Shrimp Farfalle

I've been eating a lot of shrimp lately. It's quick, easy and makes for a perfect weeknight protein. I've been eating less meat (especially red meat) so for me, shrimp is a great alternative. I feel like like I'm eating a meat, and shrimp is always such a treat.

This was one of those "clean out your pantry" type of meals. I just mixed up a bunch of things that I had on hand, and it worked out REALLY well! This pasta dinner was so flavorful, light and healthy. I really loved this and will certainly make it again.

Ingredients
1/2 12 oz. box farfalle pasta
1/2 head fresh broccoli, trimmed and chopped into medium pieces
8-10 precooked shrimp, thawed and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
1.5 cups chicken stock
aprox. 2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 fresh tomato, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs, chopped
salt
pepper
fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. During the last 3 or 4 minutes of cook time for the pasta, add fresh broccoli to the pasta water (keeping the pasta in the pot). Cook until pasta is done and broccoli is bright green and slightly softened. Be careful not to cook the broccoli too long - 3 minutes is about all you'll need. Drain pasta and broccoli and set aside.

In a large saucepan sprayed with non stick spray over medium-high heat, add shrimp. Cook until seared, about 2-3 minutes then flip shrimp to their other side and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add chicken stock, lemon juice and thyme leaves and whisk in corn starch until well combined. Cook until thickened, and season with salt and pepper. When sauce has thickened sufficiently, add pasta, broccoli and tomato to the saucepan. Toss everything together and serve hot. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Apricot dipping sauce

My husband and I have always loved coconut shrimp. We had it at our wedding and always order it out when we see it on the menu. I mean, is there anyone who doesn't love coconut shrimp? So when we got it in Florida (like, every day for lunch) I totally had the idea of making them at home. But hopefully, with cutting out some of that fat that frying brings!

Since I first made these, my husband and I have eaten them once a week. I have them for dinner, and my husband loves to pair them with a steak for a little "surf and turf." And since they are baked and not fried, you don't have to feel guilty about them. And perhaps our favorite part of this shrimp is the sauce! A super simple 3 ingredient sauce is all it takes to bring the shrimp from good to great!

Ingredients

For the Shrimp:
Frozen Cooked shrimp, thawed (however many you want! We usually make 16 depending on the size)
1/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 egg
splash of skim milk
1/2-1 tsp. coconut extract
salt
pepper
For the sauce:
aprox. 1/3 cup apricot preserves
1-2 tbsp dijon mustard (to taste)
1 tsp. coconut extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil and spray liberally with non stick spray. Set aside. Set up a breading station - put flour on one plate, whisk the egg with a splash of milk and 1 tsp. coconut extract, and put panko and coconut flakes on another, separate plate. Season the thawed shrimp with salt and pepper to taste. One by one, dredge the shrimp in flour until completely covered, then dip in egg mixture, then press into coconut/panko mixture. Line shrimp on the prepared baking sheet.

When all the shrimp are on the sheet, put in oven for 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Flip each shrimp over and put in oven for an additional 10-15 minutes until that side is light golden brown.

While the shrimp is baking, make the sauce. In a small bowl add the apricot preserves. Melt in microwave on high for about 20 seconds, until preserves are very smooth. Add mustard and coconut extract to taste.

Serve shrimp hot with apricot sauce.

Honey Lime Shrimp

I had half a bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer that I wanted to use up. I was making this on the side of my husband's favorite "thai pasta" so I tried to use flavors that would work well with that. I remember seeing a honey grilled shrimp on love deliciousness, so I started with the honey and went from there! These shrimp couldn't be simpler to make but came out so flavorful and delicious. As the shrimp cook, the sauce thickens right up so it adheres to the shrimp which creates wonderful texture and flavor. These would definitely be a crowd-pleaser!

*note: the quantity of the ingredients shown reflect the amount of shrimp I used. Obviously if you have more shrimp, use more of the ingredients so many of the shrimp can be submerged in the sauce!

Ingredients
Adapted from Love Deliciousness

Shrimp (as much as you want!)
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1-2 tbsp honey

Directions
Combine lime juice, ginger and honey in a bowl and stir to combine thoroughly. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and marinate at least 30 minutes, tossing shrimp every so often so all pieces of shrimp get in the sauce at some point. When ready to cook shrimp, spray saucepan with non stick spray and heat to medium. Add shrimp, being careful not to add the entire amount of the lime juice mixture to the pan. A little of the sauce is good though. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning shrimp over after about 5. I used pre-cooked shrimp, but if yours is uncooked make sure the shrimp are completely pink before you serve them. The sauce should start to thicken up and adhere to the shrimp after about 10 minutes. When that happens sautee for another few minutes and then serve hot.

Shrimp Scampi

I haven't always liked shrimp. In fact, when I was younger, I really disliked it. I never hated it (like mushrooms...yech!) but I never ordered it out either. But lately I have been craving it. When I went to Florida, I refused to get any chicken because I make it at home so much and I really like to try regional cuisine when I travel. I ended up getting shrimp quite a bit and really found that I enjoyed it.

So I was anxious to try Shrimp Scampi, and went with Tyler Florence's recipe. It was absolutely fantastic!!! I couldn't get over how easy it was to make, and it resulted in an absolutely fantastic meal! The flavors worked so well together...and did I mention it was easy?! Plus, all of the ingredients are things that I almost always have on hand! This was a great recipe, one that I will most certainly make again!

Ingredients
Source: Tyler Florence

1 pound linguini (I used dried homemade fettuccine - and probably not a pound's worth!)
4 tablespoons butter (I used 2)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling (I used 2)
1 large shallot, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, sliced
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional (I omitted)
20 large shrimp, about 1 pound, peeled and deveined, tail on (mine were on the smaller side)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used more like 3/4 cup)
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves (I omitted)
1 tsp cornstarch mixed/dissolved in a splash of water (I added this)
Directions

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of water. (I omitted this...I think the sauce would have been too thin with an extra cup of water)

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. I added the cornstarch mixture at this point, to thicken the sauce up. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil (I omitted this step, I didn't think the extra butter/oil was necessary). When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta and reserved pasta water (I omitted adding the extra pasta water, I think the sauce would have been much to thin with it). Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.