Shrimp and Avocado Tacos

 

 

 

 

 

Adapted from Cooking Light

1 pound cooked shrimp, tails removed
Lime juice, to taste
Corn tortillas
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 avocado, sliced

1. Add the shrimp to a large skillet. Heat the shrimp over medium-low heat, until warmed through. Toss with lime juice.
2. Divide shrimp among corn tortillas. Top with feta and avocado slices.

Shrimp Enchiladas with Sweet Potatoes and Salsa Verde

These enchiladas, filled with sweet potatoes, draw inspiration from other recipes on this site: sweet potato (yam) enchiladas and tacos with salsa verde. Here you get the sweet potato enchiladas, but in place of the traditional enchilada sauce, there is a halfway-homemade salsa verde. I say halfway because unlike the salsa verde with the tacos, where you roast the onions and tomatillos, here you blend some basic ingredients (like cilantro and green chiles) and add prepared salsa verde. This meal is a little different without much effort. In place of the usual chicken, there’s shrimp, and instead of cheddar, there’s feta, a little closer in texture to cotija, a cheese from Mexico. It’s something new for fall, when casserole dishes are most welcome and sweet potatoes are in heavy rotation.

 

 

 

 

 

Shrimp Enchiladas with Sweet Potatoes and Salsa Verde
Adapted from Bon Appetit

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ onion, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 cups coarsely chopped cilantro
1 cup chopped green onions
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles, drained
2 cups prepared salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
¼ cup sour cream
1 pound cooked shrimp, tails removed
10 flour tortillas
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato cubes, sliced onion, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and salt. Toss to coat. Spread the sweet potato mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender (no need to stir while baking).
2. While the sweet potatoes bake, make the salsa: Finely chop the garlic in a food processor. Add cilantro, green onions, and green chiles; process until a coarse puree forms. Add the salsa verde and process until blended. Add sour cream, and process again until blended.
3. When the sweet potatoes are done, reduce oven heat to 375 degrees. Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large bowl and add the shrimp; stir to combine and coat the shrimp in the spices.
4. Spread ½ cup of the salsa in the bottom of a large baking dish. Put some of the sweet potato/shrimp mixture in the center of a tortilla and top with about 2 tablespoons feta. Roll up the tortilla and place in the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas,  filling, and cheese (you will have leftover filling and cheese).
5. Spread remaining filling on top of folded tortillas. Follow with remaining salsa. Top with any remaining cheese. Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes.

Fiery Without Flame: Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes

I don’t like to light my food on fire. I don’t care if it’s crepes suzette, or any number of traditional flambéed dishes. I think it’s an odd—and potentially dangerous—practice. Who decided that dousing your food in liquor and lighting it was a good idea? While I ponder the strangeness of our species’ cooking practices, let me share this brilliant recipe that, despite being given the option, I did not choose to ignite.

Here we are, in the cold of almost-winter, not a fresh tomato in sight (not one worth eating, anyways). Luckily, canned tomatoes step in when we need them, in this case to surround shrimp and feta in a cozy, simple dish that is perfect for those holiday-season nights when you’re burned out on cooking. I didn’t expect the dish to turn out quite so soupy, but I was actually so pleased that it did. It became a special tomato soup, with flavors cranked way past any tomato soup I’ve had before (but let’s face it, I mostly eat the stuff from a can. Sssh, don’t tell anyone).

The recipe headnote mentioned fire, but I thought Amanda Hesser was just referring to the pepper flakes. Maybe she was, but the final step in the recipe has you pour in ouzo, an anise-flavored liqueur from Greece. And then: “if desired, ignite it.” Nope, definitely not desired. First, there’s the aforementioned lack of interest in seeing my food in flames. Second, is ouzo something you can find at a local grocery chain? If not, it didn’t seem worth tracking down, and if I did get it, I’d probably end up with more than I needed, desperately trying to pawn it off on unsuspecting houseguests.

