Mango Salad with Lobster and Lime Vinaigrette

(recipe clipped from a newspaper, unknown)

For the lime vinaigrette:
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 scallions, minced
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
About 1/3 cup canola oil (I used olive oil)

For the salad:
1 (12-oz.) cooked lobster tail or 12 oz. cooked shrimp or crabmeat (I used shrimp)
1 ripe mango
8 oz. mixed baby greens
1/2 yellow or red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced

Prepare the vinaigrette:  In a small bowl, whisk together the cilantro, scallions, lime juice and zest, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper until smooth.  Whisk in 1/3 cup oil until smooth.  Taste, whisking in more oil if dressing is too tart.

Make the salad:  After lobster/shrimp/crabmeat is prepared according to package directions, let cool.  Remove from the shells and cut into pieces.

Holding the mango upright, carefully cut the two rounded sides away from the large seed.  Score the fruit into cubes without cutting through the peel.  Push the peel side to turn it inside out.  Cut the mango cubes away from the peel.

Divide the greens among dinner plates.  Top each salad with the mango cubes, bell pepper, and lobster pieces.  Drizzle with the lime vinaigrette.

(A bright, interesting salad.  Can mix peppers, shrimp, mango and keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about a day.)

Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes)

(recipe from Food52.com)

Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sriracha, more or less to taste

Pancakes:
5 large eggs
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cabbage, shredded with a mandoline or finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
3/4 cup (roughly) baby or chopped shrimp
oil for frying
1-2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Whisk the first set of ingredients together and voila, your sauce.  Set aside while you make the pancakes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt.  Gradually add the flour until incorporated.  Fold in the cabbage, scallions, and shrimp.

Warm a couple glugs of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until glistening.  Ladle the batter into the skillet as you would for regular old pancakes.  I usually make them about the size of a saucer.  Cook on each side for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown.  Keep pancakes covered in a warm oven as you make the rest.  Scatter sesame seeds on top of pancakes and serve with dipping sauce.

(So yummy!  Kind of a pain to make.  The batter is runny, but I made my pancakes a bit smaller and babysat them a little, wielding a spatula to corral the runny batter in the pan.  They set pretty quickly, and I got into a rhythm.  Also, I mixed the sesame seeds right into the batter.  I ate a few warm, and the rest cold from the fridge, dipped in the spicy sauce.  Yum!)

Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup with Shrimp

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

2 tsp. oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp. red curry paste, more to taste
2 tsp. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, about 4 cups
2 cups vegetable broth
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted (optional)
lime wedges

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion, garlic, and ginger.  Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in curry paste, sugar, and salt and cook one minute longer.  Stir in squash, broth and coconut milk, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Stir in shrimp and simmer just until cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Stir in cilantro, sprinkle with coconut, and serve with lime wedges on the side.

(So delicious!  I added a berbere spice mix instead of the curry paste.  Also, used much more cilantro, added the juice of 1/2 a lime directly to the soup, and omitted the shredded coconut.  If I had it to do again, I'd probably chop the squash, onion, and shrimp into smaller, consistent pieces, like a chowder.  I also added chopped spinach to some reheated bowls, and it was lovely.)