Shrimp BLTs with Basil Mayo

BLTs are pretty much the best sandwiches ever. Raise your hand if you agree. 

Obviously bacon is amazing, but when you combine it with crispy fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and creamy cool mayonnaise… I seriously think it's bacon's best use. Well, aside from just chowing down slice after slice. When in doubt, I order BLTs. Unlike other sandwiches, they're just kind hard to screw up. I mean, there's for sure the perfect BLT, and you can probably make a sub-par BLT, but really...if you give me bread or toast, bacon, toms, and lettuce, I'm sure I'll manage.

This here BLT, loaded with grilled shrimp and garlicky basil mayo (SBLTBM?), is SO GOOD. I'm not going to say it's better than the original, because how can you improve upon something so classic and perfect? But, I will say that it's delicious and awesome in it's own right. It's perfect for dinner, since it's a little heartier than the classic, but really, I could eat it for every meal. Breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, mid-day snack, dinner…dessert? 

I also love the simplicity of a BLT, even this fancy one. Fry up the bacon, slicey slice the toms, give the shrimp a quick toss in some EVOO, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, then throw those suckers on the grill, and blend together your mayo, basil, and garlic. 

Sidenote: avocado would not be a terrible idea here. SBLTBMA? 

Shrimp BLTs with Basil Mayo

Makes 2 large sandwiches

8 thick slices bacon

1/2 cup mayonaise

8 large basil leaves

1 small clove garlic

12 large shrimp/prawns, peeled and deveined 

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch red pepper flakes

Salt & pepper

1 tomato, sliced

Lettuce (I like a crunchy but leafy lettuce like Romaine for BLTs)

4 thick slices bread (I used a sour white from a local bakery)-toast if desired

Cook the bacon: Per your usual method, draining on paper towels when done. 

Make the mayo: In a blender or food processor, add mayo, basil leaves, and garlic. Blend until smooth, stopping and scraping down sides as necessary. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste.

Grill the shrimp: Toss shrimp with olive oil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper. To grill outside, I like to put them on a double skewer so they don't fall through (for wooden skewers, be sure to soak in water prior to grilling so they don't burn). For indoor grilling on a grill pan, you can leave them loose. Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes per side, or until opaque.

Assemble the sandwiches: Slather 1 piece of bread with the mayo, top with tomato, bacon, shrimp, and lettuce, and top with bread slice. Repeat for second sandwich. 

Pesto Shrimp Quesadillas

So, you know that no-fish-and-cheese rule? The one that says not to mix fish and cheese? Well, it’s a thing. And sometimes I agree with it. I mean, fish is so fresh and light and…fishy. And from the sea. Well, from water. And cheese is heavy and creamy and rich, and from the land. From a cow. There are plenty of times where I would say absolutely no seafood and cheese together.

But I mean, rules are made to be broken. Right? Right. Case in point: smoked salmon and cream cheese. Classic combo. And how about clams on pizza? I’ve had that plenty of times, and ps. it’s awesome. Also, the good old fashioned tuna melt…ammiright!? These reasons, and many more, are why I’m perfectly comfortable sharing shrimp quesadillas with you.

Pesto shrimp quesadillas. Yep. Sweet little shrimpies, super herby homemade pesto, melty mozzarella, and salty crumbled cotija. Inside a crispy tortilla. If you ever doubted the shrimp + cheese combo, this will change your mind.

Also, did you know that you can throw pretty much anything in pesto? It’s not just basil and pine nuts anymore, my friends.  Parsley? Yes, please. Pumpkin Seeds? Do it. Garlic scapes? Yessiree. Carrot tops? Yep, throw those green carrot tops in there! Chocolate cake? Ok, now maybe we’ve gone too far. But maybe… ok, maybe not.

Pesto Shrimp Quesadillas

Tortillas

Peeled and deveined shrimp, cooked

Fresh mozzarella, grated

Fresh cotija, crumbled

Parsley & carrot top pesto (recipe below)

Oil for cooking

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil, and place the tortilla in the skillet. Flip a few times until the tortilla is warm (but not crispy) on both sides. Spread a thick layer of pesto all over the inside of the tortilla, sprinkle mozzarella on one side, top with shrimp, and top with cotija. Fold tortilla over, and cook on both sides until tortilla is crispy and cheese is melty.

Parsley & Carrot Top Pesto

Adapted loosely from this recipe

A little variety gives the pesto a fresh, less over-bearing flavor. And using garlic scapes definitely mellows out the garlic taste. If you can’t get your hands on scapes, I would recommend just starting out with one clove of garlic, see how you like it. Then add more if you really have some vampires to scare off.

