As many of you know, food is my love language. When I researched my last cookbook, I discovered 70 percent of American’s don’t cook. This absolutely amazed me! I want to help adjust that statistic! What if I told you that many meals can be made in 40 minutes or less, with healthy and unprocessed foods? We should all be concerned about the amount of processed food we eat. Studies have repeatedly shown the more processed food we consume, the less healthy we become. In less time that it takes to order takeout pizza and wait for delivery, we could have a much healthier and satisfying meal on the table for ourselves and loved ones.

To accomplish this, I will do my part by blogging two recipes per month to give you examples of how easy this can be accomplished. Stay tuned for these as we explore how easy it can be to cook healthy meals with very little prep.

SHRIMP, BEAN AND ARTICHOKE STEW

INGREDIENTS:

• Zest from one lemon, plus juice from half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp, tail removed
• 2 large leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, white and light green parts sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, (1/2 stick)
• 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (homemade if possible)
• 1 can whole artichokes, drained and cut in half vertically
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine lemon zest, paprika, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and freshly cracked black pepper in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. When butter is foaming, add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly pink, 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a plate; set aside.
3. Add leeks, season with salt & pepper, and cook over medium heat until leeks are soft and starting to brown on the edges, 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, artichokes and stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in reserved shrimp and any juices from the plate, parsley and lemon juice. Garnish with additional chopped parsley.
4. Serve in bowls with toasted bread. SO SIMPLE!!!

Serves 4

“Good food is often, even most often, simple food.” –Anthony Bourdain