Tag Archives: shrimp

No More Excuses

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

Packing A Punch

There are days that start out well, then take an unexpected turn; like yesterday for example. I went to bed a little early and woke up abruptly when I heard a crash. I ran into the bathroom to find Val laying unconscious in a large pool of blood. I’m normally a steady Eddie in a crisis, but ever since Val’s brain surgery two years ago, our mantra has been don’t hit your head! I immediately called 911 to call an ambulance. As I followed the ambulance in my car I thought “Jeez she hasn’t been off our farm since March 9th because of Covid-19, and now we’re off to the emergency room!” After having a cat-scan it was determined that Val broke her nose and suffered a concussion. The good news was I brought her back home at 4:00 a.m. this morning. The lesson learned was don’t take a power slide on a tile floor. Floor 1, Val 0.

There are some punches that I can appreciate; like the first fresh garlic of the season. My go to recipe is Iberian Garlic Shrimp and boy does it pack a punch! Combine 2 heads of fresh garlic with roasted cherry tomatoes and sauteed shrimp and you have yourself a bowl full of yummy! Make sure you have a baguette to sop up all that goodness.

IBERIAN GARLIC SHRIMP

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 2 heads fresh garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 pounds large raw shrimp (13-15 count) shelled and de-veined
  • Juice and zest from one lemon
  • 16 ounces linguine, cooked in salt water according to package directions
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup finely shredded pecorino

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place cherry tomatoes on baking sheet lined with foil. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil over them and roll them around with your hands. Sprinkle with flake, or sea salt. Roast in upper 1/3 of oven for 25-30 minutes.
  2. Place a large pot of salt water to boil. Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain.
  3. In a large pan over medium-high heat, combine olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic. Saute garlic until softened, but not brown, about 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add shrimp and saute, tossing frequently until just done, about 2-3 minutes. If you think it needs additional time, take it off! It will continue to cook off heat.
  5. Place drained pasta in a large serving bowl. Top with shrimp and oil; then with roasted cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and zest, then chopped parsley and pecorino cheese.

Serves 4-6

img_6518

img_6520

“Instead of giving up in the face of adversity, you should face it with a positive attitude and a smile.”  —Anurag Prakash Ray

Blog at WordPress.com.