coconut milk shrimp

I love when the jumbo easy-peel shrimp goes on sale at the grocery store because I love to make this coconut milk shrimp dish.

It's super easy to make! I honestly think the part that takes the longest is deveining the shrimp, but then again, I am the pickiest person when it comes to doing that (ask my husband) so it might not take you as long as it takes me.

Ingredients:

1 pound of jumbo easy-peel shrimp, shells removed, deveined*
1 can of coconut milk (not the low fat stuff!)
2 shallots, sliced
2 shoots of green onions/scallions
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
1/2 a stick of butter
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan about 2 inches deep, melt 1/2 the butter over medium heat and add the sliced shallots. Season with salt and pepper, stir occasionally, and let them soften (about 5 minutes).
2. Add the garlic cloves (I like to put them in whole so that you can remove them easier later if you don't want to eat them and have garlic breathe the next day), turn up the heat to high, and add the shrimp.
3. Let the shrimp get cooked on one side before stirring and flipping them over (about 2 minutes). Add the green onions and the remaining 1/2 of the butter.
4. Once the shrimp are nice and pink, add the coconut milk. Stir and let it get back up to a little bit of a boil. Then turn the heat down to really low and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Serve over rice and enjoy!



*I put that asterisk next to deveining because when I say I'm picky about deveining, I mean I devein the backside of the shrimp and the belly of the shrimp too. I know, it's a bit much but that stuff creeps me out.

lemony shrimp pasta

Lemon Shrimp Pasta + Broccolini

Since I can't indulge in red tomato sauces anymore (poo!), I have to stick with an olive oil alternative. To change it up once in a while, I add some lemon juice.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb box of fettuccine noodles
• 1 lb of jumbo, easy-peel shrimp
• 1 bunch of broccolini
• 1 clove of elephant garlic (or 2-3 cloves of regular garlic)
• olive oil
• grated romano cheese
• lemon juice (either fresh squeezed from one lemon, or a few squirts of the concentrated stuff - it's all the same)

Directions:

1. Start boiling a lot of water in a pot for your pasta.
2. Rinse and devein the shrimp. Set aside to dry.
3. Cut off about 1/2 an inch off the bottom of the broccolini stalks, then rinse them under cold water. Set aside to dry.
4. Add some salt to your pasta water, then add the noodles. Cook them to al dente texture.
5. Slice the garlic into thin disks. In a pan that you can cover with a lid, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Carefully add the garlic being careful not to splash yourself with oil.
6. With the pan's lid in your left hand (or non-dominant hand) and the broccolini in your right hand, quickly add the broccolini to the oil and cover immediately with the lid. It's going to crackle and splash oil like you can only imagine (but it's okay!).
7. Shake the pan a little bit and after about 2 minutes (when the sizzling dies down), take a pair of tongs and turn them over. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then shut the heat off and keep the lid on.
8. In another pan, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper, then add to the pan in a single layer being careful not to get hit with hot oil.
9. Cook for about 3 minutes, then turn them over using a spatula. Sprinkle with a little bit of lemon juice and cook for another 2 minutes. Then shut the heat off and set aside.
10. Drain your pasta and return the pasta to the pot. Add some lemon juice and a couple of drizzles of olive oil. Stir to coat the noodles well, then add the shrimp to the pot. Add some more black pepper to taste.
11. Serve in a big bowl topped with some of the broccolini. Garnish with some grated romano cheese.

(Who knew typing up a recipe could make a person so hungry!?!?!)