Happy #SeafoodSunday, Seafoodies!
If you’ve been following March Madness this year, you know all about it. The upsets, the emotional rollercoaster, the agony of defeat … and that’s just in the NCAA Tournament! Real life can dish out its share of penalties, too, like having the clock run down while you’re trying to get dinner on the table. That’s why you need a team you can really count on: five fab seafood recipes that can be ready in 20 minutes or less. They’re all weeknight MVPs! Read on, and find out how to wine the mealtime game without going into overtime.
As a rule, seafood is a quick-cooking protein. Shellfish dishes, in particular, can come together lickety-split — shrimp usually need no more than 5 minutes of cooking time, and mussels, only about 15 minutes. For fish, cooking time depends on the thickness of the cut. If you’re cooking thin fillets, like tilapia, 10 or 15 minutes in the oven is all they need. Grilling over direct heat can speed things up even more. So, if you need a meal in a hurry, be sure to reach for some seafood!
Ready to play? We’ve assembled an all-star lineup of recipes featuring shrimp, tilapia, crab, cod and scallops. With some culinary ingenuity and a little high heat, you can have high-scoring dishes like shrimp with lemon and garlic pasta, baked fish with Parmesan and panko or a crustacean-y quesadilla, in no time flat. An extra point: these dishes all make cleanup a breeze. That’s a perfect swish!
Keep in mind, these dishes have much more to offer than speed and great taste. They’re also powerful performers packed with muscle-building protein, omega-3s for improved hand-eye coordination and vitamin D for bone health, among other essential nutrients. And since they take such little time to prepare, meals like these are easy to fit in your game plan as you aim for the 2 to 3 servings of seafood a week recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
What’s that, you’re getting hungry? Game on!
Point Guard: Easy Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi
Running the home team? Try warming up with this supreme scampi recipe that delivers glorious, quick-cooking shrimp in just 13 minutes (if that!).
Fast and flavorful, this lemony tilapia is the final line of defense against reaching for the take-out menu!
Small Forward: Cheesy Crab Quesadillas
A versatile team player, this crabulous handheld treat makes a luscious lunch, satisfying snack or gourmet game-day appetizer (if you’re willing to share!).
Shooting Guard: Lemon, Garlic and Herb Baked Cod
Alley-Oop! Greek yogurt, Parmesan and panko team up with lemon, garlic and paprika for a winning cod dish.
Power Forward: Lemon Butter Scallops
When there’s only 10 minutes left on the clock, reach for this buzzer-beater of a recipe. Tender scallops, simply seasoned with a little lemon, garlic, and melted butter, will earn you game-winning points!
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