3/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds, shelled and lightly toasted)

2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1 bunch)

2 cups carrot tops (from one large bunch of carrots)

4-5 large basil leaves

4-5 garlic scapes, chopped

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to thin if necessary

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Juice from 1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Additional salt and pepper, to taste

Blend pepitas in a food processor until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth. Add more olive oil, salt, and pepper, as needed.

Shrimp Boil + Other Fun

It was a weird weekend. A really weird mix of classy and well, the opposite of that. 

Case in point #1: The White Party. 

On Friday, Evan and I dressed in our pre-labor day best, nothing but white head to toe, and met up with four other couples for a local winery's annual summer white party. It all started out super classy. Cocktails and high heels (like, the highest heels I own), champagne and a limo. We really went for it. Then things got a little crazy. The winery party was out in nature. Like, on a giant gravel hill. Have you ever tried to walk on a giant gravel hill, when you've had several glasses (bottles!?) of wine!? It's not pretty, friends. I hate to say it, but this girl did not fare well. Neither did 95% of women there (damn those few with flip flops!). We watched girls fall in the gravel and roll down the hill. It was around that time that someone mentioned that we're a lot closer to 30 than 20. Far too old to behave that way. Or, maybe no one should behave that way? Regardless, it was a night to remember. Or not. See, classy turned upside down (literally) real quick-like. 

Case in point #2: The BBQ Joint.

So, Saturday night, after a full day of recovery (I read an entire book on Saturday… Gillian Flynn, what up!), we decided to hit up the new whiskey bar/BBQ spot in my neighborhood. BBQ is burley food, people. Beans and ribs and giant messy, saucy piles of pork. BBQ is not shimmery skin-tight mini dresses and valet parking. What!? Seriously, Ballard is not skin-tight mini dresses and valet parking. Ballard is jeans and farmers markets and couples in their 30s with a dog and a Subaru. What is happening here!? I feel like I maybe entered a worm hole. (Is that what it's called, a worm hole?) You may see me tumbling down a gravel hill in 5 inch heels, but you will never see me eating BBQ in a sequined spandex dress. I have standards!

Case in point #3: The Shrimp Boil.

Now, I don't think a shrimp boil is anything but amazing. But I mean, it's down home (down south?), messy, eat-with-your-hands food. Throw it all on the table and dig in type food. Wear a bib type food, even. But today I made Evan watch me throw together a shrimp boil (actually, I had him do most of the work), so that he could learn it as his own fancy signature dish. I told him it's really easy (it is!) and that it's the kind of meal that impresses people, you know, the classy kind. I seriously can't decide if I think a shrimp boil is totally super classy, or the opposite of that. All I know is it's easy, and delicious. I mostly followed Bev's instructions for the shrimp boil, but just kinda threw stuff in without measuring (including some Old Bay). I also added lemon juice to the dipping sauce, which I would recommend. Spicy shrimp, corn-on-the-cob, red potatoes, and smoky sausage, dumped out on a table and eaten with your hands…all while wearing yoga pants and the flattest shoes you can find. My kind of food! 

Summery Shrimp Rolls

Something about a buttery top-split hot dog bun filled with fresh seafood makes me think of lazy summers on the beach in New England. PS. I've never spent a lazy summer on the beach in New England. I've never even been to New England, for that matter. But, I've got an active imagination, and a girl can dream. She can also bring a little bit of that New Englanduh Summah to the Northwest, with a quick, easy, summery take on the classic lobster roll…minus the lobster and the beach. 

With or without a beach, it' summer! Sort of… I mean, the date and the whole daylight lasting far into the night thing, those are totally summer. This drizzly, dreary weather we've had lately, however, totally Juneuary. But, I'm not too worried about it, as long as it starts getting sunny soon. It's almost July, for cryin' out loud, and I want some summer…regardless of which coast I'm on!

What are your big summer plans? I have my big race at the end of July, followed by a couple of bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and weddings. Just like last year, it's shaping up to be another wedding filled summer. And, if I have anything to say about it, it'll be a tasty one! I see fruit pies, ice cream, BBQs, salads, and popsicles (!) in my future! And shrimp rolls. Lots of lemony, not overwhelmingly-creamy shrimp rolls. 

