Delicious Shrimp And Crab Bisque

I’ve loved bisques forever. If there’s any Brooklynites out there who remember Lundy’s on Emmons Avenue down in Sheepshead Bay, you’ll know where that love started. Sadly Lundy’s has been gone for years but not my love of these rich creamy soups. This shrimp and crab bisque is just another one I fell in love with.

Bisques are pretty simple to make. They are rich and filling enough to be the star attraction at dinner. Just add a hard roll and a green salad and you’re all set.

Shrimp And Crab

You don’t have to use the most expensive large or jumbo shrimp in this. The small or medium ones do just fine; in fact those sizes are preferred. And small and medium shrimp are quite budget conscious too. This soup won’t break the bank!

When it comes to the crab meat, I tend to use the canned variety. I know, I’m always on about fresh, but the canned is pretty good and the main thing is that it is shelf stable. Since I don’t do actual crab legs anymore, I consider it a good choice. Whatever you choose to use, the soup will be excellent so you have no worries.

The Cream

I departed from my usual here and used half and half instead of light or heavy cream. The way I though about it was the soup is rich enough with the seafood and heavy cream would have been overkill. Milk–whole milk that is–would probably work well too.

For my EU and UK readers, “half and half” is an American thing. It’s actually equal parts of whole (full fat) milk and single (light) cream.

The Recipe

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Shrimp and Crab Bisque

Creamy delicious soup

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Lundy's, rich seafood soups, seafood bisque

Servings: 6

Calories: 152kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
• 2 tbs finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
• 1/2 lb medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 1/2 lb pre-cooked crab meat
• 1/2 cup white wine

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a large saucepan, melt butter over a low heat. Stir in flour, salt, white pepper, bouillon granules, and onion. Blend 3/4 cup half-and-half cream into the mixture. Mix in shrimp and crab meat. Turn the temperature to medium heat and continue stirring until the mixture thickens.
• Blend the remaining half-and-half cream and wine into the mixture. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 678mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg

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Delicious Copycat Bubba Gump Shrimp

Haven’t seen Forest Gump in years but I remembered my husband and I enjoyed the film. I vaguely remember he owned a shrimp boat.

My memory was jogged when I saw this recipe on CD Kitchen and decided I had to make this. Mainly I love shrimp and coconut. Together, they’re outstanding. The shrimp are pretty sweet so a nice cocktail sauce or horseradish sauce is the perfect accompaniment for these shrimp. With most fried seafood, I prefer tartar sauce, but not with this. Cocktail sauce is it.

Deep Frying

These shrimp are deep fried. If you have an oil deep frying machine, that’s good but you are going to have to ditch the oil after making these. The coconut is the thing that makes the oil useless after frying. So I recommend doing these with about 1-inch/2.5-cm of oil in a regular skillet. Again, the oil should be discarded after cooking but it’s less wasteful than the gallon-or-so oil that fills a deep fryer.

Now the next question: no, you cannot air fry these. Anything batter dipped is an air frying disaster. Don’t even try it.

Batter

Where I generally make a batter with plain flour, this one uses baking mix–like Jiffy or Bisquik. The recipe stated “pancake mix” but then said, “Like Bisquik.” To me, pancake mix is the so-called complete stuff where you just add water. I don’t call Bisquik that, but maybe some do. Anyway, it’s what is used and I was surprised at the excellent results.

The liquid used is beer, just like you use for fish and chips (a famous food of my people) batter. The recipe didn’t state flat beer as most batters do. I used beer right out of the bottle and it worked just fine. The beer acts like yeast so let it stand about 15 minutes to rest.

The Recipe

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Copycat Bubba Gump Shrimp

Over-the-top delicious

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time2 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: batter dipped coconut shrimp, coconut shrimp, forest gump shrimp

Servings: 4

Calories: 284kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp 26-30 per pound
• 3/4 cup baking mix i.e. Bisquik
• 3/4 cup beer
• vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup flaked coconut

Instructions

• Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Devein, if needed. Rinse well and drain thoroughly.
• Pour oil to depth of 1-inch/2.5-cm into a Dutch oven or deep fryer; heat to 350F/180C.
• Combine baking mix and beer in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Mixture should resemble pancake batter.
• Dredge shrimp in flour; shake off excess. Dip shrimp into batter; dredge in coconut. Fry, a few at a time, 45 seconds on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

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Hawaiian Fried Rice Is Versatile

So versatile since you can make it with many meats–not just shrimp!

