Shrimp Boil Fajita with Tabasco Corn Relish

Fat Tuesday is just a few days away and  I feel the need to get into the spirit early due to a hankering for some shrimp and sausage. I wanted to make a shrimp boil, it's pretty simple as there are only 4 main ingredients to it: shrimp, andouillle sausage, potatoes and corn... on the cob.

This is Chicago and we are in the middle of a polar vortex, there are no cobs of corn to be found here. So I had to adjust my plan. I decided to skip the boil portion and just cook the remaining ingredients in ghee and lemon. Ghee is essentially clarified butter, the milk and water solids have been boiled off leaving rich, golden butterfat.

Whoa you say- butterfat can't be healthy, can it? Ghee stimulates the production of stomach acid, increases the absorption of other nutrients, and is very supportive for acid reflux, ulcers, and other digestive complaints. Ghee appears to help lower cardiovascular risks, but with everything you must enjoy in moderation. It also has a higher smoke point so great for high temperature cooking. Because it's free of casein and other milk solids, if you are intolerant to butter you might be able to eat Ghee

So the shrimp and sausage were covered, but that leaves the corn, what to do with the corn. A simple toss with some red peppers, lemon and tabasco and I ended up with perfect  relish topping for my shrimp and sausage saute. Add a tortilla and I essentially ended up with a fajita-like dinner.

Get out the beads and get your taste buds ready with this Fat and Happy fajita-like Shrimp Boil (sortof).

Casual New Years Meal: Tequila-Drunken Mussels and Chorizo with Roasted Peppers

This New Years eve I'm looking forward to a simple night at home. No big fan fare, no cover charge and no waiting for a cab. The holiday season has taken its toll on me and I'm looking forward to curling up with a good movie; perhaps a rousing game of Wii tennis just to get the blood flowing.

The food for the evening needs to match my casual plans: comforting but not heavy. December is prime mussel month and it would be a shame to not take this last chance to enjoy them.

Adding tequila to a classic wine broth along with the lime really adds a punch to the mussels; these are stout, not for the faint boozer. The chorizo and roasted peppers add heartiness to the meal.

Enjoy Fat and Happy mussels and chorizo for the casual night at home. This dinner filled two of us with a few uneaten mussels and sausages left over. It could be stretched for four if you are light eaters and/or have an appetizer or dessert planned.

Recipe Swap: Orange Ginger Scallops with Wasabi Coleslaw

The beginning of July brings a new Recipe Swap; this month's recipe redo is for a classic coleslaw - Oregon Style- from an old recipe book called The Second Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes From Famous Eating Places. Our goal is to recreate the recipe in our own spin by changing at least 3 ingredients.

There are hundreds of coleslaw variations out there already so my creation needed to stand out from the usual crowd. On it's own, coleslaw is a great side salad. But when you pair it with a main course such as with pulled pork or with tacos, that's when it really shines.

Summer vegetables scream to be left fresh so my thought was to create a light summer coleslaw and top it up off with seared scallops. The wasabi just adds a little kick to the whole dish while topping with wasabi peas finishes it off with a whimsical crunch.  (if only I had remembered to get them while at the grocery store!) This is a revved up Fat and Happy coleslaw that rises above the classic salad.

Tea Shrimp on Cellophane Noodles

I'm toying with the idea of going gluten free...just toying with it.  For the past few years there have been some symptoms that may suggest I have a gluten intolerance.  I've been avoiding admittance on this because of the implications; this is not a small undertaking and my hats go off to anyone dealing with this disease.

So I've decided to make a few dishes that are gluten free to have in my recipe box just in case. As I mentioned, this is a huge undertaking. For instance, I did not buy a true gluten free soy sauce for this recipe- but it is available. I think the key to gluten free is to find substitutes for the basic needs- like noodles, pasta and bread.

Bean thread, or cellophane noodles, are a great option. The second key is getting creative with flavor.  In this recipe, the use of black tea gives a great flavor dimension.

I may continue to keep eating pasta and bread until I can fully commit to an idea of gluten free; but count on seeing more GF recipes on this blog just for the fat and happy health of it.

Tips and techniques:  Timing is important on this recipe, so chop the leek, garlic and mushrooms before you begin. Having all the ingredients ready will help to avoid overcooking the noodles, shrimp or mushrooms.  Try to find fun mushrooms rather than using a button or crimini mushrooms.   I found a great mixture at Whole foods that combined alba and brown clamshell, Trumpet royale and forest namakos.

