Shrimp Diablo and Chilled Avocado Soup

Hot and cold, spicy and mild....this duo lends credence to the old saying "opposites attract." The shrimp is marinated in a puree that includes the infamous habanero chili pepper; one whole pepper gave me exactly the spice I wanted without obliterating the flavor of the shrimp. Of course, a milder pepper could be substituted--or just omit the chili altogether and go all the way with the garlic chili sauce. When handling hot peppers, remember to wash your hands well immediately after. Not only do you want to avoid getting the pepper's oils in your eyes, but you also want to avoid touching anything else. I can't tell you how many times I've ended up with burning eyes because I went straight from chopping block to the computer. Trust me, capsaicin lasts a long time on hard surfaces.

The soup is a chilled vegan soup that can easily be adapted to a raw recipe. The creamy cooling action of the avocado and sour coconut cream (recipe here!) tame the spicy kick of the shrimp beautifully. If you choose to serve the soup alone, I'd recommend kicking the cayenne up a notch to help bring out the avocado and lime.

In the interest of time-management, I made the soup first so it would chill the necessary amount of time. Once the soup is in the fridge, I prepped the rest of the ingredients and got the shrimp into the marinade. The corn can be prepared during the last 15 minutes of the shrimp's marinating time, and then all that is left to worry about is babysitting the crustaceans so they don't overcook. After that it's just a matter of whisking the soup ingredients together and plating!

Shrimp Diablo

Ingredients:

2 tbs lime juice

1 tbs garlic chili sauce

1/2 to 1 whole habanero pepper

1 tsp cayenne powder

1 tbs oil (chili infused, if desired)

1 lb large raw shrimp, peeked and deveined

Directions:

Place all ingredients except the shrimp into the blender and puree. Combine sauce and shrimp in a freezer bag and marinate for 30 minutes.

Skewer shrimp, if desired. Grill or broil about 5 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes each side. Serves 4.

Chilled Avocado Soup with Warm Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados

2 tbs lime juice

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock, chilled

1 shallot, minced

3 tbs cilantro, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne powder, or to taste

1 tbs butter or olive oil

1 c corn kernels

1/2 tsp lime zest

1/2 tsp cumin

1/3 c red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups coconut sour cream

salt and pepper, to taste

chili oil, if desired to finish

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, puree the avocados with the lemon juice until smooth. Add the stock, shallot, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and cayenne pepper; blend well. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and chill for at least one hour.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat butter or oil over medium-high heat. Add corn, zest, cumin, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt; saute until corn is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and stir in red bell pepper and last tablespoon of cilantro. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Whisk the sour coconut cream into the avocado puree and salt/pepper to taste. Spoon the warm corn salsa over the soup just before serving. Finish with a drizzle of chili oil. Makes about 6 cups of soup.

Shrimp Skewers and Wild Rice, Grilled Eggplant, Mushrooms, and Arugula

I've been on a shrimp kick, and with a random assortment of half-used items in my kitchen that I needed to either use or send to the gods of wastefulness, my fridge was looking a bit desperate. This is a case of coming up with a side dish that has nearly everything but my kitchen sink in it....it's tasty, though (probably in no small part due to the omission of the kitchen sink).

As for the shrimp, this is a simple preparation that offers a tiny bit of heat from the chili pepper. The bell pepper offers crunch while the tomatoes give a tiny bit of sweet acidity to the skewer. The basil leaf folded in the center of each shrimp offers just a slight hint of fresh herbiness to compliment the chili. Should you be so fortunate, these would work beautifully on the grill!

Shrimp Skewers with Wild Rice, Grilled Eggplant, Mushrooms, and Arugula

Ingredients:

5 tbs light olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 small red chili, finely minced

salt

12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on

1/2 large eggplant, cut into small cubes

8 oz mushrooms of choice, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used oyster and shiitake)

1/2 c dry white wine

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 c fresh baby arugula

12 leaves fresh basil

1/2 bell pepper, cut into 8 large chunks

8 cherry tomatos

2 c prepared wild rice mix

fresh tomato slices, if desired

lime wedges, if desired

Directions:

In a ziplock bag, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, minced chili, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, toss eggplant with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Season with salt and broil on the top rack for 4 minutes. Flip the eggplant, and broil an additional 3 minutes, or until soft and just turning brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

Combine the mushrooms and wine in a bowl with 1/4 tsp salt and allow to rest, stirring occeasionally.

Heat remaining 2 tbs oil over medium heat. Saute the onion until just turning golden. Add the remaining garlic and saute another minute. Add eggplant, wine, and mushrooms; allow to cook--stirring frequently--until mushrooms are soft and most the liquid has evaporated. Reduce heat to low and stir in arugula.

For the shrimp skewers, have the basil ready to skewer with the shrimp. You will place the skewer through the base of the tail, come out on the other side of the shrimp, skewer the basil leaf, and then skewer the shrimp again at the head.

Set up the shrimp skewers in this order: Bell pepper, shrimp (with basil leaf), tomato, shrimp, tomato, shrimp, bell pepper. Brush the skewers with remaining marinade and broil 2 minutes on the first side; flip, brush with additional marinade, and broil one more minute. Remove from oven.

To serve, place half a cup of the rice on a plate. Add a tomato slice on the rice (if desired), then top with the mushroom saute. Place one shrimp skewer on the dish and finish with a squeeze of lime. Serves 4.

Surf'n'Turf Lettuce Wraps with Raw Cauliflower "Couscous"

Here's a very customizable meal that can cater to a variety of tastes and diets. Being the omnivores that the spawn and I are, we went for surf'n'turf. This works as a raw omnivore diet if you

leave out the steak, or vegan raw if you omit the "food with a face" altogether. If you omit the steak, then you don't even have to heat up the kitchen--great for a humid summer day!

Steak, Shrimp, and Cauli Couscous Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

Steak:

1 tbs brown sugar

2 tbs tamari

2 tbs lime juice

1 small red chili, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbs peanut oil

1 lb steak

Shrimp:

1 clove garlic, minced

juice of 2 limes

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 tsp salt

1 lb raw shrimp

1 stalk green onion, finely chopped

Salsa:

1/2 zucchini, diced

6 cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced

1/4 c red onion, diced

1 serrano pepper, finely diced (optional)

juice of 1 lime

1/4 tsp salt

cauliflower couscous (recipe below)

1 avocado, diced

1 head green lettuce, leaves separated

1 tbs fresh basil, finely chopped

1 tbs cilantro, finely chopped

lime wedges, if desired

Directions:

Steak:

Whisk together sugar, tamari, lime juice, chili, salt and pepper. Marinate steak in mixture 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

Heat grill pan to medium-high. Add oil to pan, then grill steak to desired amount of doneness (about 3 minutes each side for medium-rare). Remove steak from heat and allow to rest 5 minutes. Slice into thin strips.

Shrimp:

Combine garlic, citrus juices, and salt. Marinate shrimp and onion in the citrus juice 4 hours.

Salsa:

Combine all ingredients, adjusting salt to taste.

Lettuce Wraps:

Arrange ingredients as desired in the center of a lettuce leaf, topping with herbs and additional lime juice. Wrap lettuce leaf around filling and enjoy.

Raw Cauliflower "Couscous"

Ingredients:

florets from 1 head of cauliflower

juice of 1 lime

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 c red onion, diced

1/2 tbs fresh ginger, grated

2 tbs cilantro, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Pulse cauliflower in the food processor until pieces are the size of couscous. Add remaining ingredients and refrigerate 1-4 hours before serving. Makes 3-4 cups of couscous, depending on the size of the head of cauliflower.