Luckily, this dish doesn’t need the liqueur at all. It’s hard to believe such intensely good flavors come from such a basic set of ingredients. The three main ingredients—shrimp, feta, tomatoes—go fantastically together, but it’s the oregano and red pepper flakes that elevate the dish, adding herbal depth and warm spice. There’s the unlikely addition of clam juice, but just go with it; I’ve found it essential in seafood stew. Next time I make this, I’ll probably stir in cooked brown rice, or serve it on the side, so I can stretch this goodness over multiple meals.

Wherever the holidays find you, in whatever emotional state, I wish you some quiet moments to give balance to the busyness. In such moments, dishes such as this one provide a kind of solace, or perhaps just a preamble to a big celebration. I wish us all joy wherever we can find it.

Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes
Adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook

1 cup brown rice (optional)
¼ cup olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
¼ cup clam juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound cooked shrimp, tails removed
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. If serving with rice: Combine rice and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until the rice is tender and all of the water is absorbed.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, stirring often until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and let simmer for 3 minutes, stirring often.
3. Stir in the clam juice, oregano, pepper flakes (use the larger amount if you want it spicy, the smaller for mild), and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the shrimp until well combined. Sprinkle the feta evenly on top.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until bubbling.

The Cold Cure: Shrimp Noodle Soup

My favorite soups are the ones with noodles, specifically pho, ramen, or something similar. Especially in winter, pho is my go-to meal; aside from a hot shower and a cup of tea, few things are as comforting after some time in the cold. Making these soups at home, though? For a long time, it seemed sensible to leave it to the experts.

If you’ve looked at an authentic pho recipe, you’ll know that making pho takes time, and lots of it. And while I understand that a long simmering time results in good flavor, I also do most of my cooking on weeknights, and hours of simmer time aren’t feasible. Maybe the real lesson here is that we need to get out that slow cooker we never use. But before I even considered that, I found a recipe similar enough to pho that would work on a weekday night (without making us eat dinner at 10 p.m.).

One of the most interesting things about this recipe—something I’d never done before—is that it uses the shrimp tails to flavor the broth (clam juice and chicken broth also pitch in). I’d heard of doing this in other seafood soups, but never had the opportunity to try it until now. Ginger also adds depth of flavor, resulting in a smooth broth (you remove the shrimp tails and ginger after simmering) that’s soothing too.

I used thicker rice noodles because that’s what I had on hand, but I’d also like to try this with thinner noodles (especially since those will be easier to eat with chopsticks, which I always try to use when eating noodle soups such as this; it’s practice for future travels to chopstick-wielding locales). I’ll even go so far as to recommend using spaghetti or other pasta if that’s what you have—just be sure to cook them the way you usually cook pasta, instead of the soaking method in the recipe below.

The point is to use what you like and what you have, and make the soup something special for yourself. Let the experts treat you to an authentic pho (until you summon the time and stamina to make it yourself; I’m still working on that); treat yourself to soup with less maintenance and more time for cozying up with a hot meal.

Shrimp Noodle Soup
Adapted from Cooking Light

4 ounces rice noodles (more or less, to taste)
1 pound tail-on shrimp, tails removed and set aside
3 cups water
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup clam juice
2 slices of peeled fresh ginger (about ¼-inch thick each)
4 eggs
A little olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin slices an inch or so long
¼ cup thinly sliced onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
Chopped cilantro leaves, to taste

1. Place the rice noodles in a medium-sized pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let the noodles sit in the hot water until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the shrimp tails, water, chicken broth, clam juice, and ginger. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Strain the soup broth through a sieve into another saucepan. Discard the shrimp tails and ginger. Set broth aside.
3. Place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer 8 minutes (for just-set yolks) to 10 minutes (for firm yolks). Run eggs under cold water until cool enough to handle. Peel each egg and slice in half lengthwise. Set aside.
4. Heat a little olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes. Pour in the soup broth and bring to a simmer, increasing the heat briefly if needed.
5. Add the shrimp, chili garlic sauce, and noodles; let simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Serve soup with egg halves and cilantro sprinkled on top.

