This shrimp recipe from The Barbecue! Bible was fantastic — the shrimp come out plump, moist and delicious, with a sweet, slightly spicy honey glaze. Lisa and I loved this preparation and will definitely make it again. On an unrelated note, we’re almost done with the catch-up posts and will return to our regularly scheduled conversations shortly.

Honey Sesame Shrimp
1.5 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp rice wine, sake, or dry sherry
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp Thai sweet chile sauce
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 slices (1/4″ thick) fresh ginger
2 scallions, trimmed, white part smashed, green part finely chopped and set aside for garnish

Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Set aside while you prepare the marinade.
Combine three tablespoons of the sesame oil, the rice wine, soy sauce, honey, sesame seeds, chile sauce, and five-spice powder in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Stir in the garlic, ginger, scallions, and shrimp to coat, then cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
Preheat the grill to high.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the marinade to a bowl and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Pour the marinade into a saucepan; remove and discard the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites using the slotted spoon. Bring the marinade to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, uncovered, to a thick, syrupy glaze, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
When ready to cook, oil the grate. Arrange the shrimp on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on the outside and firm and pink inside, about 2 minutes per side. Brush the shrimp with the glaze as they cook.

Transfer the shrimp to serving plates and or a platter and sprinkle with the scallion greens. Serve immediately.

4 Servings

Lisa saw this recipe on 101 Cookbooks and immediately added it to her must-have list. The cool salad was a tasty treat during our mini-heatwave a few weeks ago. For the sprouts, we found a pack that included many varieties we hadn’t previously tried — they added crunch and texture to this healthy dish.

Orzo Super Salad
1 cup dried orzo pasta
8 – 10 medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch segments
1/2 a medium head of broccoli, cut into small trees
small handful of mint, chopped

1 small clove of garlic, mashed with a big pinch of salt and chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

a small handful of sprouts
1/3 cup almonds, toasted
1/2 small cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium avocado, sliced into small pieces
1/4 cup feta, crumbled

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously and boil the orzo per package instructions. 30 seconds before the orzo is finished cooking stir the asparagus and broccoli into the orzo pot. Cook for the final 30 seconds, drain and run under a bit of cold water to stop the cooking.

Meanwhile, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt into the dressing. Set aside.

To serve the salad, toss the orzo, asparagus, broccoli, and mint with about half the dressing. Add more dressing if needed, and toss well. Now add the sprouts, almonds, cucumber, avocado, and feta. Very gently toss a couple of times to distribute the ingredients throughout the salad and serve.

Serves 4.

Here’s a recipe from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook that’s been sitting in the “need to post” pile for a while… we broke out the grill for this one a few months ago. We love the taste and texture of grilled portobellos, and when placed over a bed of greens and garbanzos with a slightly spicy, tangy mustard dressing, they make for a great healthy meal.

Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing
Roasted Portobellos:
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large portobello caps

Dressing:
1/4 cup prepared spicy, smooth mustard
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Salad:
8 cups mixed greens
1 avocado, peeled, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, sliced into very thin half-moons
1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Combine the mushroom marinade ingredients in shallow glass dish, then place the portobellos upside down in the marinade. Spoon a bunch of the marinade into the mushroom caps to form a small pool. Preheat a grill to high heat and marinate for 20 minutes.
Grill the mushrooms over direct heat, about 4 minutes per side. When done, remove from heat, and when cool enough to handle, slice and set aside.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl, then throw all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the dressing over. Toss to coat.
Place the greens on a plate, top with the portobellos, and serve.

4 main-dish/8 side-dish servings

And now, award time!
I’d like to thank Margot from Coffee and Vanilla for presenting We Heart Food with a Beautiful Blog Award!

Click here to check out the other recipients of BB!

Is there anything that doesn’t go with cilantro?

Chris says:

In our house? No.

Lisa says:

Haha — true! Is this the dish you made because we happened to have everything in the house already?

