This month we are doing something that we’ve never done before on Tasty Tuesday! We are going into the kitchens of some of our favorite people and learning to cook a family recipe that is near and dear to their hearts. We thought it would be a great way to expand our horizons and learn how to use ingredients we don’t usually put in our grocery bag.

I’m even going to challenge myself to dust off my various internationally themed cookbooks and finally try some of the recipes inside {am I the only one who buys cookbooks just to stare at them?}!

We’re kicking off Cooking Out of Your Comfort Zone with one of my favorite San Francisco bloggers, Jeanne from Shop Sweet Things!

Jeanne {and her husband!} are always cooking up something adventurous and yummy in the kitchen. With two busy little girls, Jeanne needs recipes that are quick and easy, but also packed with tons of flavor. Luckily for us, she’s sharing her family favorite: Spicy Sriracha Garlic Shrimp and Coconut Rice, served with Mango Basil Salsa on the side!

Inspired by her Chinese heritage the meal includes traditional Asian ingredients with a modern, mom on the go twist. Yes, I tried it, and yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds {and looks!}.

Recipe feeds 4 people:

Coconut Rice
1.5 cup of Jasmine rice
1 can of coconut milk
3/4 cup of water
1 pinch of salt

For best results, use a rice cooker to cook the rice for about 30 minutes. If you don’t have a rice cooker, use a saucepan. Combine all the ingredients and cook in reduce heat and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is soft.

Mango Basil Salsa

2 mangos, peeled and finely diced
3 scallions, sliced
5-8 basil leaves, chopped
1 lime, juiced
salt & pepper

Combine all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. You can even make this one day in advance. {editor’s note: it’s great with tortilla chips too!}

Spicy Garlic Shrimp
1 pound of large shrimp (get the ones that are peeled and veins removed.)
6 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cup of water
1 teaspoon of Sriracha (or red chili sauce) to taste
salt & pepper

Chop the garlic into small chunks and mix in the water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the shrimps and marinate for 20 minutes.

Strain the water from the shrimps and garlic. Add the lime juice, jalapeno, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in high heat in large saute pan. Add the shrimps and stir fry it for about 2 minutes or until the shrimps turn red. Mix in a teaspoon of Sriracha {or make it as spicy as you like!} and stir fry for another 30 sec. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I’m so excited to cook out of my comfort zone and try this recipe on my own. I’m upset at myself at how intimidated I was before to buy Sriracha sauce at the grocery store. On top of the fact that I never thought of making my own coconut rice {why didn’t I think of that?}. Both have such bright flavors and add such an exotic punch to a meal. You are going to be so surprised when you see how easy they are to work with. Luckily, I always have rice and coconut milk stocked, so no more plain-rice-days in this house!

I want to thank Jeanne so much for sharing the kitchen and one of her family recipes with us. I promise, it’s so easy, that I’ve committed it to memory, and it is now going to be my go to dish when guests come around. My goal? To impress them with my familiarity of cooking with such bold ingredients and serve them a dish they’ll want to lick off the plate!

original photography for apartment 34 by Simone Anne, styling and art direction by erin hiemstra