Heating Up!

Cuban Lime Shrimp with Black Beans & Rice 

Beans and Rice:
1 15oz can Black Beans drained and rinsed
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup of bell pepper, I used yellow, red and green mix
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp fennel seeds crushed
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup chicken or veg stock
1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 small can of diced tomatoes with green chilies

In a slow cooker, either the night before or in a stock pot. Saute onion and bell pepper in oil until slightly softened. Add garlic, fennel, coriander, cumin and salt and pepper and cook for about 5 min. Add tomatoes, stock, red wine vinegar, oregano and beans and cook for about 30 minutes. OR you could just add all ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours. 

5 cups cooked rice seasoned with salt and pepper

For the Shrimp:
1 1/2 pounds peeled and de-veined jumbo shrimp
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 medium lime)
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan, then add shrimp. Cook them undisturbed for about 2 minutes. Turn the shrimp over and cook until opaque throughout, about 1 minute. Add garlic and continue cooking until shrimp are opaque. Remove and squeeze lime over the shrimp and fresh cilantro. 

Peas Peas Peas

1 tbsp. minced shallot
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1 tbsp. sour cream or crème fraîche ( I bought mine at The Store back in the meat dept)
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lb. sugar snap peas
1/2 lb. snow peas
1 10-ounce box frozen baby peas

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. In another large bowl, whisk the shallot, vinegar, and sour cream together. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the sugar snap peas to the boiling water and blanch for 20 seconds. Add the snow peas and cook for 20 seconds. Add the frozen baby peas and cook for 20 seconds longer, until the sugar snaps and snow peas are crisp-tender and the baby peas are heated through. Drain and immediately transfer the colander to the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and pat the peas dry. Add the peas to the dressing, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. 



This next recipe came from a website I love. The prouditaliancook.com The best way to make this slaw is to have one of those fun veggie strip slicers. They have many uses, go get one. This makes great use of veggies at the end of the summer. Simply pack this slaw into jars and take them to neighbors, they'll love them.

Summer Veggie Slaw
Small strips of parmesan cheese
3 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and celery salt to taste
Yellow squash
Zucchini
Red pepper strips
Match stick carrots
Radish, sliced and cut into strips
Green onions sliced diagonally
Red onion strips
Very fresh shucked corn or precooked
Fresh picked basil and parsley
Torn spinach leaves
Simply toss everything together in a big bowl and serve chilled. 

Versatile Favorites

I love a good versatile ingredient . Pesto happens to be one of those amazing mixtures that goes so far to create some really amazing, easy and memorable dishes. Anyone can make pesto, but remember pesto isn't just for pasta or spooned on bread, the possibilities are endless. 

Today's pesto is steamed carrot and pecan pesto. This is really great when you've got steamed carrots that are left over.

Here you go...start with
Carrot Pecan Pesto
1 good handful of basil leaves
1/2 cup steamed carrots
2 tbsp chopped pecans
1/4  parmesan cheese shreds
3 tbsp olive oil + a bit more to top the pesto to store it
1/4-1/2 tsp lemon juice (to your taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the pesto in your food processor. Add the pesto to a jar if you're not going to use it right away topped off with olive oil. 

Pesto Baked White Fish
 2 White fish filets
          Cod, Haddock, or Halibut
 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (Ians or C4 are great gluten free choices
1 lemon
3-4 tbsp prepared pesto
salt and pepper

Combine panko and pesto. Season white fish with salt and pepper and place 2-3 thinly sliced lemons on top of a lightly oiled piece of parchment paper lined baking sheet. Pleace filets on top of lemons and top each filet with half of your pesto and breadcrumb mixture, carefully making sure the pesto is stiff on top and makes a good coating.
Bake at 400o and cook until the fish is nice and solid white and the pesto is browned on top. You can test it by flaking a bit on the side of the filet after removing it from the oven. You can also grill this fish up on top of a tinfoil sheet. Baking the fish usually takes about 20 minutes for an inch and half size filet.