Chris says:

You know, I’m not sure. It’s been a long while. Damn catch-up posts… I do remember liking it though.

Lisa says:

I barely remember it, but I’m thinking the fact that it’s slathered with stir-fried mushrooms means I hearted it a whole lot.

Chris says:

You have a way with words… but I’m guessing you’re right. Okay, on to the recipe…

Tilapia with Shiitake Mushrooms
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine
pinch sugar
zest and juice from 1 lemon
4 large tilapia fillets
1 tsp sesame oil
6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 scallions, chopped

Mix the soy sauce, oil, rice wine, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a shallow glass baking dish. Place the fish in the dish and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning over a couple of times.
Remove from the fridge and allow to return to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350F.
Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat and when hot add mushrooms. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until they start to soften, then add in the scallions, stir, and remove from the heat.
Sprinkle the mushroom mixture over the fish and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and firm.
Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

4 Servings

Meat and potatoes, Rick Bayless-style.  This easy recipe from Mexican Everyday features deliciously tender… tenderloin… dished up with potatoes and full-flavored, slightly spicy poblano peppers.  We don’t cook tons of red meat and aren’t fans of huge slabs of beef, so this was a nice treat.  The potatoes took a lot longer than suggested in the book, so I’ve adjusted the times below. By the way, gas ovens are fantastic for roasting peppers.

Lisa says:

Whoa, what’s this? We never have steak.

Chris says:

I know it — I was just in the mood for red meat, and this sounded really good.

Lisa says:

Well it certainly smells good… how spicy are the peppers?

Chris says:

Not very — they’re the poblanos, so they have a nice flavor but aren’t usually very hot.

Lisa says:

Didn’t you almost kill my mom with some “aren’t usually hot” peppers?

Chris says:

Hey, that wasn’t my fault! I blame the produce lady. Besides, I really enjoyed that dish, even if it was way overly spicy. Anyway, back to this dish — these strips aren’t hot!

Lisa says:

I know, I just finished.

Chris says:

Uh, what?

Lisa says:

Yeah, while you were going on for 20 minutes about pepper excuses, I was enjoying this delicious dinner. I loved the steak.

Chris says:

What the — 20 minutes? That was barely 20 words!

Lisa says:

Whatevs. Like I said, I thought it was delicious.

Chris says:

Okay, well, yes. Ditto!

Quick-Seared Poblano Beef Tips
2 small poblano peppers
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb beef tenderloin
salt
1 small white onion, sliced 1/4″ thick
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (1/2 lb), cut into 1/2″ pieces
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup dark beer
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Roast the poblanos over an open flame, turning regularly until blackened and blistered all over, about 5 minutes. Wrap in foil and let sit until cool.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, sprinkle the beef generously with salt, then put into the hot pan, spreading into a single layer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is almost done — 4 minutes for medium-rare. Remove to a plate.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the onion and potatoes. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is richly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about a minute, until aromatic. Pour in the beer and Worcestershire, sprinkle in 1/4 tsp salt, and lower the heat to medium. Let cook, stirring regularly until most of the liquid has reduced and the potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes longer.
While the mixture is simmering, rub the blackened skin off the poblanos and pull out the stems and seed pods. Cut into 1/4″ strips and add them to the skillet.
When the potatoes are tender, return the meat to the pan and sprinkle on the cilantro. When the meat has heated through, taste and add salt if necessary.

2 Servings

“CSA” Soup: Delicious!  Lisa made this soup up from all the ingredients we had left over from our last CSA box.  Snow peas, zucchini, broccoli, and shallots, in a tomato and vegetable broth base.  Making a soup is a great way to use up vegetables that are starting to lose their firmness or are a few days away from the compost bin.

This stir-fry, originally found on 101 Cookbooks, is a quick-to-prepare mix of tofu, asparagus, mushrooms, and spinach.  We [Heart] Asparagus season!

