Shrimp Dip

Does your mother have staples for every party she throws? Mine does. Seven-layer salad, mini ham sandwiches, olives, cheese and crackers, sweet and sour cocktail wieners, etc. The list is actually quite long, and her menus vary a little based on the season. When I was little, my mother and father would host bridge parties, birthday parties, holiday parties, work anniversary parties, etc. year-round. I loved it. My sister and I would help making the finger foods. Once the party started, we were to be “seen and not heard;” but we got to eat as many appetizers as we liked as long as we kept our clothes clean.

When I was in high school, my mother found a new appetizer to add to her repertoire: Shrimp Dip. This is a “clean” version of the recipe she was given by a friend. I don’t trust mayo that I don’t make myself, and dairy doesn’t do me any favors. To my mother’s surprise, mine tastes just like hers! We hope you’ll like it as much as she does.

Simple Ginger Curry Chicken

As much as we love complex and bold flavors in curry, some days we simply don’t have time to create them from scratch (like we did with this curried rabbit recipe we put together for US Wellness Meats). This past Sunday was one of those hectic days. After a bit of rummaging around in the kitchen, I put this together and crossed my fingers.

For a little brightness and a strong kick, I suggest adding the garlic-chili chutney. A small amount goes a long way. We know you will enjoy this simple ginger curry chicken—with or without the chutney!

Ginger Garlic Grilled Shrimp

I love shrimp, and huge tiger prawns are far and above my favorite kind. Growing up, we rarely had big tiger prawns; but we had seafood at least once a week. I would always ask for shrimp, and I would say about fifty percent of the time I was lucky enough to get it. Plus we always had shrimp cocktail for special occasions; I usually ate more than my fair share.

These days, shrimp is still more of a special occasion food. But, anytime I see wild caught shrimp on sale, it’s a special occasion!

Dressed simply, these succulent shrimp are light and refreshing despite being a hot grilled item. The sweet flesh of the prawn with the bright freshness of ginger and slight spice of garlic come together to create a great appetizer on a warm day. Or, if you’re a party of one, they can serve as your entree!

We hope you enjoy these ginger garlic grilled shrimp as much as Brent, his parents, and I did.

Vangi Bhath (Eggplant Rice)

Indian dishes are one of the few items we often enjoy when eating out, but are intimidated to make at home. Outside of the occasional curry, we normally “leave it to the experts” when it comes to this cuisine. It is unfortunate because the food is so delicious. Inspired by this recipe and eager to challenge ourselves a little, we decided to adapt it. I’m really glad we did.

This “rice” recipe with cauliflower is a filling, and somewhat sweet, dish. I was surprised by the many flavors—in a good way. We hope you will enjoy this recipe. It would certainly pair well with curry or any other grilled meat, if you’re especially hungry.

Arroz Con Pollo

Although I never use it these days, I spent the better part of my time in K12 studying Spanish. I was lucky to have only 3 teachers from 6th grade to 12th, so I really was able to learn a lot in that time—having neighbors who spoke fluent Spanish and were kind enough to let me come hang out and help me with my homework wasn’t too bad, either. One of the staple meals we learned about was chicken with rice, or arroz con pollo. It is known as a variation on paella, and I found it to be much easier to prepare and cook.

Arroz Con Pollo is a hearty and versatile dish. It was good fresh, as leftovers, served hot or cold. We adapted the recipe to use cauliflower rice, and it turned out great. This was one of the few times I can say I’ve made something with cauliflower rice and not thought, “well this is pretty good for pretend rice.” The flavors and texture of this dish are great, and it goes well with a few dashes of Tabasco, too. We hope you’ll give this a try.