Cooking with Joy: Shrimp Fried Rice

I usually find amazing recipes in Joy of Cooking (lemon meringue and berry pies are two examples), but occasionally I’m put off by its inclusion of some recipes that are rather old-fashioned, and not in the good way. Here’s a book that offers up recipes for varieties of gelatinous aspic, sheep/pig/cow brains, fried tripe, and lamb testicles. It should be noted that the appealing recipes far outweigh these outliers, but still, there they are. I approach recipes in this book with a little underlying apprehension, carefully reading ingredient lists in case they sneak a brain in.

But when I got a hankering for fried rice (inspired by an excellent shrimp fried rice from Snappy Dragon), a recipe in Joy of Cooking seemed to fit the need perfectly. It’s simple, with rice, green onions, shrimp, and eggs. It seemed a close enough approximation to the Snappy Dragon version that I could satisfy my craving without ordering takeout again and again (it’s delicious, but not easy on the wallet). I felt the creeping apprehension that this recipe was too good to be true, that it might not hold up to the test of a Snappy Dragon craving. It was, after all, preceded by a recipe for bacon and rice custard. But I carried on anyways.

The recipe used too much oil to fry the rice in, resulting in clumpy rice with a slick texture. I was instructed to make a little well in the center of the fried rice and cook the eggs there, but this method didn’t cook them as quickly as I hoped, and led to tiny pieces of egg when I prefer larger ones. I had to laugh when the recipe instructed to fry the rice until golden—I used brown rice, already nicely browned before it even hit the pan. I just let it heat up in the skillet, stirring occasionally until warmed through.

Not one to give up on fried rice, I tried again, this time halving the amount of oil and cooking the eggs in a separate skillet so I could slice them into pieces rather than scramble them into bits. The original recipe instructs you to cook the rice beforehand, but I didn’t see that as essential either time. However, if you do that, this meal will come together even quicker, and it could be worthwhile to have extra cooked rice on hand for meals such as this. The second attempt was much better than the first, with big pieces of egg mingling with tasty shrimp and rice not burdened by an overuse of oil. A sprinkle of soy sauce on top was all it needed, and yes, it did satisfy my fried rice craving.

Emboldened by this success (even though it took a couple of tries—but what success doesn’t?), I’m looking at using more recipes from Joy of Cooking. I may never be interested in trying brains, but the book’s 847 pages have a lot to offer and, hopefully, enough to wear down any apprehension.

Shrimp Fried Rice
Adapted from Joy of Cooking

1 ½ cups brown rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 green onions, diced
1 pound cooked shrimp, tails removed
About 2 teaspoons olive oil
6 eggs
Soy sauce, for serving

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the rice and 4 ½ cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until the rice is tender and all of the water is absorbed.
2. When the rice is done, heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-low heat. Add the rice, stirring to coat it in the oil. Let the rice heat through, stirring occasionally. Stir in the green onions and shrimp and let the fried rice continue to heat through, stirring occasionally.
3. Heat a teaspoon or so of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. In a small bowl, beat together 3 of the eggs. Pour the beaten eggs into the small skillet and let cook until firm. Run a spatula around the edge of and under the egg “pancake” and transfer it to a cutting board. Slice the pancake into strips, then slice each strip into approximate squares. Add to the fried rice. Repeating this step with the remaining 3 eggs.
4. Serve the fried rice with soy sauce on the side for sprinkling on each serving.

Quantity and Quality: Egg, Shrimp, and Green Onion Pancakes

It’s not often that I look at a new recipe and my first thought is to quadruple it. But I knew when I saw the recipe for these egg-shrimp-green onion pancakes that the original amount would not be enough. To be fair, they were intended to be a side dish—but I had a feeling they’d make a great dinner. Happily, I was right.

