One of the challenges of weeknight cooking is staving off repetitiveness and monotony, especially if leftovers are being used for lunch. Some of us have no problem eating the same thing every day; however, when kids enter the picture, a bit more creativity is necessary. We’ve taken five of the seafood items that we stock at Butcher Block — salmon, crab, shrimp, mussels, and scallops — to show you how to easily shake up weeknight dinners.

Curry Scallops and Rice

What’s not to love about a dish that is evocative of paella but takes a fraction of the time? Add your favourite powdered curry blend to some coconut oil and once the curry has darkened, sear the scallops a minute on each side. Remove then add basmati rice, water salt, pepper, and some fresh herbs to the curry oil and steam. Once cooked turn off the heat, add scallops and cover for a couple of minutes before serving.

Spicy Shrimp Scampi Linguine

Whether you’re doing meal prep or entertaining, this dish yields a lot, and the leftovers are just as delicious as when it came straight off the stove. Plump shrimp are cooked in butter, lots of chilli flakes (or Scotch bonnet if you’d like), herbs, onions, and then tossed with linguine and finished with generous drizzles of extra virgin olive oil.

Salmon Chowder

Few things are as comforting as seafood chowder. Each Friday Butcher Block gets a delivery of fresh, never-frozen Scottish salmon, and a little goes a far way in chowder, even when it’s the star. A bit of bacon adds some razzle-dazzle, but for all that ‘richness’ this dish is surprisingly light. The recipe is included below.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Irish potatoes

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips

2 cups chopped scallions

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

3 cloves finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1 small dried bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

3 cups milk

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 ½ pounds salmon fillet, skin removed and cut into 1-inch cubes

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Chopped fresh Italian parsley

Method:

Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes, then cook in boiling salted water until just tender, drain and set aside.

Cook bacon in a stockpot over moderate heat, occasionally stirring, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but two tablespoons of bacon fat from pot, add scallions, corn, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes and stir over medium heat until scallions are tender. Add milk and cream and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, then add potatoes, salmon, bacon, salt, and pepper and cook, gently stirring, until salmon is just cooked through and begins to break up as you stir — between five and eight minutes. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Crab Toast with Lemon Aioli

Shrimp-Stuffed Shells

Craving some carbs but don’t want to fall off the wagon before Carnival? This dish is for you! A thin slice of toasted bread topped with heaps of seasoned crab meat and paired with a hearty side salad will keep you satiated whether after lunch or dinner.

Curry Mussels

If you have extra time on your hands, stuffed pasta shells are a real treat. Take the dish up a notch by using shrimp mixed with ricotta, and parmesan and cook the whole thing in fresh tomato sauce.

Salmon Croquettes

Mussels are one of the easiest molluscs to cook. Make your favourite seasoned curry sauce, add some coconut milk, then add the mussels. That’s it! Serve with fluffy white rice.

Spicy Seafood Stew

Salmon croquettes are not just great as hors d’oeuvres but are also ideal for lunch boxes. ‘Stretch’ your fresh salmon with crushed potatoes, shape into logs, coat in breadcrumbs and fry (or bake) until golden. Make a large batch and freeze, and pop into the oven to reheat and retain crispiness.

In case you have a little bit of this and a little bit of that, then combine your hodgepodge of seafood together to create a stew. Scallops and shrimp (frankly any seafood combination) are simmered in a light, spicy broth with carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, and the secret ingredient, turmeric.