Cajun Shrimp with Okra Rice and Jenna’s Mom’s Cabbage
Eatin’ Cajun tonight! We threw this dinner together from panty (errrrr….pantry!!) staples + a red cabbage and I have to say it was quite good!
Frozen shrimp, sauteed in a little olive oil and generously sprinkled with Cajuon seasoning (found at your local supermarket!)
Brown rice, also seasoned, and tossed with thawed and heated frozen okra (I LOVE frozen okra – so easy and always a great texture)
And lastly, Jenna’s Mom’s Cabbage!! It was excellent!! We used real butter, brown sugar and red wine vinegar (although I have to admit we used a lot less butter than the recipe called for 😳 ) I loved the sweet/sour contrast! And we have one extra serving to have with lunch one day. Jenna, please tell your mom we loved it!
Funny thing about the cabbage though: I kept getting these whiffs of gym socks while cooking. Every time I smelled the cabbage it smelled great like butter and sugar, but the husband says cabbage has a tendency to give off a stinky smell so that must have been what it was! Weird! I couldn’t reproduce the smell – it was only whiffs. At least it didn’t taste like gym socks!
All together –
This dinner was about 440 kcal, 8 grams of fiber and 32 grams protein.
I didn’t need a snack this afternoon – go EarthFare salad!! I got a little hungry at 5:30 so I started prepping for dinner and doing some chores and then it was 6:30 and time to eat!
I might have a little dessert later. I’m craving ice cream, but
1) I’m freezing cold
2) We don’t have any
I would want to go out for a cone, but it has to be 85*+ for me to enjoy that without freezing so I guess I’m stuck here with hot tea to warm me up.
My thumb is feeling much better, so hopefully I’ll get to questions in the AM.
Off to hang out with the hub!
(No idea what’s up with the formatting!)
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Edited to Add Dessert!!
Mug of hot chocolate (skim milk + Nesquik) and 2 honey graham sticks. Sorry for the horrible photo – I couldn’t wait to eat them!
Brynn says
Kath, do you use the pre-cooked frozen shrimp or is it frozen raw? I’ve seen both and I don’t know which one to buy. It seems like the pre-cooked stuff would be easy to overcook when you’re reheating it, but maybe not. Also, do you find the frozen okra to be less slimy than the fresh stuff? Thanks! Your dinner presentation is so pretty, by the way. 🙂
BethT says
I love your top dinner photo! Very nice! And I think cabbage smells like something even less desirable than gym socks when it’s cooking…but it DOES taste good!
Jane says
Uh-oh, typo! I think you meant to write “pantry”
Becky says
Hey when do we get the big official update of the husband’s new job?
Hope its going well 🙂
Kelly T says
panty staples- sounds uncomfortable but looks delish.
The same thing happens with me and sour kraut. except it smells like something i would lock my dog in the laundry room for a few hours for. but when i smell it upclose its fine. strange.
Kath says
WHOOPS! I edited the typo 🙂
Brynn,
Raw with the peel on = the cheapest = what we buy. We find it for $2.99 per pound sometimes (which is a STEAL) and stock up. It’s Harris Teeter brand EZ Peel. We just thaw it out, peel and sear. I’ve never liked the pre-cooked kind. The only way you can really “cook’ it is to just heat it up?! There’s no flavor involved!
Kath
Aimee H. says
Kath- just wanted to tell you that I’m totally hooked on your pumpkin yogurt idea. I keep bringing it to work in my lunch and my coworkers are always impressed when they ask what it is. And I’ve also finally switched to plain low fat yogurt too (I used to always get the flavored kind). But I’ve developed a taste for it. =) Thanks for your great ideas!!
Amy says
I LOVE shrimp! That looks sooooo yummy!
kay says
Maybe the husband was passing gas and blaming it on the cabbage…. something my hubby would do!! 🙂
I love cabbage, it just tastes sweet to me!
Becky says
haha how do you only eat TWO graham sticks??
Susa says
What’s a good seasoning for the okra? I do live in the South now but everything here is breaded 🙂
BethT says
Dang, hate I missed panty staples the first time around, haha – would have been good for a laugh :0
Becca A says
Question about the shrimp….is the shrimp you get salty at all? The reason I ask is the last time my parents and I used frozen pre-cooked shrimp it was so salty I couldn’t eat it! Just wondering if they use a ton of salt only for the pre-cooked….
Romina says
I love your plate! It’s gorgeous.
I really want to try Jenna’s Mom’s Cabbage. It sounds so delicious. Who doesn’t love red cabbage??
michelle says
kath,
what type of brown rice do you use? also, does brown rice taste the same as white rice. i am asian and my family eats white rice everyday. i want to go for a healthier approach but i know my family wont eat it if tastes different.
