Spicy Andouille and Shrimp with Okra

Southern American cuisine brings savor, spice, earthiness, and always hominess to the table. Typical southern ingredients inspire this recipe—okra, chard, leek, bell pepper—as well as those Bayou favorites, andouille and shrimp.

Prep all the ingredients and group them together for the skillet (think stir-fry, only slower), and this dinner is easy, fresh, flavorful, and ready in about 20 minutes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb okra, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• fresh lemon juice, for drizzling
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 andouille sausage, about 1/2 lb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces  
• 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined    
• 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 1 habanero chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 small leek, white and light green part only, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped   
• 2 cups thin strips of chard
• 2 cups cooked white rice

Vegetables for the Dish

Andouille and Shrimp

Preparation

1. Place the sliced okra in a bowl and drizzle with lemon juice.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the andouille and cook 5 minutes without turning.

Andouille Cooking

1. Add the shrimp and cook 3 minutes, turning it halfway through. Transfer the andouille and shrimp to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Do not wipe out the skillet.

Cooked Andouille and Shrimp

1. Add the serrano and habanero chiles, leek, and bell pepper to the skillet and season with salt and pepper.  Cook 3 minutes, stirring often.

Cooked Leek, Peppers, and Chiles

1. Add the okra and garlic and cook 7-8 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender.

Okra and Garlic Added

1. Drizzle the skillet with more oil, if needed, and return the andouille and shrimp. Add the chard and cook 2 minutes until the chard is slightly wilted.

Cooked Vegetables, Andouille, and Shrimp

To serve, divide the rice among 4 shallow bowls. Divide and spoon the andouille mixture on top. Serve right away.

Beef-and-Cheese-Stuffed Peppers with Chipotle Salsa

Recipe updated October 2015

Spice-flavored ground beef and creamy, mild cheese make a warm, homey—and very simple—stuffing for bell peppers. So the big flavor boost in this dish comes from the fresh salsa, turned up a notch with smoky chipotle chiles. Yes, you can find a million jarred salsas on store shelves, but nothing beats homemade.

It’s fresh, easy, light, fresh, even nutritious and fresh—and did I mention fresh?

You may also like Lamb and Couscous Stuffed Bell Peppers.

Ingredients

For the Salsa

• 3 scallions, chopped
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
• 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup chopped grape tomatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• sea salt

Salsa Ingredients

For the Peppers

• olive oil for oiling dish, plus 1 tbsp
• 2 large bell peppers, any color(s), halved through the stem ends, seeds removed (keep the halved stems in tact, if desired)
• 3/4 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• sea salt
• 1 cup shredded queso quesadilla cheese (or white cheddar), divided

Prepared Peppers

Preparation

For the Salsa

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until chunky smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Ready to Process

Processed Salsa

For the Peppers

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly oil an 8 X 8 baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pepper halves. Boil 5 minutes to soften. Transfer to a plate cut-side down and let cool.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the beef, onion, chile powder, and cumin and season with salt.
4. Cook, breaking up the beef into small pieces, until just cooked through, 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool 10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese.

Peppers Beginning to Boil

Cooling Peppers 

Beef Mixture Beginning to Cook 

Cooked Beef Mixture

Cheese in Beef Mixture

1. Place the softened peppers cut-side up in the prepared baking dish. Divide the beef mixture into the cavities and divide the remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top.
2. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and just beginning to brown on top, about 12 minutes.

Beef-Stuffed Peppers

Ready to Bake

Baked Peppers

To serve, place 1 stuffed chile on each of 4 plates and spoon salsa on top. Alternatively, serve the salsa on the side to pass at the table. Serve with a simple spinach salad, if desired.

Beef and Cheese Stuffed Peppers with Chipotle Salsa

Three-Cheese Ravioli with Basil-Cream Sauce

Cheesy, creamy, herbal, delicious—not exactly low-cal. The good news is that each piece of ravioli contains less than a tablespoon of filling, and you don’t need many pieces per serving. 

I used half-and-half instead of heavy cream in the sauce, and the result was still creamy flavor with silky texture. Again, you don’t need much—only 3/4 cup for all servings.

When you’re not making your own pasta dough, wonton wrappers make a fair substitute. They’re easy to work with, and you can fill the pieces up to four hours ahead of time and refrigerate before boiling. Make the sauce just before serving—it’s done in less than 10 minutes.

Wonton Wrappers

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 14 medium basil leaves, divided, plus more for garnish
• flour, for dusting
• 3 tbsp plus 3/4 cup half-and-half, divided
• 4 oz plain goat cheese, softened
• 2 oz mascarpone or cream cheese, softened
• 2 oz feta cheese, finely crumbled
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 24 wonton wrappers
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped

Preparation

1. Finely chop 8 basil leaves.
2. Combine the chopped basil, 3 tablespoons of half-and-half, and all cheeses in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate 10 minutes.

Ravioli Cheese Filling

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and dust with flour.
2. Place the wonton wrappers on a workstation. Brush the edges of 1 wrapper with water (or use your finger dipped in water) and place between 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Fold 1 corner over to form a triangle and press the edges with a fork to seal. Transfer to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers.
3. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator 30 minutes to allow the ravioli pieces to set. (This will help them hold together during boiling.)