Tea Soaked Shrimp with Garlic Bean Thread Noodles

Black tea, 2-3 bags
6 shrimps, deveined
1 leek, chopped into about 1 inch pieces
1-2 cups mushrooms (see note above)
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbls soy sauce (gluten free)
1 tbls honey
Chives, a few sprigs for garnish
Red pepper flakes
Sriracha sauce
2 nests of bean noodles
Fresh black pepper

Steep 2-3 bags of tea in pot with 6 cups of hot water.  Pour most (about 4 cups) of the water into a large bowl and add a handful of ice cubes.  Add the bean noodles to the bowl, set aside to soak for 10 minutes.  Pour 3/4 cup tea into a container, set aside  Add another 2 cups of water into the tea pan, leave the tea bag(s) in the pan and bring to a boil.

 In a fry pan, add a little olive or canola oil to the pan and the chopped leeks, saute until leeks begin to soften and caramelize.  Add the garlic, toss and saute another minute.  Add the mushrooms, toss and saute for 2 minutes.  Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, fresh black pepper and reserved tea, simmer.

At this point, your noodles should be done soaking and your tea boiling.  Add the noodles to the boiling tea for 30 seconds, remove using a tongs or small strainer and add to the leeks. Turn off the tea and now add your shrimp to the hot tea pan.  Cook for about 2 - 3 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink.  Remove the shrimp from the tea and add to the leek pan.  Toss and plate.

Serve with a drizzle of Sriracha sauce, a sprinkling of red pepper flakes and chopped chives.

*note, I also label this as vegetarian because you could easily modify this recipe to leave off the shrimp and still have a wonderful vegetarian dish.

Shrimp, Edamame and Wild Rice Salad

Expect to see alot of Wild Rice recipes on this blog this winter, thanks to my family!  After I posted the Orange Balsamic Wild Rice Salad recipe- I hinted at the need for my Mom to send me more wild rice.  She did (Thanks Mom!)  Then we took a trip to visit Marty and Jenny down in Kirksville to root on the Bulldogs (see photos of the game below); Jenny's folks had read the blog and also sent wild rice for us there!  (Thanks Bartz's!)  So my cupboard is loaded up with magnificent Minnesota Wild Rice ....let the cooking begin!

Side note- we were also sent home from Kirksville with fresh (frozen) Salmon as well - look for those recipes soon!  There is something about our family and sharing food, I absolutely love it!  I'm open for some wild game....venison...elk....anyone?? 

Okay, this recipe worked in two ways, first it was served warm topped with garlic sauteed shrimp. Turns out we ate all the shrimp before I snapped a photo, oops.  Then second, I added a chopped apple and had it cold for lunch.  It's super versatile to be either a main dish or a side salad just by changing one ingredient.  Amazing, right? The other fun ingredient here is the edamame- a great soybean that is super high in protein, fiber and calcium. 

And now for my disclaimer- once again I just wildly poured, mixed, tasted- basically I wrote down the ingredients but not the amounts.  So this is from memory, I'm sure it will get you close, but feel free to adjust each ingredient for your taste. Make wild rice and be Fat and Happy!

Shrimp, Edamame and Wild Rice Salad
Make wild rice- basic cooking calls for roughly 3 cups of water to 1 cup rice, simmer covered about 45 - 50 minutes


Cook 1 cup Edamame - shelled edamame are found in the freezer section, these are simply boiled for a few minutes.  Follow the package instructions. (you could substitute peas).


Thai-esque dressing:
Whisk together, set aside

1/4 cup Sriracha sauce
1 tbls Ground ginger
1/8 cup Pomegranate balsamic (or regular balsamic)
1-2 tbls fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tbls Soy sauce
1/4 cup Walnut or Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

 Putting the Shrimp Wild Rice Salad together:
Ready two plates, lay a small bed of chopped romaine lettuce on each plate.
Have shrimp peeled, deveined and ready, I had 4 per person but depending on the size, you may want more.

When the rice is ready, sautee shrimp with 2 minced cloves of garlic and olive oil over medium heat.  Shrimp cook extremely quick so this should only take a minute or two per side.

Quickly pour half of the dressing in the pan with the shrimp,add the edamame and toss. Now add the shrimp to the hot wild rice and toss.  Scoop the wild rice on the bed of lettuce (the heat from the rice will slightly wilt the lettuce) and serve with a lemon wedge.

Apple and left over Wild Rice Salad
Take one red delicious apple, dice and toss with fresh lemon.  Mix with the left over wild rice and serve on a bed of lettuce or with a pita. (This salad will stay for days in the fridge).

Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Mango Guacamole

Avocado and mango go quite well together, trust me- it's true. I've made this concoction for a few different dishes and this one is my new favorite. The sweetness of the mango cuts through the spicy and smoky grill flavor of the jalapeno for a palette pleasing effect.

It's a super simple summer grilled adaptation of guacamole (make the mango salsa just prior to grilling the shrimp)-  and a fun variation over the typical fish taco that will leave you fat and happy (and healthy too!)

