Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1 (13-14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
12 ounces of beef broth
1 (7-8 ounce) can tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
14 ounces Andouille sausage, cur into slices
5 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb. shrimp, cooked, deveined and peeled with tails removed
1 Tbs. fresh chopped Parsley

In the bottom of the slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients together with a spatula.

Add the onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, sausage and chicken. Stir together.

Cook, covered, on high for 1 hour. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 3 hours.

Add in the shrimp and fresh parsley and cook for another half an hour on low.

Divide into serving dishes on top of cooked white or brown rice. Add some more fresh chopped parsley on top.

Shrimp and Rice Bowl

This dish is the perfect mix of seafood, roasted veggies and full of flavor. Instead of going out and buying a rice bowl with all of your favorite toppings, why not try and make them at home? They are super easy, and the oven does most of the work!

Ingredients:

1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails detached
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Spanish paprika
Lime juice
Cilantro
Prepared rice (I used Uncle Ben's brown rice)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the onion, bell pepper, shrimp, oil and spices. Toss everything together well. Spray a baking sheet with no cooking spray. Spread the shrimp and peppers out onto the prepared pan. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning over halfway through.

Place the rice at the bottom of your serving dish. Top with the shrimp mixture and add fresh cilantro and a few drops of lime juice.

Thai Basil Shrimp Lettuce Cups with Coconut Basil Rice

Ingredients:

1/4 c. lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1/4 c. veggie oil
3 Tbs. Thai Red Curry paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Whisk the lime juice, veggie oil, curry paste and garlic together. Add the shrimp, stir together and marinade for at least half an hour in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, put the rice together.

Rice ingredients:

1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk, light
2 (.25 oz) containers fresh basil, chopped
1/2 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. salt
4 green onions, thinly sliced, separated
2 Tbs. salted butter
3/4 c. brown rice
1/2 c. basmati rice
1/2 c. chopped roasted peanuts
Butter Lettuce Cups

Puree the coconut milk, 3/4 of the fresh basil, jalapeno and salt in a food processor and set aside. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the  white part of the green onions and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add the rice, 1/2 c. water, the coconut basil puree and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to stir. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for approximately 15 more minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and keep covered.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan to medium heat and spray with non stick cooking spray. Skewer the shrimp and place on the grill pan. Cook the shrimp for about two minutes, and flip to cook the other side for two more minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.

Remove the shrimp from the skewers. To assemble the lettuce cups, add a few of the cooked shrimp. Top with chopped fresh basil, peanuts and the greens of the green onion. Serve with a cup of the coconut basil rice, and lime wedges.

Blackened Shrimp Sandwich

Make sure you have done your mouth stretches, because this sandwich is so full of awesomeness that you will literally be left with wondering how to take the first bite. The blackened shrimp packs a kick that is cooled down by the homemade tangy sauce!

Ingredients:

2 brioche buns
12 large shrimp, raw, deveined and peeled
1-2 tsp. blackening seasoning
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp. olive oil
Romaine lettuce

Sauce:

2 1/2 Tbs. Miracle Whip, light
1 1/2 Tbs. Ketchup
2 Tbs. Dill pickle, finely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Season with the salt and pepper, give it a quick taste test, and adjust accordingly.

In a shallow casserole dish or bowl, combine the shrimp with the blackened seasoning, lemon juice and olive oil and set aside. 

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan to medium heat. Place the insides of the bun halves on the hot grill and toast for 2-3 minutes until you have nice grill marks and a golden brown. Remove from the grill and set aside.

To the same pan, add the raw shrimp. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until the insides of the shrimp are no longer translucent and turn white. (Watch carefully, if you cook too long they become rubbery.)

To assemble these, place the toasted bottom bun halves on your serving dishes. Top with 1/4 of the sauce mixture. Add 6 cooked shrimp and place a few pieces of romaine on top. Spread another 1/4 of the sauce on the inside of the top bun, and then place the bun on top of the lettuce.

Blackened Honey Shrimp with Bacon White Cheddar Grits

Mardi Gras is tomorrow so tonight for dinner, I put together an impromptu shrimp and grits recipe, and it turned out delicious! All of these ingredients were things that I already had in my house! It has a nice kick but not overly spicy to the point of setting your mouth on fire. A great twist on a classic New Orleans dish!