Wax Paper Dusted with Flour

Wonton Ready to Fold

Folded Ravioli

Ravioli Ready to Boil

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the ravioli and boil 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the ravioli to a plate. 
   
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallot and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Cooked Shallots

1. Add 3/4 cup half-and-half and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a light simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low.
2. Cut the remaining 6 basil leaves crosswise into thin strips. Stir the basil into the sauce and add the ravioli, tossing gently to coat. Cook 1 minute.

Cream Sauce Beginning to Cook

Ravioli Added to Sauce

To serve, slice a few more basil leaves crosswise into very thin strips. Divide the ravioli among 4 pasta bowls and spoon a little sauce on top of each. Garnish with basil strips and serve right away.

Pasta Shells Stuffed with Ground Pork and Mascarpone

Like manicotti, stuffed pasta shells don’t need many ingredients or a sizable quantity of any. You can depend on the richness of creamy cheeses, fruity crushed tomatoes, and ground pork or other meats to give the dish complex, satisfying flavors—without being complicated.

I crumbled baked pancetta over the shells simply for an extra salty bite—and a more interesting finish. Skip it if the ground pork is enough. And if you can’t find mascarpone, use a light cream cheese or ricotta.

For a vegetarian stuffed shells dish, try Pasta Shells Stuffed with Spinach, Leek, and Three Cheeses.

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

• 16 jumbo pasta shells
• 4 thin slices of pancetta
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for oiling dish
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 oz mascarpone cheese
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes (from a 28-oz can)
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Cook the shells in a large pot of boiling, salted water 8-9 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
3. Place the pancetta on a small baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake until beginning to crisp, 5-6 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Pancetta Ready to Bake

Baked Pancetta

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pork, garlic, and onion and cook 10 minutes, breaking the pork into small pieces as it cooks. Transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour excess liquid from the skillet but do not wipe.

Pork, Onion, and Garlic Beginning to Cook

Cooked Pork, Onion, and Garlic

1. Cool the pork mixture to room temperature, then add the mascarpone and stir well to combine.
2. Heat the same skillet over medium-low heat and add the crushed tomatoes and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and cook 3-4 minutes to heat throughout. Cool the tomato mixture slightly, then add 1/2 cup to the pork mixture, stirring to combine.

Cooked Crushed Tomatoes and Parsley

Pork, Mascarpone, and Tomato Filling

1. Lightly oil an 11 X 7 baking dish. Divide the pork mixture and stuff the shells (2-3 tablespoons in each). Place the stuffed shells snugly side by side in the baking dish.

Stuffed Shells

1. Spoon the remaining crushed tomato mixture on top of the shells and sprinkle with mozzarella.

Shells with Tomato Sauce

Stuffed Shells Ready to Bake

1. Bake until the top is bubbly and beginning to brown, 30-35 minutes.

Baked Stuffed Shells

To serve, divide the shells among 4-5 pasta bowls. Crumble the baked pancetta over each. Serve right away.

Blackened Swordfish with Red Potato “Hash Browns”

Few ingredients, easy preparation, fast cooking. This simple fish and potato dinner is big on taste from the smoky, charred flavor of the blackening mixture and hash-brown-style spuds made with red potatoes.  

Although both parts of the dish are prepared in skillets, “fried” isn’t quite the right word. I used only a scant amount of olive oil—enough for a little marinating and to brush in the bottom of the pans.

For another take on blackened fish, check out Blackened Mahi-Mahi with Pan-Seared Vegetables. And for swordfish with a little Asian twist, see Grilled Swordfish with Spicy Asian Sauce and Sauteed Kohlrabi. 

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4-5 medium red potatoes
• olive oil, for drizzling and brushing
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning, plus 2 tsp
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 2 4-oz swordfish steaks
• 2 lemon wedges

Preparation

1. Cut a thin slice of 2 rounded ends from each potato. Cut the potato into thin slices, then cut the slices into matchsticks.
2. Place the potatoes in a medium bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.

Potato Matchsticks

Potatoes Ready to Cook

1. Combine 2 teaspoons of black pepper and the chile powder in a small bowl and season with salt. Spread the spice mixture out on a plate. Rub the swordfish with a little oil and press each side into the mixture, coating well. Set aside.

Blackening Mixture

Swordfish Ready to Sear

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush the entire surface with oil. Scatter the potatoes in the skillet in a single layer (or as close to it as possible) and cook, undisturbed, 5 minutes. Use a spatula to turn the potatoes over and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes longer, stirring as needed.

Potatoes Beginning to Cook 

Red Potato Hash Browns

1. Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Place the swordfish in the skillet and sear 3 minutes. Turn and sear 3 minutes longer, until blackened and just cooked through. (Adjust cooking time per thickness of the fish.)

Swordfish Beginning to Sear

Blackened Swordfish

To serve, divide the swordfish between 2 plates. Divide the potatoes alongside and garnish each plate with a lemon wedge.