This fried rice recipe works very well with chicken or pork. Beef is good too because pineapple does go well with it. If you’ve ever eaten in a Mandarin restaurant, you probably saw pineapple beef on the menu.

Because I have quite a bit of shrimp in my freezer, I used up some of them in this dish. And since I always make too much of anything, a couple of friends who are on limited budgets appreciate the leftovers.

Speaking Of Leftovers…

Have any rice left over from a takeout earlier in the week? That’s perfect for this fried rice recipe since it’ll be cold already and a bit drier for sitting in the fridge. Plus rice from a restaurant always seems to taste better than the rice you make at home so it’s a great way to use it up.

Same goes for any leftover store-bought rotisserie chicken. Again, perfect for this. The only way I’d say no to that is if you got a chicken that was had a seasoning that just won’t go with these flavors. For me, that’d be one with barbeque sauce. But hey, if it appeals to you, then go right ahead.

Similarly, any leftover roast pork or beef is nice too, as I said before.

Substitutions

Lots of us have that can of pineapple in the pantry. However, it may not be tidbits. Rings or chunks can be cut up into small bits so there’s no reason to run out and buy the tidbits. I’d shy away from the crushed variety though–too mushy and almost impossible to drain.

No red bell pepper? Use green if you have it. The red just makes a nice pop of color but they basically taste the same.

No green onions? Just use more regular onion.

This meal is quite economical when you consider the substitutions and the leftovers.

The Recipe

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Hawaiian Fried Rice

Fried rice Polynesian style

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Polynesian

Keyword: fried rice, fried rice that's not chinese, polynesian rice

Servings: 4

Calories: 204kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbs oil divided
• 1 lb medium shrimp peeled and deveined
• 2 tsp fresh ginger minced
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 1 medium red bell pepper diced
• 1 medium carrot finely diced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 large can pineapple tidbits 20 oz/567 g, drained
• 2 cups cooked rice room temperature
• 6 green onions chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Mix soy sauce, curry powder and sugar in a small bowl.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat.
• Add shrimp and stir fry until they turn pink--about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan.
• In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook just until fragrant--about 10 seconds.
• Add the pepper, carrot and onion and stir fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the pineapple and shrimp.
• Add the rice and soy sauce mixture. Heat through tossing to combine and breaking up any lumps of rice. Stir in the onions.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 283mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3664IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

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Great One-Skillet Meal

Shrimp and zucchini with orzo is one of those quick one-pan meals that comes together easily.  Since it tastes so good, it’s sure to be on your dinner rotation permanently.

In fact, you’re not limited to shrimp here because any leftover meat will go great with the pasta and veggie combination. Chicken would be a natural choice, at least for me. So remember this recipe the next time you have any leftover rotisserie chicken.

Orzo

I remember the first time I discovered orzo. So many possibilities for its use went through my head. Orzo is truly a versatile pasta shape.

Of course it’s really not meant to be used in the usual pasta fashion and that’s the nicest part of it.

Orzo can take the place of rice in so many things. However, unlike most rices, orzo has a silky texture which makes it a great “extender” for any dish that has a sauce.

And just like rice, when there’s a sauce involved, you want to serve it immediately. Reason is since it’s like rice, it absorbs liquid rapidly. Wait too long and the dish is dry.

Add What You Like

I kept it simple here and used zucchini by itself. However, you can add lots more veggies to this dish to extend it. Adding more vegetables also will add interesting textures, not to mention adding more fiber which many of us are lacking.

If you have a child who’s not big on their “greens” it just may encourage them to eat more of what’s good for them. This will work especially if you vary colors so it looks pretty. My mother used to do this so my sister would eat more of them. My only vegetable phobia was eating the stalks of broccoli. Go figure it’s my favorite part now.

