Innie or Outie

Crockpot Asian Shrimp Creole

1 cup diced celery
1/2 medium size onion (diced)
1 cup diced bell pepper
One 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
Two 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced garlic paste
1 tablespoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 cups medium size shrimp (shells removed)

Combine everything except the shrimp in a crockpot and cook on high. After 4 hours, add shrimp and cook on low for 1 hour. Serve over rice or pasta.

Sea Chicken (Tuna) Stroganoff

1/2 medium onion thinly diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 6 ounce can tuna (undrained)
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon dried oregano flakes
1 tablespoon dried basil flakes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt
16 ounces fettuccini
Parmesan cheese

Prepare pasta according to instructions.

Meanwhile, sauté onions and garlic in the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.
When onions become translucent, add tuna, tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice, parsley, oregano, and basil. Cook on low heat until pasta is ready, stirring occasionally.

Once pasta is ready, drain liquid and replace pasta in cooking pot on low heat adding the tuna/tomato sauce and yogurt. Mix thoroughly.

Place in serving bowl and top with enough parmesan cheese to meet your own taste.

This recipe is almost like a smooth tuna pate. It can be used as a dip or spread. It even makes a great snack or light entree when used as a topping over rice.

Sea Chicken Spread

1 can of tuna – more commonly called “sea chicken” on Okinawa Finely diced white onion – use as much as suits your taste, but make sure it is very finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon soysauce
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice – dill pickles on Okinawa are still limited to very few grocery stores, so I found that the juice is a good substitute if a smooth final consistency is desired.
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Mix all the ingredients together with enough Japanese mayonnaise to obtain a smooth but firm consistency – the flavor of Japanese mayonnaise is very different from regular mayonnaise. If you can’t find Japanese mayonnaise, you might want to try adding a little lemon juice and regular mayonnaise.