Asparagus Stir-Fry
toasted sesame oil
8 oz extra-firm tofu, cut into slices
4 oz mushrooms, halved
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
a couple big pinches of fine-grain sea salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 big handful of toasted cashews, chopped up a bit
a few handfuls of spinach
zest and juice of one lime
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 small handful fresh mint, slivered
1 small handful fresh basil, slivered

Heat a teaspoon or so of sesame oil in a large pan, or well-seasoned wok over medium high heat. When it is hot, add the tofu, and cook until golden – a few minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

Add a generous splash of oil to the pan and, as soon as it is hot, add the mushrooms, onions, ginger, red pepper flakes, asparagus, and salt. Stir fry for about a minute, then add the garlic, cashews, and spinach and stir-fry for another minute, or until the spinach wilts. Return the tofu to the pan. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the hoisin sauce. Cook for another 10-20 seconds, stirring continuously.

Remove from heat and stir in the mint and basil. Taste and add a bit more salt if needed.

2 Main-dish Servings

Actually, that’s a lie.  A wonderful, wonderful lie.  Well, partly.  It *is* vegetables:  carrots and currants are vegetables, right?  Healthy?  Not a chance.  At a whopping 485 calories and 30g of fat per 1/2 cup serving, this insanely awesome frozen treat isn’t likely to fit into any sensible eating plan.  But who cares — Lisa made it for my birthday, dammit!  Closer to frozen cream cheese frosting than ice cream, this ridiculously rich confection tastes *just like* the real thing.  We have David Lebovitz, author of The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments for this creation.

Best. Dessert. Ever. Those toppings are fantastic.

Lisa says:

Holy crap that’s good.

Carrie says:

Can I try a bite? … wow … that *does* taste just like carrot cake!

Chris says:

That ice cream maker was officially worth it.

Lisa says:

I don’t think that was ever under debate.

Abbie says:

This is RICH — and I can see why you’d love this, Mr. I-Heart-Carrot-Cake!

Chris says:

Don’t forget there’s also Maker’s Mark in it!

Thad says:

Wow — cream cheese frosting, anyone?

Jeremy says:

ZOMG this is awesome.

Autumn says:

This is incredible… can we keep the rest?

Chris & Lisa say:

PLEASE!

Chris says:

We’ve been eating this for four days…one more bite and I’ll look like I’m entering my third trimester.

Carrot Cake Ice Cream
Spiced pecans
1 cup pecan halves
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the pecans with the butter. In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar and salt. Pour the mixture over the pecans and toss to coat completely. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and cook for 12 minutes, gently stirring halfway during baking to candy the nuts. Remove the tray to a rack and cool the nuts completely. Once cool, coarsely chop the pecans. Set aside.

Maker’s-Soaked Currants
1/4 cup dried currants
2 tbsp Maker’s Mark Bourbon

In a small saucepan, heat the currants and bourbon until boiling. Simmer until the currants have absorbed almost all of the liquid. Remove from heat and cover the pan. Set aside to cool completely.

Candied carrots
2 cups finely diced carrots
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup
2 cups water

In a medium saucepan, combine the carrots, sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a low boil and cook until the syrup is reduced to about 2 tablespoons and the carrots are translucent and candied, 20 to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the carrots during the last few minutes so they do not burn. Drain the carrots and set aside to cool.

Ice cream base and assembly
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 1/2 cups low-fat sour cream (see? healthy!)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp chopped lemon zest

Spiced pecans
Bourbon-Soaked Currants
Candied carrots

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, blend together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and lemon zest until smooth. Chill thoroughly.
Freeze the base in an ice cream maker. After churning, gently fold in the spiced pecans, soaked currants and candied carrot cubes. Freeze until firm.

Makes 1 Quart

Wow, what a great meal — makes it feel like summer!

Lisa says:

I’m so glad we’re actually able to grill again.

Chris says:

I’m just glad we’re not having another soup.

Lisa says:

Hey, what’s wrong with soup?

Chris says:

Nothing at all — it’s just, you know… soup. We have it a lot. Anyway, I really like this mango salad. It’s just a bit spicy, but not too much.

