Lemony Shrimp Risotto

A couple hours after lunch I had a twinge or two of hunger and since that can leave me a little queasy when practicing yoga I like to have a tiny snack - just enough to have something in my stomach but not enough to force it to work too hard. Today it was a couple of Kashi crackers and a spoonful of hummus. It was just enough!


I started my yoga practice about 45 minutes after the snack and the crackers did the trick. It wasn't the best practice I've ever had but that's the beauty of yoga. Some days practices are the most rewarding experiences and some days not so much. Many yoga teachers liken it to a relationship. For all the rich rewards of a regular practice a student will inevitably hit rough patches and it can be tempting to stray, but staying and working through those very times only brings deeper connections.

After practice The Beanpole and I ducked out to grab a bottle of white wine so I could make risotto. Risotto is one of my favorite foods, despite the fact that I say that about everything I eat. One can create endless variations and it seems so decadent though it's very simple to make. Tonight I wanted shrimp and citrus so I made up a lovely scampi-like creation. It was so tasty and I had to pat myself on the back for finally creating a recipe on my own. My new favorite kitchen toy? The Microplane. I want to tear through the kitchen zesting everything now! Since The Beanpole is headed out EARLY Saturday morning I offered him the choice of spinach, kale, or asparagus as a side and he chose asparagus. I'm a bit glad he did because I want to make some more of those kale chips I made last week!


I used vegetable stock instead of chicken for the first time and found that it cooked a little bit faster for some reason, so it wasn't quite as sticky as I'd like but still so so tasty.


I'm hoping to get to bed nice and early tonight. I've got huevos to make in the morning and a DATE with The Beanpole tomorrow night!!!

Some Like It Hot

BRRRRR! It might actually be warmer outside the apartment tonight! All the radiators are wide open but no heat is pumping out. We heard a lot of clanging and knocking earlier today and I'm hoping that the workers remembered to turn the heat back on, but past history indicates that they likely forgot and it will be sometime later tomorrow before we start to warm up. I knew I wanted dinner to have three qualities tonight - hot in temperature and spice, have a strong bite to it, and preferably contain rice. The first two are self-explanatory and the second was because I suddenly realized that I'd really only eaten soft foods all day. The oatmeal, soup, more soup, and even the wrap all presented a pretty similar textures and I was ready for something new. I think I wanted rice because it goes oh so well with my favorite spicy ethnic food cravings - Indian, Mexican, and Chinese. The Beanpole and I talked about going out but I suddenly remembered my creole shrimp recipe and figured that would be the most satisfying. Not only that but we could save some money and use up a couple of ingredients around the house as well!


I adore this shrimp recipe for its ease and flavor. In the past I've served it as a sandwich on a toasted baguette with a little bit of goat cheese, but it stands up well with rice or on its own. You can make it as mild or as spicy as you like and I've long since stopped measuring so play around to taste!


Spicy Creole Shrimp (serves 2)
2 cups medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 small-medium red onion, sliced into strips
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
cooking spray
cumin
chili powder
hot sauce
pepper

Heat pan sprayed with cooking spray over medium high heat; add red pepper and onion. Saute until tender and onion starts to become translucent. In a bowl, mix all other ingredients; stir to coat. Add to pan and cook 3-4 minutes until shrimp start to turn pink. Add 1/4 cup water; cover and cook about 5 minutes. Uncover and let sauce cook off a bit.

I'd unearthed some pretty attractive spears of asparagus at Whole Foods yesterday and added them to tonight's comfort-food meal for some color and because well, I just love them.


All the spice finally warmed me up a bit and I feel calmer after having a meal with something to sink my teeth into. I still would like to try to reserve fish for dining out and prepare meals that are closer to a true vegetarian (whatever that is, haha) when at home. In order to do that I will need to be more attentive throughout the day and make sure that I incorporate more texture!!!


Not sure if these count as texture but as usual I needed just a tiny bit of sweet - especially after all the spice!