Coconut Lime Shrimp Tacos

Ready for a quick and delicious dinner?  Here you go!  Coconut Lime Shrimp Tacos!  These are not only delicious, but they are very fast, especially you can get the people at the fish counter to peel and de-vein the shrimp for you before you even bring them home!  (I must admit, this is what I usually try to do.  I have a total aversion to de-veining shrimp.)  So if you can get said fishmonger to peel and de-vein the shrimp for you, you are golden and this recipe will be a snap! 

Besides the fact that the shrimp are coated in a tasty mixture of coconut and lime zest, there is an awesome salsa on top made of red pepper, mango and avocado.  Doesn't it look bright and cheerful?  It tastes that way, too!    I realize that these ingredients may be seasonal for some people, so if you can't get mango right now at your supermarket, print out this recipe and put it somewhere that you will remember it come summer.  If you CAN get mango, get it and enjoy a piece of summer for just a bit longer!

Coconut Lime Shrimp Tacos
adapted from The Housewife in Training Files
Serves 4 (2 tacos each)

Ingredients:
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined (wild, if you can get it!)
1 egg
1 overflowing cup of unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 ripe mango, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced (or onion/shallot of your preference)
2 avocados, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
8 corn tortillas

Directions: 
Preheat your oven to 375F.  Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and place over a lined baking sheet.

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.  Whisk the egg in a shallow bowl.  Mix the coconut, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and lemon zest in another shallow bowl or pie pan.  Dip each shrimp in the egg and then cover completely with the coconut mixture.  Place on the wire rack, evenly spaced apart.  Bake shrimp for 10  minutes, or until coconut is lightly brown and shrimp is cooked.

While the shrimp are in the oven, combine the mango, red pepper, onion, cumin, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and lemon juice.  Once it is seasoned to your taste, gently mix in the avocado, being careful not to smash the pieces. 

Heat the tortillas in the microwave or over the flame of your stove.  Add the shrimp and place the salsa on top.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
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Yum!  Enjoy a bright, healthy, tasty dinner!

Crispy Salmon and Arugula Salad with Carrot-Ginger Vinaigrette

I am cooking fish again!  I took a fish hiatus in my old house.  The combination of pregnancy and a not-great kitchen ventilation system did me in and I swore off of cooking all fish/seafood until we moved.  The old house had one of those vents that raised up from behind the stove, which in all honesty, is WAY better than no vent.  However it still does not get everything out and I just can't stand the smell of yesterday's dinner in my house the next day.  The new house has a ventilation hood system, which works way better!  (Did I mention yet that I love my new kitchen?  You'll probably just have to put up with me talking about it for a while, just to warn you.)  Anyway, I tried this new salmon recipe and it was DELICIOUS. 

The recipe is from Cooking Light magazine.  It is super easy (a huge plus in my book) and very tasty.  I highly recommend that you give it a try!  I will definitely make it again.  The clever girl has begged me to!

Crispy Salmon and Arugula Salad with Carrot-Ginger Vinaigrette
adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1/4 cup grated carrot
3 TB fresh orange juice
2 TB finely chopped onion or shallot, divided
2 TB extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 teaspoons rice vinegar, divided
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 oz. baby arugula (about 6 cups loosely packed)
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
4 (6-ounce) fresh salmon fillets (I suggest wild Alaskan)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
Combine carrot, orange juice, 1 TB onion, 1 TB olive oil, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, honey, ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mini food processor or small blender.  Process one minute or until well combined.

Place arugula, tomatoes and bell pepper in a large bowl. Add the remaining onion, 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, rice vinegar and sesame oil and toss well.  Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss again.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle fish with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper.  Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Add fish to pan, skin side down.  Cook 6 minutes or until skin is browned and crisp.  Turn fish over and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.  Arrange  1 1/2 cups of salad on each plate, top with 1 fillet and 2 TB vinaigrette.
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As you can tell from the photo, I forgot the cherry tomatoes in my salad, but it was great anyway!  The viniagrette reminds me of some I have had in Asian restaurants.  The bitterness of the arugula with the sweetness of the salmon and the zip of the vinaigrette is really a fantastic combination.

I am not exaggerating when I say that the clever girl has begged me to make this again.  She gushed over the delicious meal (so nice to hear when sometimes dinnertime is SUCH a challenge) and has asked several times when we will have it again. I win.  A delicious dinner and a happy kid all at the same time!

