Shrimp Cakes

We’ve been spending a lot of time at the beach lately largely due to the many tropical disturbances out in the Gulf and the Atlantic. While my thoughts and prayers continue to be with those affected by these storms, the Floridians (surfers especially) are thankful for month long waves on both the east and west coast of the state. The past three weekends have had the boy and I waking up before dawn and spending anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours in the car in order to reach the ‘perfect spot’. 9 hour surf sessions and that much time in the car can really take it out of you, but more importantly leave you crazy hungry! These weekends should somewhat explain the lack of posting going on here at Dandy Dishes. Since the weekend of August 19th I don’t think we have been home any longer then what is required for sleep. I can’t tell you the miles we have driven and the gas we have consumed all in the spirit of hanging on to this last bit of summer. Oh we’ve eaten, and plenty, but the process of documenting and blogging those meals has fallen from priority number 1 to about priority number 4 or 5. Behind sleep, work, exercise and oh yeah that little wedding thing we have coming up in 8 weeks we have had time for little else. But today I’m back, I’m tired and I wanna nap, but I’m back! And what I have for you today is something that I hope will remind you of your favorite hole in the wall restaurant on your favorite beach. You know the one that serves cheap, ice cold beer and perfectly fried crab cakes and hush puppies? Piping hot and squeezed with fresh lemon? That right there is my idea of heaven, so hopefully this recipe for Shrimp Cakes will help bring you back there. As for us, if Katia continues to do her thing and Maria picks up her speed we’ll see you on the east coast this weekend!

Shrimp Cakes
Serves 4
1 lb peeled and deveined wild caught gulf shrimp
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon lime juice ½ teaspoon sriracha (I know I put this in EVERYTHING!)
1 egg yolk
¼ cup cilantro
¼ cup coconut flour

Place shrimp in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped, or you could chop by hand. In a large bowl combine all ingredients along with some salt and pepper to taste. Note that this will be a VERY wet batter. If you are used to making crab cakes or any other type of fritter you are going to think you need more flour. The key to these guys is that they have very little flour, so the shrimp is the star. The egg will sort of soufflé up during the cooking process and provide more structure for the cake.

Form the mixture into patties, as big or as small as you like just as long as they are all the same size. Put on a platter and toss into the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Placing the cakes in the fridge will help them set up a little more before adding to the pan.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of your FOC (I used coconut oil) and add the cakes, about 5 at a time. Allow to cook 4 - 5 minutes per side or until brown. Remove and set on a paper towel lined plate. Squeeze with fresh lime juice and garnish with additional cilantro. Enjoy!

Thai Shrimp Curry

Nine times out of ten when the boy and I venture out for dinner it’s usually to a restaurant serving some sort of exotic food. Whether it’s Greek, Mexican, Thai or Japanese, if I’m going to spend money eating out I would rather be trying things that I wouldn’t normally eat at home. While it would be a toss up for me between Mexican and Japanese the boy loves Thai. I love the yin and yang of spicy meets sweet, but more times then not I end up ordering a dish that makes my eyes tear and my nose run incessantly. Definitely not a look you’re going for on date night!

My fix was to start experimenting with Thai inspired dishes at home. That way I could control the amount of heat in each dish and not end up looking like I spent the past 20 minutes doing the ugly cry! Most curry dishes rely on thai chili’s for the heat but I find that using red pepper flakes is an easier way to control the heat factor of a dish. That way you can make a dish to your liking and your better half can jazz up his plate to his hearts fiery content.

Thai Shrimp Curry
Serves 4

1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp
1 tablespoon canola / vegetable oil
½ onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it really spicy)
3 teaspoons red curry paste
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 can coconut milk
5-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Cauli-rice, steps above

Heat 1 tablespoon of canola / vegetable oil over medium high heat. Toss in the chopped onion and sauté about 3-5 minutes until the onion begins to caramelize and turn light brown. Add the bell pepper, curry paste, red pepper flakes and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Grab your whisk and slowly add the coconut milk whisking frequently to prevent the curry paste from clumping. Lower the heat to medium and add in the shrimp, continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes. Check for seasonings, add more curry or red pepper flakes to amp up the heat and salt and pepper to taste. Cut the heat and toss in the chopped basil and serve over steamed rice or cauli-rice.

