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Monday, May 5, 2014

Chez Katie: Spicy Peach Shrimp over Cabbage Steaks

New recipe alert!  

We love to have people over for dinner even during the week but it can be difficult to get home from work and have things prepared without feeling like it's more of a hassle than it's worth. Today, I've got a super easy recipe to share with you that's tasty and beautiful when plated - great for a dinner party when you want to serve something that looks impressive and tastes great but without major headaches.  

Warmer weather is upon us here in Alabama and I'm craving light and healthy meals - particularly any seafood I can get my hands on.  G & I recently took a quick road trip to Peach Park in Clanton, AL and I picked up some delicious Spicy Peach Grilling Sauce which served as the marinade for this dish.

Ingredients:

  • 2 heads of cabbage
  • 1 head of red cabbage
  • Shrimp 1.5 lbs serves 4 people 
  • Sauce/Marinade - I used the Spicy Peach Grilling Sauce but you could easily puree peaches or mix peach preserved with some vinegar, sriracha, garlic and seasonings of choice
  • Garlic, Salt, Pepper, & Olive Oil
  • Goat Cheese
  • Bacon
First, place peeled and deveined shrimp in bowl with marinade/sauce.  Shrimp isn't really something you would marinate overnight, so I do this just about 45 minutes before I'm planning to serve just to give it a little kick.  If your marinate too long, your shrimp will be mushy and gross.  You'll use the sauce later as well.  Salt & pepper to taste.

Second, slice your cabbage into round discs (horizontally).  Place on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and garlic to taste.  Since the main element of this meal - shrimp - isn't super flavorful on it's own, I suggest going heaving on the seasoning.  Roast the cabbage in the oven on 400 for about 15 minutes.  That's about how long it will take you to do the rest of steps.

Next, chop your red cabbage.  Easy enough, right?

Now, cook the shrimp with sauce in pan on medium-high heat until pink. Throw in the chopped red cabbage toward the end.  Add a little extra sauce and if it's looking thin, sift a little cornstarch or flour to thicken it up.

While this is going on, pop a few strips of bacon (just enough to add some crumbles on top) in the microwave (I'm not a fan of microwaved bacon typically, but for the purposes of crumbling, it's just too easy).  

By the time you've done all this, your cabbage steaks should be ready.  I like to get mine a little blackened on the edges and top.  It pulls out more flavor.  

Now you just have to assemble - basically, like a pizza.  The cabbage steaks are your crust, everything else serves as the topping.  Spoon the shrimp/sauce/red cabbage mixture on top. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese & bacon and you're done!

Easy, yummy, pretty and the best part - HEALTHY!  
Between the low calorie shrimp and cabbage, the only major calories items in this dish are the bacon and goat cheese which are used in small quantities.

Because you can pre-slice and chop your cabbage, the time this requires you to be in the kitchen away from your guests is minimal.

Hope you enjoy! If you cook this, comment & let me know what you think.  I've never posted recipes here before but if I get good feedback, I'll post them more often!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

It's Been a While!

I guess you could say I've been a neglectful blogger seeing as how it's been almost a year since my last post.  For me, interior design (decorating for us amateurs) is a creative process.  And creativity can certainly ebb and flow.  In the last year, I've been practicing the work hard, play hard mentality - pouring tons of energy into my career and enjoying every last drop of my free time.  Since we last spoke I've been out of the country multiple times and seen a bajillion live shows.  And in the midst of all of this, blogging and decorating have fallen to the wayside.

To be honest, I just love so many styles, colors, shapes.... I was overwhelmed with the options in our new home and just couldn't make up my mind.  I love our home and it's, of course, ever evolving.... and now we are about to embark on a potential new, HUGE project.  We're close to making a decision on whether or not we want to add on to the house... which would include a total kitchen makeover, adding a family room/den, adding a full master suite and renovating multiple bathrooms.

The thought of it both thrills and exhausts me!  But it most certainly deepens my desire to get inspired, brainstorm and share the process with you.  In the near future, I'll be stepping through our home room by room - sharing it's current state and my inspiration for what it will be.  Addition or no addition, there will be major changes coming to the Gulas House over the next few months.  I hope you'll join me (even if I did abandon you for like a really, really long time) and share your thoughts and inspiration with me.

In the meantime, here are few things I've inspired by/crushing on lately.....