College Cooking: Quick and Easy Seafood Dinners!

Quick-cooking, light and versatile, seafood provides a variety of meal options that are both delicious and nutritious. It is low in fat, high in protein, high in vitamins and minerals, and contains omega 3 fatty acids. With summer… and bikini season quickly approaching, try some of these tasty and healthy seafood dinners!
 
Sauteed Halibut with Romesco Sauce: For this recipe you will need 2 medium red bell peppers, 1 dried ancho pepper stemmed and seeded,1.5 tablespoons slivered and toasted almonds, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, salt, pepper, 2 garlic cloves chopped, 1 slice whole wheat bread, 4 halibut fillets, cooking spray, and 4 lemon wedges. Preheat broiler. Cut bell peppers in half- discard seeds and membranes. Place bell peppers, skin sides up, on a baking sheet; flatten. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Add ancho; broil 2 minutes. Place bell peppers in a paper bag and close tightly. Let stand 5 minutes; peel. Place bell peppers, ancho, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and next 8 ingredients (through bread) in a food processor; process until smooth. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt over fish. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan and cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Top with sauce and serve with lemon wedges.
 
Herbed Shrimp and White Bean Salad: For this recipe you will need 1 red bell pepper, 4 cups arugula, 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1 can cannellini beans (or other white beans) rinsed and drained, 1/2 teaspoon of grated lemon zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cooking spray, 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, and 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts. Preheat broiler to high. Halve bell pepper lengthwise and discard seeds and membranes. Place halves, skin sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 12 minutes or until blackened. Seal in a paper bag. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel and chop. Combine bell pepper and next 6 ingredients (through beans). Combine zest, juice, garlic, oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add shrimp, lemon mixture, and nuts to arugula mixture and toss.
 

Lime-Soy Tuna with Noodles: For this recipe you will need 8 teaspoons fresh lime juice, 8 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, 4 teaspoons canola oil, 4 teaspoons honey, 2 teaspoons minced and peeled fresh ginger, a pinch of ground red pepper, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tuna steaks, 4 ounces wide rice noodles, 1/4 cup matchstick cut carrots, 4 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1.5 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, 1.5 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon mirin, cooking spray, and 1 tablespoon finely minced green onions. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Pour 2 tablespoons juice mixture into a zip-top plastic bag; reserve remaining juice mixture. Add tuna to bag; seal and marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes, turning bag once. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Combine noodles, carrots, vinegar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and mirin- toss well. Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove tuna from bag; discard marinade. Place tuna in pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Divide noodle mixture between 2 plates; sprinkle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons onions. Cut tuna into thin slices; arrange 1 sliced tuna steak on each plate. Drizzle each serving with 3 tablespoons reserved dressing.
 

Crispy Herbed Shrimp with Garlic Aioli: For this recipe you will need 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 large egg whites beaten, 1.5 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper. Combine 1/4 cup panko, parsley, thyme, and crushed red pepper in a mini food processor; pulse to combine. Combine herb mixture with remaining 1/2 cup panko in a shallow dish. Place cornstarch and egg whites in separate shallow dishes. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and black pepper. Dredge half of shrimp in cornstarch, shaking off excess; dip into egg whites. Dredge shrimp in panko mixture; press to adhere. Repeat procedure with remaining shrimp. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat with remaining oil and shrimp. Combine yogurt and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with shrimp.
 
Hopefully these quick and delicious seafood dinners will get you cooking one of these warm summer nights! Seafood is constantly on sale in the supermarket- see what has the best price and use one of these four techniques to cook it at home. These meals are great for one or to entertain!