Ingredients:

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. blackened seasoning

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, honey and blackened seasoning. Mix the shrimp in with the liquid and let marinate for about 20 minutes. Place in a single layer in a baking dish and pour the extra liquid on top. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

 

Grits Ingredients:

3 c. water

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. grits

2 Tbs. butter

3 tsp. blackened seasoning

1/4 c. bacon bits

1 1/2 c. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp. freeze dried chives

Pour the water and salt into a small saucepan and set on high heat. When the water is boiling, add the grits and stir. Turn the heat down to a simmer and continue stirring occasionally for five minutes. Cover the saucepan and let sit for a few more minutes. Stir in the butter, seasoning, bacon bits and sharp cheddar and continue to stir until the butter is melted. Pour the grits into four serving dishes and top with shrimp. Spoon the sauce from the shrimp on top of each serving. Sprinkle each dish with chives before serving. 

Popcorn Popcorn Shrimp

 

Everyone who loves shrimp loves breaded popcorn shrimp. But have you ever had popcorn in said breading for those popcorn shrimp? My guess would be no, and you are missing out! These popcorn popcorn shrimp are to die for! And the lemon Miracle Whip adds a nice tangy side dip!

Ingredients:

1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked (and thawed if originally frozen)
3 c. popped butter popcorn
1/2 c. Panko
1 Tbs. cornstarch
salt and pepper
1/3 c. flour
2 eggs
2 Tbs. butter, melted
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Zest of 1 lemon, divided
1/2 lemon, juiced
Canola oil, for frying
1/2 c. Miracle Whip

With a food processor, combine the popcorn, Panko, cornstarch and season with salt and pepper. Pulse until a nice breading forms. Pour into a 13x9 baking sheet and set aside. In a shallow dish, combine the flour with salt and pepper. In another shallow dish, whisk the eggs with a fork until they are fully scrambled. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towel and set aside.

Set up your dredging station. Cover the shrimp in the flour mixture and knock off any excess. Dip into the egg mixture and drain the extra egg off of the shrimp. Finally, place in the popcorn breadcrumbs and press down making sure they adhere to the side of the shrimp. Place in a bowl and repeat for the remaining shrimp until they are all breaded.

In a medium size and deep skillet, pour the oil in until it is two inches up the inside of the pan. Let the oil get hot for about 2 minutes and using a slotted spoon, drop a tester in to see if the oil is up to temperature (or a thermometer reaches 350 degrees). Using that slotted spoon, place two or three of the shrimp into the hot oil. Flip over with the slotted spoon and by the time you have flipped them over, they are already done. Place them on a plate lined with multiple pieces of paper towel to drain. Continue for the rest of the shrimp until they are all fried.

While the shrimp are cooking, mix the melted butter, pinch of cayenne and salt, and half of the lemon zest. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix the Miracle Whip, lemon juice and remaining lemon zest together. Set the dip on your serving dish. Place the drained popcorn shrimp on your serving tray and drizzle the cayenne butter on top.

Baked Spicy Honey Shrimp

I'm not a huge fan of shrimp when it is cold, and used to hate shrimp altogether, but now I absolutely love it when warm or grilled. This is an amazing and light recipe for a sweet and spicy baked shrimp. The random ingredients that help make up the sauce will blow your mind when you taste them together. This is one of my new favorite shrimp recipes!

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked shrimp, froze, thawed, peeled and deveined with tails off
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/8 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. Blackened seasoning (I used Paula Dean)
Chives (garnish)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a medium size bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil, honey, soy sauce and blackened seasoning together with a whisk. Pour in the shrimp (make sure no excess water is left) and coat. Pour the shrimp and sauce into a quiche pan (or baking dish) and lay out in a flat layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

I served these on top of white Minute Rice, with about 2 Tbs. of soy sauce and 10 sprays of spray butter added into the rice after it cooks. Pour the extra sauce that bakes with the shrimp on top and it is an amazing combination.

(Makes 4 servings, 5 WW points per serving)

Shrimp Dip

(The above picture is from a Lake Placid vs. Jaws themed party)

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 stick butter or margarine

4 green onions, chopped

4 oz. Bumblebee canned tiny shrimp, drained and rinsed

         (you can use 2 cans if you prefer a bolder shrimp flavor)

In a microwavable container with a lid (or use paper towel/napkins) microwave the above ingredients for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Stir everything together and microwave again in 30 second intervals until everything is melted and hot all of the way through. Our family always serves this recipe with Triscuits on the side (it makes it onto the menu to most of our family gatherings).

