Healthy and Tasty Seafood Recipes to Include In Your Summer Menu

Healthy and tasty, cooked or raw, seafood is widely appreciated for its exceptional taste. Shrimps, mussels, squid, oysters, calamari, crab and lobster – the variety is enormous. We offer you some seafood recipes which will surely please you and your family.

Why is it important to focus on seafood recipes? First let’s start with the fact that there are two types of seafood. The first category includes crabs, scallops, shrimps and crayfish. As for the second, it brings together oysters, mussels, sea urchins and all other shellfish. Low in calories, light and super tasty, seafood is very rich in protein and at the same time super low in cholesterol and fat. Aside from being lower in calories and high in protein, seafood is rich in iodine, selenium, iron, zinc and calcium.

For some, even the thought of a simple seafood recipe instantly makes your mouth water while bringing a holiday flavor to the table. How to cook seafood? Fresh or frozen? How to choose it? We shall give you chefs’ tips so that you have the perfect dish every time. So here’s a little review of the best seafood-based proposals to prepare at home that will bring a holiday touch to every summer table!

How to Cook Seafood – Basic Rules that You Need to Follow

It is hard to find someone who does not like grilled shrimp, scallops or mussels in a flavorful sauce. However, many people are afraid to cook seafood at home. There are some basic rules how to choose and cook seafood properly and if you know them, you will get a delicate aromatic dish every time.

When buying seafood, pay attention to the color. For example, if you take mussels or shrimp, and they already have a reddish tint, this indicates that they are ready to eat. That is, they have already been cooked.

How to cook frozen seafood? Fresh seafood is better than frozen, but frozen is not necessarily worse than fresh. Sounds like a paradox? Not at all. Indeed, nothing beats freshly caught seafood, but this luxury, alas, is not available to everyone. Seafood that was frozen immediately after being caught is not only a more affordable, but sometimes a better alternative.

Frozen seafood must be defrosted as delicately as possible. You should transfer the seafood from the freezer to the refrigerator a day before cooking, so that it can thaw slowly without losing the juiciness and texture.

There are two methods of cooking seafood – you cook it either 2-3 minutes or 40-50 minutes. Seafood consists of a large amount of protein, which denatures when heat treated. If not cooked properly, seafood can get tough and tasteless. It is also advisable to cook seafood in small portions.

Just a few additional ingredients are needed to make seafood delicious – lemon, chili flakes, and salt and these are quite enough to prepare a delicious dish. If you want to add a little more flavor, use fresh thyme and garlic cloves.

Delicate and Easy Seafood Recipes for Your Summer Menu

Seafood is universal and can be used in any type of dish – salads, soups, stews, casseroles, stir-fries, etc. You can experiment with different types of cuisine as well – French, Mediterranean, Asian and find out which one you like best. Here are some easy and delicious seafood recipes to try at home!

Easy Seafood Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 32 oz/900 g octopus
• 7 oz/200 g squid
• 1 lb/500 g mussels
• 1 lb/500 g clams
• 7 oz/200 g peeled shrimp
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 cloves garlic
• Lemon juice, to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• Salt to taste
• Parsley to sprinkle before serving

Directions:

Clean the mussels and drain the clams, then carefully clean the squid and octopus.

Cook the mussels and clams in a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil and the garlic. Cook for 4 minutes with the lid on.

In the meantime, combine water, 1 lemon cut into four parts, parsley and celery in a pot. Bring to a boil and dip the octopus in and cook for 40 minutes over low heat and with the lid on.

When the octopus is ready, drain it, and cook the squid in the same water for 10 minutes and finally the peeled shrimps for 5 minutes.

When the octopus and squid are cold, cut them into small pieces. Drizzle with olive oil, chopped parsley and salt into a tureen. Stir and add the fish. Stir again and serve.

Seafood Recipes – Coconut Milk and Tomato Seafood Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup chopped shallots
• 2 14 oz/396g cans diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken, veggie, or seafood stock
• 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 pound/450g lobster meat
• 25 large raw shrimp, tails off
• 15 large scallops
• Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• ¾ cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

In medium sauce pan, heat olive oil, add chopped shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium high heat, or until shallots are lightly browned. Next, pour in diced tomatoes, stock, and white wine, bring liquid to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add in the coconut milk, chopped basil, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring liquid to a simmer, then add in seafood and cook for 4-5 minutes. Make sure to not overcook seafood; the shrimp should be a pinkish color, the lobster and shallots should be firm, but not rubbery.

Garnish with fresh parsley, basil, and Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Mediterranean Seafood Stew Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 ½ cup diced tomatoes
• 1 cod fillet
• 1 squid, cleaned and cut in rings
• 10 large shrimp
• 10 fresh mussels
• 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• pinch of saffron, powdered
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 ½ cup fish stock
• 1/4 cup of water
• 10 almonds, blanched
• 4 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
• sea alt
• fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Crush the garlic and chop the onion, cut the bell pepper into cubes and cut the fish fillet into six pieces.