Shrimp Rolls

Adapted from this recipe 

Makes 2 super stuffed rolls, or 4 lightly stuffed rolls

1 lb. large shrimp (peeled and de-veined) 

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

pinch salt

pinch dill (dried, or a sprig of fresh)

1 lemon, halved

2 thyme sprigs

6 cups water

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic 

1 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon oregano

3 tablespoons unsalted butter- melted 

1 tablespoon mayo

1 lemon (juice of 1/2 lemon, slice 2nd half for serving)

2-4 hot-dog buns

lettuce or salad greens

chopped fresh chives 

In a large pot, bring water, lemon, Old Bay seasoning, salt, dill, and thyme to a boil. Add shrimp and simmer 2-3 minutes, until cooked through. Drain and set shrimp aside to cool. Discard lemon and herbs. 


In a medium bowl, mix together celery salt, granulated garlic, thyme, and oregano. Whisk in the lemon juice, mayo, and 2T of the melted butter. Add shrimp and toss until well coated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Brush the insides of the buns with the remaining melted butter, and toast under the broiler or on a grill pan (or grill) until golden brown. Add a handful of salad greens to each bun, and pile in the shrimp. Top with chives, and serve with a lemon slice. 

And the award goes to...

For the Oscars, we decided to really class it up, go all-out glitz and glamour. In my mind, it doesn’t get much more couture than Coronas and carnitas—the absolute height of red-carpet sophistication and style. That’s right, I’m talking about the TacOscars.

The TacOscars, now in their first year, are a little mid-afternoon, happy-hour style, lazy Sunday Oscar watching fiesta... with delicious fixins for shrimp and pork tacos, chips, salsa, a pot of black beans, and lots of Mexican beer. And, really…is there a classier way to watch the Oscars than drinking beer and eating street-food style Mexican cuisine off of paper plates!? I think not. A group of about 10 or so friends came over for delicious feasting and hilarious fun.

We aren’t that serious about the awards. I mean, we watched, we cheered, we sneered… but we certainly weren’t checking a score sheet or debating the merits of the winners. We loved Jeff Bridges speech the most. We trash talked the crazy dresses, even though our red carpet best ran the gamut from UW sweatpants (Mike), to an old high school relic of a prom dress (Amanda). Our crowd, collectively, had maybe seen half the movies. Really… we weren’t in it for the prestigious awards… we were in it for the friends, the laughs, and most importantly, the delicious, comforting, and anything-but-prestigious eats.

The award definitely goes to the food. The winner for best shredded meat: carnitas served in a warm corn tortilla and topped with thin sliced radishes, Amanda’s pico de gallo, guac, and sour cream! An academy favorite, for sure. To make the pork (sorry, I didn’t write down measurements as I went) I coated large chunks of pork in a spice mix of cinnamon, chili powder, chipotle powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and black pepper, then topped it with chopped onions and garlic, and cooked it low and slow in water and liquid smoke for hours. About an hour before the party, I shredded it and popped it in a hot oven to get crispy edges, and then served in its juices to stay tender. The pork was so flavorful and juicy, with just the right amount of contrasting texture. The crowd went wild.

The award for best grilled taco filling goes to… skewered garlic prawns! Brushed with cumin-garlic butter, barbequed to perfection, and served in tortillas with BBQ’d limes, pico, and Baja sauce, the prawns were sweet and delicious. I’d like to thank the Ev-acadamy for the expert grilling and skewering of this show stopper!

For best supporting role, the black beans definitely had it in the bag. Or the pot, as the case may be. Believe it or not, this was my first pot of black beans. And delicious were they ever! Simply flavored with onions, garlic, cumin, and cilantro, and topped with crumbly, salty cotija cheese, the beans were the perfect side to the two kinds of tacos. Thick and just a tad saucy, they would also be a perfect meal on their own. Or with a topped with a fried egg. Like I had this morning for breakfast.

And finally, to round out the night…for best sweet, spicy, and salty short, the winner is… mango on a stick dusted with chili powder and salt! I’ve been hearing about this street food favorite for awhile now, but as a mango lover, I was a little nervous about tainting the pure sweet flavor of a fruit I love so much. I’m glad I gave it a try, though! The chili powder and sea salt added depth and complexity… creating an interesting flavor play with something as a simple as a piece of fruit on a stick.

Now that's how you throw a real red carpet affair!

Oscar Nominated Black Beans

1 lb dried black beans- rinsed and picked through

Olive oil

1 large yellow onion-diced

4 cloves garlic- minced

Sprinkle cumin seeds

1 can (about 2 cups) chicken broth

1 bunch cilantro (about 1/4th cup)-chopped

Salt (a few teaspoons…to taste)

Soak beans in water overnight (6-8 hrs).

