herbed shrimp and white bean salad

healthy. fresh. and satisfying.

most times salads can leave you with a feeling on wanting more (maybe that's just me?), but this recipe is quite the opposite. the protein-packed white beans and shrimp fill you up and make you feel full longer. i love all the different components to this meal - especially the fresh herbs. they really help bring new flavors to an ordinary bland salad. don't let the long ingredient list fool you - this couldn't be easier to pull together on a week night.

ingredients:
source: cooking light

1 roasted red bell pepper
4 cups arugula, loosely packed
1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

directions:
combine bell pepper, arguar, red onion, chives, basil, parsely and beans in large bowl. in a separate bowl mix lemon rind and juice, garlic, oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. coat pan with cooking spray. season shrimp with salt and pepper. cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. add shrimp, lemon mixture, and nuts to arugula mixture; toss.

serve immediately.  goat cheese would be a great addition to this as well.

Read more...

shrimp with curry coconut milk sauce

this is the second part of the dinner i made for my family over the weekend. it's another 30-minute seafood dish that i had while volunteering at CulinAerie.  when i first saw this on the menu, i was disappointed because i absolutely hate the smell of curry. something about it makes me want to gag every time. i was pleasantly surprised that red curry paste does not smell or taste like that yellow curry powder stuff. when making this, don't forget to add the lime juice - it helps to cut the fatty/creaminess of the coconut milk.  

note: this recipe serves 2.

ingredients:
1/2 lb jumbo shrimp
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon red curry paste
juice of one lime
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup baby bok choy, sliced thinly
cilantro, to garnish
cooked rice, as a side
evoo
s&p

directions:
heat evoo in large saucepan over medium heat. saute onion, ginger, bok choy and garlic about 3-4 minutes, just until soft. stir in coconut milk, water, red curry paste and s&p. bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. stir in shrimp and increase heat to medium-high. cook and stir until shrimp is cooked through, about 5 minutes. add juice of lime at the last minute. serve over a bed of rice with a garnish of cilantro.

Read more...

baked coconut shrimp with orange marmalade dipping sauce

click on image to zoom in.

i had a real craving for the fried version of these little guys. i decided to re-create the same taste without all the fat by baking them instead of frying. everyone said it tasted just like the real thing and wasn't afraid to go back for seconds. i served it with a sweet dipping sauce to compliment the sweetness of the coconut. this could also be a great appetizer for a party served on skewers! here's how to do it (recipe will serve about 4).

ingredients:
1 pound medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
3/4 shredded coconut
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
4 tablespoons orange marmalade (could also use mango or pineapple, but we couldn't find any)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
4 tablespoons orange juice

directions:
set up a "dredging station" of three separate bowls. one for the flour, one for the panko/coconut mixed together and one for the eggs/water beaten together. first dip the shrimp in the flour, then egg mixture then coconut/panko. place on raised baking sheet (to do this, place a cooling rack on top of cookie sheet. this will ensure that all sides of the shrimp will get crispy. if you don't do this, the bottom will get soggy and mushy because it didn't have the hot air from oven circulating all around it.) bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until shrimp have turned to a golden brown color. to make dipping sauce, whisk together marmalade, dijon mustard and orange juice. it's that simple. enjoy!

Read more...