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Just another Mom's guide to a healthy lifestyle

Fresh Spring Shrimp and Sausage Fajitas with Asparagus

Looking for a delicious, healthy and fast dinner?  With social distancing and a stay at home order in effect I have been giving myself time to slow down and actually cook instead of tossing everything together fast and not enjoying the process.  For me cooking is a stress reliever so after helping my kids with their schooling it is a welcome task.

I understand you may have to plan ahead for this meal as not everyone keeps shrimp in their freezer for quick meals like I do, but trust me it is worth it!

 

The sausage I prefer is the grassfed beef Kiolbasa, they have it at Costco.  (I think Kiolbasa is the name of the company).  It has a really nice snap to the casing and is rather garlicky, in the good way.

The shrimp is 16-20 count, Jumbo Shrimp that has been deveined but not peeled.  I prefer the frozen shrimp they sell at Aldi, Fremont Fish Market.  They are wild caught and are not pumped with anything so they have a great texture and the price is pretty awesome too!  Currently the jumbo shrimp is $6.49 for a 12oz package which is a super sweet deal!

I use avocado oil in my higher heat cooking as it has a high smoke point while also being super healthy for you.  Virgin coconut oil would be great too, but you will notice a hint of coconut flavor…hey this may not be a bad thing…

I only had mini sweet peppers on hand so I just cut the top off to remove the stem and seeds then sliced them in half.  Alternately a yellow and a red bell pepper seeded, stemmed and sliced would be perfect.

So on to the process…as I mentioned I didn’t have to devein my shrimp (remove the vein that runs down the back) as they came that way.  I cook them with the shell on as it lends a lot of flavor, but if you prefer peeled or that’s what you have on hand, no worries!

Asparagus is in season right now, and it’s super easy to work with.  Just be sure to cut the tough ends off as they are impossible to chew.

Preparing everything is super fast as all that’s left is slicing a red onion, slicing the sausage into 1/2″ rounds, crushing about 5 garlic cloves, cutting the asparagus in half and slicing a red and a yellow bell pepper.  I keep a jar of the spice blend already mixed up in my cupboard for everyday use, please see recipe for that below.

Heat a large sauté pan (11″ minimum) over medium high heat.  When your pan is hot drizzle in about 2 tablespoons avocado oil.  Swirl to coat the bottom of your pan.  Brown the sausage slices along with the peppers and onions in the pan for about 5 minutes then add the garlic.  The sausage are fully cooked so you just want to add a bit more flavor by adding a little caramelization (not sure if that’s a word…).  Be sure to stir everything up to keep the garlic from burning, and cook for about 2 minutes.

Now add the shrimp and asparagus along with a tablespoon of fajita seasoning, continuing to sauté for about a minute being sure to coat everything in the deliciousness that is in the pan.  Grab a pan lid and a couple tablespoons of water.  Add the water to the pan, cover and let the shrimp and asparagus steam for about 5 minutes, until the shrimp are pink.

Serve on tortillas or coconut wraps (paleo/keto option) along with some fresh sliced jalapeños and fresh cilantro (optional)  Enjoy!!

Fajita seasoning recipe:

  • 1 Tablespoon Cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon Onion powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Granulated Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Lime Zest
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder (optional, but awesome)
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 2 teaspoons thyme
  • Small pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper (adjust for your tastes)
  • 1 pinch cayenne (optional)

Helpful hints:

If you don’t have a large sauté pan brown the sausage first, remove it, sauté the onions and peppers next adding the garlic and spice blend a minute or so before they are done.  Don’t crowd the pan as you will end up steaming everything instead of cooking it in oil.

If you are interested in a new pan, I love the new NUCU line that is being produced by Vollrath Company.  They are based in Wisconsin.  The stainless pans are beautiful and rival (in my opinion conquer) some of the well known brands out there.  If you live near me, you can buy them at Relish Kitchen Store.

 

Seafood Paella With Chorizo

We always love our visits to Spain visiting some of my favorite family.  Walking along the boardwalk in Marbella along the Mediterranean is truly beautiful and unique.  There are shops on one side and chiringuitos (beach restaurants) lining the other.  The warm sun and smell of the salty Mediterranean…I need a plane ticket right now!!!

