Shrimp Scampi

1 lb. shrimp – peeled and deveined
4 Tbsp. butter
½ lb. spaghetti
1 tsp. minced garlic
¼ cup chicken broth

½ container cream cheese with chives

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Melt butter in a large frying pan.  Add garlic and shrimp.  Cook on medium-high heat until the shrimp is until they begin to curl and become opaque.  Add broth and cream cheese.  Stir until the cream cheese has melted and broth has slightly thickened.  Add to spaghetti and toss until mixed. 

Comments:  I love Shrimp Scampi but wanted to give it a different twist.  That is where the cream cheese came in.  I used large shrimp which I cut in half, but you can use other sizes.  As for the cream cheese, you can add more or less depending on your own desire.  This turned out simply delicious and the sauce coated the spaghetti perfectly.  I also used veggie spaghetti making it a little healthier.

Shrimp Alfredo Mac & Cheese

1 box (16 oz.) elbow macaroni
1 jar (16 oz.) Alfredo Sauce
1 lb. shrimp, cooked and cleaned
1 block (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheese
Panko

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook macaroni according to package directions.  In a large bowl combine Alfredo sauce, cream cheese and cheese.  Stir in shrimp and noodles.  Pour into a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with Panko and bake another 5 minutes.

Comments:  My nursing home friend loves shrimp, Alfredo and cheese so I came up with a combination that included all of these and named it Shrimp Alfredo Mac & Cheese.  I found the shrimp on sale - large buy one get one - so I used a bag of them cutting each into bite size pieces.  This dish came out simply delicious.  I sent some over to my 99 yr. old friend and she loved it too.

Shrimp & Rice for One

8 med. shrimp, cooked

1/4 cup wild rice blend, uncooked

4 mushrooms, sliced

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. butter

1 tsp. flour

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbsp. sour cream

1/4 tsp. paprika

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt/ Set aside and keep warm. Combine mushrooms, green onions, broth and garlic in a non-stick skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until liquid evaporates. Add butter, stirring to melt. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Stir in sour cream and shrimp. Spoon over rice; sprinkle with paprika.  Serves 1

Nutrition Facts

Values Per 525g % Daily Value*

Calories 624

Calories from Fat 80

Total Fat 8.9g 14%

Saturated Fat 2.7g 14%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.1g

Cholesterol 1106mg 1106%

Sodium 1281mg 53%

Potassium 889.41mg 25%

Carbohydrates 8g 3%

Protein 119.6g

Vitamin A 32% · Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 48% · Iron 9%

Spaghetti with Garlic-Shrimp & Broccoli

1/2 lb. Spaghetti, uncooked (I used Quinoa)
4 cups small broccoli florets
1/2 cup Kraft Tuscan House Italian Dressing
1 lb. uncooked deveined, peeled large shrimp
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook spaghetti in a large saucepan as directed on the package, omitting the salt.  Add broccoli to the boiling water for the last 2 minutes of cooking.  While spaghetti is cooking heat dressing in a large skillet on medium high heat.  Add shrimp and garlic;  Cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turns pink.  Drain spaghetti mixture (rinse with hot water if using Quinoa).  Return to the pan and add shrimp mixture and cheese.  Mix lightly.

Comment:  I found this on the KraftRecipes.com.  It not only sounded good but I actually had all of the ingredients on hand.  I do gluten free so I used the Quinoa spaghetti which I've found needs rinsing in hot water after cooking due to the starches that cook out.  Other than that I followed the recipe completely.  This dish is not only good but it's only 330 calories for a serving.  The picture above is 1 1/4 cups and that is the per serving amount.  A lot of food!

Maifun and Shrimp

2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1  lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pkg. (6.75 oz.) Maifun Rice Sticks
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
sesame seeds

In a large bowl combine lemon juice, ginger, sesame oil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Add shrimp and toss to coat.  Refrigerate 30 minutes tossing now and then to coat.  In another large bowl place Maifun Rice Sticks and cover with hot water.  Let soak 10 minutes.

