I haven’t been cooking much for myself lately. It’s been all work recipes all the time and then scraping something together from the leftovers. I’ve been laying low, depressed and dismayed at where we are as a country with a low simmering, building anger. If one more white CIS males tells me it will be ok, I will punch him. It’s not OK. It just isn’t. I keep thinking back to 2018 when someone dismissed my concern over his presidential choice and lectured me that everything will be fine, there are checks and balances, blah blah blah. I expressed my doubts then, was summarily shot down and lo and behold, I was proven right. My concerns were real and justified. It was a classic deflection to avoid a difficult discussion, a be-quiet-little-lady response meant to make me feel small and ill informed. Except I am neither small nor ill informed. Because here we are. In the last weeks, I’ve lost autonomy of my own body, our country is veering into extreme religious rule, our courts are now politicized and there was a mass shooting 30 minutes from my house. Another one. We can’t go to school, we can’t go to church, go to a concert, watch a parade or grocery shop or go to a movie without a lingering fear we might die. We’ve become numb to it all and I don’t like it one bit.
In the meantime, I write postcards for pro-choice and sensible gun control candidates, I volunteer escort at a women’s clinic when I can and I try to get through the days. And I guess I have to eat. Yes, I am steering this difficult topic to food because as much time as I spend thinking, talking and writing about food, it hasn’t been providing the usual levels of comfort. That’s concerning. I don’t feel like cooking and I don’t feel like eating.
My savior? Much to my great great surprise … bagged salads. And that’s what I choose to talk about today. Bagged salads. Weird topic, definitely, but I it’s about all I can handle right now. In general, I don’t care for lettuce (what’s the point?) and I really don’t care for pre-bagged salads. They always look sad and droopy and the flavor combinations are surprisingly boring. However … I have noticed that Trader Joe’s bucks this trend and carries some really interesting and delicious mixes – not just in the greens but the dressings and crunchy add ins too. There’s texture AND flavor. Bravo TJ’s. It’s about all I can handle these days – bagged salads and frozen appetizers.
These combinations gave me a rare moment of inspiration as I mustered up the energy to make something refreshing and crunchy, with a minimal amount of cooking. Just a lot of chopping. Something about wielding that big knife felt really good. It’s sort of Vietnamese and maybe a little Thai, with a coconut milk based dressing spiked with lime juice, ginger and my favorite, makrut lime. That last one may be tough to find – try a Thai leaning market. I bought a little plant this winter and have been happy to have a supply of fresh leaves nearby but I have a stash in the freezer too just in case. I’ve been eating a lot of shrimp because they defrost and cook quickly and I don’t have the brain space to plan too far out. The vegetables are bright and crunchy and hold up pretty well and sure, it veers into slaw territory, but I really enjoy that crunch. And right now, the goal is just to breathe and get something on the plate. This works.
STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR. BREATHE AND FIGHT LIKE HELL. Maybe chop up a bunch of vegetables – wielding a big knife is therapeutic and makes you feel like a boss. Or just buy an interesting bag of salad but don’t be complacent about what is happening in our world. Don’t. At one point, America was the great experiment. No longer. Get involved. Write for Postcards to Voters. Pay attention. READ. Get your news from trusted news services and read it, don’t watch it. TV News is entertainment – don’t forget that. Read in depth coverage from publications that adhere to ethical standards of reporting and the classic elements of journalism in America. If they’ve won a few Pulitzers, you’re on the right track. And for crissakes VOTE. 25% of the population is holding us hostage by counting on our laziness and disinterest. Don’t stand for it.
thirteen years ago: Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
twelve years ago: Big American Flag Cake, Sour Cherry Cobbler
eleven years ago: Strawberry Shortcake, Sweet & Spicy Beer Mustard, Life in Southwest France
ten years ago: Spanish Sunday Lunch – Patatas Aioli, Strawberry Hibiscus Popsicles, Farro Tabbouleh
nine years ago: Passionfruit Chiffon Cake, BBQ Baked Beans, Hush Puppies, Tin Roof Sundae, Watermelon Aqua Fresca, Rhubarb Beer Jam
eight years ago: Guinness Crème Anglaise
seven years ago: Onion Rye Berry Bread, Radish Butter, Slow Roasted Spiced Pineapple
six years ago: Sedano e Pomodori (Braised Celery and Tomato), Pina Colada Sherbet, Orange Julius with Strawberry and Pineapple variations), Chicken Shawarma Pocket Sandwich, Roasted Cherry Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
five years ago: Michelada Style Clams, Grand Aioli, Salmon Rilettes
four years ago: Greek Salad Piadini Sandwiches
three years ago: Strawberry Mascarpone Galette
two years ago: Raspberry Rhubarb Streusel Tart, Ginger Mint Lemonade Base
last year: Mexican Seafood Cocktail, Sorrel (Hibiscus Drink)
GRILLED SHRIMP SALAD WITH COCONUT DRESSING
Serves 4
When grilling shrimp, I always skewer them. Makes it easy to flip quickly and avoid overcooking. Chasing loose shrimp around the grill is no fun. If you don’t have makrut lime leaf, skip it. Nothing else quite duplicates that flavor and the dressing is still pretty good without it.
for the dressing:
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 large makrut lime leaf, finely diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Vietnamese fish sauce
1-2 small fresh red chilies, finely diced or ¼ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
for the salad:
1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled & deveined (21-25 count)
½ head napa cabbage, thinly sliced crosswise, about 4 cups
½ medium English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
½ medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced, about ½ cup
1 medium carrot, shredded or sliced into thin batons, about 1 cup
¼ small red onion, thinly sliced, about ½ cup
¼ cup roasted salted cashews or peanuts, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons torn Thai basil leaves
2 Tablespoons torn mint leaves
- The night before: In a medium jar, add the dressing ingredients and shake to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Shake before using.
- Pour about ½ cup of the dressing into heavy Ziploc bag. Add the shrimp; turn to coat and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Thread the marinated shrimp onto metal or wooden skewers and preheat a grill to medium high.
- Grill the shrimp until opaque and just cooked through, a few minutes on each side. Alternatively, use a stovetop grill pan or sauté over medium high. If sautéing, add a bit of oil to the hot pan first.
- In a large bowl, combine all the vegetables, nuts and most of the basil and mint. Toss with the about ½ cup dressing, just enough to lightly coat, reserving a tablespoon or two to drizzle on top.
- Add the grilled shrimp on top, drizzle with the reserved dressing and garnish with some additional basil and mint.
STRESSCAKE 