Jazz up your weekly meal rotation with a little New Orleans heat. Creole cuisine is deeply rooted in Louisiana’s culinary tradition, which is influenced by a melting pot of cuisines that include French, Spanish, African, Caribbean and Native American flavors. Typical Louisiana creole cuisine is known for fresh seafood, rice and spice. The “holy trinity” of onions, peppers and celery is the fundamental base for many of its dishes, which also include tomatoes, garlic and Mediterranean herbs such as oregano and thyme.

The sauce in this shrimp stew is tomato-rich and relatively thin, unlike thicker stews or etouffee, which are thickened with a roux (a combination of butter and flour), yielding a darker, gravy-like consistency. This recipe is light and bright, with a depth of flavor that belies its ease of preparation, which is achieved in 30 minutes. That makes it a perfect addition to your weekly dinner rotation.

Shrimp Creole

Active time: 5 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 celery stalks, diced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, seeded, diced

Kosher salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco, or more to taste

1 1/2 pounds large (18/20) shrimp, peeled and deveined

Ground cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley, plus more for garnish

2 scallions, white and green, thinly sliced

Cooked long-grain white rice, for serving

Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the celery, onion and bell pepper and lightly season with salt. Saute the vegetables until softened without coloring, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds, then stir in the tomato paste, thyme, paprikas and oregano for about 15 seconds more.

Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and hot sauce. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover the pot and continue to simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes to meld the flavors.

Season the shrimp with salt and cayenne. Add to the stew and simmer until the shrimp turn bright pink and are opaque through the center, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring as needed. Stir in 2 tablespoons parsley and remove from the heat.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with additional parsley and scallions. Serve with cooked white rice.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood

Yes, this is a recipe for salad, but it’s really about the ricotta. More specifically, it’s about whipped ricotta.

We all know ricotta as the ubiquitous filling in lasagna and other filled pasta dishes. What you may not know is that when you whip ricotta, it transforms into a creamy, airy pillow of brilliant white cheese. Add to that a splash of olive oil or a little lemon zest, and suddenly this whipped whey cheese develops flavor and dimension and morphs into a versatile alternative to creme fraiche and whipped cream. Use it as a dip or as a base for pizza, spread it on toast, crostini or two-fisted sandwiches, or simply drizzle it with honey and serve a dollop with fresh berries.

Lemony whipped ricotta teams up with sweet roasted beets in this vibrant spring salad. As the beets cook, their earthy juices will release into the pan and mingle with the generous glug of oil used to coat the beets. It’s important to save this juice after roasting, because it will be added to the dressing.

Use a dense, creamy whole-milk ricotta that smells dairy-fresh and tastes milky and mildly sweet. Avoid watery, grainy, part-skim ricotta and any ricotta that has a funky aroma.

Roasted Beet and Whipped Ricotta Salad

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes, plus cooling time

Yield: Serves 4

Ricotta:

1 cup whole-milk ricotta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon runny honey

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

10 to 12 small or baby beets, ends and stems trimmed, scrubbed clean

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 to 6 ounces mixed greens, such as baby arugula, baby spinach, frisee or lamb's lettuce

Assorted sprigs, such as pea shoots or mustard flowers

1/4 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Lemon zest, for garnish

Combine the ricotta, oil, honey and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Process until light and smooth. Season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until use.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the beets in a large Dutch oven. Pour in the oil and lightly season with salt. Stir to coat. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Roast the beets until bright and tender (not mushy) when pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size. Remove the lid and cool to the touch in the pot.

When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut into large bite-size chunks. Do not discard oil and juice in the pot. Place the beets in a bowl with about 1 tablespoon of the cooking liquid and lightly season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Cool completely.

Pour the remaining cooking juices into a bowl (through a fine-mesh strainer, if desired). Whisk in the vinegar, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.

To assemble the salad, arrange a layer of the greens and shoots on serving plates or in bowls. Lightly drizzle with some of the vinaigrette. Mound the beets on the greens and top with a dollop of the whipped ricotta. Scatter the pistachios over the salad and garnish with additional lemon zest and black pepper.

Serve with the remaining vinaigrette for drizzling.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood

Yes, you want dust in your pantry.

More specifically, you want dried porcini mushrooms in your pantry. Dried mushrooms keep indefinitely and can easily be reconstituted for use with pasta and risottos or added to soups and sauces. More important, you can simply blitz the heck out of them and turn them into deeply flavorful and aromatic dust.

Porcini mushroom dust is a magical condiment. It has a flavor and aroma that is earthy, smoky and umami-rich. It melds with garlic and woodsy herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, and is a secret ingredient in spice rubs and marinades.

While dried porcini mushrooms are pricey by the pound, the good news is that you don’t need a whole lot of them to make a rub. (In this recipe, you only need a half-ounce.) When mushrooms are dried, their flavor intensifies, so a little goes a long way. Other dried mushrooms, such as shiitakes, may be substituted, but aim for porcini when available. Use a spice grinder to blitz the mushrooms before mixing them with the rub ingredients to create a paste consistency. If you don’t have a spice grinder, you can use a mini food processor,

with slightly coarser results.

Porcini Crusted Lamb Chops

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon kosher sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 bone-in lamb loin chops, each 4 to 6 ounces and about 1 inch thick

Finely grind the mushrooms in a spice grinder. Transfer to a small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil, the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper and stir to make a paste.

Coat the lamb on all sides with the rub and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the lamb to the pan without overcrowding. Brown the chops on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook to your desired doneness, 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare, depending on thickness. (A meat thermometer inserted in the center should register 125 degrees to 130 degrees.)

Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. (The internal temperature will increase while resting.)

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood