Chilled seafood choices: avocado and shrimp, mussels, smoked salmon in sauce - recipes

Sunset, Sept, 1988

Chilled seafood choices: avocado and shrimp, mussels,

smoked salmon in sauce

Served simply with a few flavorful additions, chilled seafoods make ideal firstcourse dishes for warm-weather dining.

The first combination is especially easy: it

features rolls of sliced smoked salmon in a tart dill sauce. In the next dish, mussels steamed in wine are chilled, then served with toast seasoned with a concentrate of cooking juices, lemon, and garlic.

Last, large shrimp and avocado are presented on a gazpacho-flavored salsa.

Smoked Salmon in Cool Dill Sauce

2/3 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon each minced fresh dill

(or 1 teaspoon dry dill weed) and chives

1/2 teaspoon liquid hot pepper

seasoning

Salt and pepper

1/3 pound thinly sliced smoked salmon

Fresh dill sprigs or parsley sprigs

In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, vinegar, dill, chives, and liquid hot pepper; season to taste with salt and pepper. Use, or cover and chill until next day.

Divide salmon into 6 equal portions. Loosely roll each portion into a cylinder. Spoon equal amounts of dill sauce onto 6 salad plates. Lay I salmon roll in the sauce on each plate; garnish with a dill sprig. Makes 6 first-course servings.

Per serving: 85 cal.; 5.4 g protein; 1.3 g carbo.; 6.5 g fat,- 17 mg chol. ; 212 mg sodium.

Mussels on Lemon-Garlic Toast

12 mussels in shells, scrubbed and

beards pulled off

1 cup dry white wine

3/4 teaspoon finely shredded lemon

peel (yellow part only)

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Toast (directions follow)

Lemon wedges

Parsley sprigs

Place mussels in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan, add wine, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mussels open, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, lift out mussels and place in a bowl; cover and chill until cool, at least 30 minutes.

Boil wine on high heat, uncovered, until liquid is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in lemon peel, garlic, parsley, oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until cool, at least 15 minutes.

Place 3 mussels on each of 4 salad plates. Lay 3 pieces of toast on each plate opposite mussels. Drizzle equal portions of lemon-garlic mixture evenly over toast. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs. Pluck mussels from shells with a small fork and place on toast to eat. Makes 4 first-course servings.

Per serving: 226 cal ; 9. 2g protein; 33 g carbo.;

5.8g fat; 11 mg chol. ; 426 mg sodium.

Toast. Cut 1 baguette (8 oz.) into 1/2 -inchthick diagonal slices. Lay slices in a single layer in a 10- by 1 5-inch baking pan. Broil about 4 inches from beat until golden on both sides, turning once, about 2 minutes total. Let cool.

Avocado and Shrimp in Gazpacho Salsa

18 extra-large shrimp (16 to 20 per

lb.), shelled and deveined

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 pound (about 2 large) firm-ripe

Roma-type tomatoes, cored, seeded, and finely chopped

1/4 cup each finely diced cucumber

and yellow bell pepper

1 tablespoon each minced green

onion and chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons lime juice 1 can (5 1/2) chili-seasoned tomato

cocktail

Salt and pepper

1 large firm-ripe avocado

Fresh cilantro sprigs

In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan, bring 1 inch water to boiling over high heat. Add shrimp and cook, uncovered, until bright pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, then place in a bowl and mix with olive oil; cover and chill until cool, at least 1 hour.

Combine tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, chopped cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and tomato cocktail; season to taste with salt and pepper. Use, or cover salsa and shrimp and chill until next day.

Cut avocado in half, pit and peel. Cut each half into thirds. Pour equal portions of salsa onto 6 salad plates. Lay 3 shrimp in salsa on each plate; set a wedge of avocado beside shrimp and garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Makes 6 first-course servings.

Per serving., 14 9 cal.; 11 g protein; 6.5 g carbo.; 9.2 g fat, 70 mg chol.; 170 mg sodium.