Heat the pan and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, season the squid rings with salt and pepper and fry in the hot oil for about 2 minutes. Remove the squid from the pan and set aside.

Put the chopped onion in the pan and fry for about 3 minutes, add the garlic, stir well and add the bell pepper. Stir well and let it simmer for about 3 minutes. Add the thyme, paprika and a pinch of salt.

Add the diced tomatoes with a pinch of sugar, let simmer for 5 minutes, then add the fish stock, water and the saffron. Mix everything well and let it come to a boil and put the heat to low.

Roast the almonds for about 4 minutes, put them in a blender with 2 teaspoons of fresh parsley. Use the pulse button until a nice paste forms. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir well and put this in the pan with the onion/tomato mixture.

After about 10 minutes, add the fish fillet, squid, mussels and the large shrimps into the pan. Put the lid on and cook for 5 minutes. The mussels should now be open and the fish cooked.

Remove from heat and sprinkle parsley on top.

Seafood Recipes – Creamy Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces/220g spaghetti
• 1 pound/450g large shrimp, deveined
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon each smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• For the sauce:
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup shallot, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Finely chopped Italian parsley, to garnish
• Lemon wedges, to garnish

Directions:

Cook the pasta: Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until it is just al dente. Drain the pasta.

Cook the shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry. In a medium bowl, mix the shrimp with the spices. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Cook the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side until opaque and cooked through, turning them with tongs. Set them aside.

Make the sauce: Wipe out the skillet. In the same skillet melt the butter over medium low heat, add the garlic and shallot and saute for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant but not browned. Add the flour and cook 1 more minute. Add white wine and cream and cook on a low simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and salt and whisk until it melts. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Serve: When the sauce is done, add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Then add the shrimp and toss. Taste and a few more pinches of salt, if necessary. Remove from the heat. Garnish with finely chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

Serve immediately.

Seafood Risotto Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pre-cooked whole lobster using the claws and tail
• 8 shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 large scallops
• all seafood should be pre-cooked and diced into chunks
• 1½ quart/1,5 liters of seafood stock
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2 large shallots
• ¾ cup of Prosecco or white wine
• 1 cup of canned or fresh diced tomatoes, drained of wet liquid
• parsley
• olive oil and butter

Directions:

Cook the shrimp and scallops on a foil lined sheet pan, drizzle seafood with some garlic infused olive oil and a small handful of chopped parsley, roast at 425 F/220C until pink and translucent, about 10 minutes, let it rest.

Break down the lobster tail, removing the shell from the claws so they stay in tact, remove the shell from the tail and cut into chunks, place all the lobster meat into the juices of the cooked shrimp and scallops on the sheet pan.

Place a knob of butter and a good drizzle of olive oil into the bottom of the risotto pot.

Add shallots and cook until they soften.

Add rice, stirring until coated and hot.

Deglaze with the Prosecco or white wine.

When liquid is absorbed, start adding your simmering warm seafood stock, one ladle at a time, stirring until it gets absorbed, then add another ladle.

Keep flame on medium heat and continue adding warm stock and stirring until absorbed and rice reaches a tender and slightly al dente.

Turn off heat, add another knob of butter, a little olive oil, the drained chopped tomatoes and parsley, then stir to incorporate and finally add in your chopped seafood.

Put the lid on and let it rest for 1 minute.

When plating top each plate with one claw and garnish with more parsley

Seafood Recipes – Thai Scallop Saute

Ingredients:

• 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 ½ pounds/700g sea scallops
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 2 medium onions, halved and sliced
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 4 small carrots, sliced
• ¼ cup Thai peanut sauce
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Hot cooked rice
• Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add half the scallops; stir-fry until firm and opaque. Remove from pan. Repeat with an additional 1 teaspoon oil and remaining scallops.

In same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add vegetables; stir-fry until crisp-tender, 7-9 minutes. Stir in peanut sauce and salt. Return scallops to pan; heat through.

Serve with rice and lime wedges.

Seafood Recipes – Classic French Mussels

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds/ 1,4 kg mussels, scrubbed
• 4 Tbsp Butter (+ extra for buttering baguette slices)
• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8-10 sprigs of thyme
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 baguette

Directions:

Wash Mussels under cold water. Toss the ones that remain open into the trash.

In a large pot heat the butter over medium heat until melted.

Increase heat to high, add green onions, garlic and thyme. Sautee for 1-2 minutes.

Add mussels and cover.

Steam for 6-8 minutes or until mussels have opened.

Remove thyme sprigs.

Pour in the cream, white wine, parsley, salt and pepper.

Slice the baguette and top with a little butter, arrange on a pan and bake at 375F/190C at top of rack for 5 minutes or until bread is lightly browned.

Serve the mussels with baguette slices.