Heat oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften. Add 2 cloves of garlic and cumin seeds. Cook, stirring, about one minute. Add the beans and soaking water, plus can of chicken broth and a splash of olive oil. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer one hour.

Add the salt, 2 cloves garlic and cilantro (or epazote, which is said to reduce the negative effects of beans… so THAT’s how they’re able to eat beans all day down there!). Continue to simmer another hour to hour and a half. To thicken, scoop out about a cup and a half of beans, and blend or mash, add back in. Or, use an immersion blender.

Move Over Bubba Gump

Amanda and I used to coach middle school volleyball, and I recently discovered that a mom of one of the girls we coached started a seafood delivery company. For a city such as Seattle, I can’t think of a better idea! Surfin’ Seafood delivers fresh, flash frozen seafood right to your door—with a great selection to choose from. From salmon, to prawns, to halibut, Surfin’ Seafood seems to have the seafood lover covered. My friend Megan immediately jumped on the wave, and ordered an ice chest full of seafood that surfed right on up to her doorstep: two kinds of salmon, halibut, prawns, scallops, and smoked trout. Apparently, seafood delivery day was like Christmas at her house, with their seven-year-old ripping through the ice chest, estatic about the salmon and scallops!

I didn’t place an order in time for the November delivery, but after drooling over the selection posted on their website, I was having seafood withdrawals. Evan and I had just ranked our top 10 favorite proteins, and his number two choice was shrimp… which meant there was no better way to satisfy my seafood craving than to have a little mid-November shrimp-fest (because who can wait long enough for Ballard's summer seafood fest!?).

First, we needed a bright tropical preparation for Dexter night (it takes place in Miami, after all). LB came over, and we had garlic-lime shrimp over pineapple cilantro risotto. The shrimp tasted delicious, but ended up a little tough—I had let it sit in the lime and garlic marinade for too long and the acid from the lime had started to cook the little buggers.

The risotto, however, was AMAZING. I love making risotto, there’s so much you can do with it! Instead of just using chicken broth, I did a 50/50 mixture of broth and pineapple juice, and added tangy-sweet pineapple tidbits and fresh-bright cilantro. Delish! The meal didn’t satisfy our seafood cravings though… instead it sparked Evan and my appetites for more sweet and delectable shrimp!

The next night, I made a recipe from Gourmet that I’ve had my eye on for awhile now. The March 2009 issue featured a beautiful Korean menu, filled with a mix of delicate and robust recipes, like short rib stew and little dishes known as banchan. Among the banchan, completely unassuming, sat a recipe for Korean-Style Romaine. Ever since the issue arrived in my mailbox (RIP Gourmet) I’ve been drawn to the simple looking salad of romaine marinated in a hot sesame-soy dressing. Evan loves Asian flavors, so I decided to try out the salad, and throw in some boiled shrimp for good measure.

While the salad sounds and looks plain and boring, it packed a huge punch that had Evan and me literally licking the last drops of the dressing from our bowls. And, true to Gourmet’s word, the lettuce held up its crunch even after 30 minutes in the steaming hot, flavorful dressing. The shrimp—simply boiled with salt and pepper—were sweet and not overcooked this time, the perfect accompaniment to the umami-rich salad.

It’s recipes like this—simple, quick, thoughtful, and delicious—that make me miss Gourmet the most. I hate to think what I’ll be missing out on as the magazine closes its doors and recipe vaults. I guess I’ll just have to keep finding good recipes hidden within old issues, and making my own new recipes, like the amazing pineapple risotto.


Pineapple Cilantro Risotto


2 cups chicken broth
2 cups pineapple juice
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion-diced
1/4th teaspoon ground coriander
1 bunch chopped cilantro
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup pineapple bits
S and P to taste

Bring broth and pineapple juice to a simmer in a large pot and keep warm. Heat oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat- add onions and coriander, and sauté until onions are softened. Add rice and 1/3rd of the chopped cilantro to the onions. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Ladle in 1 cup simmering broth/juice and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next. When half the liquid is remaining, add pineapple tidbits. Continue adding liquid and stirring 1/2 cup at a time until rice is tender and creamy-looking, 16 to 18 minutes. Reserve a handful of cilantro for garnish, and add the rest to the risotto and stir in right before removing from heat. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve. I served with grilled garlic-lime shrimp and a dollop of spicy sour cream!