If you cook for two frequently, you may be able to pull a bunch of things out of your fridge that look a little like this:

Leftovers

Yep, that would be a random assortment of things leftover from meals this week. There's some chicken broth, about a half can of diced tomatoes, half an onion, half a can of black beans and 2 bell pepper halves--red and green--which I had the smarts to dice the first time I used them so that the next meal they went into would become even easier.

I really hate wasting food. I used to be a card-carrying member of the Oops-I-forgot-to-use-this-so-I-guess-I'll-just-pitch-it Club, but that was when I didn't cook as often and it was definitely before groceries were so damn expensive.

So about once a week or so, I end up peering into my fridge and making use of what's in those little tupperware containers. Tonight, with the help of some shrimp that I always keep in the freezer, this dish came about. I'm not really sure what to call it, so I'll just call it Tupperware Shrimp. It's reminiscent of a jambalaya but it's missing some key ingredients and it has the addition of a few others. Whatever you call it, it's a tasty, healthy way to use up leftovers. Now, I am mindful of the fact that most people don't have this exact combination of ingredients sitting in their fridge, nor do they want to end up with this random assortment of ingredients in their fridge by making a recipe using odd halved measurements. So, in the interest of a cleaner recipe, I have doubled what we ate for dinner below.

Tupperware shrimp

Tupperware Shrimp
Serves 4

1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 sprigs of thyme
a few good dashes of hot sauce
2/3 cup rice
1-1/3 cup chicken broth
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a large saute pan with a lid, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, & garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the diced tomatoes and spices and simmer for a couple of minutes to combine the flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil before stirring in the rice. Cover and simmer until the rice is almost done. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. About 2 minutes before the rice is done, stir in the shrimp and simmer until shrimp and rice are cooked.

Tupperware shrimp (2)

Nutritional Info Per Serving: Calories: 405 / Fat: 5.7g / Saturated Fat: .8g / Carbs: 55g / Fiber: 9g / Protein: 31g  

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The other day, I was reading Lindsey's blog and came across her post for Jamaican Jerk Shrimp, based on a recipe from the folks over at Blanchard's in Anguilla. As you may remember from my post last year, Tom and I honeymooned in Anguilla and we ate some of the best food of our lives there. Seriously. So good. Blanchard's was Tom's favorite restaurant on our honeymoon (it was a close second for me).

I came across this recipe at a great time, because Tom and I are actually celebrating our second anniversary today! Well, I shouldn't really say we are "celebrating" it today, since we're having a really easy pasta dinner and watching TV tonight. :) But, we will be celebrating it on Saturday at Blackbird!

Neither of us had the shrimp at Blanchard's, but if it comes out of the Blanchard's kitchen, I assume it has to be good. And this was really, really good. Despite what appears to be a relatively long list of ingredients, I had everything on hand except the peppers and scallions (and I ended up omitting the scallions). We had this with some roasted green beans and pineapple-black bean rice. We were just missing a white sandy beach. And a few days off work. And cucumber peels. And rum punch.

blanchard's shrimp

These would also make for some great appetizers!

Jamaican Jerk Shrimp
Blanchard's

1 Tbsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 Tbsp. freshly squeeze lime juice
2 scotch bonnet peppers, minced (I used habanero peppers)
1 small onion, minced
3 scallions, thinly sliced (I didn't have this so I omitted)
2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined

Prepare the grill or preheat the broiler.

Make the sauce: combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Slowly whisk in the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, orange juice and lime juice.  Stir in the peppers, onions and scallions and mix thoroughly. Simmer for about 10 minutes over medium heat.

Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper and grill or broil until done, a few minutes. Top (or toss) the shrimp with the sauce and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information (per 1/2 lb. of shrimp): Calories: 204 / Fat: 8.3g / Carbs: 8g / Fiber: 1g /  Protein: 24.5g 

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Well, we're back. We had a great time visiting family in Michigan and I ate my weight in Greek desserts (and lamb and potatoes and tzatziki and bread and...). Calorically speaking, the last 5 days didn't happen ;)

As a result of being out of town, we came home to a pretty empty kitchen. We won't be getting groceries until later tonight so in the meantime, I had to make due with what I had around. Frozen shrimp is one of the greatest things for those kinds of nights. You can cook it from frozen or just thaw it under some cold water for a few minutes. And there you go, you have a lean protein that is great in pasta or rice, grilled, in tacos, whatever you want.

A while back I came across two recipes for shrimp baked with feta and below is my version of this dish, made a little more Greek with the use of hilopites. Normally, I would make this with fresh basil and parsley but we didn't have any around. I did have the chopped/frozen basil from Trader Joe's, though, so I actually used a couple cubes of that.

This is a really simple, delicious and healthy dish. Hey, it won't erase the diples from the past weekend, but it will still make you feel great.

Baked shrimp and feta pasta (2)

Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta
Serves 2

1/2 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup hilopites (or orzo)
2 tsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried basil (I used 2 of the fresh/frozen TJ's cubes)
1/4 cup white wine
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
salt and pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook hilopites until just al dente (won't take long at all for such a small pasta). Drain.

Meanwhile, in a skillet or a small dutch oven, heat the olive oil until shimmering and then add the onions and cook until transulent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then, add the white wine and reduce by half. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, basil, and salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes to combine the flavors.

Off the heat, stir in the shrimp and the hilopites. Move the mixture to a small baking dish (unless you are using a dutch oven; if so just keep it like that) and top with the feta. Bake about 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp has cooked through.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 422 / Fat: 11g / Carbs: 46g / Protein: 28g

Baked shrimp and feta pasta

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After coming across a couple different recipes in Gourmet and on Ellie Krieger's show featuring baked shrimp, orzo and feta, I was thinking of ways to combine the recipes and make the dish. But, then I saw Peter's post for Greco Shrimp Linguini and I was tempted to make that (quite similar) dish, instead. 

