Pan-Seared Wild-Caught Shrimp with Masala Cauliflower, Steamed Broccoli, and Baby Bok Choy
Yield: 6 servings · Active: 40 min · Total: 50 min · Year-round · Best eaten: dinner party, weeknight, or make-ahead meal prep
Complete Menu
Pan-Seared Wild-Caught Shrimp
Masala Cauliflower
Steamed Broccoli with Sesame-Ginger Drizzle
Baby Bok Choy with Garlic and Coconut Aminos
Your Game Plan
About 50 min out: Heat the oven to 425°F. Cook the onion and spices for the cauliflower, toss, and get it roasting. Whisk up the sesame-ginger drizzle.
About 20 min out: Season the shrimp. Prep the bok choy and get the steamer water heating.
About 12 min out: Pour the broth over the cauliflower and return it to the oven. Steam the broccoli.
Last 10 min: Stir-fry the bok choy, wipe out the pan, and sear the shrimp. Shrimp always goes last so it hits the table hot.
Recipe 1 — Pan-Seared Wild-Caught Shrimp
Yield: 6 servings · Active: 10 min · Total: 20 min
Ingredients
2 lb wild-caught large shrimp (16-20 per lb), peeled and deveined, tails on or off
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp ghee, divided
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Lime wedges and flaky sea salt, to finish
Optional: crème fraîche or crumbled goat chèvre, to serve
Method
Dry the shrimp. If they're frozen, thaw them in a sealed bag in a bowl of cold water for 15-20 minutes. Pat them very dry with paper towels, because wet shrimp steam instead of sear.
Season. Toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper, turmeric, and cumin, and let them sit 10 minutes while you heat the pan.
Sear. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, then add 2 tbsp ghee. Lay the shrimp in a single layer (work in batches so they're not crowded) and cook 1½-2 minutes without moving them, until golden underneath. Flip and cook 1 minute more. They're done when they curl into a loose "C" and turn opaque. A tight "O" means overcooked.
Finish with garlic and ginger. Turn the heat to low, return all the shrimp to the pan, and add the last 1 tbsp ghee, the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Toss 30-45 seconds until fragrant, then take the pan off the heat and add the lime juice and cilantro.
Serve right away with lime wedges and a pinch of flaky salt, plus a dollop of crème fraîche or a little crumbled goat chèvre if you like. That cool, tangy creaminess is lovely against the warm spices.
Recipe 2 — Masala Cauliflower
Yield: 6 servings · Active: 15 min · Total: 40 min
Ingredients
1 large head cauliflower (about 2½ lb), cut into medium florets
4 tbsp ghee (or grass-fed butter or virgin coconut oil)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground cumin (or whole seeds, toasted and ground fresh)
2 tsp ground coriander (or whole seeds, toasted and ground fresh)
2 tsp garam masala (see sourcing note)
1 tsp ground cardamom (freshly ground from green pods)
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes (optional)
½ cup grass-fed chicken bone broth or water
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped (optional)
Optional: 2 tbsp toasted cashews or pistachios, roughly chopped
Optional: ½ cup thick raw A2 yogurt, crème fraîche, or crumbled goat chèvre (to finish, for a cool contrast)
Flaky sea salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
Toast the whole spices (optional). If you're using whole seeds, toast the cumin and coriander in a dry skillet over medium heat for 60-90 seconds until fragrant. Let them cool, then grind.
Cook the aromatics. Melt the ghee in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds.
Bloom the spices. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and cardamom and stir for about 60 seconds until deeply fragrant. Blooming the spices in fat is honestly essential for real Indian flavor. (They go in last because ground spices scorch fast.)
Toss the cauliflower. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the spiced onion mixture, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne.
Roast. Spread on the sheet pan in a single layer. Roast 25 minutes.
Add broth. Pour the broth over the cauliflower and toss. Return it to the oven and roast another 5-8 minutes until deeply caramelized and tender, and the broth has reduced to a glaze.
Finish. Transfer to a warm serving bowl. Add the lime juice, cilantro, and optional mint and toasted cashews or pistachios, then a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Optional creamy finish. Drizzle the yogurt over the top, or add a few dollops of crème fraîche or a scattering of goat chèvre, for a cool contrast with the warming spices.
A note on garam masala sourcing
Garam masala is honestly one of the most essential Indian spice blends: traditionally a warming aromatic mix of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, and black pepper. Look for:
Diaspora Co. Garam Masala — sourced from single-origin Indian farms
Burlap and Barrel Garam Masala — traditional Indian producer partnerships
Frontier Co-op Organic Garam Masala — easy to find
Homemade — toast and grind cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, and black pepper together for much more complex flavor than pre-ground
Recipe 3 — Steamed Broccoli with Sesame-Ginger Drizzle
Yield: 6 servings · Active: 10 min · Total: 15 min
Ingredients
1½ lb broccoli, cut into large florets with 2 inches of stem attached
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Sesame-ginger drizzle
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil (organic, cold-pressed)
2 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 tsp raw honey
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Optional: ½ tsp red pepper flakes
To finish
2 tbsp toasted white or black sesame seeds
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Flaky sea salt
Method
Steam the broccoli. Bring an inch of water to a boil in a pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add the broccoli and sprinkle with the salt, cover, and steam 4-5 minutes until tender-crisp and bright green. Don't overcook it; you want a little bite.
