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College Cooking: Quick and Easy Seafood Dinners!

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emory chapter.

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!

Jessica lives her life at several speeds. She talks too fast, eats too slow and over-analyzes too much.  When she’s not telling long-winded stories, sitting alone at the dinner table, or staring off into space, Jessica loves all things creative. Screenwriter, play director and poet at age 9, songwriter and choreographer at age 16, now, at 23, all she really wants to do is write, help others, and post Instagrams.  As a social media coordinator for multiple fashion brands, and a post-grad writer for Her Campus, she gets to do just that. Jessica is a Midwestern girl from the suburbs of Chicago, but she fell in love with city living during a summer internship in the Big Apple, and now calls NYC home. Jessica loves chocolate milkshakes, dance parties, Chippewa Ranch Camp, Friends re-runs, Chuck Bass and of course, spending time with her fans (read: family and friends).