Artichoke & Provolone Soup

This soup is California to me. It is first and foremost, a reminder of the road trips my mom and I would take down the Californian coast when I was a kid, and the soup she always told me has her favorite: Artichoke Provolone. Of course, almost all of artichokes sold commercially in the US are grown in California... it's climate is just sublimely artichoke-y. 

There is a part of California that has always been subtly homey to me; My grandparents owned a small farm in the northern part of the state for most of my life, and I would visit over the summer to chase the chickens around. There were always plenty of hugs. My grandmother and I would play solitaire in the dated kitchen. Sometimes we would walk to the grocery store or go to the swimming pool. The days were bright and our kitchen was full of warmth.

When you take canned artichoke hearts and you blend them into a creamy soup the result is surprisingly bright. There are notes of acidic lemon, the nuttiness of the artichoke and the full, creamy body of the soup itself, thanks to a healthy heaping of cheese and potatoes. It is bright, and full of warmth. 

My last trip to California started as a business trip but ended very personal with a visit to my grandmother in the hospital. As luck would have it, I was waiting for inspiration to write and share this recipe on that very day: a bowl of artichoke provolone soup was exactly what was needed. 

Artichoke & Provolone Soup

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

If you love artichokes, this creamy soup is a must-try.

Serves: 8   |    Total Time: 40 minutes

---

Ingredients:

• 33 ounce jar of artichoke hearts (I get this by the 2-pack at Costco)
• 1 pound white potatoes (3 medium sized)
• 4 cups broth
• 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
• 1 white onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• Salt & pepper
• 1 cup shredded provolone (3/4 for soup, 1/4 for garnish)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Optional: More artichokes for garnish
• Optional: More cream for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter over medium heat on the stove. Dice onion, and add to the pot. Mince the garlic, and add that as well. Stir. Cook until onions are translucent.
2. Meanwhile, peel and dice the potatoes. Add diced potatoes to the pot, then add artichokes, and a few cracks of salt & pepper. Pour broth into pot, and cover. Bring to gentle boil. Cook until potatoes are tender all the way through: about 10-15 minutes (test them with a fork occasionally).
3. Working in batches, transfer soup to a high-speed blender and puree until smooth (I use a BlendTec , which is really good at getting all of the artichoke pureed. I’ve also tried with an immersion blender, and it works but the artichoke does not get blended as well).
4. Return soup to pot. Stir in cheese and creamy, allowing the cheese to melt as you do. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, topped with additional cheese, a drizzle of cream, artichokes, and a crack of fresh pepper.

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

---

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.

Vanilla-Honey Tapioca Pudding

When people hear that I grew up as an only child, they often ask I if you liked it. They as if I know any different – or have any perspective on what it's like compared to having siblings. I want to answer--I want to have an answer- but I do not. Instead, it was just me, and as an introvert, that never bothered me much. I certainly never had to compete for the last pudding cup, which my mom would often keep in the fridge (always tapioca). 

Tapioca pudding is ridiculously easy to make. No joke, it's as easy as soak, simmer, set. Serve it with fresh berries in summer, or even a touch of homemade cranberry sauce in winter. Vanilla-Honey Tapioca Pudding!

Vanilla-Honey Tapioca Pudding

Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free,    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Tapioca is naturally grain-free, made form tapioca root. Use small tapioca pearls to make this pudding.

Serves: 4   |    Total Active Time: 30 minutes

---

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• ⅛ teaspoon salt (or 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt)
• 1/2 cup small pearl tapioca
• 1/2 cup honey (or 1/2 cup sugar, depending on preferences -- honey will lend a honey taste to the pudding)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Put the milk, cream, and tapioca pearls in a medium sized sauce pan. Allow to sit for 30 minutes for quick cooking -- or overnight (covered, in the fridge) for normal tapioca, to hydrate.
2. Place sauce pan on stove over medium-low heat. Add honey, and stir. Warm slowly until the milk is almost to a simmer, stirring frequently to avoiding tapioca sticking to the bottom, and cook until tapioca is fully hydrated (this will vary depending on type of tapioca -- quick cooking tapioca will only need 5 minutes, while regular could take up to 45).
3. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a medium sized mixing bowl. Set aside. When tapioca is hydrated, use a ladel to scoop a ladel of warm milk mixture into the egg, whisking quickly to temper eggs. Then, pour eggs into sauce pan, again stiring quickly to avoid curdling. Cook for 3-5 minutes more, until mixture thickens. Pudding should coat the back of your spoon. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Pour into airtight container and cool in fridge 2 hours or until ready to server.
4. Divide the pudding among glasses and top with fresh berries, nuts, or marmelade.