shrimp burgers and slaw

Just a fantastic meal. Make in order below. The burgers come together quickly so you want to have everything else ready to go.

Mango Slaw:

2 cups of cabbage, thinly sliced
1 mango, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup honey
salt & pepper

Combine everything and mix by hand. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Herb Aioli:

1 cup of mayo
1 garlic clove
half a lemon
assorted herbs (chive, basil, oregano and sage work well)
salt & pepper

Microplane the garlic into individual blender cup, squeeze lemon into cup and let rest for 5 minutes. Add herbs and 1/4 cup of mayo and pulse until well incorporated. Add to the remaining mayo with salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

Shrimp Burger:

1 pound of raw shrimp
1 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp garlic
1 tsp Hatch chili powder
1 shallot
3 fresh chives
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup gluten free panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
oil
3 gluten free buns

Throw everything except the breadcrumbs and egg into a food processer and pulse until a paste forms with some chunks of shrimp. Remove to another bowl and add the breadcrumbs and egg and mix until combined. Shape into 3 patties on a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes for the patties to set.

Add oil to a nonstick pan on medium high heat and sear shrimp burgers on each side for 1 minute and browned. Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover to steam the burgers for 2 minutes. Flip and re-cover for 2 more minutes. 

Wipe out pan and toast gluten free buns and then cover to steam.

To plate: Smear each side of the buns with the aioli, add the burger and then a pile of the slaw. Serve with additional slaw on the side. 

chicken poblano casserole

So so good!

8 roasted Hatch green chiles or Poblanos peeled
2 cobs of corn, kernels removed
Mexican chicken
4 oz dairy free cream cheese
2 handfuls of dairy free mozzarella
1.5 cups non-dairy milk
1 cup garbanzo bean flour or tapioca flour
4 large eggs beaten
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Marinate 5 chicken thighs with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1.5 tablespoons of Basquise spices and the juice and zest of 1 lime. Cook on comal until brown on each side and cooked through. Shred chicken.

Grease a cast iron skillet or oven proof pan; set aside.

Carefully cut a slit in one side of each roasted and peeled green chile. Layer each opened chile in the dish, add chunks of cream cheese, and add  Mexican chicken. 

Add another layer of chiles, cream cheese and the kernels of corn.

In a large mixing bowl combine non-dairy milk, flour, eggs, baking powder and spices.

Whisk until frothy.

Pour batter over everything.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Place into your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until puffed & golden.

ground beef casserole

A tasty and easy one pan dish.

1 pound ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
15 ounce can tomato sauce
6 ounce can tomato paste
2 cups Beef Broth
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
8-12 ounces Rummo gluten free spiral pasta
½ cup dairy free sour cream
8 ounces dairy free cream cheese, chopped into chunks
1 package of dairy free feta

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a cast iron braiser over medium heat cook the ground beef until just a little pink remains. Add the chopped onion. Cook on medium heat until the onion is translucent.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beef broth, seasonings, sea salt and pepper. Stir to combine the ingredients and heat to a simmer.

Add the sour cream, cream cheese, feta and uncooked pasta. Stir to combine.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbling around the edges and browned slightly.

jazzfest shrimp coctel

Ana Castro of Acamaya in New Orleans did a demonstration of her shrimp coctel at Jazzfest 2025 and it was amazing.

This isn't exactly her recipe but it's as close as I can recall.

Ingredients

For the Shrimp

2 pounds medium size shrimp (Approx 31-35 per pound) deveined, tail shells removed. (Thawed if frozen)
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar

For the Coctel Mixture

2 cup chilled V8
1 cup chilled Clamato juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Crystal's Hot Sauce
2 cups English cucumber- seeded, 1/8-1/4 inch dice
4 tbsp jalapeños – seeded and finely diced
1 cup red onion – finely diced
4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Set aside.

In a medium pot, combine the salt, sugar, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add the shrimp to the boiling water mixture and poach for about 2 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and opaque. (Note: The water will not fully return to a boil once you add the shrimp.) If you are nervous about the shrimp not being cooked, pull one and slice to make sure they are cooked through.

Transfer shrimp to ice bath and let cool for 3 to 5 minutes. Once cool, pay dry and cut each shrimp into 2-3 bite size pieces per shrimp, depending on size.

In a large mixing bowl, combine tomato juice, clamato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Mix well. Add the cooked, chopped shrimp, cucumber, jalapeño & red onion and gently stir until evenly coated.

Cover and chill in the fridge for at least one hour and up to 24 hours. Taste for seasoning once all the flavors have married. Add salt, pepper hot sauce, and/or lime juice to taste.

the only good chickpeas (besides hummus)

This softens the chickpeas in just the right way.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, or a tablespoon of jarred garlic
1 tablespoon grated or finely chopped fresh ginger, or 2 tabs of frozen ginger
1½ teaspoons curry powder
1 large bunch (about 8 ounces) greens, such as Swiss chard, kale, or collard greens, stems removed and leaves torn into medium-size pieces, washed, and shaken dry (there should be a little water still clinging to the leaves) or half a bag of frozen spinach
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
1 cup of water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 Roasted Sweet Potato halves, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus additional wedges for serving
1 teaspoon of fish sauce, for serving
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for serving (optional)

Directions

Roast sweet potatoes. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes in half, cover in olive oil and roast cut side down for 35 minutes.

