June 18, 2022

Party colored windows

Salsa Shrimp Pasta Salad

This is a fresh, crunchy and satisfying salad perfect for when the mercury is hovering in the punishing zone and you don’t want to be bothered with having to face a hot dinner.

gluten-free, pescatarian

Salsa Shrimp Pasta Salad

1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp, boiled and chopped

2 cucumbers, chopped

1 jalapeño, deseeded if desired and minced

1 smallish red onion, chopped

1/2 c. your favorite salsa – fresh or jarred; I went jarred

1 avocado, chopped

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 box chickpea pasta, cooked to al dente and drained

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. chili powder (or chipotle powder)

Generous sprinkle salt, pepper & red pepper flakes

Cherry tomatoes and chopped scallions for garnish if you’ve got either

Boil your pasta to al dente and drain. Set in a large bowl.

Peel and de-vein the shrimp; boil to cook. Drain and set to cool.

Chop the veggies and add to the pasta bowl.

Chop the shrimp into thirds when cool. Add to the bowl.

Add the salsa, spices, avocado, lime juice. Toss well. Taste for seasoning and add a little more if necessary.

Top with the garnishes and serve. I ended up sprinkling all but the first serving with a little more pepper and flaky finishing salt and that was about perfect.

Serves 4

June 17, 2022

June 16, 2022

Looks fun!

June 15, 2022

Ok, so I forgot to take a POD … but I *did* shoot a recipe I’ll be sharing in the next couple weeks …

June 14, 2022

June 13, 2022

If you know, you know …

June 12, 2022

🤣🤣🤣 unflattering blackmail shot 🤣🤣🤣

June 11, 2022

You know you may be in the Gulf when … A little backstory: this shopping cart with unattended Hermes shopping bag was parked outside the mall hypermarket (big grocery store). It was near-ish customer service, where people are often directed to leave their purchases from the rest of the mall. Here, it’s not uncommon to see shopping carts from the grocery or other stores lined up outside mall shops – unattended – complete with previous purchases and maybe even purses without a care that they’d be made off with. A different world than the one from which I hail.

Hot Honey Chicken Bowl

This is a great one to keep in your back pocket. This chicken is [fire] and would be fantastic in a cold summer salad (I’m thinking a mandarin affair), or a quick stir fry. Yum.

gluten-free

Hot Honey Chicken Bowl

Chicken:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Generous salt & pepper

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 c. honey

2 Tbsp. sambal olek

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. soy sauce or coconut aminos

More salt, pepper, cayenne & red pepper flakes

Bowl:

1-2 zucchini, cut into moons & air fried until nice and brown with a little salt, pepper & oil

2 carrots, shredded

1 avocado, chopped

2c. quinoa or cous cous cooked in broth with salt & pepper

Juice & zest of 2 limes

Sauce:

1/4 c. your favorite yogurt (I used a thick Skyr-style soy)

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. ranch seasoning powder

Hand full of chopped chives or scallions to garnish

Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss with the garlic powder, cornstarch/arrowroot powder, cayenne & a generous sprinkle salt & pepper. Blast with a little spray oil and air fry on 400 15 mins or until crispy and done (shaking and re-spraying a couple times through the cook time).

In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, honey, sambal, minced garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce/coconut aminos and a generous sprinkle each of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and cumin. Toss the chicken with the sauce and set aside.

Prep the grain bowl bottom and veggies.

Assemble as you wish.

Combine the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, thinning out with a little water if you want a more pourable sauce.

Top with the scallions or chives.

Serves 4