Place shrimp in a single layer in a large frying pan.  Pour sauce over and cook shrimp until done.  Remove shrimp.  Drain Maifun and add to pan.  Add soy sauce and toss to coat.  Serve Maifun with shrimp on top.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Comments:  I had never used nor eaten Maifun Rice Sticks until I made this dish.  The original recipe called for bean thread but I picked up the Maifun by mistake so that's what I used.  Maifun has a chewy texture and it picks up the flavors of what it's cooked with very well.  I'm actually glad I made the mistake but you can also use the bean thread and even angel hair pasta if you want.  The recipe also called for the shrimp to be marinated in the sauce, with it being disposed of after removing the shrimp.  There was then another sauce made that had the same ingredients with the addition of the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.  I couldn't see wasting that delicious marinate so I decided to cook the shrimp in it and add just the soy sauce when I added the Maifun which was another step I changed.  Originally it would be just served on the dish with the shrimp on top and the 2nd batch drizzled over.  So, what it boils down to is that I shortened the time and ingredients of this dish and it still came out tasting absolutely delicious!

Shrimp Alfredo

1 lb. spaghetti or fettuccine
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 cups half-and-half
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 lb. shrimp, cooked, shelled and deveined
1/4 cup cheese for topping
Panko

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook spaghetti according to package.  Drain and add olive oil, tossing to coat.  Mix 1/4 cup of the half-and-half with the cornstarch.  Stir well and set aside.  In a medium saucepan add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of half-and-half and place over medium-high heat.  Stir in the garlic salt and nutmeg.  Bring to a simmer and then stir in the cornstarch mixture.  Cook for about a minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add cheese stirring until melted.  Add shrimp.  Pour over spaghetti and toss to coat.  Pour into 2 qt. baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese and Panko.  Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.  Serves 6

Comment:  I found a version of this recipe on recipe.com.  I made just a few changes.  For one, I had no fettuccine but plenty of spaghetti so I made that change.  The recipe called for Asiago cheese but I decided to use Cheddar which worked out perfect.  It called for 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed and since I'm not a fan of frozen peas I omitted that ingredient.  It called for jumbo shrimp which I have but I also had some pre-cooked frozen small shrimp.  I thawed these, pinched off the tails and they worked perfectly.  I also added the baking step, extra cheese and Panko.  This dish is really good and if you Think With Your Taste Buds you can come up with other variations such as using chicken instead of shrimp; using Imitation Crab which will really cut the cost;  using different flavors of cheese; and maybe even adding capers or olives for added flavor.

Shrimp Salad

1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
1 cup chopped celery
1 large carrot, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped (white and green tops)
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
salt & pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine all ingredients.  Chill until ready to serve.

Comment:  I found this recipe in an allrecipes booklet.  I made just a couple of changes.  I chopped my carrot instead of shredding it.  I used only 1/4 cup of chopped green onions instead of 1/2 cup of regular.  And I decreased the mayonnaise from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup and could probably have cut that down to about 1/4 so I recommend adding the mayo a little at a time.  I wasn't sure that I would like this.  I simply couldn't imagine mayo and shrimp but some people do dip their shrimp in tartar sauce which has mayo as an ingredient.  I wasn't sure about the boiled eggs and shrimp but used them anyway.  What I found when making this dish was 1 - you can taste each ingredient individually which makes it unique.  2 - it's a perfect light meal served on a bed of lettuce with crackers.  3 - this dish is simply delicious!

Spicy Shrimp

1/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. Ginger, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced

In a medium-size bowl, toss shrimp with lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil on medium-low heat.  Add the shrimp, orange juice, ginger, and red pepper flakes.  Sauté 2-3 minutes turning the shrimp and stirring frequently.  Add garlic and continue to sauté until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 3-4 minutes longer.  Serve with additional lemon juice.  Serves 2

Nutrition Facts per serving - 264 calories, 138 calories from fat, 15.6g total fat, 172.4 mg. cholesterol, 314.8 mg sodium, 315.4 mg. potassium, 7.1 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 3.1 g sugar, 23.6 g protein

Recipe Tips

Diabetic Exchange: 1 vegetable + 3 lean-fat meat + 2 fat.

Shrimp is heart healthy and provides a source of vitamin B12 and protein.  Lemon and orange juice contain vitamin C and strengthen the immune system.  Garlic contains sulfur compounds and boosts the immune system.  Ginger strengthens the immune system and decreases inflammation.  Red pepper flakes contain capsaicinoids that decrease inflammation.  Olive oil is a mono unsaturated fat and is heart healthy.

