Cumin Lime Shrimp

This blog has come a looooong way since it’s beginning days, when I would post just whatever we were eating that day. Cumin Lime Shrimp was one of the first recipes I posted, and was just that — what we were eating that day. Now, I make sure the recipes makes sense for someone to actually include in their life. Quick to make; delicious; thoughtfully curated. So, I needed to revisit this post.

The original called for a marinade. Marinades are GREAT but I rarely plan enough to make a full-day marinade work. Even remember to pull something from the freezer to thaw in the mornings is hit or miss. Maybe I had more patience back in 2016. Or maybe as I’ve grow older I’ve become more busy. Probably both. Either way, the result is a need for more quick meals, even when I plan meals ahead for the week.

SO, in the new version of this recipe, you simply do everything at once, and hallelujah, shrimp cook in just a few minutes so dinner is hot on the table faster than you can get through an episode of your favorite background Netflix show.

Because the shrimp do cook fast, I recommend prepping whatever else you plan on eating for that meal before you start on the shrimp — maybe warm some tortillas, and prep a slaw, and slice avocado for quick tacos. Maybe make a salad. Just do the shrimp last so that they’re warm when you go to eat.

Cumin Lime Shrimp

Published August 2, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients:

1/2 pound shrimp, raw deveined and shelled

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon paprika, ground

1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground

Pinch of salt

Dash of freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine shrimp, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat shrimp.
2. Heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Tilt pan to coat in oil.
3. When oil is glistening, place shrimp in pan. Do not over crowd pan — work in batches if needed. Cook shrimp for 1 minute undisturbed on first side. When shrimp begin to turn pink, flip them to the second side and cook for 1 more minute. Move cooked shrimp to a bowl, and repeat until all shrimp are cooked.
4. Pour lime juice into skillet, and use a wooden spatula to scrape and bits from the bottom of the pan. Place coked shrimp back in pan and stir.
5. Sprinkle shrimp with cilantro and serve hot as desired.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

This recipe was updated on 11/2/2018, with new images and a few recipe tweaks! It’s even better than the original.

You sure do like the snow a lot for someone that hates the cold. 

That's me. I'm a total whiner when it comes to being cold, but when I hear a big snow storm is on the way, I audibly cheer. If I hear it's already snowing, I run to the window to see for myself. There's something magical about the snow that makes me feel like I'm 5 years old again -- like the world is one giant mystery and I'm just a little explorer, trying to figure it out. Trucking through the snow, with the right mindset, is one of my favorite parts of winter. 

But- back to that whining part. I'm a super wimp about being cold. Like, take my down coat with me on a hike in July kind of wimp. If I owned one of those giant down onesie suits they take to Mt. Everest, I'd probably bring that with me too.

Being a snow-loving, cold-hating outdoorsy person, here's what I've learned:

1. Warm mittens are a must. Notice I said mittens. They're way warmer than gloves. 

2. Bring that coat. You wont regret it. Sure, it's possible you won't use it, but if there's a chance you'll use it, bring it. While we're talking about coats and mittens let's just jump to it and say, bring all of the clothes. Hats. Long underwear. Ear muffs. The whole lot.

3. Bring snacks you love. Ok, you need lots of energy to stay warm and snacks, good snacks, give you energy and something to distract you from the cold. Why do you think people like hot chocolate so much?! My favorite winter outdoor outing snacks: paleo fudge, nuts, cheese, hot cocoa, "sugar plums," Epic bars, snowball cookies, and fruit. 

4. Make sure there's warm food waiting for you at home, or a cozy restaurant worth stopping at when your adventure is over. Soup is a great idea. Lots of soup, with plenty of spices to heat you up.

Aren't you feeling warmer just thinking about this big bowl of cozy soup?

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Published February 18, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 20 active minutes

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Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 bell peppers, diced

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels (or diced zucchini Paleo)

1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (about 1-2 peppers from the jar)

1 4.5-ounce can green chiles

1 teaspoon ground chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon each of salt & pepper

5 cups broth

Optional, to serve: jalapeño slices, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, toasted tortilla strips (tortilla chips work too!)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, or the bottom of your slow cooker, sauté the diced onion, and minced garlic. Add the beef, breaking it up into grounds, and cook until browned. Once cooked, place in your slow cooker (if it is not already there).
2. Now, add the bell peppers, corn, canned tomatoes, chipotle peppers, green chilies, spices and salt to the pot. Finally, add the broth.
3. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
4. To serve: ladle hot soup into bowls. Top with cilantro, jalapeño slices, lime wedges, and a toasted tortilla strips

Maple Sriracha Barbecue Chicken Kabobs

Update: This is an older recipe from Foraged Dish but still a good one! I updated it on 1/1/2019 (happy new year!) to make it easier and more clear. Plus — new pictures, and a video!

One of the very first recipes on this blog was a homemade sriracha sauce. It — to my surprise - was it’s own small kind of hit. I was even asked if it could be included in a little magazine! It was the year of sriracha. The sauce was EVERYWHERE and I got lucky. You don’t, however, need to make your own sriracha to make these kabobs. In fact, the sauce here is as easy as adding 4 ingredients to a bowl. Sriracha, garlic, maple syrup, and coconut oil.

From there you can basically do whatever you like. I use chicken, bell peppers, red onion, and zucchini but you could easily swap in steak or shrimp, and replace the veggies for something else grill-friendly, like yellow squash, mushrooms (I LOVE grilled mushrooms!!), or even little cubes of pineapple. (If you like grilled pineapple, try these sweet and spicy barbeque shrimp & pineapple skewers).

Compared to other hot sauces, sriracha is not very spicy — it’s a little sweet, in fact. This, combined with some maple syrup, turns into an ultimate grilling glaze. It comes out as a sweet and spicy kabob. Make some extra sauce for dipping, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with a lime wedge if you have it. Make a complete meal by serving over a bed of rice!

Most people would tell you that kabobs are a perfect BBQ, potluck, picnic, camping dinner. But I — crazy me - made these in January while it was snowing. 🤪❄️Watch for snow flake over the grill in the video below!

Maple Sriracha Barbecue Chicken Kabobs

Published January 3, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4-6   |    Active Time: 45 minutes

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Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup sriracha sauce

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 pound chicken breast, cubed

1 red bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces

1 green bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces

1/2 red onion, diced into bite-sized pieces

1 zucchini, diced into bite-sized pieces

Directions:

1. Add garlic, sriracha, coconut oil, and maple syrup to a medium or large sized mixing bowl and stir to combine.
2. Add chicken, bell peppers, onion, and zucchini to bowl and stir to coat in sauce.
3. Assemble kabobs: put chicken and veggies on metal or wooden skewers, alternating ingredients (ex: chicken, bell pepper, onion, chicken, zucchini, etc).
4. Heat grill to high. Place kabobs on hot grill and cook for 12 minutes with lid closed, turning every 5 minutes and brushing with any extra sauce.
5. When juices run clear and chicken is cooked through, remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.