* This dish can also be made with chicken in place of shrimp. Slice the breasts into thin strips and follow the same steps above. You can also toss in broccoli florets, snap peas or even frozen baby peas to really amp up your veggie servings. Just add the additional veggies at the same time as your protein.

Spicy Shrimp and Noodles

If you can’t tell, I’m on a soup kick lately. In Florida there are really only a few months out of the year where you can actually eat soup without breaking a sweat. With cooler temperatures headed this way and a newly functioning stove top (that’s a story for another day) I’m breaking out my enameled cast iron pot and cooking up a storm. Soups, Chili’s, Stocks…you name it, this week I’m all over it!

When I first spotted this recipe in a magazine I envisioned a strong fish stock with big punches of ginger and a kick of heat from the chili paste; however after making it I found the flavors to be pretty mild and surprisingly sweet. The cilantro and lime brighten the sweetness of the shrimp and the chili paste brings just enough heat to make things interesting. If you’re a seafood lover like me I recommend trying this dish soon, start off with a teaspoon of chili paste then bump up the heat to your liking. I made a lot of modifications to the original recipe mainly using egg noodles instead of rice sticks, broccoli instead of snap peas and omitted the onion completely. So be creative and feel free to make this your own…omit the shrimp and use shredded chicken instead, or use rice instead of pasta. Next time I’m thinking bean sprouts and extra firm tofu. Point being experiment in your kitchen, every recipe can be tweaked to your liking.

Spicy Shrimp and Noodles
Serves 4

1 pound fresh shrimp, deveined and peeled with tails on
1 8oz bottle of clam juice
1 cup chicken stock
1 ½ cups water
Fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 2 pieces of ¼” diameter coins
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
2 teaspoons chili paste (I ended up using a tablespoon and it was just enough heat for me) or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup egg noodles
Fresh cilantro and lime juice for garnish

Remove shrimp tails and add to a medium sauce pan. Add clam juice, water, chicken stock and ginger to the pot with the shrimp tails and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Pass liquid through a strainer and reserve for later.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Toss in the bell pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Now pour in the reserved fish stock and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp, chili paste, salt and egg noodles then cover and allow to cook 7 minutes or until noodles are almost done. Remove the lid and toss in the broccoli florets and cook an additional 3-5 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked and the broccoli is tender.

Serve in bowls garnished with fresh cilantro leaves and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema

Most Tampa natives know all about Mema's Tacos in downtown Ybor.  Their fried fish tacos are just the thing after a late night of hanging with your friends.  But instead of fried and loaded with cheese and lettuce on a crunchy shell, these fillets are spiced to perfection then broiled in the oven and served on warm soft corn tortillas with a bright lime and cilantro crema.  You can use any flaky fish you desire such as tilapia, red snapper or even shrimp.  Top them off with shredded cabbage and a squeeze of fresh lime and you will be in heaven!

Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema
Serves 4

Crema -
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, greens and whites
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (fat free if you choose)
3 tablespoons sour cream (again, fat free if you choose)
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove finely minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the fish

Tacos -
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (more or less depending how spicy you like it!)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1.5 pounds fish fillets
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
shredded cabbage and lime wedges for garnish

Preheat oven to 425º.  In a small bowl combine cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, ground red pepper, salt and garlic powder then sprinkle evenly over both sides of the fish.  Place fish on a foil lined baking sheet with a little cooking spray.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until fish begins to flake.  Remove from oven and separate fillets into chunks and place into a medium bowl.  Warm tortillas in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat until pliable.

Serve fish in warmed tortillas topped with cabbage and 1 tablespoon of crema and a squeeze of fresh lime.