This week I am floundering. I believe we are making progress and I am actively hopeful, yet I remain frustrated and I am feeling more disheartened in this moment, (Wednesday), than I did one week ago. Because I am divided, and in an effort to regain my focus, I believe that this week I will simply share some recipes.

SHRIMP BURGERS

2 lbs. Shrimp, in food processor pulsed to coarse ground
1/8 cup each Holy Trinity (onion, celery, green pepper); minced
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Cajun/Creole Seasoning

Form in patties. Grill over indirect heat w/smoke for 10 to 20 minutes; allow patty to turn from gray to pinkish before flipping to ensure cohesion.

Suggested: top w/ Creole Mustard, Cheese, and Tomato Slice, on choice of bun.

TRIFLOAFLE COAST ROAST

1.5 lbs. shrimp + 1/2 lb. scallops, in food processor pulsed to coarse ground
1/8 to 1/4 cup each Holy Trinity; minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Creole/Cajun seasoning
FOR THE TOP:
Combine
Approx 5 tbsp bbq sauce
Approx 1 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

Form in loaf pan or casserole dish and bake covered until done.

Salmon or crab could also be incorporated into the Coast Roast for different flavor profiles, but so roast will hold together flaky fishes or additional dry ingredients should be avoided. Shrimp works best as the anchor ingredient.

Perhaps I have chosen these two recipes to share because (as a pescatarian) for me they represent my personal effort to join new thought and non traditional ingredients with established / conventional mainstays. The shrimp burgers and Trifloafle Coast Roast are not just alternatives but also very nice complements to the traditional hamburger and meatloaf. I have also found that the Coast Roast goes nicely with any larger cut of roasted meat. There is such a diversity in tastes today, with so many options, that I believe it has become necessary to go beyond simple tolerance, (which will always be the first step), and seek compatibility leading to synergy on a common ground.

That sounds like a lot of interpretation for an unadorned reworking of readily available ingredients; but this week I need to be reminded that, with some effort, new thought and old thought can come together to create a greater whole.