Comments:  This recipe came from Bonnie Raffel's book The Power of Food.  I love the taste and texture of shrimp but usually coat it with cocktail sauce.  No more!  This recipe makes the best shrimp I've ever eaten.  It needs no cocktail sauce.  The flavors form the juices, ginger and garlic are perfect.  And the touch of red pepper gives it just enough heat to make it even better.  I wouldn't change a thing but will be using this recipe when I cook my scallops.  I have no doubt that will come out just as good.


Comment from Food Tester Carol:  This dish leaves the impression of lightness.  It's a delicious recipe and the searing of the shrimp in the lemon and orange juice makes them moist and tender.  It's simple and quick and a real pleaser.

Seafood Casserole

2 cups water
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 lb. crab meat
2 pkg. (12 oz. each) frozen shrimp, thawed
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups milk
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
½ cup sliced almonds
10 buttery round crackers, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C).  Lightly grease a 3 quart casserole dish.  In a saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Add rice and stir.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Combine crab meat, shrimp, rice, mayonnaise, onion, milk, hot sauce, and almonds in casserole dish.  Mix well.  Cover top of casserole with crumbled crackers.  Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until casserole is bubbling.

Comments:  This recipe came form Author Susan Whitfield and went along with my review of her latest book Sticking Point.  This is a rather expensive dish to make due to the price of shrimp and crab meat but believe me it is well worth the extra now and then.  I did make one change and that was in the addition of 1 cup of shredded cheese.  This dish comes out rich and so good.  6 of my food testers had the pleasure of enjoying this dish and they all wanted to know when I would make it again.  Oh yeah.  I did make it a little healthier by using brown rice.  One other tip is to bake this in a 9 x 12 x 2 baking dish and add extra crackers on top.  I cooked mine in a deep dish and ended up cooking it a bit longer.  Next time I will use the shallower dish. 

Comments from Food Tester Carol:  The sweet mystery of crab and the salty freshness of shrimp dance together in this recipe.  They don't need to blend but to keep their own separate identities surrounded by a rich sauce.  This is a seafood casserole that is delicious and can't fail to please!

Shrimp and Spaghetti

1 lb. shrimp
1 lb. dried spaghetti, broken
1/4 cup bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups half and half, light cream or milk
1 1/2 cups American cheese shredded 

Cook spaghetti according to package.  

In large sauce pan melt butter.  Add shrimp and cook until pink.  Remove shrimp from pan and add bell peppers, onion and garlic.  Cook about 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in flour, pepper and salt, to taste until well blended.  Add half-and-half all at once.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Add cheese, stirring until melted.  Stir in shrimp.  Add spaghetti, tossing gently to coat.  Serves 6.

Comments:  The inspiration for this recipe came from a recipe I found online for crawfish.  I substituted for shrimp, used spaghetti, added the onions and used half evaporated milk/half water.  I also eliminated the baking.  This dish is perfect without putting it into the oven, which I feel would dry it out.  There are many ways to make changes to this.  For one, you can use chicken instead of shrimp.  You can add veggies like broccoli.  You can add a little extra seasonings such as Old Bay.  Just Think With Your Taste Buds to make this dish your own.

Shrimp Salad

2 1/2 cups macaroni (low carb)
2 Tbsp. Dijonnaise mustard
2 large eggs (boiled)
2 stalks celery (diced)
2 lbs. shrimp, cleaned, boiled, cut into pieces
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 Tbsp. mayonnaise (low fat)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder

Cook macaroni according to package, drain and cool.  In a large bowl combine all ingredients tossing to mix well.  May be served warm or chilled. 

Comments:  This recipe came from an author friend of mine Lawrence Johnson, Sr. - The Budget Gourmet.  Larry has written 4 novels, so far, Escape 2 Earth, Terror on Telderan, Planet of Doom and Return 2 Earth.  As well as being an author he holds a cooking class for healthier eating.  This is one of his recipes.  When I made this dish I did, of course, make a change or should I say an addition.  I added about 1 tsp. of horseradish which made a great dish even greater.  This is also a dish you can tone down or spice up.  I cut the garlic and onion powders down to 1/2 tsp. each and did ad an extra Tbsp. of mayo.  Plus I used penna pasta instead of elbow, for no real reason.  This would also be good with a sprinkle of Old Bay.  Think With Your Taste Buds when playing with this recipe.

