spicy Archives - A Calculated Whisk

Eggs in Purgatory with Sausage and Kale

May 18, 2017 By Becky 30 Comments

This post is sponsored by Uncle Steve’s Italian Specialties.

Eggs in purgatory with sausage and kale is a hearty and delicious breakfast that’s Whole30 compliant and perfect if you like to start the day with a little heat.

How do you feel about a little spice in the morning? Personally, I’m a big fan. A spicy breakfast helps me wake up, kick starts my day, and makes me feel ready for anything. So as soon as I got my hands on a jar of Uncle Steve’s Organic Arabbiata, I started dreaming about pairing it with eggs for an Italian power breakfast.

I was so excited to discover Uncle Steve’s sauces because they’re made with organic Italian tomatoes and short list of other clean ingredients: organic onions, garlic, basil, and spices plus sea salt. There’s no sugar anywhere in sight! If you’ve ever done a Whole30, you know how frustrating it can be to peruse labels in the grocery store aisle and find that most prepared sauces and stocks have cane sugar or other off-plan ingredients. Uncle Steve’s sauces are all vegan, gluten free, and paleo with no added sugar, so there’s no need to worry.

Stuffed Avocados with Shrimp and Mango

May 5, 2016 By Becky 12 Comments

Stuffed avocados with shrimp and mango are simple, quick, and crave-worthy, especially when topped with a spicy jalapeño aioli!

I’m having a really hard time writing this post because there aren’t any fixings for these stuffed avocados left, and I’m craving them so badly. They check all the boxes for my top practical considerations because they’re healthy, fast, easy, and filling. And they check all my flavor and texture boxes because they’re creamy, savory, spicy, and sweet with a little bit of crunch from the scallions. They’re pretty much all I’ve wanted for dinner ever since I first dreamed them up.

My fiancé Ben loves these, too. He’s not too hard to please with food because he’ll eat almost anything besides sweet potatoes or cooked apples (I know, right?), but it’s rare that he gets super excited about a food.

However, after the first time we had these stuffed avocados with shrimp and mango, he made a point of telling me twice that he really liked them. (And in case you don’t know Ben, “I really liked those” is Ben-speak for “Those are the best things I’ve ever tasted!”) He hasn’t said so many good things about one of my recipes since last time I made the millionaire’s shortbread from Paleo Planet.

The premise for this dish is simple: it’s an avocado boat stuffed with a shrimp and mango filling accented with scallions and topped with an easy jalapeño aioli. The aioli is creamy, heart-healthy and delicious thanks to its main ingredient: avocado oil mayo from Primal Kitchen, which I buy from Thrive Market (affiliate link–I earn from qualifying purchases). It has only a handful of wholesome ingredients: avocado oil, cage-free, organic eggs, organic vinegar, salt, and rosemary extract. No sugar or canola oil in sight!

It’s kind of weird for me to be whipping up a mayonnaise-based sauce because I’ve never been a fan of mayo, but this one is so good and unlocks so many epic paleo sauce possibilities. Since I try to limit my dairy intake and I’m allergic to coconut, there are so many creamy sauces out there that just don’t work for me.

I first used this avocado oil mayo last year in an awesome green goddess dressing, and I’ve been hooked ever since. This jalapeño aioli is even better because it’s nice and spicy, and in addition to being great with these stuffed avocados with shrimp it’s also epic with baked sweet potato fries.

Spicy Shrimp and Kale with Creamy Rutabaga

February 16, 2015 By Becky 26 Comments

This is my paleo answer to the inexplicable cravings I’ve been having for shrimp and grits.

Who knows why? I’ve only had shrimp and grits a few times in my life, but lately they’ve been totally stuck in my head. Perhaps it’s because this coming Tuesday is Mardi Gras, and I wish I could just pick up and drive down to NOLA. When I lived in Houston New Orleans was only a five-hour drive away, and now it feels far enough to be in another world.

The good news is that this dish is just as delicious as shrimp and grits, if not more so, and instead of grits we have vegetables. Rutabagas for the win!

Also, I snuck some kale in there. This is hardcore health food.

It’s also hardcore comfort food. If there are 80 inches of snow on the ground in your city, or even if there aren’t (lucky you–do you happen to have a guest room??), this is just the thing to warm you up on a winter night. The creamy rutabaga forms a bed for plump shrimp bathed in an herby marinade and kale leaves that are crispy around the edges.

Butternut Squash Soup with Fried Garlic and Chili Oil

October 14, 2014 By Becky 14 Comments

A little over a week ago, my laptop gave me the prohibitory sign when I tried to turn it on. Now that’s all it will do–show a gray screen with a circle with a slash through it, and one of those little timers that never stops turning.

I’m in the process of mourning the photos I lost and trying to scrape together money to buy a new computer. Luckily, my school lent me a laptop to use in the interim–a giant, clunky monster of a PC, but so much better than nothing. I’ve been comforting myself with this soup.

Quick Curried Pumpkin Soup

November 18, 2013 By Becky 1 Comment

I’m on a really big soup kick right now. It’s so comforting to sit down with a bowl of soup on a chilly fall day, especially a soup that’s both kinds of hot: warm and a little spicy. The only problem with soup is that it sometimes takes a while to make. Not this one, though. You can have this soup on the table in less than 15 minutes! It’s a deliciously creamy, warmly spiced fall soup that has a depth of flavor not usually achieved in super fast recipes. If you have a well-stocked pantry, you can whip up this soup at a moment’s notice. It’s great for lunch when paired with a big salad, and would also make a great Thanksgiving starter!

I used homemade chicken stock made from a rotisserie chicken for this soup. It was my first time making chicken stock, and I’m so glad I took the time to do it! It made the whole house smell wonderful, and I felt like I was being really frugal. I froze some of the stock in an ice cube tray, so now I have a bag of homemade stock cubes to use to make sauces and other recipes. This recipe will also work with store-bought stock, though–the real flavor star here is the curry paste.

To make the soup vegan or vegetarian, just omit the fish sauce or use a splash of coconut aminos instead. The soup will still be nice and flavorful with just the curry paste, stock, and pumpkin. You can even omit the sunbutter or almond butter if you’re out, but it adds a nice richness to the soup.

Indochinese Chilli Chicken with Cauliflower Fried Rice

August 13, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

I LOVE Indian food. Luckily for me, my mom’s apartment is just blocks from Singh’s Cafe, which has a fabulous lunch buffet every day of the week. I go more than anyone should go anywhere, but I just love it so much. One of the best parts of going to lunch buffet is that there is no waiting: you show up, you sit down (or not), and you go get your food! I also love it because you can try some of everything.