Make the sesame-ginger drizzle. In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, coconut aminos, lime juice, vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes, if using.
Assemble. Transfer the broccoli to a warm serving bowl or platter and drizzle the sesame-ginger sauce generously over the top.
Finish. Scatter with toasted sesame seeds, green onions, optional cilantro, and flaky sea salt.
Alternative preparation — pan-charred broccoli
For a deeper, smokier flavor, char the broccoli in a hot cast iron skillet instead of steaming: Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil until it just starts to smoke. Add the broccoli in a single layer with a pinch of salt and char 3-4 minutes without moving it. Toss and cook another 2-3 minutes with a splash of water (the steam finishes the cooking). Drizzle with the sesame-ginger sauce.
Recipe 4 — Baby Bok Choy with Garlic and Coconut Aminos
Yield: 6 servings · Active: 10 min · Total: 12 min
Baby bok choy, Cantonese-style: seared hard, tossed with garlic and coconut aminos, and finished with a whisper of toasted sesame oil. It's honestly one of the simplest, prettiest vegetables you can make, and it's done in about 5 minutes.
Ingredients
6-8 baby bok choy (about 1½ lb total), halved lengthwise (or quartered if larger)
3 tbsp ghee or virgin coconut oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (for finishing)
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Zest of ½ lime
1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
2 green onions, thinly sliced
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Flaky sea salt
Method
Blanch the bok choy (optional). For an even brighter green, blanch the halved bok choy in salted boiling water for 60-90 seconds, then plunge it into ice water. Drain and pat it completely dry, or it will steam and spatter in the pan. You can also skip this and go straight to the pan.
Heat the pan. Heat a large wok or heavy cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the ghee (or coconut oil).
Sear the bok choy. Lay the bok choy cut-side down in a single layer and sear 90 seconds without moving it, until deeply charred on the cut side.
Add the aromatics. Toss the bok choy, then add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook 20-30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
Add the coconut aminos. Cook another 60-90 seconds, tossing, until the stems are tender-crisp and the leaves are wilted but still bright.
Finish. Remove from the heat. Add the toasted sesame oil (add it at the end, since high heat dulls its flavor), lime juice, lime zest, and salt.
Plate. Transfer to a warm serving platter and scatter with toasted sesame seeds, green onions, and flaky sea salt.
A note on baby bok choy
Baby bok choy is honestly much more tender than mature bok choy: smaller heads, more delicate leaves, and faster cooking. Look for small, firm heads with bright green leaves and pale, crisp stems. It's available year-round. Look for organic bok choy from Asian grocers, farmers' markets, or well-stocked organic produce sections.
Plating the Feast
Arrange all three vegetable sides on a large warm platter or in three separate serving bowls:
Masala cauliflower at one end, glowing orange with turmeric
Steamed broccoli with sesame-ginger drizzle at the other end, bright green under its golden drizzle
Baby bok choy in the middle, charred sides facing up
Pile the seared shrimp over the center of the platter (or serve them in their own bowl) so everyone can build their own plate. Scatter extra toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, green onions, and flaky sea salt across everything. Set out lime wedges and a small bowl of crème fraîche or goat chèvre at the table so everyone can add a dollop to their shrimp and cauliflower.
It's honestly a celebration on a platter: golden shrimp, yellow-orange masala cauliflower, bright green broccoli, and pale green-white bok choy with dark char marks. Full cruciferous rainbow.