Tips and Techniques:  The avocado and the mango should both be quite ripe (very soft) to ensure the best blending.


Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Mango Guacamole

Make the salsa first, set aside.  Grill the ingredients for the spicy mango guacamole next, blend and set aside.  Grill the shrimp just before assembling the tacos.


Mango Salsa
In the meantime, combine in a bowl, toss and set aside:
1/2 ripe Mango, chopped
1 can of black beans
1 roma tomato, de-seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 Tbls red wine vinegar
3 Tbls lime juice


Mango Guacamole
Place the three ingredients below on a skewer, and grill long enough to impart a smokey flavor and to soften the jalapeno and garlic.
1 jalapeno
3 cloves garlic
1/2 avocado (it's easier to leave in the skin while grilling, just slice in half and remove the pit)

Once this above is complete, place all the ingredients in blender, add and blend until smooth:
1/2 ripe mango, cut into chunks
juice of 1 to 2 limes
1/2 cup parsley
salt and pepper
olive oil to thin it out, if needed

Grilled Shrimp:
Drizzle 12 small shrimp with olive oil and toss with pepper. Skewer and grill (about 1-2 minutes per side).  Wrap tortillas in tinfoil and place on the grill while cooking the shrimp, this will warm the tortillas.

Assemble tacos: take a warmed tortilla and add a couple of grilled shrimp, a scoop of the mango salsa and a smear of the mango guacamole. Eat immediately while warm.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Mango Green Chili Sauce

cast count down: 2 1/2 weeks

I may be overusing my arm, so need to stop cooking again for a couple of days, This is a dish I made Dave last Valentines Day and apparently never got around to posting. It's a good thing I jotted down some notes back then!

The mango plays so nice with the green chilies, the bacon and the polenta; and if you read this blog often- you know what a fan of polenta I am!. Honestly- wrap anything in bacon and it's gonna be good!

Bacon wrapped shrimp on polenta with mango-green chili sauce.

Start the polenta and the sauce first, then cook the shrimp.

Creamy Polenta, as previously prepared.

Fresh large shrimp, plan at least 4 per person

Wrap each piece in a bacon slice (cut the slice of bacon in half first, and secure with a toothpick if needed)

fry or bake until the bacon is crispy and the shrimp is pink.

Mango Green Chili Sauce

Sautee in olive oil

¼ cup white onions, diced

Add 1 small can of green chilis, chopped, reserve juice

Continue to sautee and add

½ mango, diced

Add reserved green chili juice, 2 tablespoons of lime juice and ½ cup white wine.

Simmer 5 minutes, blend with an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper.

To plate: place a spoonful of polenta in the middle of a plate or shallow bowl. Add 2 pieces of bacon wrapped shrimp and top with mango sauce and fresh parsley.

Spicy Tuna Tartare with Avocado Sake Soup

When I'm planning for a dinner party, I like think about who my guests and what their tastes are. My plan is not to serve them what they have had in the past but rather to make a twist on those flavors and offer a new variation they may not have experience before. Knowing that I would have a room full of sushi fans made me think of the tuna tartare- but what would the twist be? My friend Lesley is a huge fan of avocados so those needed to be worked in. Ultimately I came up with the spicy tuna tartare with the avocado soup chaser. True to form, I made up the spicy tuna recipe on the fly and didn't write the recipe down until a week later, so I'm guesstimating on some of the amounts I used. I will make this again and come back and refine this if needed (if you make and find the taste slightly off - please write and let me know!)

This was a great hit and fun course. Just use whatever small shot glasses you have to serve the soup or if you want to turn this into a bigger course, serve a larger bowl of soup and float the cucumber-topped tartare on top! Just think about who your guests are, have fun with your dinner, wow your friends and be fat and happy!


Avocado Soup

1 ripe avocado
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbls sake
1 garlic clove
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup lime juice

Place all ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth. You may need more or less liquid, depending on your avocado. You can either use more or less buttermilk, or add in some water for a less heavy soup. If you're not a sake fan or if kids will be eating with you, simply omit the sake.


Tuna Tartare

Fresh Tuna (1 lb)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 tbls toasted sesame seeds
zest of 3 limes
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tsp wasabi powder
1 tbls sesame oil
1 tbls chili oil
1 tbls Sriracha sauce
olive oil to emulsify (roughly 1/4 cup)

Chop the tuna and scallions, add the sesame seeds and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and whisk while slowly drizzling in olive oil. Pour dressing over tuna ( you may not need all the dressing, so only add half at a time), toss to coat. Refrigerate for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve atop a cucumber slice.