The Recipe

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Shrimp & Zucchini with Orzo

Quick and easy dinner.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: budget meals with shrimp, one pan shrimp dinners, orzo and shrimp skillet dinner

Servings: 4

Calories: 370kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 large zucchini cut in half lengthwise and into 1/4-inch slices (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
• 1 lb uncooked large shrimp peeled deveined
• 2 tbs butter
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
• 1 tbs finely chopped parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Add zucchini and salt; cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Remove with slotted spoon; reserve.
• Heat same skillet over medium heat; add garlic and pasta.
• Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant and pasta is lightly toasted.
• Add broth; cover and simmer 10 to 11 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed.
• Stir in shrimp, butter and zucchini; cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp are pink and pasta is tender.
• Stir in cheese, lemon, and thyme; garnish with parsley.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 309mg | Sodium: 1307mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 262mg | Iron: 4mg

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Honey Shrimp And Broccoli

Here’s another dish that will let you skip that take-out place.

Since making your favorite take-out dishes also saves you plenty of money, here’s another one for your arsenal. Another great thing is you know exactly what’s going into your meal. That’s a great benefit–or at least it is to me. In fact, I’ve duplicated many of my favorites, such as Dan Dan Noodles so I don’t break my budget by getting it from a restaurant. That’s not to say that I don’t order out when I simply don’t feel like cooking (and who doesn’t at times?). This way is just more cost-effective.

A Complete Meal

Like most stir-fry dishes, this is a complete meal since it has your protein and veggies. Combine it with some nice jasmine rice and it’s really filling too. Serving with rice also extends the portions; that’s something to remember if you’re on a tight budget and want to eat shrimp. However, I’ve noticed some great deals on shrimp in the past year so it’s not as extravagant as it once was.

You can also beef this meal up by adding in different veggies in addition to the broccoli. I used sliced water chestnuts here for some crunch and they work very well. Summer squash is good addition too. Anything you like would be delicious, just as long as the vegetables are fresh.

Add Some Spice

For those who like a bit of heat in their food, this can be jazzed up too.

Some Thai chiles or any other hot red pepper can be added. They also add a pop of color. If you’re not into heat, then red bell peppers are good.

You can even add some red pepper flakes to the sauce. A pinch is about right for me, but let your own taste be your guide.

The Recipe

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Honey Shrimp With Broccoli & Water Chestnuts

Quick and easy so why get take-out?

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: copycat chinese take out, honey shrimp, stir fry with broccoli, stir fry with shrimp

Servings: 4

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts drained
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 2 tbs honey

Sauce:

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 2 tbs cornstarch

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Pat shrimp dry with paper towels.
• Add the cornstarch to a small bowl then add the remaining sauce ingredients; stir well
• Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or wok over high heat. Add the shrimp and garlic. Drizzle the shrimp with the honey.
• Stir fry until shrimp are pink and lightly crusted and brown. Add the sliced water chestnuts.
• Add the broccoli and stir fry until it is bright green.
• Stir the sauce again so it's well blended and add to the shrimp and broccoli. Stir and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute to cook the cornstarch.
• Serve immediately over rice.
• 1/2 tsp of powdered ginger may be substituted.
• If you want a little heat in this dish, sprinkle with a little red pepper flakes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 288mg | Sodium: 1121mg | Potassium: 385mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 4mg

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Versatile Shrimp

Much like ground beef, shrimp is one of the most versatile proteins around. You can do so much with shrimp and since they’re often on sale, that’s a real bonus.

Shrimp toss is basically a pasta primavera with some shrimp added. It’s a wonderful dish and I still can’t decide whether it’s the shrimp or the pasta that’s my favorite part of this. This is one of those childhood meals I’ve always loved. And since it’s a recipe my mother favored, I’m pretty sure that is quite healthy. My mother was into healthy eating long before it became a vogue.

Tomatoes

My mother always used fresh. However, in winter, fresh tomatoes don’t have such a great flavor. The only divergence  from my mother’s recipe is that I use canned diced tomatoes–and fire roasted for a fuller flavor. I learned from Julia Child that canned tomatoes are all “summer” tomatoes and therefore are more flavorful. So I pretty much stick to the fire-roasted canned unless someone gives me tomatoes from the garden.

If you make this in the summer and you grow tomatoes, definitely use your home grown.

