Here's an easy meal I wholly recommend. Jim made it for me on a really stressful night earlier this week. Our local supermarket carries the RANA brand of tortellini in the refrigerator section; I got the 5-cheese blend. I keep a few jars the Lucini brand of organic pasta sauce sauce on hand, he went with Spicy Tuscan. He heated up a good glug of olive oil over medium heat, diced half a medium onion and chopped a few cloves of garlic, and sweated them until nice and soft. He then added a couple of squeezes of tomato paste and stirred under medium high heat to add a little roast flavor. Next, a glug of red wine to deglaze, then the sauce with a little water. While it simmered he put together a small salad and boiled water for the tortellini; they cooked in just a few minutes. He added a handful of torn fresh basil leaves from our herb garden to the sauce and we scooped the tortellini straight in. We plated it up and gave it a generous grating of good cheese; delicious! And done in minutes.

For the recipes this week, I picked an easy grilled Gulf shrimp dish that gives a nod to the large Vietnamese population all along the coast. Next, a shrimp tostada that includes recipes for spicy pinto beans, guacamole, and roasted salsa for a full meal. And finally, a cumin-heavy beef stir-fry with a generous handful of hot peppers.

Enjoy the recipes, stay cool, safe, and healthy, and, as always, let me know what's on your mind. 

Best regards,

Susan Ford, Publisher and Editorial Director
Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

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Peter's Saigon-Biloxi Shrimp

All along the Louisiana and Mississippi coast you'll find large Vietnamese communities, founded by refugees from the Vietnam war. They make up a large portion of the fishermen from the region, and you'll find Vietnamese influences on many menus across the region. This recipe is a favorite of the Nguyen family, who first settled in New Orleans then moved on to Biloxi, Mississippi.

Shrimp Tostadas with Beans & Guac

BONUS: You also get a spicy pinto bean recipe, a roasted salsa recipe, and a recipe for taqueria-style guacamole. Plus, you could turn these into tacos and save frying by simply heating up the tortillas in a cast iron skillet. I'd serve crema on the side.

Stir-Fried Cumin Beef

This one calls for a dozen dried hot chiles; if your family is heat-averse, drop that number by whatever you want and pass crushed pepper flakes at the table for the pepper-heads like me.