When spring arrives, it’s great to spend more time outdoors, especially if you’ve got cabin fever following a long, cold winter. While you want to spend your spring outside, you still have to find time to make your family meals.
It can be a challenge to come up with something that’s both easy to prepare and tasty. However, here’s an idea for a seafood salad and seafood sandwiches that fit both bills.
The salad is more than leafy, greens and tomatoes. It also contains pasta and crabmeat, so it’s almost a meal in itself. The sandwiches, which are served open face, are broiled for just a couple of minutes, giving them a wonderful flavor.
If you like seafood, this could be the perfect meal to satisfy your family’s hunger and allow you more outdoor time to enjoy spring.
ZESTY SEAFOOD SALAD
2 cups (5-ounces) uncooked medium pasta shells
2/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 tablespoons (heaping) cocktail sauce
1 small tomato, cut into 8 wedges
1/3 cup small pitted ripe olives, sliced
3 cups bite-size pieces lettuce
1 (8-ounce) package frozen imitation crabmeat chunks, thawed
1 cup of shredded Colby-Jack cheese
Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain.
Mix mayonnaise and cocktail sauce in large bowl. Add pasta, tomato and olives; toss.
Add lettuce, crabmeat and cheese and toss again. Chill for several hours and serve. Makes 4 large servings.
OPEN-FACED SEAFOOD SANDWICHES
1 cup mixed bite-size pieces cooked crabmeat, lobster or shrimp
1 cup (4-ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 medium green onion (2 tablespoons), thinly sliced
4 slices whole-grain bread, toasted
Set oven control to broil. Mix all ingredients except toast. Top toast slices with seafood mixture. Place sandwiches on ungreased cookie sheet.
Broil with tops 4 to 6 inches from heat, about 2 minutes or until seafood mixture is hot and bubbly.
Note: You can substitute 1 cup of bite-size pieces of cooked salmon, cod, halibut or tuna for the crabmeat, lobster or shrimp.
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Looking for a recipe you can’t find? Email me at kbrotherton42@gmail.com and I’ll see if I have it.