Salmon with Asparagus and Chive Butter Sauce

Do you need a fast, healthy dinner?  Here it is.  Salmon with Asparagus and Chive Butter Sauce, from America's Test Kitchen, The Best Simple Recipes.  I really like that cookbook and this recipe is just perfect.

A couple of weeks ago there was a great sale on fresh wild Sockeye salmon at my grocery store so I bought quite a bit and stuck it in the freezer in pound segments.  I wish I had purchased more!

This recipe is super fast because you use the asparagus as a bed to cook the salmon.  Everything is done in one pan and then you create a yummy white wine sauce at the end for the top.  Voila, dinner!

Salmon with Asparagus and Chive Butter Sauce
adapted from America's Test Kitchen, The Best Simple Recipes

1 lb thick asparagus, trimmed
1 cup water
salt
4 (6 -8 ounce) salmon fillets, skinless and 1-inch thick
pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I have used regular)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Lay asparagus in single layer on bottom of a large skillet. Add water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to skillet. Season salmon with salt and pepper and lay across asparagus spears. Bring water to boil over high heat, cover and cook over medium heat until salmon is cooked through (until it starts to flake) and asparagus is tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer asparagus and salmon to platter.

Add wine to skillet, increase heat to medium-high and simmer mixture to reduce, 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and chives and season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over salmon and asparagus. 

Serve.

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Zippity-zap, dinner is ready!  The clever girl said, "Momma, this is delicious" and cleaned her plate!  I can't even tell you how proud I was of her right then.  I am so blessed to have a child with a wide range of tastes. 

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits is one of those meals that defines you as someone who lives in the south.  You may never eat it if you live elsewhere, but if you move to the south, somehow a hankering develops for shrimp and grits and you will definitely eat them somewhere.  At a restaurant, at a friend's house, somewhere.

As a little kid, I thought "grits" were a body part.  Though I don't actually remember watching Alice on television, I can certainly remember the phrase, "kiss my grits".  Thus, body part.  Ahh, the innocence of youth!  It never occurred to me that grits could be food, because I lived in the mid-west thus we didn't eat grits.  Simple as that.

Then I moved to Houston.  In the south, people might eat grits with any meal.  You could make it a bit soupy, add some salt or sugar and it is a breakfast cereal.  Or add some salt, bacon, cheese and/or red-eye gravy and it is a nice side to some scrambled eggs  and bacon, instead of the hash browns you might get elsewhere.  Use the same flavor combinations and serve it with fried catfish for dinner.  You can even fry it in a pan or mold it into blocks, slice it and fry the slices for a whole new twist!  In truth, there are many places in the south where Shrimp and Grits would be on the breakfast menu as well as a lunch and dinner menu.  It is a versatile food!  Depending on where you live in the south might dictate how you cook them.   In some areas, grits are cooked with water.  I had my first grits in southern Georgia, and they were cooked with milk.  Thus, I cook my grits with milk. 

I have made a variety of Shrimp and Grits recipes, but this one was just a little different and mighty tasty.  Often, Shrimp and Grits has some sort of tabasco or other hot sauce in the recipe, so the shrimp have a nice kick to them.  When I found this recipe for Lemon-Garlic Shrimp, I decided it was different and worth a try.  I am so glad I gave it a try because they were delicious and could slide into ranking number 1 for favorite Shrimp and Grits recipe!

There is one serious problem with the original recipe, however.  It calls for INSTANT grits.  What??  Instant??  No true southerner cooks with instant grits.  No, I am not a true southerner, but I have to agree with the southerners on this point.  Instant grits are dreadful.  Yuck.  They are not a food.  They are more like wallpaper paste or grout or something.  Do not eat them.  I get Bobs Red Mill corn grits.  Mmmm.  Anyway, I had to do the grits a different way than the original recipe suggested, and prayed that Food Network's serious lack of judgement in including instant grits as an ingredient didn't transfer to the rest of the recipe.  Thankfully, it didn't!

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits
adapted from Food Network Magazine
Serves 4

Shrimp:
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
2 TB butter
2 large cloves garlic, miced
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges for serving
2 TB roughly chopped parsley

Start the grits first, then work on the shrimp.

Season shrimp with salt and pepper.  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the shrimp, garlic and cayenne (if using) and cook, tossing, until the shrimp are pink, 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add 2 TB water, the lemon juice and parsley, and stir to coat the shrimp.  Season with salt and pepper.