In order to turn this snack into a meal, I increased the size of the pancakes themselves. This was no time for elegant little patties; I wanted actual pancakes, albeit ones made with an eggy batter and stuffed with shrimp, bell pepper, and green onions. The quadrupled recipe produced about 15 of these pancakes, but wore out my patience for standing at the stove and flipping (they cook for two minutes per side, so you can’t walk away for too long). Also, 15 of these is a lot for two people to eat, and after bringing them as leftovers for several lunches, I decided some downsizing was in order.

But not too much downsizing. The second time around, I doubled the batter recipe, but kept the shrimp, green onions, and bell pepper at the same amounts as before. This created a much more pleasing ratio of meat and veggies to cake. We ended up with half the amount of pancakes as before, but the cooking time didn’t go on for so long, and it was still plenty for a full meal with leftovers for lunch. That being said, this recipe is easy to triple or quadruple should you be tasked with feeding a crowd.

The texture is crepe-like, but thicker, like a breakfast pancake. Like a crepe, these pancakes could accommodate a variety of sauces—soy sauce and chili garlic sauce come to mind. Because the batter is so eggy, these are almost like omelets, but even easier to make, and I don’t think they would be out of place at breakfast. For those looking to stretch their meals further, you could slice the pancakes into strips and toss them with leftover rice for a stir-fry.

The original recipe suggested eating these cakes with chopsticks, but that was out of the question with the increased size, unless we cut them into smaller pieces. I got myself a fork before I dug in, but ended up tearing them into smaller pieces with my fingers. With such good food on the table, this was no time for elegance.

Egg, Shrimp, and Green Onion Pancakes
Adapted from Gourmet
Makes 8 pancakes

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups water
4 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking pancakes
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 bunch green onions, finely diced
½ of a red bell pepper, finely diced
1 pound cooked shrimp, tails removed, finely diced

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, water, eggs, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whisk in the flour, stirring until a smooth batter forms. Use a large spoon to stir in the green onions, red bell pepper, and shrimp.
2. Heat a half teaspoon or so of olive oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium low heat. Pour ½ cup of the batter in the skillet. Let cook for 2 minutes, then use a spatula to flip the pancake and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer cooked pancake to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, making sure to add a teaspoon or so of oil to the skillet before starting each pancake.
3. If needed, heat oven to 200 degrees and warm the pancakes in the oven before serving.

Takeout comes home: Thai rice salad

In Seattle, it seems like there’s a Thai place on every corner, and we’re spoiled rotten when it comes to takeout options. Seriously, what’s better than curling up on the couch with a paper carton of pad thai and the latest issue of The New Yorker (or whatever)? But sometimes Thomas and I feel ambitious, and in those moments we make some truly delightful Thai food—no small feat with Krittika Thai just a phone call away.

This rice dish gets some help from an unexpected ingredient: ketchup. Which is funny, because I recently decided I don’t have much fondness for ketchup. It’s too sweet, for one, and my taste leans toward spicy mustard, even with fries. But the recipe, from the Essential New York Times Cookbook, suggests using ketchup in place of tamarind, a basic ingredient in many cuisines but, sadly, absent from the local grocery chain. So it was ketchup or nothing.

Then I remembered that I’ve seen ketchup listed as an ingredient for pad thai, and I felt comforted, because even though it still seemed odd, at least other people were being crazy with me. The rest of the recipe isn’t so questionable; you cook some rice, scramble a couple of eggs, cook a little chicken and shrimp (or tofu), and whisk together a dressing. And maybe you aren’t as weirded out as I am about using ketchup in a stir-fry.

But then I took a bite, and became a fan. The dominant flavor is lime juice—perfect for lime lovers—and there’s another, quieter flavor there, something delicious that must be the ketchup’s doing. Or more likely, it’s the mix of the various ingredients in the dressing that makes this dish addictive. I have not made the tamarind version, but I don’t doubt it would be good too. There’s certainly plenty of room for substitutions: cashews for peanuts, tofu for chicken and shrimp, or noodles for rice.

If you’re looking to expand your skills in cooking Thai dishes, this is a good place to start. That’s not to say there won’t be times when you’ll be more excited about having dinner delivered. But it’s always nice to have the option of creating something wonderful in your own kitchen.

