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).

A Visit to Peru and Peruvian Causa Recipe

Peru exceeded my expectations. From a top notch city to hidden Incan ruins in the cloud forest to poverty huts in Puerto Maldanado to "occasional" electricity in the Amazon jungle, our 10 day trip melted our fast paced, stressed lifestyle away.

Nestled on small cliffs at the edge of the Pacific Ocean, Lima proved to be fun city with gorgeous views. Do make time to visit two of our favorite places: Huaca Pucllana for dinner and La Emolienteria for wheel barrel chairs and infused Pisco. Make to time walk along the rocky beach and watch the surfers ride the waves.

Cusco is a large, friendly mountain city surrounded by Incan ruins. We experienced our first semi-pro soccer match here, complete with armed gaurds and home cooked food for sale. Don't miss Mueso de Pisco for taste-shattering infused Pisco drinks and The Chocolate Museum where you will make chocolate starting with roasting the cocoa beans. Visit Uchu Peruvian Steakhouse, Marcelo Batata and Nuna Raymi for super yummy typical Peruvian fare you can trust. And for that one morning when you just need a more usual breakfast to soak up all the Pisco drinks, Jack's is the place. Life in Cusco is similar yet different. Boys and girls wear school uniforms, attend separate schools and the day is broken into 3 time frames: morning school is reserved for the smartest kids, the afternoon slot held for the 'average' students while the evening slot is attended by the less fortunate families who needed their children to work during the day.

Machupicchu is spectacular. Stunning really. Wondering through this hidden city,...feeling the life that once was... is a moving experience. Excavation is still underway to uncover even more, but the amount of visitors will soon be heavily regulated so plan ahead. Remember to stamp your passport!

Grilled Jalapeno Shrimp over Gazpacho Salad with Bonus Roasted Pepper Soup

Gazpacho is all the rage in the summer. It's a fresh and filling fusion of summers finest. And easy as pie to make. Let the blender do all the work, just drop the ingredients in.

I began to wonder what would happen if I didn't push the blend button. Certainly it would be a bit cruncher, resembling a salad or salsa rather than a soup, but would the overall taste change? And if it does, is that a bad thing?

The blender sat quietly on the counter while the sounds of my knife filled the kitchen. This gazpacho salad requires just a bit more chopping than a pulverized soup, but I tend to find that process rather calming and methodical.

While tasty, the Gazpacho Salad doesn't really stand on it's own, it needs more. Shrimp grilled with jalapenos adds a great dimension without adding complication.

Grilled Shrimp with Mango Enchilada Sauce

The temperature in Chicago is peeking into the high 60's- it's a titillating early March day. For me, any temperature above 50 degrees during the winter is grilling weather.

I've been playing around with this enchilada sauce and thought grilled shrimp would be a great addition.  The marinade of cilantro, shallot and lime combined with the smokey grill flavor is outstanding.

I felt something was missing in the sauce until the brilliant idea of adding in part of the mango for a touch of sweetness hit me, combined with a hint of cocoa for a sprinkling of depth takes this enchilada sauce over the edge.

 The temperature may only last a day, but the swirling flavors of grilled shrimp and mango will keep you fat and happy till your next grilling adventure. That, or it just may make you crave more grilled foods!


Tips and Techniques:   For the rice, I chose to take an aborio rice and cook it like normal rice rather than the slow-risotto method. Feel free to use any rice you prefer. Keeping the shells on the shrimp while grilling will yield more flavor, but it is messier while eating.


Grilled Shrimp with Mango Enchilada Sauce

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

10 large shrimp, unpeeled
1 small shallot
handful of cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil

Finely dice the shallot and the cilantro. Toss with the the lime juice, olive oil and the shrimp; set aside and let marinate while you make the enchilada sauce.


Mango Enchilada Sauce

2 dried chili's
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 small onion,quartered
1 large tomato, quartered
2 cups water
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 mango, diced
squeeze of lime

Clean the dried chili's by removing the stems and veins and rinsing. Place in a heated fry pan along with the garlic, onion and tomato to roast over medium high heat, turning each as they brown. Once each is roasted, add to a blender, typically the garlic will roast first. Do remove the outer peel from the garlic and do tear up the dried chili.

Blend the ingredients for 2 minutes or until relatively smooth. Add a little water if you need to but the tomato should give enough liquid. Strain the blender mixture back into your pan. Add the remaining ingredients except for the lime, into the pan and simmer until the mango is soft.

Pour the entire mixture back into the blender and blend until smooth.  Return to the pan, add in the lime and simmer until ready to use.

Oregano Rice

1/2 cup aborio rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup onions, finely diced
drizzle of olive oil
1 tbls dried oregano
seasoning salt
pepper

Add the olive oil and the onions to your pan, lightly saute the onions until they begin to soften. Add in the oregano, the rice and a few pinches of seasoning salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer until soft. Check often to see if more liquid is needed.

Putting it all together

Make the rice
Grill the shrimp
Grill the 2 sections of mango

Pour a scoop of the enchilada sauce in the middle of a plate, add a scoop of rice to the middle of the sauce. Top with the grilled mango and the grilled shrimp, enjoy!

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.