Shrimp Stir Fry

When we were in Flagstaff last week, I bought a refrigerator full of veggies, including some bok choy. I have never bought or eaten bok choy before, that I know of, but it always looks so good in the store. So, when I got home tonight, and wanted something quick and easy to cook for dinner, I thought about that bok choy in the fridge.



I also had a bag of raw shrimp in the freezer, so I decided to make a shrimp stir fry. To make this, I used :

1 whole red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 small zuchinni, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small bok choy, sliced thinly
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled
salt and pepper to taste
1 package bean thread noodles, cooked according to package directions

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet, add all the chopped veggies, and stir fry until they are done to your liking (I cooked mine about 7 minutes). Add some salt and pepper, a couple of shakes of some gluten free soy sauce, and 1 pound of shrimp, peeled. Stir and cook about 5 minutes more, until shrimp is done.

I served this over bean thread noodles, with more gluten free soy sauce. It turned out very good. FabGrandpa said for me to put bok choy on the shopping list more often.

MMMM, Mexican Seafood Soup

I wrote about this soup last year, but it is soooo good that it is worth repeating. When you eat it, it tastes like it takes hours to make and like it would be a complicated recipe to make. It really isn't. If you like a little bit of heat, and a little bit of spice, this is a really good soup. And everything in it is naturally gluten free. You'll say "¡Esta sopa está tan sabroso!


The ingredients are basically the same as for any good vegetable soup, with a few Mexican herbs thrown in. The secret ingredients? Shrimp, cumin, and shrimp bouillon. Don't be afraid of it because of the jalapenos, two won't make it hot, just a little warm.

Mexican Seafood Soup

3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
3-4 stalks of celery, coarsley chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (or 3 if you dare) jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
3 carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
3 medium potatos, washed and cut in chunks
1 zucchini, cut up
3 cubes Shrimp bouillon (Caldo con sabor de camaron) w/ 1 cup water
OR 16 oz seafood stock
6 cups water
2 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 shakes of tabasco sauce
1 bunch fresh cilantro if desired
1/2 lb tilapia or other firm white fish, cut in bite size pieces
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 lime

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven. Saute the celery, onion, garlic, and jalapenos until the onions are clear. Add tomatoes, cumin, basil, red pepper, tabasco, carrots, zucchini and potatoes. Put the bouillon cubes in 1 cup of water in a microwave safe container. Microwave for 4 minutes, until the water is boiling. Stir well to make sure the cubes are dissolved. Add to the dutch oven. If using the seafood stock instead, add it now. Add the rest of the water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down, cover the pot, and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the fish and shrimp, cover, and simmer another 10 minutes. Slice the avocado and squeeze lime juice over to prevent discoloration.



To serve, fill each bowl with soup, then put some slices of avocado on top, followed by a squeeze of lime juice. ¡Demasiado delicioso ser verdad! I always eat way too much.

Black Bean Nachos

Ack! When I got up and looked at the calendar this morning, I realized that we only have 19 days before we leave here for our job in Missouri. Less than 3 weeks!!! I have so much still to do before we go that I don’t know how I am going to get it all done.

Every spring before we leave I usually clean out all of the closets and storage bins. I go through all of our clothing and discard stuff we haven’t worn in the last year. I get rid of any extra things we have accumulated in the last 12 months that may be weighing us down.

As I go through everything, I make a pile of stuff to put on ebay, another pile for donations to the local library, a pile for donating to a thrift shop, and one for the trash bin. I need to get busy, but it is cold and raining today and I just don’t feel like doing it.

Before we leave town, we have a plan to go visit with friends who live 130 miles away in south Georgia. We have been talking about going out to that Chinese place in town with the FabGrandpa’s parents but have not done that yet. We need to get the truck serviced. I’m telling ya, there is just so much to do!

So what am I doing today? Just sitting here, doing nothing. Drinking a third cup of coffee. Putting off until tomorrow every little thing that I can. And thinking about what I can cook for dinner, because I try to use up as many of the groceries as I can before we travel down the road.

Last night I made us some yummy Black Bean and Shrimp Nachos. I stole the idea for this dish from a restaurant I used to go to when I worked in downtown Atlanta for the telephone company. I can’t remember the name of the place, and it is no longer there, but my friends and I used to go there once a week, and I always ordered these nachos every time.

Black Bean and Shrimp Nachos

Corn tortilla chips

1 can black beans, drained

1 jar salsa or 1 can diced tomatoes

4-5 green onions, sliced

1 can black olives, drained and sliced

1 cup shredded colby, cheddar, or jack cheese

½ lb cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

Optional: sour cream, sliced avocado, jalapeno peppers

Place a couple of handfuls of corn tortilla chips on each plate. Sprinkle a half can of black beans on top of the chips. Add some of the salsa or tomatoes, spreading it around on top of beans and chips. Add half of the onions to each plate, then black olives, as much as you like. Cut the shrimp into bite size pieces, and add half of it to each plate. Sprinkle a half-cup of shredded cheese on top of each plate. Place the plates, one at a time, into the microwave and cook for one minute to melt the cheese. Serve with sour cream, avocado slices, and jalapeno pepper slices. Makes two dinner size servings.

I wish I had thought to take a picture of this last night because ti is really a nice looking dish on the plate.

Mexican Seafood Soup

When Jim and I were working in south Texas, one of our favorite restaurants, Las Margaritas, served a delish soup made with a white fish and shrimp. I asked Margarita for the recipe several times, but she wouldn't share it. I want to believe that it was because she was one of those cooks who "just knows how" to cook something, and really didn't have a recipe for it.

After we left Texas, I experimented for months, trying to reproduce that soup. This is as close as I can get without driving for three days.

Mexican Seafood Soup

Olive Oil
3-4 stalks of celery, coarsley chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (or 3 if you dare) jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
3 carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
3 medium potatos, washed and cut in chunks
3 cubes Shrimp bouillon (Caldo con sabor de camaron) w/ 1 cup water
OR 16 oz seafood stock
6 cups water
2 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 shakes of tabasco sauce
1 bunch fresh cilantro if desired
1 lb tilapia or other firm white fish, cut in bite size pieces
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 avacado, peeled and sliced
1 lime

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven. Saute the celery, onion, garlic, and jalapenos until the onions are clear. Add tomatoes, cumin, basil, red pepper, tabasco, carrots, and potatoes. Put the bouillon cubes in 1 cup of water in a microwave safe container. Microwave for 4 minutes, until the water is boiling. Stir well to make sure the cubes are dissolved. Add to the dutch oven. If using the seafood stock instead, add it now. Add the rest of the water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down, cover the pot, and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the fish and shrimp, cover, and simmer another 10 minutes. Slice the avacado and squeeze lime juice over to prevent discoloration.

Ladle the soup into bowls, add a few slices of avacado, and a squeeze lime juice. Serve with corn or flour tortillas.

Or, just drive down to Pharr, Texas, walk into Las Margaritas, and order a bowl.