I am terrible with recipes.  More specifically, I don’t generally use them.  I add a dash of this and a pinch of that and voila – dinner is served!  Though this does not stop me from buying beautiful cookbooks that gather dust on the shelf in my kitchen.  Then, at the precise moment when my creativity is spent, and I cannot fathom something spectacular  to make for dinner,  something I haven’t done a million times, I remember, “Hey, there’s that whole shelf full of lovely books, filled with gorgeous pictures, saying ‘Pick ME!'”

Last week, at one of the aforementioned creative lows, I hit the books, and what I discovered was so absolutely delicious that, of course, I took a picture of it, with the thought of it being right here, under this little red roof.  However, as I am also prone to do when actually using a recipe, I didn’t follow it exactly, tweaking it a little to suit me and the hubster.  So what follows is an adaptation of a recipe from The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper. What appealed to me, not just the fact that I wanted to cook shrimp, was the description states that this is “guaranteed to have your family moaning with gratitude.”  I don’t know about you, but who doesn’t want that?  The best part?  It’s true, Gregory and I both sung its praises with “MMMmmm” and “This is so good!” and “I love it!”  Hopefully you will, too.

Plumped and Spicy Ginger Caramel Shrimp

Brine

1/3 cup kosher or sea salt (not iodized)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup medium hot chile powder (the amount is not in error)

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 cups warm water (or cold if your shrimp is already thawed)

1 pound large frozen shrimp (out of their shells, tails are a-okay)

Saute

4 large cloves garlic

1 4-inch piece fresh ginger

4 tablespoons mild oil

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

salt

4 teaspoons sugar

In a large glass or stainless bowl, combine the salt, sugar, chile powder, and cayenne in the warm water.  Add the shrimp, and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the garlic and ginger.  Drain the shrimp and pat dry.  Heat the oil in a large, straight sided saute pan over medium-high heat.  Stir in the garlic-ginger mixture, the pepper, and a dash of salt.  Cook for a minute before adding the sugar.  Continue stirring without allowing the pieces to brown.

Add the shrimp and stir until they are turning pink and firm.  We served ours over brown rice, and they were just delicious.  Also in the picture, oven roasted corn and an adaptation of my most popular recipe: Crazy Crispy Kale.  These are actually collard greens, as they were out of kale that day – still ever so delicious.  Never be afraid to try something different, I say.

Enjoy!

Housed in what once was an adult video store (buy four, get one free!), walking distance from our house, is a terrific little restaurant called Toast.  We first patronized out of sheer gratitude that they had made what was once a rather creepy eye sore into something truly neighborhood friendly.  However, we continue to go back out of sheer delight, for what it lacks in size (a mere eight tables and bar) it more than compensates for in charm and quality.  Not only is every dish I’ve ever had there delicious, but they source nearly all of their meat and produce from around the great state of Oregon, much from within a few miles of the restaurant, including a few small plots right in the neighborhood.

To top it off, the people who work there are they type you look for in a neighbor: kind, knowledgeable, friendly, and funny.  Take, for example, my favorite breakfast item, the Hippies Use Front Door Granola, no one without a good funny bone would give a clever tongue-in-cheek name like that, and good golly, is it ever yummy!   It’s crunchy, not too sweet, with lots of nuts – perfect.  Topped with ice-cold milk (or yogurt) and seasonal fruit, it’s a breakfast of champions.

Though this isn’t their recipe, it is the one that makes me just as happy to prepare and eat.  Hopefully you’ll like it, too.

Great Granola!

4 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

2/3 cup chopped almonds

1/3 cup wheat bran

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/2 cup neutral tasting oil (I like sunflower)

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon molasses

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried fruit (Optional – I like cherries and diced apricots)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Toss the oats, coconut, wheat bran, flax seeds, and almonds together in a large bowl.  Set aside.  Combine the oil, honey, sugar, molasses, vanilla, and salt together in a small bowl.  Stir well to combine.  Pour over the dry ingredients (don’t add the fruit yet).  This is where it gets fun.  Take off any rings, watches, or bracelets, and thoroughly mix with your hands.  Spread the mixture on a large baking sheet.

When you’re done, have a little fun, and lick your fingers.  Place the pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the fruit during the last ten minutes or so.  Added any earlier, it will be really tough and a serious workout for your jaws!  Remove from oven, and allow to cool.  Store in an airtight container.  It will keep for two weeks, but I’ll bet you finish it much sooner.

Enjoy!

This burger isn’t made with hamburger, that is.  The picture could fool you though, couldn’t it?  I had been wanting to try a meat free burger for a while and finally made an attempt at it a few weeks ago.  I hoped that I could make a completely vegan burger, to eat as low on the food chain as possible, but I just couldn’t get it to taste right or hold together to my liking without the addition of some Worcestershire and an egg.  Greg and I both really liked them, and would certainly eat them again.  The one caveat is that they smoosh out of the bun as you eat them, but you can just squish everything back into place as you go!

Yummy Homemade Bean Burgers (makes three “regular sized” burgers)

One 14 ounce can of beans, drained and rinsed (I used great northern, but I’ve seen plenty use black, kidney, or pinto)

1/4 pound mushrooms diced fine and sauteed until they begin to sweat

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon Worchestshire sauce

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

garlic, salt, and pepper to taste

1 egg

Mix everything but the egg in a food processor until smooth.  Taste a little and correct seasoning, if necessary.  Add egg.  Make patties the size of your choice.  Heat a pan over high and and a little oil, add burger, and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until evenly browned.  Now they’re ready for the bun.  Use your imagination and enjoy!