Sarah Harper, Fishmongress at Quality Seafood Market, writes a monthly article for Live Oak Pharmacy on seafood as an essential part of whole body wellness.

I’m not from Texas, and I up until now, I have celebrated the holidays in Minnesota with my family.  Therefore, I’m not too familiar with local holiday traditions.  But having worked at Quality Seafood Market during the holiday season, I learned right away that many Texans, hundreds (if not thousands) feast on seafood for the holidays.  Whether they replace the turkey altogether with salmon, or they just like to add some oysters to their stuffing, our seafood counter is bustling from morning ‘til night on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eves.   Being land-locked in Minnesota, my family had very few choices for seafood at the holidays.  Surprisingly, we did not dine on the traditional Midwestern holiday fare of lutefisk and pickled herring.  What I look forward to most every year is the smoked lox tray that my grandmother Louise meticulously assembles on Christmas Eve.  She mail orders a gorgeous fillet of Nova Scotia smoked salmon and then adorns it with the chopped eggs, diced onion, capers, dill, and cream cheese.  My dad and I – the big salmon eaters of the family – can finish it off in a matter of minutes.  We also have peel-and-eat shrimp, which one has to hoard early if they want to enjoy them before my uncle Mick arrives at the party.  I’ve never seen a man peel a shrimp so quickly; even my Texan husband whose last will and testament is to eat shrimp is put to shame by uncle Mick.  Aside from lox and shrimp on Christmas Eve, our holiday menu is composed of traditional Midwestern fare (i.e., meat and potatoes).  But who could blame a bunch of Minnesotans with only their 10,000 lakes to fish from?  Now, being privileged to live in the fine state of Texas, I’m finally looking forward to my first Christmas filled with seafood delights.  After dozens of cookbooks, even more magazines, and a few chats with some esteemed Texans and fellow cooks, I’ve assembled a Thanksgiving seafood menu fit for kings and queens.  Many of your families probably enjoy, if not swear by, your own traditional holiday menus, but simply trying one new recipe a season can become a tradition in and of itself.  Most of the items on this menu are do-it-yourself, but the shrimp-stuffed quails are also available at Quality Seafood Market.  This will surely save you time and energy – to be used for prepping other dishes and partaking in general merriment.  I omitted vegetable recipes from the menu, simply because of space constraints.  However, I can’t resist typing what I would cook with this menu: sautéed green beans topped with crispy bacon and shallots, and some savory roasted sweet potato slices with pimentón (Spanish paprika) and salt.   To all of you readers dedicated to the pursuit of wellness, don’t forget that indulgence, when used in moderation, can contribute to a well body and soul.  I wish you a happy, healthy holiday!  ¡Buen provecho!

“Surf and bird” Thanksgiving dinner

Shrimp-stuffed Lockhart quail: These quails are farm-raised locally in Lockhart, TX and are stuffed with our house recipe shrimp cakes.  If you prefer to do it yourself, you can purchase individual quails from your local market and use your own shrimp stuffing recipe.  They are delicious oven-roasted or golden-fried, and as an added bonus, they cook quickly.  Quail also offers an easy solution to portioning and does away with the laborious job of basting and carving.

“Mom’s oyster dressing”: Many of you Texans likely already have a favorite oyster stuffing recipe.  But if you’re a northerner like I am, taking advice from La Bonne Cuisine Cooking New Orleans Style cookbook is never a bad idea.  Here’s the recipe:

• ½ cup cooking oil
• 6 large onions, chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 dozen oysters, drained (reserve liquor)
• 2 (8 ounce) packages Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned stuffing mix
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup butter or margarine
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven heat the oil.  Add the onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat until browned.  Add the drained oysters and cook until the edges curl.  Add the stuffing mix and oyster liquor. The Mixture should be moist. If there is not sufficient oyster liquor, add a small amount of water.  Add the celery, bell pepper, parsley, eggs, butter, salt, and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, adding water as necessary to maintain a moist consistency.  Loosely stuff and 18-22 pound turkey with the dressing, truss, and roast it.  Proportions may be decrease for stuffing a smaller fowl.

“Grown up” macaroni and cheese with bay scallops: I first sampled this dish right here in Austin at Café Josie.  It was a fresh version of an old favorite.  This recipe would work superbly as a side dish to a seafood or traditional Thanksgiving menu.  If the kiddos prefer original mac n cheese, just make a double recipe and omit half the scallops from one of your casserole dishes.

Biscuits with lobster gravy: This one was the brainchild of myself and Carol Huntsberger, owner of Quality Seafood Market.  If your menu is extensive, this dish can be a New England twist on a classic “Texas” breakfast – perfect for hungry relatives staying the weekend.  Make your favorite biscuit recipe, or to save time, hit up your neighborhood bakery for some fresh-baked biscuits.  Then smother them with this version of lobster gravy.

The opinions expressed by our guest bloggers do not necessary reflect the opinions of Live Oak Pharmacy. The opinions expressed by guest blogers are their own, unless otherwise stated. No financial agreement exists between guest bloggers and Live Oak Pharmacy.

Live Oak Pharmacy, winner of Best New Local Business in the Reader’s Choice of the Austin Chronicle, is an Austin Compounding Pharmacy. We focus on an integrative approach to healthcare. To learn more about Live Oak Pharmacy, an Austin Pharmacy, visit our Austin downtown pharmacy location at 1611 W 5th Street or visit us online at http://LiveOakRx.com