Beat the Heat Recipe Day 1 - Shrimp Salad on Mixed Greens

To survive the horrible heat wave hitting the nation this week, we're providing you with recipes to keep you cool and refreshed! Every day this week we'll share oven-free recipes and chilly treats to help you beat the heat.

Day 1's recipe comes from Spoonfuls of Germany: German Regional Cuisine by Nadia Hassani. "Shrimp Salad on Mixed Greens" is a great hassle-free summer recipe. You'll have a delicious and light dinner without turning on the stove. Steaming the shrimp only takes a few minutes, and you can always chill them afterward if so desired. Feel like skipping the steaming step? Most markets will steam the shrimp for you so you can grab the bag and go!

 

Image courtesy of Nadia Hassani

 Shrimp Salad on Mixed Greens

1 lb. very small to miniature unshelled raw shrimp, or 1/2 lb. cooked, shelled, and deveined shrimp
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons brandy
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
6 medium white mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and thinly sliced
4 to 6 red-skin radishes, cleaned, trimmed, and thinly sliced
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and sliced
4 cups (4 ounces) washed and dried mixed greens (mesclun mix), in bite-size pieces

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Directions
 
1. If using raw shrimp, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the shrimp into the water, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 to 2 minutes, or until pink. Drain, shell, devein the shrimp, and set aside.

2. Mix the mayonnaise with the ketchup and brandy. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the dill.


3. Combine the shrimp, mushrooms, radishes, and egg in a mixing bowl. Add the dressing and toss. Arrange the greens on a large serving platter and place the shrimp salad on top. Serve immediately with toasted bread or baguette slices.

Spoonfuls of Germany, now available in paperback, goes beyond the sauerkraut and knackwurst stereotype to unveil the often-overlooked diversity of German regional cuisine. Here you’ll find not only classic dishes such as spaetzle and sauerbraten, but also forgotten delicacies like Westphalian pumpernickel pudding and Windmill cake from Frisia. Fascinating sidebars profile foods and the history and people behind them with anecdotes and lore that will surprise and enchant readers. With 200 easy-to-follow recipes and 16 pages of beautiful color photos, the heart of German cooking comes to life.

 

 Nadia Hassani immigrated to the United States from her native Germany in 1998. She found herself missing the foods of her childhood, which inspired her to write this cookbook. Hassani works as a writer, editor, and translator, and in her free time is an avid gardener. She lives near Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Shrimp Masala

This recipe has been taken from the expanded edition of Healthy South Indian Cooking, authored by popular culinary instructor Alamelu Vairavan.


Shrimp pan-fried with ginger, garlic, and other seasonings, Shrimp Masala can accompany many flavored rice dishes and chappatis or pooris.


Serves 4

1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
2 or 3 slivers cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped tomato
4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons minced ginger root
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper and cumin powder mixture
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and washed
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

1. Place oil in iron skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, but not smoking, add cinnamon stick and cumin seeds. Stir-fry until spices are golden brown.

2. Add onion, tomato, garlic, and ginger root. Stir-fry for a few minutes.

3. Stir in turmeric powder and curry powder.

4. Add tomato sauce, cayenne powder, salt, and black pepper and cumin powder. Blend the seasonings well and simmer for a few minutes.

5. Add shrimp and mix with the seasonings. Cook until shrimp turns pink.

6. Add coriander and stir-fry, uncovered, for an additional few minutes. (Shrimp is delicious when allowed to absorb the flavor of the seasoned sauce while stir-frying over low-heat.)

Sexy Dishes? Cazuela de Mariscos al Coco (Crustacean Chowder)

This week Hippocrene Cooks shines light on the flavors of Colombia, with guest postings from Patricia McCausland-Gallo. Patricia, who formerly worked as a journalist in Colombia, is a veritable wealth of information on the country's cooking techniques, which you can scroll down and see in action for yourself!

The recipe I enjoy most in Secrets of Colombian Cooking is Cazuela de Mariscos al Coco or Crustacean Chowder. An original of the Colombian Pacific, it is usually prepared with clams from the ocean called piangua (or cockles), squid, shrimp and conch.

Conch is usually very hard to cook, and you will see fisherman hitting the shellfish meat with wooden hammers to break the tight muscles and soften up the meat. Squid, on the other hand, could be cooked for just 50 seconds and it would be enough, but here it cooks long enough for it to re-soften and leave a delicious flavor and texture in the final dish. The coconut milk in the recipes keeps the seafood at its peak even after 45 minutes of cooking time.

This is an ideal one-dish meal, along with a green salad, and can be a great Valentine’s day dinner, or a perfect meet-your-in-laws dish. You will have them on your side forever after they eat this marvelous soup! For those of you who would like to make it lower in calories, all you have to do is change 2 cups of coconut milk for 2 cups of 2% milk. It is a lighter version, yet delicious too.

You can also use the seafood that you have locally, or buy a mixture. In the picture of the recipe on the left, I added mussels just minutes before serving. Bring the Pacific flavor into your home and enjoy a wonderful meal. Serve it in coconut halves after a day at the beach in the summer, when the children need a hot soup to warm up their bodies.

Just try it once and you'll be hooked on it for life.

4 to 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup grated red bell pepper (grated on the large holes)
2 pounds raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
½ pound raw squid rings, cleaned
½ pound piangua or clams, cleaned
½ pound raw conch pieces or oysters
1½ fish bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1 teaspoon color or Sazón Goya with Saffron
1¼ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
4 cups coconut milk
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons flour
¼ cup white wine
1½ tablespoons minced cilantro
1 tablespoon minced parsley

NOTE: You can use a 2½ to 3-pound bag of mixed seafood in place of all the individual ones.

1) In a large, heavy pot or caldero over medium-low heat, place the oil, onion, red pepper, seafood, bouillon cubes, garlic, color or saffron, salt, and pepper. Cook for 12 minutes.

2) Mix the coconut milk, milk and flour together to a smooth consistency. Add them to the pot; simmer over low heat for 15 minutes more.

3) Next, add the wine and simmer for 15 minutes.

4) Sprinkle with cilantro and parsley and serve.



Need advice on substitute ingredients, or want to share your experiences with this recipe? Leave a comment for Patricia!

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Video and photos courtesy of Patricia McCausland-Gallo.