Pasta

This recipe is best with a straight long pasta. Regular and thin spaghetti work very well here and so does linguine and fettuccine. Because it’s a light dish, angel hair is good as well.

Try to avoid thick chewy styles such as bucatini or any tubular pasta. These are personal preferences, of course, but a thicker pasta would overwhelm the rest of the dish.

A little tip I picked up with pasta dishes such as this is always reserve a bit of the water you cooked the pasta in to toss in if necessary. A tablespoon or two seems to make these types of dishes a little oomph.

The Recipe

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Shrimp Pasta Toss

Simple but delicious pasta dinner

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lenten dinners, low fat pasta dinners, shrimp with pasta and tomatoes

Servings: 4

Calories: 488kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked spaghetti
• 1/4 cup butter
• 12 oz medium-large shrimp cleaned & deveined
• 1 small green pepper chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely minced or pressed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes drained fire roasted preferred
• 1 tbs fresh basil chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cook spaghetti per package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Melt butter in a large skillet until it sizzles. Add onion, shrimp, green pepper, garlic, salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until shrimp turns pink. Stir in tomatoes and basil.
• Place the cooked spaghetti into a large bowl and top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and toss to combine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 256mg | Sodium: 1692mg | Potassium: 512mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 725IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 323mg | Iron: 4mg

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Shrimp Provençal: Just Sounds Fancy

Sounds fancy but it’s really easy!

“Provençal” just means “provincial.” While it may take on other meanings at times, in cooking that just means that it contains tomatoes and garlic. Simple as that.

This is a wonderful dish to serve on Christmas Eve as one of the “seven fishes.” It’s an Italian tradition to do fish on Christmas Eve, hence, the “seven fishes.” I grew up with this and even though I don’t have an Italian background, lots of my friends did. I used to love going over on Christmas Eve to share that tradition since I love fish and shellfish.

Tomatoes Fresh Or Canned

Fresh tomatoes work perfectly in this dish. You will have to skin, seed and juice them first though.

Everyone who follows me knows I recommend using fresh ingredients when it comes to veggies and herbs–except here I recommend using canned diced tomatoes; and definitely the fire roasted variety especially. The fire roasted ones give this just the flavor it needs. Do remember to drain the juice from the can otherwise the sauce will be too watery. Save that juice though. It can be used in soups, stews and many other recipes.

The Pasta

I used ziti here because I had some I wanted to use up. Any pasta shape will do here unless it’s huge, like rigatoni for instance.

This would even be nice served with spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine. Use what you have because it will work!

The only thing to keep in mind is remembering that the casserole is going to cook in a sauce so you want the pasta to be a bit under-done so it’s perfect after baking. Boiling it for about 2 minutes less than the package directions will be best.

The Recipe

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Shrimp Provencal & Ziti

Tasty and filling shrimp and pasta casserole

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lenten meals, shrimp casseroles, shrimp with pasta and tomatoes

Servings: 6

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked ziti or penne
• 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
• 3 cloves garlic finely minced
• 3 tbs unsalted butter divided
• 1 tsp oil
• 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp dill weed
• 2 tbs flour
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes drained
• 1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cook ziti about 2 minutes less directions state; drain and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
• Heat a large, deep oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and 1 tbs of the butter and heat until butter is bubbly.
• Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the shrimp, parsley and dill. Cook until shrimp turns pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan and keep warm.
• In the same pan, melt the remaining butter. Whisk in the flour and stir until no lumps remain. Cook for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Whisk in the half-and-half and cook until it begins to bubble.
• Add the drained tomatoes, lemon juice, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Stir in the reserved shrimp and cooked ziti. Top with mozzarella cheese.
• Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Notes

For EU/UK readers--"half-and-half" is an American dairy product which is 50% whole milk and 50% light/single cream. Whole (full-fat) milk can be substituted as stated in the recipe.

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Shrimp Is Economical

Shrimp has become very reasonable in price lately since there’s many weekly sales that include it. I now consider it to be an economy ingredient and I’m using it a lot more often.

Shrimp is also most people’s favorite seafood. There’s a reason for that–it’s delicious and quick cooking. There’s also many ways to make it so I compare it in many ways to ground beef.

Whether you make shrimp deep fried, in stir fries or with a nice sauce over pasta or rice, it’s pretty much universally liked.