Shrimp Toast

6 slices rye bread
36 med. shrimp, cleaned
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. minced garlic
6 slices cheese

Place bread on a baking sheet.  In a frying pan melt butter, add garlic and shrimp.  Saute until shrimp is pink.  Place a slice of cheese on each slice of bread.  Top cheese with 6 shrimp.  Drizzle with drippings from frying pan.  Broil in oven until cheese starts to melt. 

Martha:  I made shrimp scampy one night and had leftover.  This is what I came up with so the shrimp wouldn't go to waste.  Boy was it a big hit.  The fortunate food testers that got to try this one all raved over how good it was.  You got the flavor from the rye bread, the sweet taste of the shrimp and of course the delicious blend of butter and garlic.  Oh yeah, the cheese was good too.  If you don't like rye bread, use French, wheat or whatever you do like.  As for the cheese, I used a blend of cheddar and jack.  You can do the same or use whatever cheese you like that will go with shrimp and garlic. 

Shrimp Spaghetti

1/2 lb. spaghetti
1 lb. shrimp, shelled and cleaned
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. crushed chili peppers, (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp. Zatarain's Jazz It Up Seafood Zesty Seasoning
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook spagetti according to package.  While spaghetti is cooking - in a frying pan heat oil on medium high.  Add shrimp, garlic, chili peppers and seasoning.  Cook stirring often until shrimp is pink and done.  Drain spaghetti and put into serving bowl.  Pour shrimp mixture over spaghetti.  Add cheese and toss.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4. 

Comments - This is a simple make after a long day dish.  It may sound like a scampi but the seasoning and the cheese gives it a totally different taste.  It's delicious!  If you don't have Zatarain's Jazz It Up you can use Old Bay or any other seafood seasoning you might have.  Also, if you use large shrimp you might want to cut them into pieces.  I use the around 30 count size but a smaller size would have been perfect.

Shrimp Toast

1 cup salad shrimp
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. mustard
8 slices French bread

Toast the bread on both sides.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all other ingredients.  Spoon onto toast.  Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly bubbly.

Shrimp & Scallops Over Rice

4 cups cooked rice
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz. bay scallops
1 heaping Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large frying pan heat olive oil.  Add shrimp, scallops and garlic.  Cook 4-5 minutes or until shrimp is no longer pink.  With a slotted spoon remove shrimp and scallops.  Whisk cream cheese into the juices from the shrimp and scallops.  Add to cream cheese, shrimp, scallops and rice.  Pour into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.  Serves 6-8

Comments - For my rice I used instant but you can, of course, use any rice you might like.  The flavor of the finished product is a combination of Shrimp Scampi and Shrimp and Grits.  Changes you might add would be a little nutmeg and maybe a splash of Sherry.  Also, you can serve this over grits.  It's rich, creamy and delicious!

Dirty Rice & Shrimp

2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 lb. ground pork
1 med. onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Zatarain's Jazz it Up Seafood seasoning
2 pkg (6.2 oz.) Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice
  (or 1 1/2 cups any brand long grain & wild rice)
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) low sodium chicken broth
1 lb. (40-60 count) shrimp, shelled, cleaned, cooked & cut in half
3-4 green onions including tops, chopped

In a large saucepan heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil.  Add pork and cook over med. heat until the meat is no longer pink.  Reduce heat to med. low and add the other Tbsp. of oil, onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.  Stir in Zatarain's seasoning and rice (do not add seasoning mix).  Add broth.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for 20-25 minutes or until rice is done.  Stir in shrimp and let simmer for about 2 minutes.  Garnish with chopped green onions.  Serves 8-10.

Tips:  The original recipe called for regular rice, I wanted the different textures so I used the wild and long grain rice.  I also had a list of 6 different seasonings but I had just bought a jar of Zatarain's Jazz it Up Seafood so decided to try it instead.  I used 1 Tbsp. but wanted just a bit more heat so I added an extra teaspoon which is optional.  I also bought my shrimp already cooked which saved time.  All-in-all, it turned out wonderful!

Changes:  Use Polish Sausage or chicken instead of the shrimp.