notes, quotes & anecdotes of a year fast passing

if you don’t like shrimp… i’m sorry. for the second time in three days, i’m sharing a shrimp recipe. but hot dang is this one delicious! i simplified and adjusted a recipe i saw on how sweet it is. i just can’t get over how many different flavors and textures there were in this dinner and it was so out of the norm from regular chicken, pasta, etc. dishes. everything tasted so fresh and bright and worked really well together and i can’t wait to have this dinner again.

since i was preparing the dish for one, i had some extra produce left over at the end and while there is still 1/2 an onion and 1/2 a mango in my fridge, that’s it.  i used the leftover 1/2 avocado, 1/2 tomato and 1/8 onion to make a little bit of guacamole on the side by mashing it together with some lime juice, salt, pepper and minced garlic. i also whipped up one serving of brown rice and mixed in some extra mango chunks and you guessed it… spritzed some lime on top.

my plate was so colorful, fun and NOT BORING!

1 cup shelled, deveined shrimp

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons flour

pinch of kosher salt, ground black pepper & garlic powder

1/4 mango, chopped

1/2 plum tomato, chopped

1/8 large, sweet yellow onion, chopped

1/2 avocado, chopped

2 small tortillas

1/4 lime

shredded lettuce

[this serves one person two tacos]

the shrimp cooks super quickly, so i’d do all the prep work in advance so you can just assemble and go! first, i put my rice on the stove since that takes the longest. but that’s just a side dish and doesn’t count, so i won’t talk about it anymore…

i chopped up the tomato, avocado, mango, onion and luckily my lettuce was pre-shredded. i assembled a colorful little plate and set it aside.

next, make sure the shrimp are totally dry and sprinkle on both sides with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. then lightly dredge them in the flour on both sides.

heat a skillet with the olive oil and cook the shrimp for about two minutes on either side. then remove them from the pan and let them drain on a paper towel.

warm your tortillas and begin assembling! layer all the chopped fruits/veggies, spritz with some lime juice.

i then wrapped mine up like a burrito, plated my sides and proceeded to enjoy this fun dinner VERY much!

click here for a printable version of the recipe!

apparently when i was little, i was at a party at my aunt’s and was just tall enough to reach over onto the top of the kitchen table. all my grubby little hands could reach was a plate of shrimp cocktail and i apparently mowed through them like they were popcorn. years later, i forgot about this and was convinced shrimp was gross and wanted nothing to do with it.

i finally came to my senses and fell back in love with shrimp (only in certain dishes, though) years later and have been eating the delectable seafood ever since. ways i love shrimp: shrimp cocktail with just lemon, fried shrimp, shrimp po’boys and shrimp scampi. ways i hate shrimp: in any kind of chinese food. (i sound like bubba gump right now.)

i also think shrimp is so fun to say. my dad and i, amidst our plethora of inside jokes, refer to them strictly as “shrimps” or “skrimps.” don’t ask. i’m not sure why, either. we also tease my nona that it’s her favorite food and she’d eat it for breakfast if she could!

anyways, i picked up some frozen shrimp a week or so ago so i could incorporate some other protein into my dinners other than chicken, chicken, chicken or chicken. they were easy to thaw quickly and this dish - although it sounds fancy - was SO quick and easy to make. very few dishes to do after and the longest step was waiting for the pasta to boil. go ahead and make this. you’ll impress someone :)

1 1/2 cups shrimp, shelled and deveined

salt & pepper

2 Tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine (i used riesling i had on hand)

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons parsley

linguine

[this recipe serves two]

first, get your pasta boiling early. i salted my water with about a Tablespoon of kosher salt and then put this fantastic linguine in. it came in a gift basket we got at work  while back and i snagged it for myself!

also, isn’t this pasta container/insert topper SO genius?! you pour out of one side or another based on how many servings you want! it’s fantastic and easy and helpful. those folks at tupperware are so smart.

anyways, like i said before - this is the most lengthy step, so get those guys in hot water ASAP!

lightly sprinkle your shrimp with salt and pepper - then set them aside for a second.

in a large skillet, melt the butter. bring the heat to high and place the shrimp in the skillet. after about a minute, add the minced garlic. a minute later, flip the shrimp and let them cook for another two minutes.

with tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. add the wine and lemon juice to the skillet and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and add the zest and parsley.

once the pasta is done, drain it and toss it into the skillet with the shrimp and the sauce. mix around until everything is well-dressed and serve. sprinkle with extra parsley or lemon for garnish.

click here for a printable version of the recipe!