I have had a little bit of trouble meal planning lately. With a little one to chase after and feed, my meals often turn into whatever I can scrounge together from the fridge and pantry that isn’t expired. This has led to some less than optimally balanced meals.

In an effort to change my habits, I decided I am going to begin meal planning again, starting with this weekend. I am writing out a menu plan for the week and then bulk shopping once instead of several quick trips to the store throughout the week. In order to jump-start my new plan, I felt like I might need a meal that is a little bit jazzy. Something that tastes good and feels like a real treat, but it’s still easy to make.

You know this meal is going to have to include some seafood. Is there any better way to kick off a new habit? Not in my book! I perused SeaPak’s website this morning looking for the ideal dish inspiration and was reminded about this classic recipe that Robin Miller created for us a couple of years back: Island Shrimp Quesadillas with Lime Sour Cream. It was so delicious that it used to be a part of my regular rotating recipes!

I am going to be making this oldie-but-goodie tomorrow night. I might even really treat myself to a fruity drink as well. If you try it, make sure to visit our website and watch Robin make it herself. It’s like a cooking lesson right in your own home.

Here’s to the weekend and the start of real meals again!

Island Quesadillas with Lime Sour Cream
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 12 minutes Makes: 4 servings

1 (12 oz) package SeaPak® Shrimp Scampi – Butter and Garlic, frozen
4 pineapple rounds (fresh or canned in juice), about 1″ thick
8 (fajita-size) flour tortillas, regular or whole wheat
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican cheese blend, shredded
3/4 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
Cooking spray
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon lime zest, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

PREHEAT oven to 400º. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

COAT a large skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat to preheat. Place pineapple rounds on hot pan and cook 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Add shrimp to hot pan and cook according to package directions. Lift shrimp from butter sauce (discard butter sauce if desired) and cut shrimp and pineapple into 1/2″ pieces.

ARRANGE four tortillas on prepared baking sheet. Top tortillas with cheese (1/2 cup each), shrimp, pineapple, roasted red peppers, and scallions. Place second tortilla on top and spray the surface with cooking spray. Cover quesadillas with foil and bake 5 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 7 more minutes, until cheese melts and tortillas are golden brown. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream, cilantro, lime zest, and garlic. Mix well.

SLICE quesadillas into wedges and serve with lime sour cream on the side.

Memorial, Day, Father’s Day, the 4th of July – summer is filled with fun holidays centered around barbecuing. But if you are getting a little tired of the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers routine why not go for something a little more extraordinary? Bring a little Asian flair to your grill with this these tasty Asian Sesame Salmon Burgers with Wasabi Mayo.   Sound time consuming and complicated?  They’re not!

The salmon burgers are awesome – they go from frozen to perfectly grilled in about 10 minutes (no patty-making required!).  While those are grilling up, mix wasabi paste with a little mayo (light mayo works great in the recipe too!) to make the Wasabi Mayo.  Slice a red onion and lettuce and place on buns. Voila!  Gourmet Asian burgers ready in 10 minutes!  To complete your meal, grill some fresh corn alongside your burgers or toss a side salad with Asian sesame dressing, and serve a few watermelon slices too.  Bonus – you look like the gourmet super star of your family picnic without even breaking a sweat!

If you want to kick up the ambiance and make things really fun, stop by your local home or discount store and pick up a set of fancy-looking wooden chopsticks (which are usually surprisingly cheap), some bamboo placemats, and a few Asian lanterns for lighting. With just these few touches you’ll really feel like you’ve gone to the Far East!

Asian Sesame Salmon Burgers with Wasabi Mayo

1 (12.8 oz) package SeaPak® Salmon Burgers
2 teaspoons wasabi paste
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
4 slices red onion
4 leaves green leaf lettuce
4 hamburger buns with sesame seeds

PREHEAT grill to medium-high heat.

COMBINE wasabi paste and mayonnaise, set aside.

GRILL onion slices 5 minutes per side and salmon burgers according to package directions. Remove both from grill. Lightly toast hamburger buns on grill.

PLATE by placing salmon burger on toasted sesame seed bun and topping with grilled onion and lettuce. Spread wasabi mayo on inside of hamburger bun top half. Serve immediately.

Sami here from the Freckled Foodie, with exciting news on the vacation front!  Knowing that I’ll be hitting the sand in a few days for our family’s annual vacation to the beach, I’ve got one thing on the brain … ALL of the amazing seafood that will be consumed over the course of the seven days we are there.

As a nutrition and fitness fanatic, I have pretty much cut out red meat from my diet, leaving seafood and poultry as my main sources of natural protein.  Seafood has always been considered a treat because it’s typically pretty pricey, but at the beach, we throw caution to the wind and indulge in the finest and freshest that the East Coast has to offer.

Thanks to SeaPak, I’ve realized I don’t have to wait the ENTIRE year to enjoy great seafood.  Personally, my favorite product from SeaPak is their Salmon Burgers.  I have YET to find a restaurant that can cook one up that even compares!  The flavor is top notch, and the nutritional value is just icing on the cake.  With 680mg of Omega-3’s per 110 calorie serving, you’ll pack in 18g of protein and just 3g (.5 saturated) fat.  I could honestly eat one of these burgers at every meal and be a happy camper.

Don’t believe me?  Picture this:  Breakfast would consist of a salmon burger cooked and mixed in with a light cheese wedge such as Laughing Cow, spread on a light whole wheat English muffin and topped with a slice of tomato.  For lunch, a salmon burger served on a gourmet bed of arugula, sliced avocado and yellow pepper, drizzled with light Asian dressing.  Dinner would be my favorite meal of the day, salmon burger stir fry with sugar snap peas, onion, broccoli, and carrots.  I think I’ve proved my point!

Finally, a way to bring the beach back home with me for a fraction of the cost!  My Mom, and avid Coconut Shrimp fan, was ecstatic to learn that SeaPak makes her favorite seafood available to cook at home!  My little sisters, who always look forward to the popcorn shrimp at the beach, were also thrilled when I shared the idea of SeaPak’s Firecracker Shrimp, Jumbo Popcorn Shrimp, and Shrimp Poppers with them!

Forget Red Lobster take-out and stop at the grocery store to pick up some SeaPak to bring back a taste of beach life to your own home!  Saving money never tasted so good!