Heat oven to 400F. Place a rack in the center of the oven.

In a bowl, combine pesto with breadcrumbs.

Arrange fish on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet. Top fish with breadcrumbs and bake until firm and cooked through, and the breadcrumbs have browned.

Serve with lemon wedges

- See more at: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/12674_Baked_Fish_with_Olive_Pesto/#sthash.BrflbQ4P.dpuf

Heat oven to 400F. Place a rack in the center of the oven.

In a bowl, combine pesto with breadcrumbs.

Arrange fish on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet. Top fish with breadcrumbs and bake until firm and cooked through, and the breadcrumbs have browned.

Serve with lemon wedges

- See more at: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/12674_Baked_Fish_with_Olive_Pesto/#sthash.BrflbQ4P.dpuf

This pasta was just a throw it in the pot and experiment pasta. I hope you do that in your kitchen at home. It usually turned out to be an amazing meal that's satisfying and easy. Sometimes I call it garbage pasta, because I'll grab all sorts of leftovers from the fridge to make sauces or add ins. Be creative!

Carrot Pesto Pasta
4 flat pasta sheets ( I used a gluten free Capellos flat lasagna noodle)
2/3 cup prepared carrot pesto
1/4 cup half and half
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese shreds


Bring a deep skillet to a boil with about 4 cups water. You'll want to salt and water liberally. Cook your pasta sheets until they are aldente. Remove them to a cutting board and sliced them into squares. Return the pan back to the stove and put a drizzle of olive oil in the pan and heat it, adding the chickpeas, pasta, pesto and half and half. Stir carefully and warm through. You an add a little of your pasta water to thin the sauce if you want. You want it to be light. Top your pasta with cheese at the end. If you want it even lighter or have a bite, add a squeeze of lemon.   

  
  I swapped out the traditional pesto for the carrot pesto. Choose which one you like best.

Pesto Grilled Shrimp

Recipe courtesy of closetcooking.com

Marinate the shrimp in the pesto for at least 20 minutes, up to overnight, in the fridge.
Skewer the shrimp on wooden skewers that have been soaked in water.
Turn your grill on high and preheat. Place a sheet of foil on the grill and add some oil/spray and lower the grill to medium. 
Grill the shrimp over medium-high heat until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side. I like to put a little crisp on them. We had ours with a seasoned rice and fresh watermelon salad.

The Deep South

Hot Jambalaya anyone?

Jambalaya originated in southern Louisiana by the Cajuns around the bayou where food was scarce, as opposed to the richer part of Louisiana.

The word is said to be a compound word of Jambon from the French meaning ham, and Aya meaning rice in African, as there were many slaves in the Louisiana at the time.

Common belief is that it originated from the Spanish Paella, which has also transformed in the United States to a dish called Spanish Rice. Jambalaya is a bit different many times as it incorporates seafood , ham, link sausage rounds and chicken, although it doesn't have to have all those ingredients. 

Food is life in Louisiana and the deep south. Their culinary exploits are what make up their national identity. While there are many ways of making this time honored dish, you'll hear the "experts" claim a their own way. But remember all versions are delicious, and one is about as authentic as another. So the next time you hear somebody declare dogmatically that a proper jambalaya always has to contain such-and-such, you can either roll your eyes and keep your own counsel or you can hold up your hand and say, “Not so fast there, my friend.”

Jambalaya

2 tablespoons oil

1 large onion, chopped 

1 green bell pepper, chopped

8 green onions, chopped 

1 clove garlic smashed 

2 celery ribs, chopped 

1 package of beef kielbasa

6 chicken thighs with rib meat (or you could do 2 bone in breasts)

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2-1 tablespoon creole seasoning. I used Tony Chachere's Hot creole blend

5 cups water
2 cups rice

Brown sausage in pan on medium until they are browned, then add chicken into the sausage fat and brown on both side. Remove and set aside. Saute onion and pepper in oil for about 5 minutes on medium. Add green onion and garlic and celery and coat with oil and other veg. Lay chicken back on top with sausage. Mix creole seasoning into tomato sauce and then pour mixture over everything. Add water and rice and stir making sure the rice is covered by the water. Cook on medium/low until rice is tender and chicken is fully cooked, usually about 45 minutes.