After enjoying several different paella dishes over the years I finally asked one of my favorite Spaniards, Eusebio to show me how he makes paella.  In case you haven’t been introduced Paella is a rice dish scented with saffron.  It isn’t unusual for people to prepare it outside, actually everywhere we enjoyed it this is where it was prepared.  I did change Eusebio’s recipe a bit, but I am sure he would approve!  (If not I am sure he will let me know 🙂 )

Generally you find paella either straight seafood, or with meat.  The dish Eusebio prepared for us was made with rabbit and chicken.  It was sensational!  Since I enjoyed it so much and wanted to bring this tradition to my area of the world, I threw a paella party class at our local culinary store Relish where I am occasionally featured as the chef of the evening (even a morning or afternoon once in a while).  For the class everyone was involved in the preparation which made for a great party!  Why not try it with some of your friends!?!

For this paella I went with seafood and chorizo.  Mussels, clams, shrimp…yummy!!  I am using a 20 inch paella pan, you can find them on Amazon or most kitchen supply stores.  If you don’t have a paella pan, you can try to use any large frying pan or sauté pan, but chances are you won’t be able to achieve the “soccarat” or crispy bottom of the rice that paella can be known for.  No worries, it will still be delicious!

A quick note about the chorizo, you must use Spanish chorizo not Mexican chorizo.  Spanish chorizo comes in links that are already smoked.  Mexican chorizo is raw and generally is a very fine crumbly grind. Don’t get me wrong Mexican chorizo is delicious too, but the two are not interchangeable.

To get started we need to render the fat out of the chorizo and crisp it up a bit.  Do this by heating your pan over medium high heat, if you have a larger paella pan you may need to use more than one burner.  You can also do this on your grill if your pan fits, or if you are really lucky and own a large outdoor burner that is also great!  Once your pan is warm, drizzle in the olive oil.  Swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan and add your sliced or diced chorizo.  Sauté the chorizo until it begins to crisp up, then remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Now add your sofrito, which would be your carrots, onions, garlic, tomato, peppers and herbs.  “Fry” your sofrito in the delicious olive oil/chorizo fat and watch it soak up all of those delicious flavors while it develops an amazing flavor, be sure to add a bit of salt and pepper at this point taking it easy on the salt, remember stock is salted as is the chorizo.  By this point your house (or backyard it you are cooking outside) will smell super amazing.  Make sure no one walks in and steals your plate of chorizo…

Once your vegetables have softened and soaked all the delicious oil they can, grab a large pinch of saffron and add it to the party.  Then follow it with your rice.  Bomba or calasparra rice is preferred but if you can’t get your hands on that, use arborio.  It is somewhat similar in grain size.  Stir it around making sure to coat all the grains with that deliciousness you’ve created so far!  Hit it with some white wine and give it a moment to simmer out.  A good Spanish white is preferred.

Add half of your stock to the pan give it a stir and then throw your spoon in the sink.  No more stirring from this point forward!  Seriously don’t stir, resist the temptation.

Allow your rice to cook for about 10 minutes, then add the balance of your stock reserving about a cup.  Keep that cup close in case you need it.  Depending on which rice you buy and how accurate you were measuring the rice you may or may not need it.

Now it’s party time!  Grab all the ingredients and decorate your pan.  Lay the seafood in the way you want it to look when you present your gorgeous, delicious creation to your friends and family.  Follow with the strips of roasted pepper, then scatter the peas and chorizo around it all.  (Picture courtesy of my recent class)

 

Now grab a piece of foil and lightly cover the pan creating a little steam to help those shellfish open up.  Your dish should be done within 10 minutes.  Test the rice after about 5 minutes making sure the pan isn’t dry.  If all the liquid is absorbed and your rice isn’t soft add the last cup of stock.  Keep an eye on the seafood throughout cooking.  When the shrimp are pink and most of the mussels and clams have opened check your rice.  Adjust seasoning if needed.  At the last moment crank the heat up to high.  Give it a minute or two.  Hopefully you were able to get that nice crunchy bottom layer.  It is amazing if you can execute it correctly.  Admittedly I still struggle with it from time to time.  Hey who’s perfect? Once your dish is complete top with fresh parsley and some lemon wedges for serving.

I added a bonus pic for you below.  In the event you can’t access clams and mussels or they aren’t your bag, try it with shrimp and scallops.  It is super delicious this way too!  Either way grab a good bottle of Tempranillo and a chair at the table with your friends and family and enjoy!

 

 

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