Herbed Lime Shrimp

Grilled shrimp with a bright and zesty green herb and lime sauce

This is the type of cooking that makes me really excited for summer. Granted, it's always pretty summery in L.A., but grilled seafood in a fresh sauce just screams summer barbecues in the backyard. This recipe is another winner from The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook and pairs really well with the zucchini and feta couscous that I shared previously. The herbed lime sauce adds a ton of bright and zesty flavor and does double duty as a marinade and a finishing sauce at the end. It's so good that I'd suggest making extra and using it to top vegetables, chicken, or grains for the rest of the week.


Related Recipes:
- Shrimp with Three-Herb Chimichurri Sauce
- Grilled Pesto Shrimp Pizza
- Green Gazpacho with Spice-Rubbed Shrimp


Herbed Lime Shrimp:
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 4 green onions, roughly chopped
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1/2 c. parsley leaves
- 1/2 c. basil leaves
- 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. mint leaves
- 1/2 tsp. salt

Recipe

• Blend the green onions, anchovies, lime juice, garlic, parsley, basil, mint, olive oil, and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• Pour half of the sauce into a resealable bag and add the shrimp. Marinate in the fridge for an hour or at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan to high.
• Cook the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side, or until opaque and lightly charred on the outside.
• Toss the shrimp with the remaining sauce.

Serves four

Black Bean Soup with Cumin Crema

A filling vegetarian soup with a rich and smokey flavor

I went from avoiding beans my whole life to loving them just a couple years ago. For me, it's all about the texture and I still won't eat them if I think they'll be mushy or slimy in any way. Not surprisingly, I'd never eaten black bean soup until this weekend when I made this recipe from The Smitten Kitchen, and it was so good! The slow-cooked beans have a real depth of flavor and the soup gets a smokey and spicy kick from the chipotles and cumin. It tastes like a vegetarian chili, but with half the ingredients and steps that you'd find in a traditional chili recipe. The cumin seed crema adds richness and the contrasting black and white swirls makes a simple pot of soup look really impressive. I served wedges of caramelized onion and chorizo quesadillas on the side for a twist on grilled cheese and tomato soup.


Related Recipes:
- Slow-Cooked Black Beans
- Curried Split Pea Soup
- White Chicken Chili


Black Bean Soup with Cumin Crema:
Ingredients
- 7 c. hot water
- 1 lb. dried black beans
- 1 c. creme fraiche, Mexican crema, or sour cream
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 2 red onions, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tbsp. canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
- kosher salt

Recipe

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
• Add in the peppers and onions and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until starting to brown.
• Add in the garlic and ground cumin and cook for another minute.
• Add in the beans and water, bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and lower to a simmer.
• Cook for 3-5 hours on low,* or until the beans are very tender.
• Transfer 3-4 c. of soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, then stir the puree back into the soup.
• Add the lime juice, chipotle, and 3/4 tsp. salt and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
• Meanwhile, toast the cumin seeds in a hot dry skillet for a few minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle and pound until crushed but still coarse.
• Stir the cumin seeds and a pinch of salt into the creme fraiche.**
• To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and swirl in a dollop of the cumin crema.

Serves six

*Black beans can vary in cooking time and the heat of your simmer.

**The crema can be made a day in advance and kept in the fridge in a sealed container.

Roasted Chickpea Salad with Jalapeño Dressing

Roasted chickpeas, cucumbers, baby kale, pomegranate, goat cheese, and a spicy vinaigrette

We eat some sort of side salad most nights during the week, but it's usually an afterthought. I'll toss fresh farmers' market greens with my go-to lemon dressing and maybe one or two other ingredients and that's it. It's delicious, but it can get a little boring. This salad from Sprouted Kitchen is the opposite - it requires more effort and ingredients than I usually cook with, but the results are well worth it. Roasted chickpeas take the place of croutons to add a smokey crunch, which pairs well with the fresh cucumbers and sweet pomegranate arils. The dressing has a serious kick from the roasted jalapeño pepper, but the creamy goat cheese helps to tame the spice. The salad has enough going on to make a filling vegetarian entree, but it's a special side to pair with a simple soup, grilled meat, or pasta.


Related Recipes:
- Beetnik Salad
- Green Salad with Crispy Quinoa & Pomegranate
- Corn & Avocado Salad with Jalapeno-Lime Dressing


Baby Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas, Cucumbers, Pomegranate, & Jalapeño Vinaigrette:
Ingredients
For Roasted Jalapeño Vinaigrette
- 1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, roasted
- 1 tbsp. chopped shallot
- 1 tbsp. white or rice vinegar
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1/2 tsp. salt

For Salad
- 5 oz. baby kale
- 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 1 c. chickpeas, washed and pat dry
- 1/2 c. pomegranate arils
- 2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. maple syrup

Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Toss the chickpeas with smoked paprika, olive oil, and maple syrup and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Rub the jalapeño with oil and add it to the baking sheet too.
• Roast the chickpeas and jalapeño for 20 minutes, turning once, or until the chickpeas are browned and crispy.
• To make the dressing, remove the stem and seeds the from jalapeño and place in a blender or food processor with the cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, shallot, vinegar, honey, and salt and blend until smooth.
• Place the kale, cucumbers, pomegranate, goat cheese, and roasted chickpeas in a large salad bowl and toss with the dressing. Serve immediately.

Serves four