You can also use a traditional creole seasoning blend in place of the Tony Chacere's. You can store this blend for up to a year, to extend it's life put it in the fridge.

Creole Seasoning Blend
2 T each
          Onion powder
          Garlic powder
          Dried Oregano
          Dried Basil
1 T each
          Dried Thyme
          Black Pepper
          White Pepper
          Cayenne Pepper
5 T Paprika

3 T Salt 

This recipe comes from catholiccuisine. It's such a classic and yummy treat. You can cut the shrimp small and use it as a dip for crackers or serve high up on rice. It's really versatile and you'll really love it.

Shrimp Remoulade Salad 

2lbs cooked shrimp

1 1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup celery chopped fine

2 tbsp garlic minced

1/2 cup green onion chopped fine

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup parsley chopped

1/4 cup creole mustard

1/2 cup ketchup 

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Mix your remoulade sauce ingredients together and toss with your shrimp. Pile them up high on your favorite greens, with a lemon wedge dipped into some creole seasoning. 

As a child, one of my favorite things was that famous red and white with the gold seal label condensed soup. Chicken gumbo was by far my favorite soup. I always figured it was kind of complicated to make so I just never did. This recipe below is one of the closest to that childhood favorite. It's pretty easy too! I did modify it slightly to meat my needs, so I hope those people over at copykat don't mind.

Chicken Gumbo Soup

2 whole, boned chicken breasts (cut into 1/2" strips)
         Cornstarch for dredging chicken 
6 strips of bacon, cut into 1" pieces
2 tablespoon coconut oil
4 cup chicken broth (gluten free)
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh okra
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalk of celery, chopped
1/3 cup instant rice
5 cup water
Seasonings: hot pepper sauce, black pepper, Cajun spices, and parsley

In a large pot, fry the bacon. Remove the bacon and set aside. Discard bacon drippings, but don't clean the pot. Add your coconut oil or whatever oil works best for you. Dredge the chicken in corn starch and brown them in the pot. This may have to be done in several batches. Pour the chicken broth over browned chicken and simmer. Add all remaining ingredients, but save the rice for a bit later and simmer for 30 minutes. Once the veg is soft, add the rice. The okra will thicken the soup, but if it's not as thick as you want, just keep simmering until it's cooked down a bit. Taste and season before serving. You may add the bacon to the soup, if desired, but I didn't.

• 1½ Cup Mayonnaise
• ¼ Cup Celery (chopped fine)
• 2 Tablespoon Garlic (minced through a garlic press)
• ½ Cup Green Onions (chopped fine)
• ½ Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• ¼ Cup Parsley (chopped fine)
• ½ Cup Creole Mustard (I used TABASCO Coarse Ground Mustard)
• ½ Cup Ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
• ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon Paprika
• Salt & pepper to taste

In a glass bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours so all of the flavors meld.
- See more at: http://www.batonrougeliving.org/crawfish-salad/#sthash.P4pNvG1y.dpuf

• 1½ Cup Mayonnaise
• ¼ Cup Celery (chopped fine)
• 2 Tablespoon Garlic (minced through a garlic press)
• ½ Cup Green Onions (chopped fine)
• ½ Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• ¼ Cup Parsley (chopped fine)
• ½ Cup Creole Mustard (I used TABASCO Coarse Ground Mustard)
• ½ Cup Ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
• ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon Paprika
• Salt & pepper to taste

In a glass bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours so all of the flavors meld.
- See more at: http://www.batonrougeliving.org/crawfish-salad/#sthash.P4pNvG1y.dpuf