Chilled Avocado and Shrimp Soup for a HOT Day

Cooking Light

 I am a soup lover and could it just about everyday of the year and never get tired of it. However, this summer it has just been slightly to warm to have a pot simmering on the stove all day. Cooking Light recently published a recipe for a chilled Avocado and Chipolte Seared Shrimp that looked and sounded amazing (see photo above.)

Of course I made just a few changes to the recipe with amazing results and no left overs!

Ingredients

(Serves 6-8)

Soup:

 2 1/2  cups of Chicken Broth 

 1/2  cup of dry White Wine

 2 peeled and diced Avocado

 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro 

 2 cloves of roasted garlic

 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

Lime Cream:
 3/4 cup of Cabot Low Fat Sour Cream
 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
 Zest of 1 lime
 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper

Shrimp:
 3/4 lbs of Munroe Dairy Shrimp, peeled and chopped
 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
 1 fresh Jalapeno, chopped*
 1 cup of roasted corn kernels
 1/3 cup of chopped red onion
 Juice of 1 lime
 1 clove of garlic chopped
 1/2 tablespoon of Olive Oil

Preparation


Soup
  For the roasted garlic: place to cloves of garlic in tinfoil with a drizzle of olive oil and place on a warm grill (300- 400*F) or oven for 12-15 minutes or until soft. Can be made ahead and refrigerated by 1 day.
 Combine all the ingredients for the soup in a food processor and blend until smooth. Scrap down sides if necessary to make sure all ingredients are combined. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Lime Cream:
 Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir well. Cover and Chill

Shrimp:
  In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and let chill for at least 30 minutes to marinate.
  Warm a large non-stick skillet, over medium warm heat, add a dash of olive oil to the bottom of the pan or lightly coat with spray. Just before the oil begins to smoke swirl it around the bottom of the pan coating the surface. Next toss in all of the ingredients and evenly spread out over the bottom of the pan (careful not to crowd ingredients in the pan.) Cook for just a minute before tossing. When the shrimp is pink remove from heat (about 3 minutes.)

 Ladle the chilled soup into bowls about 1/2 to 3/4's full. Spoon the shrimp mixture (warm or cold) in the center of the bowl. Finally top the shrimp with a generous drizzle of the lime cream.

Enjoy!!!!!

Recipe Credit: Tony Rosenfield, Cooking Light June 2011

B.Y.O.B. ~ Build Your Own Burger

  Burgers are a staple of the all American cookout going dating back to the time just before World War II when the charcoal grill gained it place in the backyard of many homes. This simple and often considered easy meal option has spurred many debate between friend and foe. Even in my own house there are varying opinions on the correct mix of the burger itself not to mention the cooking techniques or dare I venture the realm toppings!

 It was this past Friday that I watched and recorded the differences in how each of my friends build their own burger. It reminded me of a snowflake in a way, with no two being exactly the same. One person had turkey on wheat with no cheese while another went for beef, bacon and cheddar on a white bun then smothered in BBQ sauce (not ketchup and pickles on the side!) Each person checked off there preferences like it was a description of there personality and proudly handed in there order. This whole experience made me ponder what makes a burger a burger... 

 According to Merriam-Webster and burger is defined as: : a sandwich similar to a hamburger burgers> —often used in combination and a hamburger is a sandwich made with a patty of ground beef. Being a person that does not like being constrained by regulations I am all for the Burgers not Hamburger. Thus this leads me to B.Y.O.B. or Build Your Own Burger!!

 B.Y.O.B. opens the door for individualism and creativity and is a great theme for your next cookout! Create a Burger Bar where all the guest are given the option of meats and toppings and are free to create the burger that best suits them. You can even turn it into a game and have people guess or theorize what each persons burger says about them.