Thai Rice Salad
Adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook

2 cups Jasmine brown rice
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cloves garlic, minced
8-10 medium-sized frozen shrimp, defrosted
¼ pound chicken breast, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons ketchup or tamarind (if using tamarind, add 2 teaspoons sugar)
2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh or bottled
¼ cup chopped peanuts or cashews
¼ cup chopped cilantro (or more, to taste)

1. Bring 6 cups water to boil in a medium-sized pot. Add rice and reduce heat to medium. Let simmer until rice is cooked and all of the water is absorbed. Transfer rice to a large salad or serving bowl.
2. In a large wok or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the beaten eggs and stir frequently until cooked. Cut any large pieces of egg into smaller pieces. Place cooked egg in the bowl with the rice.
3. Increase the heat to medium-high and add remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the wok. Add the chicken and sauté, stirring often, until cooked. Add the garlic and shrimp, stirring often, until the shrimp is warmed through (this shouldn’t take long).  Add the scallions and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Transfer chicken and shrimp mixture to the bowl with the rice and egg. Leave the wok on the burner and the burner on.
4. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, ketchup, lime juice, and ¼ cup water. Transfer this mixture to the wok and allow it to heat through (this should happen quickly). Pour the warm dressing over the salad, stirring well to coat. Stir in peanuts and cilantro.

Malaysia in my kitchen: Stir-fried noodles and shrimp

In my quests for recipe perfection, I tend to make a lot of similar dishes until I find one that really gets me.  I’ve shared my love of noodle dishes many times on this blog, but lately we’ve made some rather ho-hum rice noodle mains. So I am pleased to say that there’s nothing boring—or underwhelming—about stir-fried noodles and shrimp, based on a recipe for a popular Malaysian street food, char kway teow. Even their preparation is exciting.

We made this dish once before (I know, and I didn’t share it—shame on me!), and what really stood out in my memory, besides how good it tasted, was the speedy preparation. I don’t mean that there are few ingredients or things to do (although both of those are true of this recipe). I mean you have to work fast. The vegetable oil heats up in a wok or large pan, and the noodles and garlic go right in. Over the course of a few minutes, you add the rest of the ingredients, stirring often to make sure nothing gets burned and everything is evenly coated in the oil. For this reason, it’s important to have all of the ingredients ready beforehand, so you can toss everything in at the exact time it needs to be.

If all this “exact time” business is making you nervous, don’t worry, because this dish is not that intimidating. You just have to work a little bit quicker for a few minutes than you would for, say, making a pizza. After that, you have a rice noodle lover’s dream: pad thai noodles coated in oil and a mixture of soy sauce and chili garlic sauce, with big shrimp and bits of delicate egg woven throughout. It’s the closest many of us can get to the street markets of Kuala Lumpur. I’ve never been, but based on the stir-fried noodles alone, I think I’d do quite well there.

We used shrimp both times we made this meal, but if you want to trade shrimp for something else, go for it (or if you can’t find domestic shrimp; the Monterey Bay Aquarium seafood watch says to avoid imported shrimp). For chicken, you should dice it beforehand, then add it when you add the shrimp. You could do the same with tofu, allowing it to crisp first in its own little pan with some oil, or just toss it in with the noodles. A vegetarian version, with lots of vegetables, is another possibility (I’m thinking a mix of bell peppers, bok choy, and snap peas would be lovely).

Now might be one of the best times to make stir-fried noodles, before summer gets too warm and you feel like heating up the wok (though, to be honest, that could be any summer day here in the Northwest). This dish makes me think of far-off and exciting places with delicious food, but also of being here at home, with my neverending—and entertaining—search for excellent recipes. It might not be a literal trip around the world, but it does keep things interesting.

Stir-Fried Noodles and Shrimp
Adapted from Bon Appetit

8 ounces pad thai or other rice noodles (I used 16 ounces when I made the dish in the pictures above, but usually I prefer less noodles. Up to you)
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 large garlic cloves or four small garlic cloves, diced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
20 cooked shrimp, tails left on or removed
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
1 bunch green onions, diced

Note: This recipe can easily be halved if you want to make less—but I’m warning you now, there might not be leftovers.

