Gulf Coast and Southern-inspired cuisine, thoughtfully tailored for a low-potassium diet

The turkey tenderloin gets seared in a dry pan first and then finished in the oven at 375°F until it reads 155°F, which is the whole reason it slices as cleanly as it does. Turkey dries out faster than chicken, so it comes out five degrees early and carries the rest on the counter. The oven-baked Cajun chicken breast is treated the same way, rubbed heavily and roasted rather than pan-cooked, because a dry rub burns in a skillet long before the middle is done. Both are sliced only after they have cooled.

Shrimp and corn together is the plate I keep coming back to in July, and this version of the dish is a straight Louisiana one: the shrimp go in at the very end, off the heat, and finish in the residual warmth of the corn. Cook them any longer and they curl into rubber. The baked mini bell peppers stuffed with part-skim ricotta and herbs came about as something to eat cold out of the fridge without heating anything, and they have stayed on the menu ever since.

A few timings for the week. Cajun chicken breast wants 10 minutes at 350°F covered, with the tzatziki added cold after, since heating yogurt splits it. The Louisiana shrimp and corn should be first out of the fridge and warmed no more than 3 minutes in a pan. Baked green beans with paprika and nutritional yeast take 6 minutes at 400°F uncovered. Everything left Houston chilled, so these all start from a cold fridge rather than room temperature.