As you know, I cannot follow a recipe to save my life, so I adapted the recipe and the method a bit. I used basil in place of parsley, kalamata olives in place of throumpes and I also lightened the dish a little (but, you know me, I increased the amount of cheese...). This made for a delicious and quite healthy dish. Thanks, Peter!
 

Greco linguini

Greco Linguini
Serves 2

4 oz. thin spaghetti or linguini (I used whole wheat)
1 Tbsp. extra virginn olive oil, divided
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
dried oregano
1 cloves garlic, whole
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small to medium zucchini, sliced into half moons
a drizzle or two of balsamic vinegar
8-10 black olives (I used kalamata), pitted and chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2-3 Tbsp. fresh chopped basil
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. On a baking pan, toss the tomatoes and one whole clove of garlic with 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, and dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst slightly.

Meanwhile, cook your linguini in boiling salted water until al dente and prepare the rest of the dish. In a skillet, add the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil. When shimmering, add the zucchini and minced garlic and saute until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute. Add the shrimp and olives and cook until the zucchini becomes tender and the shrimp is about halfway done. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and tomatoes (and their juices, pitch the whole garlic clove) and toss to coat everything. Turn off the burner. 

Add the hot linguini, basil and feta into the pan. Toss to coat everything and finish cooking the shrimp (the residual heat from the pan as well as the linguini will be enough to do this). Drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired, and season to taste.

Nutritional Info (without drizzling additional olive oil at the end): Calories: 468 / Fat: 16.3g / Carbs: 53.2 / Fiber: 9g / Protein: 27.2g

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Cajun shrimp pasta

This will be my last entry for a while. Tom and I leave tomorrow evening to spend the rest of the week with my family in Michigan. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

That said, we don't really have much in the way of groceries, and I just wanted to use up what we did have--a little half and half and some mushrooms. Thanks to the frozen sliced peppers and shrimp in my freezer (thank you Trader Joe's) and the pasta that is inevitably always in my cupboard, this really quick (and pretty healthy!) meal came together nicely. I decided to make a cream sauce (but one that is not terrible for you) and give it some spice with Cajun seasoning. Delicious! 

I am submitting this to Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast for Presto Pasta Night.

Cajun Shrimp Spaghetti with Cream Sauce
Serves 2

4 oz. cooked spaghetti or pasta of your choice (I use whole wheat)
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled/deveined
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/2 small onion, diced
1 cup sliced bell peppers (I used yellow, green and red)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
1/3 cup half and half
salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning to taste

Heat the butter over medium heat in a skillet. Sprinkle the shrimp liberally with Cajun seasoning, and then saute in the pan for 1 minute per side (you are not cooking it through here). Remove with a slotted spoon.

To the skillet, add the onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic. Saute until the vegetables are tender. Add the flour and stir it for a minute or two, to cook off its rawness. Add the half and half and stir, thickening. Put the shrimp back into the skillet to cook through. Season to taste with salt and pepper (and more Cajun seasoning, if desired). Toss with hot pasta and serve.

Cajun shrimp pasta (2)

Nutritional Information Per Serving (whole wheat pasta): Calories: 454 / Fat: 17g / Carbs: 53g / Fiber: 7g / Protein: 21.3g 

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DSC02561

Since I really liked Bobby Flay's German Potato Salad recipe I thought I would try another (my second) Bobby Flay recipe tonight, so I tried his ginger-soy-lime marinated shrimp. Yum! I did use peeled shrimp, though. I skewered them with peapods before grilling, and they were delicious.

DSC02559

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Since all we have in the freezer is pork chops and shrimp, I decided I better make shrimp because I definitely didn't want pork chops two days in a row. Then I realized scampi could not be a more perfect dish, because I had just a little white wine left to use up, and a bag of lemons.

I served this with some asparagus and cremini mushrooms that I halved and tossed with EVOO, salt, pepper, a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice, and roasted for about 10 or 12 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Shrimp Scampi
8 or 10 oz. pasta (linguini is traditional; unfortuntely I didn't have any)
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 cup dry white wine
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper

Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat butter and oil in a large skillet until melted together.

Add shrimp and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp turn pink and are done, about 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from skillet.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in wine, lemon juice, lemon zest and red pepper flakes. Reduce slightly. Season to taste.

Toss with shrimp and linguini. Garnish with cheese or parsley, if desired.

DSC01789

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This was a really easy, fresh, and pretty healthful recipe (even with some fatty additions by me, *oink*). I think the roasting of the veggies makes this more flavorful. Plus, in my mind, you cannot go wrong with lemon :)

Linguini with shrimp, adapted from Ellie Krieger.

Serves 2

4 oz. linguini or spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
8 asparagus spears, cut into 1 or 2" pieces
parsley to taste
parmesan or romano cheese, to taste/garnish
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Toss asparagus and tomatoes with 1.5 teaspoon olive oil an salt and pepper. Roast in oven about 12 minutes.

Cook spaghetti in salted, boiling water.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1.5 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high flame. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Add the lemon juice, white wine, and the chicken broth to the skillet. Let simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. Stir in butter and melt.

Return the shrimp to the pan and stir in the parsley. Add the drained linguini to the shrimp mixture, tossing to combine. Add asparagus and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Top with cheese.

DSC01550

Variation has less calories/carbs (less pasta) but a little more fat (butter, cheese).

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