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, then remove from heat. Add noodles. Let noodles sit in water until soft (the best way to determine this is to test by tasting). Drain well.
2. In a large wok or skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Be very careful around the oil; it can sputter and pop without warning, and it’s ok to reduce the heat a bit for safety’s sake. When the oil is hot, add the noodles and garlic, and stir for 10 seconds, coating the noodles with the oil. Add the soy sauce, and stir vigorously for 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, quickly transfer the noodle mixture to a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Add shrimp to the same wok you cooked the noodles in. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add eggs and chili garlic sauce, and stir-fry vigorously for another 30 seconds or until the eggs are just cooked.
4. Return the noodle mixture to the wok. Add green onions and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Serve with extra soy sauce for sprinkling on top of each serving, if desired.

Off the grill: Chicken and shrimp kebabs

It’s almost Memorial Day, and the cooking magazines have already launched pages and pages of recipes for the grill, from corn on the cob to chicken that’s charred just so. All this is in anticipation of warm, sunny days when cooking outside is not only fun, it’s practical. Days when the sun stays out until late in the evening, and it’s warm enough to sit outside for hours. But we in the Pacific Northwest know better. Around here, people have spent so many first days of summer under dark clouds, and so many Fourth of Julys setting off fireworks in the rain, that we don’t expect sunny days and grilling opportunities, like others might, until late August—if we’re lucky.

But even on days when the weather isn’t cooperating, there are ways to bring traditional grilled foods inside, using the oven rather than the barbeque to get the job done (I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but don’t use your barbecue inside—I don’t care how hardcore you are). Take these kebabs. Originally designed for the grill, these chicken and shrimp kebabs wouldn’t have stood a chance outside on a rainy May evening in the Northwest. But no matter: I cranked the oven to 350 degrees, and carried on with the recipe. When you live here, you get used to doing your own thing, with a few adjustments.

The marinade—or dressing, depending on how you use it—is one of the easiest, most versatile things you’ll ever make. It has only three ingredients: lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of chopped garlic (I omitted the 2 tablespoons of grated lemon peel from the original recipe; it wasn’t necessary, and no one should have to grate that much zest). You can marinate the chicken and shrimp for an hour or two beforehand, or use the mixture as a dressing during and after cooking. It’s like a healthier version of lemon butter, and lemon pairs perfectly with chicken and shrimp; perhaps a light sprinkling of dried oregano or basil would be nice to add, but you don’t have to. The dressing offers just enough subtle flavoring to carry on by itself. You can also use it on other meats, salads, and roasted vegetables. I think it would taste particularly good with salmon.

This is also an easy meal; you just thread the meat onto skewers, pour the dressing over, let them marinate, if desired, and cook them for a total of 10 to 16 minutes. I served them with crusty bread and a salad but, to continue with the summer meal theme, a plateful of potato fries or potato salad would have worked well, too. There was some debate as to how to eat kebabs: eat them directly off the skewer, or slide each piece of meat off, one at a time? I opted for the latter, but it all depends on how rustic you want to be—and who your dining companions are.

We Northwesterners might complain about the rain—it’s our trademark to the world—but in reality, I think some of us are grateful for it. When there’s a clear sky on the first day of summer, or a Fourth of July that tips past 80 degrees, it’s special, if only because it’s so unexpected.

