Tex Mex Shrimp

Shrimp creole is one of my favorite single-pot meals, but tonight I tried something a little different. I started with the basic sauteed onion and bell pepper in olive oil and added a can of chopped tomatoes. Next, instead of adding a can of tomato sauce, I put in a 10 ounce can of enchilada sauce to give it a Southwestern feel. I also added a can of chopped green chilies and some black olives. (I like to slice the jumbo ones myself, but if any incarnation will do.) After tasting this mixture, I added some chipotle sauce for good measure, along with just a little salt and black pepper. Since I don't like to dirty up a second pot, I just make the rice with the base, but be sure to add enough water. (Jasmine rice is my favorite, and it takes about 1.75 cups of water per cup of dry rice.) Once the rice goes in, cover the pot and simmer it for about 25 minutes (or until the rice is done), stirring occasionally to keep the rice from sticking. (I also added a little more water because it was getting too thick about 15 minutes into cooking.) Finally, drop in a pound of peeled and deveined shrimp to cook for 3 to 5 minutes before dishing this up into bowls. The addition of Tex-Mex flavors gave this classic tomato sauce dish a nice twist that we all enjoyed.

While my first thought was to make some corn muffins (the good kind - doctored with cheese, chilies, and a can of corn), I decided they might be overkill with the chillies already in the sauce, so I tried something from my grandmother's notes called "beer bread." This little concoction came from my great aunt Jo in 1972. It is made from 3 cups of Bisquick, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and a bottle of beer. Stir everything together, spoon into greased muffin cups, and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (Grandma's note said to fill the cups about halfway.) The nearly two dozen muffins that came steaming out of my oven were a lovely golden brown color and held an interesting mix of flavors. They tasted like biscuits, but had the fluffy consistency of corn muffins, plus a slightly yeasty flavor from the beer. While they were warm, we slathered some butter on top and consumed several a piece. I think they'll be good left over, as well. Whereas biscuits get a little tough after sitting for awhile, these may stay soft and reheat pretty well to go with some home made jam tomorrow morning. In addition, it took only a minute or two to mix up the ingredients and put the batter in a pan, thus making it a quick bread I can pop in the oven to go with any meal. They might also be good doctored with cheese and garlic, on the order of Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuits. I foresee plenty of these in my future. Yum!