Curry Shrimp

Two things I love together in one dish, shrimp and curry! We put this curry dish together with some items we had in the pantry, and it came together pretty easy! For the curry spice, we used the Maharajah blend from Seasonality Spices.


The Recipe:

Curry Shrimp

• 1 Onion - Diced
• 1 Bell Pepper - Diced
• 1 14.5 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes
• 1 8 Ounce Can Coconut Milk
• 10 to 16 Shrimp - Peeled and Deveined
• 1 Tablespoon Maharajah Blend
• Salt and Pepper
• Rice (Optional)
• Naan Bread
• Olive Oil

Sauté the onions and green bell peppers in olive oil with salt and pepper, until the onions are translucent. Add the diced tomatoes and coconut milk and the Maharajah Blend. Stir to combine. Let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and stir to combine. Let cook for a few minutes, five minutes at most. When the shrimp turn pink, it's ready to eat! 

This can be served over rice if desired. It turned out a little bit soupy, so rice would help soak up some of the extra liquid. The naan bread is a great way to help scoop everything up!

Happy eating!

Cast Iron Fajitas

If you've been following along for any period of time, you've probably noticed that I love fajitas! Whenever I go to a Mexican restaurant, at least two things are almost guaranteed to happen. First, I'll probably look over the entire menu, only to go back and decide on fajitas. Usually beef, sometimes with shrimp, and sometimes a chicken and beef combo.

Cast Iron Fajitas

A few weeks ago, I got a sample of the Kingston 10 Jamaican Jerk Spice from Seasonality Spices. When I opened the package to get my first smell, I immediately realized that this spice mix would be perfect as a fajita seasoning! I got a skillet and made some Cast Iron Fajitas!

Kingston Spice Mix from Seasonality Spices

The Recipe:

Skirt Steak in the Cast Iron Skillet

• 10 oz Skirt Steak
• 1 Tablespoon of Kingston 10 Spice Blend
• 2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
• 3 Garlic Cloves - Minced
• 1 Onion - Sliced
• 1 Green Bell Pepper - Sliced
• Tortillas

Let the skirt steak marinate in the soy sauce, Kingston 10 spice mix, and garlic for about an hour.  Start heating a cast iron skillet over medium heat while you coat the skirt steak with the seasoning. 

It is important to remember to use a lower heat when you use a cast iron skillet. A good seasoning on your cast iron can take a long time to achieve. If the heat is too high, it can cook the seasoning right out of the cast iron. This took me a long time to learn.

Marinated Skirt Steak

When the cast iron is hot, it's time to put the skirt steak on. Cooking time is going to depend on personal preference and how done you want the meat. I like a nice crust on the outside, while it still pink in the middle, about a medium-rare.

When the steak is done, remove and set aside to rest. The cast iron is going to have retained a lot of heat from cooking the steak and will be perfect for the peppers and onions! As an added bonus, the peppers and onions will absorb some of the flavors left behind from the steak!

While the peppers and onions are cooking, slice the steak. I like to cut it in half and then turn it 90 degrees to cut across the grain. This makes the steak more tender and easier to eat.

Peppers and Onions in Cast Iron

With the peppers and onions removed, the last thing to do, is to put a couple of tortillas in the cast iron for a minute or so on each side to heat them up and get them a little crispy.

With all of your ingredients ready, it's time to assemble your fajitas with your favorite condiments. I like cheese, salsa, beans, and guacamole!

Quick and Easy Way to Dice an Onion - 4 Easy Steps

I can't point fingers because I used to be in the same boat, but I see people all the time who struggle to dice an onion. I watch them want to peel the onion, cut in half, cut it in to strips, and then try to dice each strip. That's too many steps, takes way too long, and is really just too complicated.

Top Left: Whole Onion;  Top Right: Onion with Ends Cut Off;
Bottom Left: Half of Onion Cut in to 1/4 Inch Strips; Bottom Right: Whole Onion Diced

I like to start by cutting off the ends of the onion. Then I cut it in half, perpendicular to the cuts I made on each end. At this point it should peel pretty easily. The onion skin should come off fairly easily. Now place it fat side down. This is the side that was once the middle of the of the onion. The  two ends of the onion should be on either side. Now cut the onion into strips about 1/4 wide, without cutting all the way to the other side. This will help hold the onion together for the next step. Now rotate the onion 90 degrees. Cut through all the strips you just cut. The knife will be cutting perpendicular to the strips you cut in the previous step. You will still have a strip of onion left at the end, but it should be small enough to quickly dice with just a few cuts.

Hopefully this method will save you some time and some tears in the kitchen.

Happy eating.