Cajun Blackened Shrimp and Avocado Mango Quinoa

Ingredients:

Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 large mango, pitted and diced
• 1 large avocado, pitted and diced
• 2 green onions, diced
• Cilantro or Parsley, a large handful chopped (about ½ cups)
• Freshly squeezed lime juice to taste (no more than 2 tablespoons)
• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• Sea salt or Cajun blackening seasoning
• Cracked black pepper

Blackened Shrimp

• 1/2 lb, 16/20 shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Cajun blackening seasoning (or you can buy prepared blackening seasoning)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• ½ Stick of butter

Preparation:

For the shrimp, melt the butter and add olive oil to a mixing bowl, allow it to cool down to room.  Pour your Cajun blackening seasoning onto a large plate. Take the shrimp and toss it all into the butter/olive oil mixture.  Then take each shrimp add coat them well with your blackening seasoning.  Arrange the coated shrimp on a parchment covered baking sheet.

Place the coated shrimp into the freezer for 30 minutes or into the fridge for a few hours. This allows the seasoning to set and the butter to harden.  This keeps your shrimp moist while blackening over high heat.

In the meantime, rinse your quinoa under cold water.  Next, add your quinoa, water, chicken stock and pinch of salt to a medium sized pot.  Bring to a boil and then cover with a lid and turn the heat down to a simmer. Continue to simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Bring your cast iron skillet to high heat without any oil. You want to see the pan smoking, cuz it’s so damn hot!  Cook the shrimp on each side for no more than a couple minutes, or until they turn pink.  Shrimp cook very quickly (and continue to cook off heat), so be sure not to overcook.

Mix the quinoa with the remaining ingredients, season with salt or Cajun blackening seasoning and pepper and serve with the shrimp and fresh cilantro or parsley for the garnish

Cast Iron Skillet Bacon Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry pasta (recommended: elbow macaroni, shells, penne, etc.)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
• 1 cup, plus ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 ½ cups Panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 6 slices bacon, cooked, reserve ¼ cup rendered bacon fat

  Béchamel Sauce:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 cups hot whole milk
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt, to taste.
•  Pepper, freshly ground

Preparation:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until nearing al dente, but not fully cooked (2 minutes short); drain. Preheat the oven to 400° F. 

In the meantime start with the Béchamel Sauce Melt the butter in a 12 inch heavy-bottomed saucepan or oven safe skillet (like cast iron). Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, avoid browning, about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring the sauce to a boil. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

Finish Building:

Over low heat, stir the dry mustard and cayenne pepper into the béchamel sauce. Gradually add the Cheddar, Gruyere, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until all of the cheese has melted into the béchamel sauce. Add an additional cup of milk and cream. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.

In another skillet cook the bacon until crispy and golden brown. Remove the cooked bacon from the skillet, reserve 3 tablespoons rendered bacon fat.

Add the cooked pasta to the béchamel and stir to coat evenly with the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, chopped parsley, and reserved bacon fat. Coat the bread crumbs and chopped parsley with bacon fat and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the macaroni. Sprinkle the top with ½ cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with crumbled cooked bacon.

Let sit 5 minutes before serving.