From the SeaPak family to yours, Happy Holidays everyone!  May your new year be full of  peace, hope, good family time and simply delicious seafood dishes!

I think one of the reasons Christmas time is so special is because of all of the family traditions.  I love that all of my friends have their own customs for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  It’s what makes every family gathering unique and memorable.   When I was little, we couldn’t open any presents on Christmas Eve because that time was filled with family and…well, food!  So much food, in fact, we had to save presents for Christmas morning.  Every year for Christmas Eve we always went over to my Aunt Carolyn’s for a delicious Christmas Eve buffet complete with all kinds of tasty finger foods and traditional holiday favorites.   I looked forward to it very year.

Around the world, it’s tradition for Italians to commemorate Christmas Eve by serving a meal made up of seven different seafood dishes!  Called “The Feast of the Seven Fishes,” the tradition dates back to the beginnings of Catholic religion, when believers would abstain from eating meat on Fridays and other specific Holy days.  No one really knows why they serve seven dishes, but some think it’s because there are seven sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church.

I’m glad that this tradition is becoming more and more popular, and that serving seafood on Christmas Eve isn’t just for the Italians anymore!   With all of the heavy meats, bountiful dessert trays and big brunches it’s a nice idea to serve something a bit lighter and different the night before Christmas.    And you don’t have to serve seven different seafood dishes to enjoy this tradition – just pick your family’s favorite seafood dish to enjoy.

This year I am keeping it light and simple with a Jumbo Butterfly Shrimp Salad made with corn, tomatoes and arugula.  This is a great recipe that was created for us by the Food Network Kitchens.  The link takes you to that original recipe or you can try my slightly simplified version below.   (I don’t know about you, but this time of year I like to take all the short cuts I can find!)  Based on seasonal availability I have substituted frozen corn for fresh and to save time I have substituted a pre-made vinaigrette dressing.    Also if you can’t find (or don’t like arugula) you could substitute a milder lettuce like green leaf lettuce and this salad would still be just as tasty!

Here’s to the Feast of Seven Fishes!  And, as the Italians say, “Buon Natale” or Merry Christmas!

Jumbo Butterfly Shrimp Salad with Corn, Tomatoes, and Arugula

Prep time: 5 minutes                Cook Time: 12 minutes            Makes: 4 dinner salads

• 2 (9 oz) packages SeaPak® Jumbo Butterfly Shrimp – Oven Crispy or 1 (1 lb) package SeaPak® Butterfly Shrimp – Ready To Fry
• 2 cups ripe grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 bunch arugula, trimmed, washed and dried (may substitute green leaf lettuce)
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn  (or 1 tablespoon dried basil)
• Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

PREHEAT oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare the shrimp according to package directions.

HEAT corn in the microwave according to package instructions.

PLACE tomatoes halves, corn and arugula in large bowl.  Sprinkle with basil, add dressing to taste and toss lightly so as not to break up the tomatoes.

MOUND the salad on 4 large plates. Place the hot cooked shrimp on top and serve.

Cook’s Note: This makes an excellent side salad as well as an entrée salad.  For side salad use once box of shrimp instead of two.

I love the holidays!  I love cheerfully decorated houses, holiday buffets, Christmas cookies and all of the get-togethers.  But I have to admit sometimes it can be a bit much trying to pack in all that holiday cheer between the day after Thanksgiving and New Years Day.   This year is especially tough because of the economic situation.  So,  I am trying to be more conservative with money which means I need a little extra creativity to not feel like I am scrimping on the holidays.

For this year’s holiday party my goal is to spend less time in the kitchen and less money over all than last year.  Never fear – I have an easy four step plan to accomplish both goals!

Step one -- accept that the house is already decorated enough as it is with tree and the lights.  No need to spend extra on lots of additional paraphernalia to decorate the table for the party.

Step two -- give up control of the buffet table.  This year instead of trying to do everything myself, I have opted to have a cover dish buffet where everyone brings their favorite holiday dish.  It divides up the work and can give a great variety to the table.

Step three – create a “wow” dish for the buffet.   Because I am still yearning to showcase my domestic talents, I have decided to prepare one signature “wow” dish.  A “wow” dish is something that is not only delicious it is served creatively.  It is a great way to create a highlight on the buffet table and make the table seem upscale.

Step four – fill in around the “wow” dish with simple things like mixed nuts, a cheese tray and the other dishes people bring.

Voila!  Holiday party accomplished with very little effort!!

This year my “wow” dish is going to be my Merry Shrimp Martinis.    This fun little appetizer works great on a buffet table or as an appetizer to a formal meal.  Besides the fact that is made with shrimp (which everyone loves!) I serve it in martini glass which just looks incredibly cool without a lot of extra effort or expense.  Check out the video below for a quick how to lesson on how to do it.  And if you need a little bit more of an all-family appetizer give the Popcorn Cranberry Dippers a try.