Welcome to Les Cuilleres! I spent a lot of time debating whether or not I should start this blog. Some of you may already know me from I’ll Have What She’s Having. I’ve been posting there for a little over a year now, and I plan to continue that blog. So why start Les Cuilleres? Well there are two main reasons. The first is that I’ve recently made a big change in my life by moving back in with my parents. The move is temporary as a I wait for my new condo to be built. The second reason is that I felt What She’s Having lacks focus.
Those two reasons aren’t as disparate as they sound. In the first few days at home I realized pretty quickly that my parents do not eat the same way I do. There is a lot of grease, and not a lot of vegetables. Healthy eating while I’m here is going to be a challenge. Les Cuilleres is about chronicling my struggles to eat healthy in an unhealthy environment, and trying to bring my parents along with me.
Today was the first time since I moved in that I had any time alone. Coming from an environment where I was alone often, I found this week incredibly challenging. I need my alone time, it’s how I recharge and clear my head. Between my mom walking into my bedroom whenever it pleases her and my dad blasting the TV volume as high is it can go, I felt as though I had no where to escape. This time to myself has been exactly what I needed. I spent the afternoon in the kitchen. I tried to re-familiarize myself with the layout, see what tools I now have at my disposal. I was tempted to reorganize the fridge so that I’d know where everything is, but I realized I’d be confusing the rest of my family. I need to keep reminding myself that there are other peoples needs to consider here.
After scoping things out I decided to make myself a quick, light dinner; barbecued shrimp with black bean salad. I cooked the beans from dry, but canned would work just as well. If you are buying canned, try to find a brand that doesn’t have too much salt.
Barbecued Shrimp with Black Bean Salad
For the Salad
- 2 cups black beans, dried
- 1 tsp cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- hot sauce to taste ( I used Frank’s Red Hot)
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbs olive oil
- In a medium pot over high heat, cover the beans with water. Bring to a boil then lower the temperature to simmer. Add the cumin, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Cook until the beans are softened. (This may take up to an hour)
- Once cooked, drain the beans and let them cool completely.
- Toss with the avocado, tomato and green pepper. Mix the lemon juice, olive oil and some salt and pepper together. Dress the salad with the lemon dressing.
- 10-12 shrimp (the quantity will vary depending on the size of the shrimp)
- 2 tbs olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper together. Use this mixture to marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes.
- Heat the barbecue to a moderate temperate.
- Place the shrimp on skewers. If using wooden skewers be sure to soak them before barbecuing. Place on the heated grill, cooking on each side for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp are pink and no longer translucent.
- Serve with the bean salad.
