Bringing Back the Bucket List
and Shrimp & Rice with a creamy Poblano & Portobello sauce
What’s Been on my Plate
It’s been a nice week over here though there’s nothing terribly new to share. In terms of novelty, the other day, I had my last shift with our summer menu as the restaurant just changed their menu for the fall season, which, feel free to check it out. We kept a lot of classics & fan-favorites, but all the new stuff on there is looking delightful. Bye-bye summer tomatoes & olive oil and hello squash & brown butter. I’m moving right along with the sweater I’ve been knitting, though am taking a brief pause because I’m going to start knitting a baby-hat for some friends who just had a baby!!
Since we all know I’m an autumn-lover— I’ve been taking a lot of walks at sunset because our mornings have been pretty cloudy here recently. I’m just soaking in the electric leaves while they’re busy changing. And, last week, some friends and I had a festive fall evening, complete with a pretty charcuterie board and autumn drinks. From caramel apple cocktails, pumpkin-spiced espresso martinis, and a margarita turned sparkly black with the addition of charcoal— we popped off. I’m under 21 so of course, I participated in none of that, but I def enjoyed spending quality time with the gals.
Some Thoughts, Feelings, & Opinions
Over the summer, I made a bucket list and it was so fun to have. I’m quite proud because I accomplished all but one of the ideas that were on my summer list. From getting ice cream in my pajamas to having a pool day— I was pretty gritty for getting through it all. With the summer list in mind, I decided to make a fall bucket-list a few weeks ago and made plans to conquer my fall bucket-list with the same tenacity.
From all my bucket list shenanigans, I’ve found that they’re a fun way to “play” and enjoy each season. As little kids, nobody thought making a bucket list was silly. And now that I’m a bit older, I be feeling like a silly goose out here making one. But we’re never too old for these things.
The bucket lists we’d make when we were younger were a great exercise that helped us consider what’s important to us and what sounds fun to do. It got us excited and gave us things to look forward to. Plus, I’m finding that unless I make the time and set a specific intention— the fun things don’t magically appear amidst my busy schedule.
I’m all about reclaiming the fun we had as kids and normalizing it in adulthood. Accessing our playful selves keeps us young! Perhaps you should make your own fall bucket list?
What’s Going To Be On Your Plate
Shrimp & Rice with a Creamy Poblano & Portobello Sauce
Serves 4-5 as a main
Caramelized onions, poblano peppers, and portobello mushrooms reduce into a flavorful and luxurious sauce— perfect with simple rice and seared shrimp. Creamy yet light, this dish has some friendly warmth to it, but is evened out with a touch of avocado and the zing of pickled red onions. And yes, I know our sauce isn’t a looker, but trust that it’s tasty (thank you).
I’m really excited to chat about this recipe. It would behoove me to begin by saying that, yes, we are cooking with poblano peppers and jalapeños, however this recipe is not “spicy.” Trust me, I don’t love major heat. However, if you’re someone who’s into a good kick of heat, this can easily be customized into something that does this, too. Just add more seeds from your jalapeño and choose peppers with more wrinkles. But, if you’re like me and don’t find a ton of heat enjoyable, this is perfect for you.
I like poblano peppers because they’re much more mellow than other peppers while still delivering a sweet spice in the background. And I love how the portobello mushrooms in this cook down into a flavorful umami-bomb which pairs perfectly with the sweet caramelized onions and savory avocado. Bringing these simple flavors into a creamy sauce with the addition of milk and some cornstarch turns this dish into something that tastes complex and elaborate, when, in reality, all you did was stir some things together and plop it over rice and top it with shrimp.
I was inspired to create this from a mushroom & poblano enchilada recipe from Epicurious. It’s gas and I’d recommend you to check it out. After seeing how well poblano peppers and mushrooms paired in that recipe, I decided to make my own (less of a time-suck) thing— enchiladas begone.
Yes, there’s some slicing and some recurring stirring required to make this, but overall, it’s fairly easy to make and definitely worth it. And I found that my leftovers grew more and more flavorful with time. What’s not to love.
You’ll need:
1 medium to large onion, sweet or yellow ideal
2 Poblano peppers
3 Portobello mushrooms
2 tbs neutral oil or butter
1 tsp vinegar
1 and 1/2 cup milk
1 tbs cornstarch
salt, to taste
For finishing:
4-5 servings of rice, cooked according to package instructions
1 pound shrimp and whatever seasonings you’d like for it (I used butter, garlic powder, cumin, and salt)
2 avocadoes
Pickled red onion, cilantro, and lime zest (optional but tasty)
Deseed the peppers and slice onions, peppers, and portobello mushrooms into thin, even slices (called a Julienne!!). Pictured above is how the onions, peppers, and mushroom should look.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sliced vegetables along with a healthy pinch of salt and sauté for 10 minutes until they begin to wilt. Adding salt at this step will help the vegetables sweat. Turn heat to medium low and cover for 15 more minutes, stirring every so often to avoid sticking to the pan.
Now is a good time to cook your rice while this is all going on.
Once the vegetables are caramelized and soft, take them off the heat. Add vinegar and salt to taste, cooking the vinegar off with the heat from the pan.
Measure out the milk and whisk the cornstarch into it.
With your heat on medium-low, whisk the milk mixture into the pepper mushroom mixture and let it cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes a smooth, glossy, and thick sauce, about 5 minutes. Do not bring to a simmer or boil, it may curdle.
When the sauce and rice are done, sear your shrimp however you want (I seared mine in butter with a dash of garlic, cumin, and salt) and prepare to plate.
Add sauce and shrimp over rice in a dish. Top with half an avocado. Adding pickled red onions, cilantro, and lime zest are optional but delicious. Enjoy!