Shrimp Salad with Grilled Polenta

Shrimp Salad with Grilled Polenta

This meal was one of the most exciting creations I have done so far this year, simply because it was the first time I was able to incorporate some fresh produce from my garden into the recipe.  Anyone with a backyard garden knows how exciting the first harvest is, no matter how small.  Initially I thought this up as a quick meal for small family in order to use up some cooked frozen shrimp I had in the freezer.  But the day before, my husband mentioned that a friend and his family were coming over to help him do some building work, so I quickly had to rethink how to stretch the meal to feed a few more people.  I am sure this recipe would taste even better with grilled shrimp, fresh garden tomatoes and peppers, so I definitely plan to try it again later this summer, although by then some of my fresh lettuces may all have been harvested.  Regardless, this time around the fresh herbs, spicy arugula and bitter kale were in perfect balance with the sweet shrimp and grilled polenta.  I had never tried grilling polenta before but my instincts were right and it turned out amazing.  Our guests literally said "I am going to have to try this at home" so I know it was a hit.  And it was actually a perfect meal for entertaining because the shrimp salad can be made a few hours ahead of time and then all you have to worry about is grilling the polenta and tossing a salad. And it tasted like summer on a plate. What better way to start off the season than with a simple, elegant and healthy meal that honestly tastes better outside when shared with friends and family.  Happy Summer everyone!!!

Cocktail Sauce

Cocktail Sauce

Nothing super fancy or ingenious here, simply my take on the traditional seafood sauce minus the corn syrup, coloring and artificiality often found in store bought brands.  Full of flavor, not too salty, not too sweet, it goes perfect with cold cocktail shrimp.  The recipe does make a decent amount so it would be better for a party than as an appetizer for two or three like I had intended, but it was literally so good that I had a few spoonfuls of it alone when I was done with my shrimp, simply because I hate to see things go to waste.  I know it might be easier to just buy a jar, but honestly this took five minutes to stir together and the quality, taste, and nutritional value, are incomparable.

Coconut Chili Lime Steamed Shrimp

Coconut Chili Lime Steamed Shrimp

It has been awhile since my last post, probably the longest I have gone since starting this adventure six months ago. I have a feeling I am not going to have much time to cook in the near future since I will be running around to my kids' sporting events every night for the next three months.  I have been joking that unless I write about all the ways in which to make a peanut butter sandwich, I will probably only be publishing one or two new posts per week.

During that time, this recipe might become a weekend staple, because after running around all week, and Saturdays too, the last thing I have energy for is an elaborate meal.  This is one of those one pot wonders that you can leave and forget about for a few minutes and it does the work for you.  The flavors are mild but complex and the shrimp can be served with whatever type of starch or salad you prefer.  Sometimes fast and easy food can be super nutritious.

Coconut Lime Shrimp with Thai Rice Noodles

Coconut Lime Shrimp with Thai Rice Noodles
served with an organic romaine and broccolette salad

The idea for this meal came about while cooking my simple Coconut Curry Shrimp the other night.  As I was sauteing the garlic, red pepper flakes and shrimp in the virgin coconut oil, I was so impressed with how amazing it smelled that I knew I had to create another dish using the shrimp just like that. (I had a jar of sauce to use up that night or I would have changed my recipe immediately)... So a few nights later I planned out this meal, only adding a few fresh ingredients (lime, cilantro and scallions) and serving the shrimp over healthy, high fiber, brown rice noodles.  While a bit spicy, my son even liked it and I got my daughter to at least try out a new type of noodle, which I consider a success (even if she ate them with Parmesan cheese).

The salad I served along side is about as simple as you can get with only two ingredients, but again, they are vegetables that both of my kids will eat.  The dressing uses up half of the lime juice that I squeezed for the main dish and two delicious, full bodied, oils.  A very delicately flavored, yet complex tasting dish that I am so glad I figured out.  It tasted like I was eating something truly tropical and exotic while stuck in snowy Pennsylvania.

Coconut Curry Shrimp

Coconut Curry Shrimp

Not every meal has to be completely from scratch or complicated to be healthy, delicious and fun.  I had a jar of curry sauce that was going to expire in about a month and being a stickler for those "best by" dates and hating to waste anything I knew I had to use it up.  So last minute I raided my pantry and my freezer and came up with this meal.  I was not planning on putting it on my blog at first, but then figured, why not? It might not be that original, or that inventive, but sometimes simple and quick are just as good. Full of high protein shrimp and beans, fiber rich brown rice and super nutritious spinach and garlic it is a meal that is as good for as it is easy to throw together.  If you always keep items like this stocked in your pantry and freezer, a gourmet meal is never far away.

Coconut Curry Noodles

Coconut Curry Noodles

Usually when I go to the grocery store I have a very detailed list and a fairly good idea of what I plan to serve for meals for the next few days.  I rarely succumb to impulse buys and besides waiting to see what produce looks the best, I pretty much know exactly what I am going to buy when I walk in the door.  But every once in awhile I see something that I just have to try and then scramble around trying to figure out what else I need to buy in order to turn that ingredient into a meal.  This is what happened when shopping yesterday and I happened to see a box of purple corn and rice noodles.  I have cooked with rice noodles many times before because my son loves all kinds of Asian inspired noodle dishes and I love cooking inventive and adventurous meals that I know he will enjoy.  But what was I going to make with these intriguing purple noodles?

As I stood there in the aisle I tried to think of what I already had at home so that I wouldn't have to add too much more to my list and break my budget. Luckily I keep a fairly well stocked pantry and quickly realized that with the addition of a few fresh veggies I had enough to make a new meal using the purple noodles that was sure to please my family and be quick and easy to whip together on a school night.  You could definitely change up this recipe with your favorite vegetables, and a different protein source.  Fresh cooked shrimp, or even raw ones that you could then cook in the coconut milk (if you have more time), or cooked organic chicken or tofu would be delicious in the recipe, but I used the canned shrimp because I always have it on hand and it is an easy and convenient source of protein.

Now don't get all concerned about the level of fat in this meal because of the use of coconut milk.  Yes, the regular kind can be high in fat, but because it comes from a plant source as opposed to a cut of beef or a block of cheese, it is the kind of saturated fat that your body actually needs. Of course you could use a lighter version of coconut milk, but you will sacrifice the creamy texture and the satisfying richness of the dish.  Just because something is low in fat or lower in calories, doesn't necessarily make it healthier.  Plus when you eat "real" food, the way nature intended it to be, you won't be inclined to overeat afterwards.  This is the type of meal where you will not need a lot to be satisfied and although you could have dessert afterwards, you may not crave it like you would with other entrees.  And yes, my plateful is huge, but I did a heavy work out this morning and have been busy in the kitchen ever since. So now it is time to eat!!!

purple corn and rice noodles