Sourcing (essential picks)
For the shrimp
Wild-caught shrimp — U.S. Gulf, Key West pink, Oregon pink, or Argentine red. Look for "no additives" on the label and skip anything soaked in sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), which makes shrimp watery and keeps them from searing. Frozen is great, since most shrimp are frozen at sea anyway
Ghee — Ancient Organics, Fourth & Heart, or homemade
For the masala cauliflower
Fresh cauliflower — organic, tight compact heads
Ghee — Ancient Organics, Fourth & Heart, or homemade
Whole cumin and coriander seeds — organic, non-irradiated. Ground fresh
Ground turmeric — organic, non-irradiated. Diaspora Co. delivers noticeably more curcumin
Whole green cardamom pods — organic, Guatemalan or Sri Lankan (Ceylon)
Garam masala — Diaspora Co., Burlap and Barrel, Frontier Co-op Organic, or homemade
Fresh ginger and garlic — organic
Grass-fed chicken bone broth — Bonafide Provisions, Bare Bones, or homemade
Optional cashews or pistachios — organic, raw
Optional raw A2 yogurt — Bellwether Farms sheep, Redwood Hill Farm goat
Optional crème fraîche — Vermont Creamery, Bellwether Farms, or Kalona SuperNatural
Optional goat chèvre — Cypress Grove, Redwood Hill Farm, or Vermont Creamery
For the steamed broccoli
Fresh broccoli — organic, tight compact heads, dark green florets
Toasted sesame oil (organic, cold-pressed) — Kadoya, Ottogi, or La Tourangelle Organic
Coconut aminos — Coconut Secret or Big Tree Farms
Raw apple cider vinegar — with the mother
Raw honey — local, unfiltered
Fresh ginger, garlic, green onions, cilantro — organic
For the baby bok choy
Baby bok choy — organic, from an Asian grocer, farmers' market, or well-stocked produce section
Virgin coconut oil or ghee — Nutiva or Ancient Organics
Fresh garlic, ginger, green onions — organic
White or black sesame seeds — organic, single-ingredient. Toast fresh in a dry skillet
For the pantry
Fresh limes — organic when using zest
Whole and ground spices (red pepper flakes, black peppercorns) — organic, non-irradiated, ground fresh
Baja Gold sea salt
Storage
Seared shrimp: Refrigerated up to 2 days. Best fresh, but delicious cold, or warmed gently in a pan for 1 minute (any longer and they turn rubbery)
Masala cauliflower: Refrigerated up to 4 days. Actually improves after 24 hours as flavors meld. Reheat at 400°F for 5-8 minutes
Steamed broccoli (undressed): Refrigerated up to 4 days
Sesame-ginger drizzle alone: Refrigerated up to 2 weeks in a sealed jar. Excellent over any vegetable, protein, or grain-free bowl
Stir-fried baby bok choy: Refrigerated up to 3 days. Best fresh
Leftover transformations: Combine leftover masala cauliflower with pastured eggs for an Indian-inflected breakfast scramble; toss leftover broccoli and shrimp into a cold salad with the sesame-ginger drizzle; chop leftover baby bok choy and shrimp into cauliflower rice with pastured eggs for a Chinese-inflected fried "rice"; combine all three leftover vegetables into a warm grain-free bowl with a protein.
Nourishment Notes
Wild-caught shrimp — astaxanthin (the pigment behind that pink color), selenium, iodine, B12, choline, zinc, complete protein.
Cauliflower, broccoli, baby bok choy (cruciferous trio) — sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol (DIM precursor supporting estrogen metabolism), vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, fiber. The three together deliver full-spectrum cruciferous support.
Turmeric — curcumin (documented anti-inflammatory support), traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine women's health support. Paired with black pepper and cooked in fat, as it is here, curcumin becomes far more bioavailable.
Ground cumin (toasted whole seeds, ground fresh) — cuminaldehyde, traditional Middle Eastern and Indian digestive support.
Ground coriander (toasted whole seeds, ground fresh) — linalool, traditional digestive support.
Garam masala — full-spectrum warming aromatic support from the traditional blend (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, black pepper).
Ground cardamom (freshly ground from green pods) — cineole, terpineol, digestive comfort support. Especially helpful for luteal-phase bloating.
Fresh ginger — gingerols and shogaols (documented anti-inflammatory support and menstrual pain relief).
Fresh garlic — allicin and organosulfur compounds.
Toasted sesame oil — lignans (sesamin and sesamolin, traditional support for hormonal balance), vitamin E, monounsaturated fats.
Sesame seeds — calcium (about 87mg per tablespoon), magnesium, lignans, vitamin E.
Coconut aminos — umami depth without soy inflammation.
Fresh lime — d-limonene, hesperidin, vitamin C.
Raw honey — trace minerals and antimicrobial enzymes.
Raw apple cider vinegar — acetic acid, live cultures, blood-sugar regulation.
Ghee — CLA, K2, butyrate, beta-carotene. Traditional across Ayurvedic cooking as ancestral cooking fat.
Virgin coconut oil — lauric acid, MCTs, thermally stable at cooking temperatures.
Grass-fed chicken bone broth — gelatin, glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, trace minerals.
Fresh cilantro — chlorophyll, aromatic oils, heavy-metal-binding support.
Fresh mint (optional) — menthol, aromatic oils, digestive support.
Fresh green onions — quercetin, sulfur compounds, vitamin K.
Optional cashews or pistachios — magnesium, monounsaturated fats, vitamin B6 (pistachios specifically, helpful for progesterone synthesis).
Optional raw A2 yogurt — live probiotic cultures, calcium, K2, cooling counterpoint to the warming spices.
Optional crème fraîche — cultured probiotic dairy, K2, CLA.
Optional goat chèvre — A2 casein, calcium, K2.
Baja Gold sea salt — over 90 trace minerals from hand-harvested Baja California peninsula seawater.
Whole and ground spices (red pepper flakes, black pepper) — capsaicin, piperine (amplifies polyphenol absorption).
— Anna aka Food Marshall