Susan says
Those grahams looks so good!
What type of cocoa is that – the reduced sugar or regular? Also, how much do you use per cup of milk? Night!
jenna says
aaw I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!!! My mom uses less butter than the recipe calls for too…I think she just copied it down from a cookbook she has though. Its addicting! I even started eating it cold out of the fridge! I get strange cravings for it every once in a while…
Serena says
Kath, yes, there are small serving baking recipes (in response to your comment at lunch)! There is a GREAT book called “Small Batch Baking” by Debby Nakos. It has recipes for cookies, cakes (using ramekins and even cleaned out tuna cans), and other baked goods. I love it for making 2 or 4 cookies. Only a handful of the recipes are deliberately lighter, but you can definitely modify the recipes if you wanted. My favorite is the oatmeal raisin cookie recipe:
3 tbs oatmeal
3 tbs sugar (you can use less, and you can use brown or white – I like brown)
3 tbs flour
1.5 tbs butter (i use half, and have even replaced it entirely with PB, which is excellent)
3 tbs raisins
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 tbs plus 1 tsp egg substitute or beaten egg
nuts are optional
mix everything together and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. it makes 4 cookies.
i definitely recommend this book!
Kiala says
Oh, small batch baking!!
That sounds magical and wondrous. I’m getting it tomorrow, thanks!
Ruby Red Vegan says
Hey, it’s okra! Thanks for posting your dinner – it was a visual reminder that I am entirely too neglectful of the cute little veggie called okra. This is entirely too silly of me, because I know okra(s) have a little dose of calcium too!
Hot chocolate is one of my favorite quick desserts! Of course I like mine with soymilk, and making it with hempmilk is also delish!
Kath says
BeccaA,
Our shrimp does have a bit of added sodium but I think it was less than 200 mg. I just remember thinking it wasn’t too much. I’d suggest trying another brand – and checking the label first!
AimeeH,
Pumpkin yogurt! Yay!!! So glad you like it – and have switched to plain 🙂
Michelle,
I really like Lundburg Short Grain Brown Rice. It’s small and sticky and healthy! I get it at Harris Teeter so I think it’s widely available and I think it’s much more similar to white rice than some of the longer grain ones and basmati.
http://www.lundberg.com/products/rice/rice_og_br_short.aspx
Susa,
We have actually made oven-fried okra ourselves and it was fabulous!
https://www.katheats.com/?p=41
But last night we just used some cajon seasoning. I don’t think it really needs a lot of seasoning because I really like the flavor and texture of okra.
Susan,
I mentioned in the post its Nesquik and I usually use 1 tbsp (half the serving size)
Serena,
THANK YOU for sharing this book!!!!! I will definitely be getting it the next time I have some $$ to order books. It’s just what I need! 4 cookies at once – perfect!
Kath
Adrienne says
Kath,
I just wanted to let you know I think your photos are beautiful. You could have a wonderful future in food styling/photography for magazines! Thanks too for keeping your diet so well rounded with such great ideas!
Betsy says
omg–I need to buy that book. I love (truely love) baking but only do it for special occasions so I don’t have a million cookies, etc. lying around my apartment. thanks for sharing!
Ange says
Hey everyone,
If you don’t want to buy the book go to www.allrecipes.com, where you can manually enter the serving size you want it it calculates it for you!
For example, for this cookie recipe I entered in 4 cookies and it produces this: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Big-Soft-Ginger-Cookies/Detail.aspx
Ange says
oh sorry, it doesn’t LINK to the 4 cookie serving I entered…so just put it in and you will see!
This website is AMAZING!
Lindsay says
Kath ~ Do you use regular Nesquick or the sugar free? Just curious the taste, etc… 🙂 Happy Saturday!
Jana says
Kath,
I love the way your meals always look! They’re so delicaltely placed on really nice plates and the servings just look delicious and beautiful at the same time; I totally admire that.
I just whipped up a soup of pureed mixed veggies and it just looks like a “big bowl of something” *laugh* You’re really inspiring me to change that right now! 🙂
Kath says
Adrienne ,
Thanks so much for your compliments on the photos 🙂
Lindsay ,
Yes, it’s the SF Nesquik. I like it a lot!
Thanks Jana! Go make that soup!
Kath
Kristin says
Ok Kath, I need your advice. This meal looks SO fantastic, I’m copying it myself- so I was wondering; how do you cook your frozen okra, and when do you add it to the rice?
Thanks, I’ll let you know how my version of your KERF meal turns out =)
Kath says
Kristin,
I thawed it in the microwave (high for 1-2 minutes) and then cooked it in a hot skillet until the edges begin to brown. It’s already cooked, so you just want to make it hot somehow before you add it to the rice.
Enjoy!
Kath