Shrimp and Chicken Kebabs
Adapted from Bon Appetit

30 uncooked or cooked and thawed shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails removed
3 chicken breasts, cubed
1/3 cup fresh or bottled lemon juice
2-3 garlic cloves (amount will depend on the size of the cloves and your taste for garlic)
2/3 cup olive oil

Wooden or metal skewers

1. Thread shrimp and chicken onto skewers (it’s best to keep the chicken and shrimp on separate skewers). How many you can fit on a skewer will depend on the size of the shrimp and chicken cubes, but they should have a little bit of space between each piece. Place kebabs on rimmed baking sheets.
2. In a bowl, whisk the lemon juice and garlic together. Continue whisking as you gradually add the olive oil. Pour the dressing evenly over the kebabs.
3. This is where you can let the kebabs marinate for a couple of hours in the fridge. Or, you can continue to step 4.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook kebabs for five to eight minutes per side (again, this will depend on the size of the shrimp and chicken cubes), or until chicken is cooked but still juicy.
5. Serve the kebabs with dressing from the baking sheets spooned on top.

Custom-made, fuss-free: Linguine with shrimp and breadcrumbs

A couple of months ago, Thomas and I saw Amanda Hesser (Food52, The Essential New York Times Cookbook…) speak at a Seattle Arts and Lectures event. During the question-and-answer session, one audience member asked if Hesser had any advice for feeding picky children. She replied something along the lines of, “Just put the food on the table and say ‘This is it.’ You don’t have to force them, but there won’t be alternatives.” Apparently, a large potion of the audience had been faced with a picky eater: Out of everything she said that evening, that reply received the loudest applause.

Quite the opposite goes on in my family, though. There are some nights in which everyone has their own special meal, or some skip dinner altogether and make something for themselves. Probably the best trick in this situation is to make meals that are customizable, so that each person can add their preferred toppings, seasonings, and other elements. Instead of mixing all of the ingredients together, the meal is deconstructed, left in its separate parts so someone doesn’t have to endure spinach, or peas, or whatever else, if they don’t want to. But everyone gets to eat together, and eat approximately the same meal. Not all dishes lend themselves to this purpose, but linguine with shrimp and Parmesan breadcrumbs does.

Seafood haters (they don’t exist in my family, but might in yours) can skip the shrimp, and the toppings—artichoke hearts, tomato sauce, and breadcrumbs—can each be served separately. I will take a moment, though, to talk about those breadcrumbs: I added Parmesan to the crumbs, which were toasted in a puddle of olive oil until golden brown (leave it to me to add cheese when it wasn’t there before). These breadcrumbs are one of those essential quick recipes: they’ll go on pasta, salads, grilled eggplant, and more. If you take nothing else from this post, take the breadcrumbs.

There’s plenty more to like about this recipe (adapted from Real Simple): the sweet-tart tomato sauce (which I added to the recipe) pairs well with the tiny shrimp, and the artichoke hearts add salt and texture; it’s also an easy meal to make, with just a few steps that can be completed concurrently. To make it go even faster, I used pre-cooked frozen shrimp, which I’d thawed the night before.  But while I set the meal up to be customizable, I’m not ashamed to admit that I ate a little bit of everything; as you can see from the pictures, my pasta had it all.

The meal appealed to my family, too, and I was pleased to see that although I’d set it up so that everyone could pick and choose, everyone else also had all of the ingredients on their plates. Everything was on the table, and that was it.

Linguine with Shrimp and Parmesan Breadcrumbs
Adapted from Real Simple

1 lb spaghetti or linguine
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1 lb (2 cups) precooked frozen shrimp, thawed
12 to 14 oz. artichoke hearts, diced or kept whole (whichever you prefer)
1 24-oz jar tomato sauce

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add pasta, reduce heat, and let simmer until al dente. When done, drain and return to pot.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium-sized pot or skillet. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown (this took about three minutes for me). Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan, and transfer to a small serving bowl.
3. Wipe out the pot or skillet you used to make the bread crumbs. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot or skillet. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and stir frequently until heated through, 4 to 6 minutes.
4. If desired, you can heat the artichoke hearts in a separate pot over medium low heat, or zap them in the microwave for a minute or two. Pour the tomato sauce into a pot and gently heat it over medium heat.
5. Serve everything—pasta, sauce, shrimp, bread crumbs, artichoke hearts—separately; or, if you like all of these ingredients and want fewer dishes to do, heat the shrimp and artichoke hearts together, and serve the bread crumbs on the side.