Southwest Shrimp Tacos- 4 Ingredients

Ingredients:

12 frozen cooked shrimp, thawed and patted dry
Fresh Cilantro
4 corn or white tortillas
1 bag Dole Southwest salad kit (picture below, you only use about 1/4-1/3 of the bag)

Prepare the salad kit as directed and set aside. In a grill pan, or a flat skillet, cook (better yet re-heat) the shrimp on high heat until you get a nice "crust" and color on one side of the shrimp. Flip them over and repeat for the other side. Assemble the tacos by placing the tortillas on your plate, adding about 1/4-1/3 c. of the salad mix, topping with cilantro, and adding 3-4 shrimp on each taco. The combination is amazing! This has to be one of the easiest shrimp taco recipes ever!

(Each taco is roughly 2 WW points, if you use a small white corn tortilla.)

Shrimp and Veggie Sauté

Ingredients:

25-30 count cooked frozen shrimp, thawed
1 large zucchini, cut into strips
Orange and yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 Tbs. garlic salt (or more to test)
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
Non stick cooking spray

Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Spray with non stick cooking spray, and add the vegetables. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring at least once every minute. Add the Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Remove the tails from the shrimp and make sure they shrimp are cleaned properly. Add the shrimp to the vegetables and stir until everything is combined well. Cook for one more minute until the shrimp starts to curl towards the ends. This mix is really great on top of rice, or in a fat free tortilla like a shrimp taco!

(Makes 6 servings, 1 WW point each.)

Ginger Soy Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. fresh grated ginger
1/4 c. soy sauce
24 frozen cooked shrimp, thawed

In a Ziplock bag, combine the shrimp, soy sauce and ginger. Let sit in the marinade for about half an hour. In a medium sized skillet, add the shrimp and the sauce and cook on medium heat for about five minutes, until the shrimp and sauce is hot. Pour into a serving dish and use the extra sauce to dip the shrimp in! (Serving size is 1 cup, 3 WW points).

Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Sauce

Ingredients:
24 large cooked shrimp, tail removed
3/4 c. shredded sweetened coconut
3/4 c. Panko bread crumbs
2 Tbs. flour
1 egg
1 Tbs. Parrot Bay Coconut Rum

For the Sauce:
6 oz. Greek Yogurt, plain
1 c. chopped pineapple
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
3 Tbs. shredded sweetened coconut
2 Tbs. Parrot Bay Coconut Rum
2 Tbs. Splenda sweetener

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a non stick baking sheet with Pam. Stir together the coconut and Panko and set aside. Whisk the egg and Parrot Bay with a fork and set aside. Add flour to a small bowl and also set aside. Dip the shrimp into the flour, shaking off the excess flour. Then dip into the egg, and then the breading mixture. Place the shrimp on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Flip the shrimp over and bake for another 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on your serving plate. Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients together and place in a small bowl on your serving plate! The sauce has a very similar taste to the coconut shrimp sauce at Red Lobster. Delicious! (Serves 8, each serving is 3 shrimp, and 1 Tbs. of the sauce. 3 WW points).

"Grubworms" dipped in "Swamp Water"

Ingredients:
2 limes (2 tsp. zest, 1/4 c. juice)
2 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro
2 cloves minced garlic
2 inch. piece of ginger, peeled and minced
30-40 frozen cooked shrimp, peeled deveined and no tails, thawed
6 Tbs. soy sauce
1 egg
1 Tbs. water
flour
1 pkg. Puff Pastry, thawed according to package

Stir the first 4 ingredients together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, add the shrimp, 2  Tbs. soy sauce, and half of the lime mixture. Toss slightly, and then refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg and 1 Tbs. water together. Set aside. Sprinkle flour on your work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet. Cut in half, and then cut each of the halves into thin strips. Repeat for the second sheet. Wrap the pastry around each piece of shrimp, and place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining shrimp. Brush the tops of the shrimp with the egg wash. Bake for 15-17 minutes. While the shrimp are cooking, mix the remaining lime mixture with 4 Tbs. of soy sauce. Remove the shrimp from the baking sheet and let cool slightly.