Lisa says:

I like the lime flavor in it — and you’re right. It’s not overly spicy. Mixing everything with the rice is awesome.

Chris says:

Yeah I can definitely see making this again. Maybe next time cutting the mango slices thinner, or cubing them.

Lisa says:

These slices are a bit big, but I don’t mind — they taste awesome.

Grilled Shrimp over Sliced Mango Salad
For mango salad:
2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced, without seeds
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 firm-ripe mangoes, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced

For shrimp:
16 jumbo shrimp, shelled, leaving tail and adjoining first segment attached, and deveined
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 fresh jalapeño chile, minced, including seeds
2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

Assemble the mango salad by whisking the brown sugar and lime juice in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add the jalapeño, shallot, cilantro, and mint, whisking together. Add the sliced mangoes and toss gently. Set aside.
To prepare the shrimp, insert a skewer lengthwise through each shrimp (starting at the head end), then transfer to a tray. Prepare the grill for cooking. Whisk together oil, jalapeño, cumin, and salt, then brush on skewered shrimp until well coated. Grill shrimp, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and just cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Toss mango salad again and divide among four plates. Arrange four shrimp on top of each.

4 Servings as a first course, or 2-3 servings as part of a meal

This rice was fantastic! We heart cilantro — added to the combination of the toasted coconut and the hint of spice from the jalapeño, this rice has a great burst of flavor. It was the perfect accompaniment to a shrimp and mango salad. I scaled down this recipe from the one posted at epicurious.

Hey, come here and taste this!

Lisa says:

Whoa, that’s awesome… the toasted coconut adds a nice crunch.

Chris says:

It does — I was a little leery about using the sweetened coconut, but it didn’t end up making the rice overly sweet.

Lisa says:

So it’s basically just the rice, coconut, and cilantro?

Chris says:

Pretty much… the rice is cooked with some ginger and jalapeño, and then you just stir in the rest after it’s cooked. Really easy. Some reviewers suggested cooking the rice with a little coconut milk to add even more flavor, but I like it as is.

Toasted Coconut Cilantro Rice
1 cup basmati rice
1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 tsp finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp finely chopped fresh jalapeño including seeds
3 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cups packed fresh cilantro sprigs
2 scallions, chopped (1 cup)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Wash rice in several changes of cold water in a bowl until water is almost clear. Soak rice in cold water 30 minutes, then drain well in a sieve.
Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 6-7 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn, then cool completely.
Cook ginger and jalapeño in 1 tsp oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until chile is softened, about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in water and 1/4 tsp salt and bring to a boil, covered. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
While rice cooks, pulse together coconut, cilantro, scallions, and remaining 2 tsp and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely chopped.
Add cilantro mixture to cooked rice and stir gently until combined well.

3 Servings

I’ve come to the conclusion that you can add bacon to anything and it turns out wonderfully.

Lisa says:

I don’t think you’re the first to come up with that…

Chris says:

Well this dish certainly came out well — I actually really like the sweet onions in it.

Lisa says:

It is really good, and it’s good to know that collards aren’t going to be one of those CSA veggies that wait in the fridge until they go bad.

Chris says:

Hey, I don’t think that happens nearly as often as I’d have thought…

Lisa says:

…and if a veggie is looking like it might be heading that way… just add bacon!

Chris says:

Works for me…

Quick-Braised Collard Greens with Bacon and Sweet Onions
1 pound collard greens, washed, stalks trimmed, and roughly chopped (1 large bunch)
1/4 lb pepper bacon (or turkey bacon), sliced into 1/2-inch strips
1 small Walla-Walla sweet onion, finely chopped (approx. 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add collards and cook until they wilt and are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Place the pepper bacon in a large frying pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-brown and the fat is rendered, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the drained greens and turn to coat well. Add the chicken broth to cover the collards, and cook until the liquid is reduced and greens are very tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

3 Servings