shrimp sandwiches with guava butter.

ted's bakery on the north shore makes the yummiest shrimp sandwiches with guava butter dipping sauce. they aren't on the menu, likely because the orange grease that runs down your forearm when you pick one up marks them as a brazen health risk. greasy? maybe. delicious? definitely. this was mine (and chase's) attempt at recreating those sandwiches at home. six tablespoons of butter later, and i don't think we've even come close to what ted's must use. but these were yummmmmy. i just wish i knew how to make pumpkin haupia pie like ted's.

shrimp sandwiches with guava butter

(makes 2 sandwiches)

ingredients:

4 slices french bread or soft white bread

1 cup cooked shrimp, diced

6 tbs. butter (3 tbs. softened)

salt & pepper, to taste

3 tbs. guava jam

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1. melt 2 tbs. butter in a small pan over medium-high heat. add the shrimp, salt, & pepper, and cook for minutes.

2. combine the 3 tbs. softened butter with guava jam and spread evenly (& generously) on 2 slices of bread. spoon the shrimp on top of the guava butter. don't put the other two slices of bread on top yet.

3. whisk the egg & milk together, and pour onto a plate. melt last tablespoon of butter on griddle over medium heat. dip the bottoms of the sandwich in the egg and throw them on the griddle. dip one side of the remaining 2 slices in the egg and place them on top of shrimp. cook both sides until browned, about 3 minutes.

mango shrimp salad.

this salad is so fresh & summer. it's a perfect lunch or light dinner. i was craving it last week, and i searched four different stores looking for mangoes to no avail. finally i compromised and bought a papaya, the mango's (less desirable but still) delicious cousin. a couple days later i tracked down a mango & made it the right way. measurements are going to be estimated here, because this really is just a throw-it-together dish.

mango shrimp salad

(for 2)

ingredients:

1 avocado, diced

1 mango, diced

the juice of 1 lime

1 tbs. cilantro, minced

2 tbs. red onion, minced

10 cooked shrimp, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

1. throw it all in a bowl & eat it! we fried a couple tortillas into chips to scoop it up with. it would also be good wrapped in a burrito, cradled like a taco, or scooped up in some of those tostito's "scoops." (total advertising plug for tostitos. no big.) or hey, it's also just good with a spoon.

shrimp & avocado sushi.

one of my new neighbors in married student housing is from japan, so a couple weeks ago we headed over to her place and received a lesson in making sushi. since then i've been making it for lunches, because it is ridiculously easy & so yummy. the only weird ingredient is sheets of nori (seaweed), which are easily found in hawaii and hopefully everywhere else, too. my friend also has sushi molds that help to roll it, but at home i use a papertowel & it works just fine.

shrimp & avocado sushi

(makes 2 rolls)

ingredients:

2 sheets of nori

1/2 cup cooked jasmine rice

1/2 avocado, diced

6 cooked shrimp

1/4 cup cucumber or carrot, julienned

1. spread one sheet of nori on a paper towel and mat down a thin layer of rice to completely cover it, leaving only a 1" space on one (long) edge.

2. spread the remaining ingredients equally in a straight line across the rice, about 2" from the other edge.

3. roll the nori up, beginning with the edge covered in rice, and using the paper towel for support. dip your fingers in water and run them along the exposed nori, then press edge tightly to seal.

4. cut the roll into 5 individual pieces, and repeat with new sheet of nori.