Slightly Creamy Shrimp Scampi

This is a quick and easy recipe for shrimp scampi that will impress your guests!

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1/2 a yellow onion

1/2 bag of frozen shrimp or 1/2 lb uncooked shrimp

1 cup of peas (frozen, canned, or fresh)

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp smart balance

1/4 cup Lactaid cream

1. Cover the bottom of a saute pan with olive oil and add butter alternative, garlic, and onion. Turn on low heat and let the ingredients mix together and the onions soften. About 10-12 minutes.

2. Add Lactaid cream. This gives the scampi sauce a very light creamy texture and taste.

3. Increase heat to medium and add shrimp and cook until pink and warm through. Add peas a few minutes after shrimp as started to cook and become soft.

4. Mix with pasta of choice. Use about 1/2 a package and cook to desired softness while making the scampi sauce.

Yields 4-5 servings.

Amazing App Alert: Shrimp Won tons

Raise of hands of anyone who has used the ever versatile Nasoya Won ton Wraps? Well, if you haven't, pick them up on your next trip to the grocery store - they are typically found in the produce section. They are great for any course of a meal - and in so many ways.  Today, I'm going to share my favorite - a shrimp won ton appetizer that just hits the spot...

Ingredients:
Nasoya Won ton Wraps
1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 hot pepper, diced (optional depending on your desire for heat)
1 cup of Veggie Mozzarella Cheese
EVOO
2 Tablespoons of Smart Balance (light or regular)
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray (optional)

Directions:

1) Add onions, red pepper, Smart Balance and a few turns of EVOO to a pan over medium-low heat. Cook until the onions and pepper are soft (approximately 10 minutes)

2) Add the diced shrimp to the mixture and cook until they are pink (about 2-3 minutes). 

3) Stir in cheese

4) On a greased cookie sheet (for this I like to use "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray) and start filling the won tons - about a a quarter to half spoon full in each and then fold the won ton over.  After you fill all the wraps (mixture should make between 25-30), spray all the won tons with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and press down on the edges (note: if you don't have the spray, you can use a little water or melt some of the Smart Balance and use a brush).

5) Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes or so, until the won tons are slightly browned and crisp.

6) Serve and enjoy!

Tex-Mex Rice, Shrimp & Black-Eyed Peas... Quick, Delicious, AND Dairy Free

This weekend I picked up my November issue of Food Network Magazine and immediately tried out the “weeknight” meal, "Tex-Mex Rice and Black-Eyed Peas". Many times I feel these so called "weeknight" meals  take much longer than indicated but this one pleasantly surprised me.  I tinkered with it to give it a little more substance (such as adding some roasted shrimp) and to make I non-diary (of course) - it turned out to be not only quick but delicious!  This is also a great recipe to serve company with all the toppings in the center table so people can customize their own bowl.

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice

1 cup fresh salsa

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 14-ounce cans black-eyed peas (1 undrained; 1 drained and rinsed)

3 cups baby spinach

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 avocado, halved, pitted and sliced

½ pound of shrimp

1 lime

½ red onion, sliced thinly

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Toppings:

Shredded Veggie Cheese

Tofutti Sour Cream

Lime (sliced)

Chopped Cilantro

Chopped Scallions

Hot sauce (I used and loved a few dashes of Tabasco Chipotle)

Directions

1)      Cook rice as directed on label (tip: I like to use chicken broth for some extra flavor)

2)      Peel shrimp (if needed) and toss with the juice of one lime and a ½ teaspoon of cumin.  Turn oven to broil and cook for 3 minutes until shrimp is just turns pink.

3)      While rice is cooking, heat a few turns of EVOO in a saucepan over medium-low heat and add the thinly sliced red onions.  Let cook until they’re translucent and starting to caramelize (about 10 minutes). 

4)      Turn up heat slightly, drizzle additional EVOO as needed and add salsa and cumin and stir.  Cook until the salsa is soft ( about five minutes or so).

5)      Add the two cans of black-eye peas (including the liquid from one) and ¼ cup water.  Cook, stir occasionally until the beans are creamy and tender – about 12 minutes.

6)      Add the spinach and cilantro to the black eyed pea mixture and stir until milted about 1 minute.  Add in cooked shrimp and stir together. 

7)      Fluff the rice and divide amongst the bowls.  Spoon the black eyed peas mixture over the rice.

8)   Top with sliced avocado and the toppings of your choice….  Veggie cheese, Tofutti sour cream, salsa, hot sauce (your choice), chopped cilantro, scallions, lime slices, etc.