Tequila Scallops with Mango Relish

I had a craving to make some sort of mango dish, didn't matter what, I just wanted mango. That's how this dish started- building the dish around one ingredient.

That's a little bit like decorating a room around one vase. Sure it's possible, but a decorator would typically look at the room as a whole, figure out the style and the colors and continue to drill down from that point. I'm reversing the process - I'm starting with the vase and building up from there.

So what to do with the mango? It was such a nice sunny day - which warranted bright, cool flavors that a mango salsa quickly came to mind, or some would call it mango relish or even mango salad; it's all the same. I added a few simple flavors like onion, cucumber and avocado, then a little jalapeno for taste.

I needed a protein to go with this, and I didn't want a heavy red meat. Scallops seemed just right, shrimp would have worked well here too, but I thought the tenderness of the scallops would pair well with the mango. I debated between marinating them in a black tea or in tequila - tequila won hands down. Although I do like the black tea idea and will work with that soon.

My dish turned out stylish, based on the 'vase' that set the tone. Seriously, the results were great - although I wonder if more tequila would have yielded a deeper flavor or if I needed to actually use a cheaper tequila? I had Patron on hand and used that but perhaps that was a bit too smooth... my suggestion is to just use whatever you have on hand and taste it, adding more tequila to your liking.

You can leave the tequila out if kids are involved! But at the very least, mix a nice big margarita to go with your mango and scallops and be fat and happy!

Marinade in a bowl for at least 20 minutes:

6 Scallops (depending on the size of your scallops, I planned for 3 per person)
1/2 cup tequila
Juice of 1 small Lime
fresh ground pepper

In the meantime, add to a bowl (do not mix until all ingredients are in)

1 chopped mango
1/2 of medium jalepeno, finely diced (add the whole jalepeno if you like more heat)
1/2 of an avocado, chopped
1/2 of a medium cucumber, chopped
1/4 of a red onion, chopped
1/4 cup of chopped parsley

whisk together in a small bowl:
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons of Tequila
Fresh ground pepper
Salt to taste

Combine the vinaigrette into the mango bowl and toss gently to coat. Set aside while you cook the scallops. Remove scallops from marinade and toss the marinade. You can grill or pan fry your scallops, I seared them in a pan on the stove. Use a medium high heat and simple fry until you have a light brown color on one side, and then flip over and do the same to the second side (just a few minutes per side.) You don't want to over cook them or they will become chewy and stringy. Place a scoop of mango salsa on the middle of a plate and pile the scallops on top. You can serve with a lime wedge.

Crabs in Annapolis!

Who has the crabs!?
How often have you heard that one?

One look around Cantler's in Annapolis, MD, and you will realize every person in the joint has crabs!

By way of boat, Cantler's is just around the corner from the Naval Academy; a little tougher to get to by car, but only if you don't know where you are going.

This place is exactly what you would expect, more of a hole in the wall than anything, but a comfortable place where everyone feels at home with long tables that everyone shares with trays of crabs running the length. Blackboards with hand written notes describing how to crack and eat a crab; and one that tells what crabs are available (small, medium or large). As Dave noted, this is the only restaurant we've been in where ALL the kids were extremely well behaved; I equate this with the idea that they have something to occupy their time - mainly pounding on crabs with little mallets. Hell, I was pretty damn happy too!

We ordered a round of hush puppies and a bowl of mussels as well. The mussels were outstanding in a white wine sauce. And the crabs were good too- but you learn why crab meat is so expensive to buy; it's a lot of work for a little amount of crab. Look on the wall to see what they are serving today and what the price is. We went with the Medium size crabs - which ran us about $55.00 for a tray of a dozen crabs. Not a bad deal. If someone in your party is a little squeamish, they do have a few other options like deep fried fish and clams.

You can even walk down the steps to the river and look at your dinner before your meal. Theresa decided to get friendly with her crab prior to eating it! Not sure who is more afraid, her or the crab!

Next time your in the Annapolis vicinity - stop by Cantler's. You'll have a blast .... you'll smell like crab for a couple of days, but it's worth it! Crack, smash, eat and be fat and happy!

Crab with Thyme Butter

What better way to pass another cold night in Chicago than with some fresh crab legs? Here is a simple addition for a fun butter to go with your crab. First, I baked my legs. Simple preheat the oven to 400 degrees, place the crab legs on a baking pan, add a little water and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes. You can check the top of the crab, when it opaque white and flaky it's ready. While the crab is cooking, place one stick of butter in a small pan on the stove, keep the flame on low to avoid burning the butter. Add 1 tsp garlic powder and 2 tsps of dried thyme. Let that become melty. When your crab is ready, try using a lime instead of a lemon, it's goes nicely with the thyme butter. While your licking the butter dripping off your fingers, don't forget to be fat and happy!