Shrimp Florentine: Less Than 30 Minutes

Who wouldn’t want a delicious and yes, gourmet dinner in less than 30 minutes. Of course the answer to that would be everyone.

Shrimp, as stated before, is very quick cooking. All you need to do is cook it until it turns pink. That takes less than 10 minutes with most sizes of shrimp.

The sauce begins with heavy cream which is a good shortcut to a quick-cooking sauce. Of course it also tastes great! The sauce also gets additional flavor from being reduced after the addition of chicken stock.

You can use less-fatty versions of the heavy cream. Light cream and half-and-half would be good substitutes but bear in mind that those substitutions require a longer time to reduce the necessary amount.

So, the combined cook times for the dish come to 20 minutes or under even with the reduction. It’s 30 minutes or less if you use the lighter creams.

Undiluted evaporated milk can be used in a pinch, however, I don’t recommend it. It does have a certain “taste” which will come through even after cooking. If you don’t mind that, then by all means, use it if you don’t have any cream.

About The Spinach

Frozen spinach requires you to squeeze out all the water you can. I am always amazed at how much water is actually in the stuff. In dishes such as this, I try not to use it for that reason alone.

As always, fresh baby spinach is best to use in this. The measurement for the spinach in the recipe is based on drained frozen spinach, so if you have fresh, double or triple the amount.

The Recipe

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Shrimp Florentine

Easy and elegant dinner

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 30 minute seafood meals, recipes for lent with shrimp, shrimp florentine, shrimp in cream sauce recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 457kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp cleaned and deveined
• 2 tbs olive oil

Sauce:

• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tbs unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup rich chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese grated
• 1 cup chopped spinach thawed and water squeezed out (see NOTES)
• Salt & Pepper to taste.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add the oil and when it shimmers, add the shrimp. Cook just until it starts to turn pink; remove from pan.
• In the same pan, add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the garlic and cook only until it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the stock, cream and grated cheese. Stir well, and cook until the liquid is reduces 25 per cent, about 6-10 minutes.
• Add the spinach and the shrimp. Simmer for about 5 minutes and serve immediately.

Notes

Fresh baby spinach may be substituted, but use about 2 cups.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 381mg | Sodium: 1072mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5591IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 326mg | Iron: 3mg

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Shrimp So Delicious But So Easy

First I have to say I love shrimp. I buy it a lot because it’s often on sale for a great price–yes, even now!

I make a lot of shrimp recipes. My most recent was a Cajun shrimp and it was great, although it was the rice that was the star of that show.

In this recipe, the star is the grilled jalapeño shrimp and it’s due to the delicious marinade! The marinade combines pretty ordinary flavors, however when they’re mixed up together, it becomes something a lot more than the sum of it’s parts.

These shrimp are also easy to prepare and cook. And they’re perfect to make on the outside grill.

Jalapeños Supply The Heat

I have lots of jalapeños at the moment. I got on another rip with them when my Instacart shopper substituted them for Thai chiles. OK I wasn’t thrilled with the substitution because I actually needed small skinny red peppers, so I wanted to use them for something else other than scrambled eggs with cheese and diced jalapeños (this is a guilty pleasure of mine–try it). I found a similar recipe on my grocery store’s website whilst shopping and decided to make it with what I had.

The heat from the peppers offset the sweet and garlicky flavor of the shrimp. The effect is perfect. You also have the added “roasted” flavor that grilling gives the peppers.

If you don’t like heat, then a great substitution would be green or red bell peppers cut into about 1-inch/2.5cm squares. There is jalapeño in the marinade, but the slight amount of heat is offset by the other ingredients. Again, if you don’t want to take the chance, then substitute about 4 tablespoons of bell pepper. It won’t taste exactly the same, but it’ll be good.

A Word About Wooden Skewers

If you don’t have nice, long stainless skewers and use the wooden kind, make sure they are at least 10-inches/25 cm long. Remember you can always put small amounts on a large skewer but not the other way around.

You also must soak them in warm water for at least 30 minutes before using them. This retards them burning up and breaking. They will still singe, but the soaking makes the rate of burn much slower.