Creamy Grits:
2 cups water
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1 cup grits (NOT INSTANT!!)
1-2 TB unsalted butter, cubed
1/4+ cup grated parmesan cheese

In a small saucepan, bring water, milk and salt to a boil.  Slowly stir grits into boiling mixture.  Whisk continuously until grits are well mixed.  Reduce to low heat and continue to whisk often, until thick and smooth, approximately 5-10 minutes.  Add cheese and stir gently until the cheese melts.  Turn off the heat and allow grits to rest about 5 minutes.  Stir in the butter and stir until completely smooth.  If the grits are too think in consistency, add milk over low heat, whisking constantly.

Never use the recipe on the side of a package of grits.  They are bad news and you will think am a crazy person for liking grits!

Divide the grits among shallow bowls and top with the shrimp and sauce.  Serve with lemon wedges.

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No matter where you happen to live, give this recipe a try.  Your southern friends will thank you, your northern friends will think you are a genius.

Bacony Barley Salad with Marinated Shrimp

When I first saw the recipe for Bacony Barley Salad with Marinated Shrimp, I thought, "Hmmm, that sounds good...".  Good?  How about delicious?  It was like eating a bite of freshness.  So tasty.  Even the clever girl liked it!  She cleaned the plate!  Fantastic.  Winner-winner-chicken (no, how about shrimp) dinner!  Winner-winner-shrimp-dinner!!

Bacony Barley Salad with Marinated Shrimp
adapted from Eating Well

3 strips bacon, chopped
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup quick-cooking barley
1 pound peeled cooked shrimp, (21-25 per pound; thawed if frozen), tails removed, coarsely chopped  OR 1 pound peeled un-cooked shrimp
1/3 cup lime juice
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 avocado, peeled and diced

Cook bacon in a small pan over medium heat, stirring often, until crispy, about 4 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towel and set aside.  If you purchased RAW shrimp, cook the shrimp in the bacon fat. 
In a small saucepan, add water and salt and bring to a boil. Add barley and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes.
Combine shrimp and lime juice in a large bowl. Add the cooked barley; toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the barley to absorb some of the lime juice. Add tomatoes, onion, cilantro and the bacon; toss to coat. Add oil and pepper and toss again. Stir in avocado and serve.

Note:  I was unable to find quick-cooking barley, but did find a quick-cooking barley mix, which had barley, farro  and a few other things that I can't remember.  Whatever it was, it was delicious so if you find something like this but can't find just barley, give it a shot!
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This was SO GOOD.  The combination of the grains, veggies and shrimp with lime and cilantro is just so fresh and satisfying.  I served it with a slice of semolina bread and it made one super meal!

Enjoy!

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlicky Eggplant, Scallions, and Cashews

This is a really good shrimp stir-fry dish with a ridiculously long name:  Stir-fried Shrimp with Garlicky Eggplant, Scallions, and Cashews.  The recipe is from Cooks Illustrated.  Maybe that day they were just out of brainstorms for a shorter name or something.  I call it Shrimp and Eggplant Stir-fry.  I think that is good enough.

Shrimp and Eggplant Stir-fry
aka Stir-fried Shrimp with Garlicky Eggplant, Scallions, and Cashews
adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Serves 4
Serve over brown rice.

6 medium garlic cloves, 1 minced or pressed through garlic press, 5 thinly sliced
1 pound extra-large (21-25) shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use low-sodium Tamari)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
6 large scallions, greens cut into 1-inch pieces and whites sliced thin
1/2 cup cashews, unsalted
1 medium eggplant (about 3/4 pound), cut into 3/4-inch dice

Combine minced garlic with shrimp, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and salt in medium bowl. Let shrimp marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.  Depending on your particular brown rice (regular, instant, etc.) start your rice as appropriate.

Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, sherry, sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch in small bowl. Combine sliced garlic with scallion whites and cashews in another small bowl.  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet or a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Add scallion greens and continue to cook until scallion greens begin to brown and eggplant is fully tender, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer vegetables to medium bowl.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet/wok. Add cashew mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are light pink on both sides, 1 to 1½ minutes. Whisk soy sauce mixture to recombine and add to skillet/wok.  Return to high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet, toss to combine, and serve. 
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Besides the marinating, which you have to remember in advance, this recipe is really quite fast and makes for a great weekday meal!  The flavors really compliment each other well!