Warm a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened a little, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder and cook, stirring frequently, until it all gets really fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes more.

If using, add fresh greens to the pot and stir them into the onion mixture with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pot while you do so. (If there are a lot of brown bits and they’re sticking, add a teaspoon or two of water.) Add the chickpeas, coconut milk, 1 cup water, and the kosher salt. If using frozen greens, add now. Let the whole thing simmer, partially covered, for about 20 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and cook for a minute or two—just enough to warm them through. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro if using and taste for seasoning; add more salt or lime juice if necessary.

Serve the braised chickpeas in shallow bowls over rice, topped with a splash of fish sauce and a squeeze of lime.

Adapted from Epicurious.com

the best chinese recipe ever

Hands down a Hall of Fame recipe. 

8 ounces chicken breast (thinly sliced)
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 Japanese eggplants (cut on an angle into 1 1/2-inch wedges)
3 cloves garlic (sliced thinly)
3 scallions (sliced 1½ inches long on an angle, separated into white and green parts)
5 baby bok choy sliced
1 king oyster mushroom (cut into sticks)
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons fish sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
ground white pepper
¼ cup chicken stock (hot)

Velvet chicken according to Kenji's Wok book. 

Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to your wok and heat until just smoking. Add the marinated chicken, and spread it around the wok. Let it sear for 30 to 60 seconds (depending upon your burner capacity) on each side. Remove from the wok and set aside.

Heat your wok over medium-high heat and coat it with 2 tablespoons of oil. Spread the eggplant out evenly in the wok, and let sear with the cover on the wok for 2 minutes. Remove the cover, turn the eggplant pieces over, and pour another tablespoon of oil around the perimeter. Cover the wok, and turn heat to medium-low for another 2 minutes until the eggplant is just tender. Next, raise the heat to high to cook the eggplant to a golden brown color–another 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add more oil and heat until near smoking. Cook mushrooms and bok choy until softened. Transfer to a plate. 

With the wok over high heat, add another tablespoon of oil, the garlic, the white parts of the scallions. Stir fry for 30 seconds, and add the veggies and chicken.

Next, add the Shaoxing wine, and stir everything together. Add the fish sauce, sugar, soy sauces, sesame oil, and white pepper, and stir until everything is combined–about a minute. Next, add the green portion of the scallions.

Pour the chicken stock around the perimeter of the wok to deglaze it. Stir fry until everything is well-combined, and most of the liquid has been absorbed by other ingredients. Serve with steamed jasmine rice!

celeriac fall soup

1 tablespoon neutral oil
1 shallot
1 medium celeriac/celery root
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
2 large sweet apples - peeled (I used Rosa Lee)
3 medium red potatoes - peeled
1 teaspoon jarred chicken bouillon
4 cups of water
3 tablespoons of butter
Salt to taste 

Chop celeriac, potatoes and apples into bite sized pieces. Dice shallot. 

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven. Add shallots and heat until translucent but not browned. Add fennel seeds and tarragon and warm through until fragrant. Add celeriac, potatoes and apples and stir. Add bouillon and water and stir. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium high, partially covered, for 20 minutes or until the celeriac is mostly softened. 

Use an immersion blender to process the soup until smooth. Stir in the butter until combined. Add salt to taste.

tomato-tini

Makes 2 cocktails

8 cherry tomatoes
2 teaspoons of champagne vinegar
pinch of salt
6 large basil leaves
4 oz of gin
1 oz of dry vermouth
cracked black pepper
dash of olive oil

Place cherry tomatoes, champagne vinegar, salt and basil leaves in the tin and muddle until the tomatoes are fully smashed. Add the gin and vermouth to the tin with ice and shake thoroughly. Double strain into coupe glasses. Crack black pepper on top and add a dash of olive oil to each glass.

coconut curry base

amaranth and/or mustard leaves or spinach leaves
1 can of coconut milk
1 large onion, diced

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
15-20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt

fish sauce 

Bring water and salt to the boil in a large pot. Add washed leaves and boil for 10 minutes or until tender.

In a separate pan, heat the oil and cook the chopped onion until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and heat until fragrant. Add the curry powder and cook until fragrant.

Add the well drained leaves and tomatoes and stir to combine.

Add the coconut milk and continue cooking for about 10 minutes.

Add fish sauce and salt to taste.

greatest rice ever

This is the best rice I've ever had. I call it the good good rice.

4 cups water
2 tbsp chicken or beef Better than Bouillon 
1 packet of Sazon con Culantro y Achiote
1 small onion whole
2 cups long grain rice uncooked
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon salt

Add 1 small onion to the center of the Instant Pot. 

Add 4 cups of warm water to the Instant pot, add in chicken bouillon and Sazon packet and mix well.

Add 2 cups of rice to the IP.

Seal and use the Rice function to cook for 15 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 9 minutes then release the remaining pressure.

Remove the onion.

Stir in 4 Tbsp. butter until completely melted.

Taste your rice to see if it needs any salt. 

Adapted from Sunday Supper

brown butter frisee

 An accidently delicious discovery.

1 head of frisee
2 tablespoons of butter
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a non-stick pan until browned and bubbling. Tear frisee into smaller pieces and add to the pan. Stir frisee in pan until it is softened and browned. 

Remove from pan and salt with Maldon flakes and black pepper.