What I do to stop the bottom of the skewer burning or getting hot is I place that part off the front side of my gas grill so there’s no heat on it. Alternately, you can place a strip of foil under that part to prevent the burning and the end getting hot if you don’t want the ends hanging off the side of the grill.

The Recipe

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Boozy Jalapeño Shrimp

Grilled skewers of yummy shrimp & peppers

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Marinate20 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, GRILLING, Main, Main Course, Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cilantro marinade for shrimp, grilled shrimp with jalapeño, marinades with jalapeños

Servings: 4

Calories: 307kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb extra large shrimp peeled & deveined
• 4 jalapeños seeded & cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 4 long wooden skewers

Marinade:

• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 2 tbs honey
• 1 tbs lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Place all marinade ingredients and 1 of the jalapeños in a blender and process until liquified. This will make approximately 3/4 cup.
• Preheat grill on high heat.
• Place the remaining jalapeños and shrimp in a plastic zipper bag. Pour in HALF the marinade. Seal bag and massage contents to coat the shrimp & peppers. Let this sit for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, soak the skewers in warm water for 20 minutes.
• Skewer shrimp & jalapeños, alternating a shrimp with a jalapeño piece.
• Place on grill and cook about 10 minutes, turning and basting with remaining marinade.

Nutrition

Serving: 1skewer | Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 1028mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 218IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Boozy Jalapeño Shrimp appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Shrimp And Rice Cajun Style

If you love shrimp and rice combinations, this is one that will knock your socks off.

The funny thing about this recipe is that it is not so much the shrimp that is spectacular, it’s actually the rice that steals the show here.

In fact, this rice concoction is so good, you might want to skip the shrimp and just serve it by itself. It’s satisfying and loaded with veggies. And loaded with all this good stuff, it’ll leave you full and satisfied.

Easy Substitutions

Don’t fret if you don’t have any shrimp on hand. This recipe is perfect for any meat or poultry substitution.

Leftover meat and poultry work well too. Just toss the leftover meat in the rice pot during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

For fresh meat, you can saute that in a skillet with a bit of oil or butter until it’s cooked through. Then just put it on top of the rice when you serve it.

And another good point here is, you really don’t need any meat at all. The star of this show is the rice and it’s plenty satisfying all by itself. You won’t miss the meat.

No Meat?

As I said above, the rice is good enough to satisfy without any added meat, poultry or seafood.

And this also works for a vegetarian or vegan meal.

For a vegetarian meal, simply replace the chicken stock with a good vegetable stock. For a vegan meal, do the same as for a vegetarian meal except use a very flavorful olive oil or vegan butter in place of regular butter.

For the very best flavor, I use jasmine rice. It adds so much more to this dish. Basmati works well too, but if all you have is regular long-grain white rice, use that. It will still have wonderful flavor.

The Recipe

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Cajun Shrimp and Rice

Surprise! It’s the rice that steals the show in this dish

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course, Seafood, vegetarian dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cajun shrimp, louisiana shrimp, vegan rice recipe, vegetarian rice recipe

Servings: 6

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
• 3 tbs unsalted butter divided
• 1 tbs Cajun seasoning see NOTES
• 1 tbs garlic minced
• 1 lemon zest and juice
• 1 tbs fresh parsley chopped, optional

Rice:

• 3 tbs unsalted butter
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1/2 cup celery chopped
• 1/2 cup bell pepper diced
• 1 tbs garlic mincned
• 1 cup rice jasmine preferred
• 1 1/2 cup chicken stock low-sodium preferred
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• For rice, melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the celery, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Don’t let it brown. Stir in the Cajun seasoning.
• Add the rice and stir until rice is slightly toasted. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, then cover, set aside and keep warm
• For the shrimp, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat in a large heavy skillet. Sprinkle the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning.
• Add the shrimp and cook until golden brown on each side; about 5 minutes for large shrimp. Add the garlic and cook only until garlic is aromatic; about 30 seconds.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice and zest, tossing to coat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter, tossing the shrimp in the melting butter.
• Serve immediately over the rice.
• Top with the chopped parsley if using.

Notes

To make your own Cajun seasoning, follow link in the first heading.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 223mg | Sodium: 686mg | Potassium: 293mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1582IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 3mg

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