Seafood

Seafood Freekeh Paella

categories: Posts, Recipes, Rice & Grains, Seafood
Seafood Freekeh Paella

One of my favorite foods (even before I visited Barcelona in 2017 and experienced the authentic version) is Seafood Paella. What is Paella (pie-yay-ya; the L’s are silent)? Paella is a Spanish rice dish made in one frying pan, originating from Valencia, on the eastern coast of Spain. It began as a peasant/laborer’s dish that is now popular all over Spain. It is rumored that paella actually comes from the Arabic root word “baqiya” meaning leftovers. However, linguists actually credit the name paella to the frying pan in which the dish is made, known in Spanish as la paella.

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Grilled Stuffed Snapper

categories: Posts, Recipes, Seafood

Grilled Fish

The best grilled fish I’ve had was in Sydney, Australia at an upscale restaurant on the harbor. It was a beautiful September evening in 2012 and I was enjoying a low-key dinner with my cousin and his beautiful wife. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant, but it was on a docking strip with a couple other outdoor restaurants. Not only was the weather amazing (September there is really like early spring to us), but the food was amazing. It also happened to be that I had the best oysters of my life there as well. (more…)

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Salmon Burgers

categories: Posts, Recipes, Seafood

Salmon Burger

At the Fayyad household, when the one doing the cooking goes on a diet, everyone goes on diet– whether they like it or not. Diet is a harsh word. Really, it’s making healthier food choices; in essence cutting the processed foods, oils and sugars.

I’m conscious of the boys, who require carbs to feel full. They made it pretty obvious that the diet menu isn’t going to work for them when I whipped up salmon burgers, sans burger buns. There were looks of confusion, “why would you make burgers without burger buns,” was uttered multiple times as the table was being set and a mad scramble to find any kind of bread to accompany the patties. Out of burger buns, they settled on toasted, sliced bread. I did throw shoestring fries in the oven for them, thinking that would be enough processed food for them not to realize that I was feeding them healthy food. (more…)

Frutti Di Mare (Seafood Salad)

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes, Seafood

Frutti Di Mare_3

 

I love all seafood. Really, I don’t discriminate. I’ve cooked all sorts of seafood before – from shrimp to red snapper. But I’ve never tried to make mussels or clams at home. This was the coolest cooking experience I’ve had in a while! It was so fun I Instagramed them popping! I had to do a little bit of research to find out how exactly to wash and prepare them. It’s a lot of work, but let me tell you … it is worth it. The most exciting step in this dish was steaming the clams and mussels. I have glass tops for my cookware and I was able to watch the shells popping open. At first, I had no idea what to expect with the clams. I wasn’t sure how how “open” they’d get. When I saw a sliver of an opening, I almost turned the heat off, but then I was pleasantly surprised when I watched the first shell pop completely open. If you’re not into the whole Frutti Di Mare, you at least have to steam your own mussels and clams. It’s pretty impressive too, when you present them to guests. (more…)

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Calamari Salad

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes, Salads, Seafood

 

Following an incredibly long time away from my bathroom scale, I got up the courage to get on and face the number that stared back at me. Not bad. For all the eating I had done on my two-week work trip, I was back and while feeling bloated (probably from being on a plane for 8 plus hours), I hadn’t gained a pound…. I couldn’t say the same for my luggage though. But that’s a story for another day.

The scale scare, and the heat and humidity that greeted me upon my return inspired me to go lighter on my meals. I scoured the internet looking for something light, but filling. And I came across this recipe for Calamari Salad. (more…)

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