In a Shrimp State of Mind
The promise of spring is just around the corner. My daffodils are pushing themselves up through the soil, the birds have been chirping like crazy and the days are getting noticeably longer. But just to keep us guessing, last week Mother Nature gave us a fresh dusting of snow one morning and a mid-afternoon wintry mix on another day. I want to tell her, it’s too late, you had your chance. I’m ready for summer! This time last year we were lucky enough to be in Cabo taking in magnificent sunrises and sunsets from the same spot on the beach. Our hotel bar made great piña coladas and wherever we went, the shrimp was plentiful. While I wait for warmer days to come, I’ll just have to reminisce with shrimp for dinner. If you’re like me and can’t wait for summer, then try the Jerk Shrimp and Mango Salsa Rice Bowls. If you’re a patient anticipator of spring, try my adaptation of Korean Shrimp Bowls; and if you’ve still got one foot in winter and your idea of a good March day is on the slopes, Shrimp with Cauliflower “Grits” and Arugula is the dish for you.
I keep a bag of Aqua Star Wild Patagonian Pink Shrimp in my freezer for when I need a little escape to the sunshine. These jumbo easy-peel shrimps are also easy to thaw so no planning ahead required. (Secret: the grocery store sells the exact same shrimp behind the seafood counter; at least my Kroger store does.) Just put them in a bowl and run cold water over them for a couple minutes. It’s fine to let them sit in cold water but check every couple of minutes and run more cold water over them, tossing until the ice is gone and they are thawed and bendable. To peel them, I put on my food handler gloves and bend the end off, grab the legs and the entire peel comes off easily. Peel them, pat them dry and you’re ready to go.
Jerk Shrimp and Mango Salsa Rice Bowls
I’m going to start with the all-in “I’m ready for summer” shrimp bowl. This is for my friends who, like me, are already folding up and packing away your sweats and strategizing where to place your chair on the first 60-degree day to optimize the warmth of the sunshine. (Yes, this is real if you live in the Northwest.) Your ticket to a tropical vacation: Jerk Shrimp and Mango Salsa Rice Bowls from the Simple Half-Baked Harvest cookbook. Okay, it may be a Jamaican vacation rather than a Mexican vacation but sounds good to me!
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. small shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used the large Patagonia shrimp – I usually do five per person.)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons The Best Jerk Seasoning (page 236) or a store-bought blend
4 medium tomatillos
1 jalapeno, seeded
1 lime juiced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 mango peeled and diced
Kosher salt
3 cups cooked rice (throw it in the Instant Pot and fuhgettaboutit)
1 14-oz can black beans
2 green onions and more cilantro for serving
1 avocado, sliced
This is basically a sheet-pan dinner. The shrimp is tossed with olive oil and jerk seasoning and placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet and the tomatillos and jalapeno go on the other half of the pan. She says to roast at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. I felt like that was going to be too long for the shrimp, so I started the tomatillos and jalapeño first and then added the shrimp part way through, cooking for 5-6 minutes.
Put the roasted tomatillos and jalapeño (including the juices), lime juice and cilantro into a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in the chopped mango and salt. (And no, I’ve never figured out a good way to cut a mango!)
To serve, divide the rice and black beans into four bowls. Arrange the shrimp and avocado on top. Drizzle the tomatillo salsa over the bowl and sprinkle with green onions and cilantro. (Some mint thrown in would be good as well.)
Grab a fork, put on your flip flops and enjoy!
Next up, Korean Shrimp Bowls
This is an adaptation of Korean Chicken Bowls from the Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook—minus the chicken, plus the shrimp, minus the pressure cooker! I like this because the colors are so vibrant and fresh and harken to sunnier days ahead. If you’re ready to plant your garden and can’t wait for the farmer’s market to open, this dish gives you all the beautiful colors of spring to come. This particular evening, I didn’t have any chicken defrosted and so decided to use shrimp. I loosely followed the recipe to mimic the same flavors.
Prep work:
Slice 1 red bell pepper
Chop up to ½ red onion
Roughly chop lots of spinach, just eyeball it but about 2 cups is good.
Mince about a teaspoon of fresh ginger (I use my microplane grater) Note that ground ginger works in a pinch.
MInce 1-2 garlic cloves
Combine the following for the sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
3 Tbs maple syrup
Couple squirts of Sriracha
In lieu of using the Instant Pot, I melted a tablespoon of ghee in a skillet on medium-high or just a tad lower, and then added the sauce and let it warm up for a few minutes. Then I added the red pepper, onion, garlic and ginger and sauteed until tender but still slightly crisp. When almost satisfied with the veggies, add the shrimp and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side (no longer than 6 minutes total). Add the chopped spinach at the end and stir to mix until wilted, about 1 minute.
Serve over jasmine rice or other rice of choice. Top with green onions and toasted sesame seeds
And, actualy I did use the Instant Pot for my rice.
Shrimp with Cauliflower “Grits” and Arugula
Last but not least. If you truly love winter (I don’t know who you are) and wear your fleece and boots through April, then Shrimp with Cauliflower “Grits” and Arugula will warm you up.
This is shrimp comfort food with a kick. The shrimp gets its fire from paprika (I use Smoked Paprika), garlic powder, cayenne pepper and lots of black pepper. The grits are really cauliflower. I buy the cauliflower pearls in the produce section and have also used frozen cauliflower rice. Why cut up cauliflower if you don’t have to? It’s combined with whole milk and goat cheese, but I typically use feta cheese because it’s not quite as rich. The arugula is sauteed with garlic. The recipe calls for 4 cups of arugula, but it shrinks down so much that I probably use closer to twice that amount. Just add as much as you want.
The great thing about all of these dishes is that they are prepared in one or two pans, and they can all be served in a big bowl and eaten on the couch (or porch).
Blanket or sunlamp optional.