total). Add squash, olives and shrimp to tomato mixture. Cook 2 minutes until sauce clings to squash. Crumble remaining cheese over the top.

Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple
Serves: 4

3 tbs. pineapple juice (You can use the juice from below)
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. fresh minced ginger or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 tsp. allspice (or use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves)
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and divined
1 large red bell pepper, cut in 1″ chucks
1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice, drained

1. In a small bowl, combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and allspice. Put shrimp and pepper chunks in a resalable bag or shallow glass bowl, add the pineapple-spice mixture, cover, and marinate shrimp in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 12 hours.

2. When ready to grill, remove shrimp and peppers from the marinade, discard any remaining marinade. Thread shrimp, peppers, and pineapple chunks onto metal skewers, alternating them until all shrimp and peppers are used. Reserve extra pineapple chunks to serve on the side, or thread them on a skewer to grill.

3. Grill or broil skewers for about 3 minutes per side or until the shrimp is cooked through. Remove from skewers and serve with a salad.
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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Grilled Polenta with Tomato
Serves: 4

3. Arrange the hot, cooked polenta in a single layer in a serving dish. Top with the tomato, oil mixture and cheese.

Happy Eating!

• Prep ahead: Be sure to have the right ingredients and tools on hand before getting started in baking anything.

• Measure up: Be sure to measure dry and liquid ingredients accurately. Baking is a science, so accuracy counts.

• Heat first: Preheat the oven 10 to 15 minutes before you begin baking. The oven and oven gauge may not always match, so use an oven thermometer.

• Lighten up: Don’t over mix or beat the dough vigorously after adding flour, or your baked goods may be tough.

• Cool it: Hot cookie sheets may cause cookies to spread, so let your baking sheets cool completely before reusing.

Earthly Eating FYI: 86 the 6s; reducing your intake of omega-6 fats may decrease your cancer risk, which are found in corn oil and most oils in store-bought bakery goods, omega-6s ignite the pro-inflammatory COX-2-enzyme; if you’re eating a diet high in omega-6-fatty acids. It could be that you are turning on your cancer cascade, which has been shown to be a common denominator in the growth of prostate, colorectal, and some breast cancers. Switch to olive oil or organic canola oil, avoid prepackaged muffins, and increase your intake of balancing omega-3-fatty acids from cold-water fish, walnuts, and flax.
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Earthly Eating Recipe

Chile Sautéed Shrimp
Serves: 8

2. Add shrimp, Chile peppers, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add sugar and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer until shrimp are pink. Toss with salt. Serve shrimp alongside a mixed green salad.

Happy Eating!