Healthy and Cheap Shrimp Recipes: Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo & Simple Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp: Healthy and Cheap?
I love shrimp! But shrimp can be really expensive, especially when you live a long way from the nearest coast. The secret to keeping within your budget and still enjoying shrimp in your recipes, is to find recipes that work well with frozen shrimp.
Costco carries a brand of frozen, deveined, raw shrimp called EZ Peel that are around $5.99 per pound. They come in a 2 pound bag and have about 50 large shrimp per bag. I can easily make 2-3 dinners for 4 with this one bag of shrimp...and they are good!
Rosauers grocery store also carries a quality frozen shrimp in a 2 pound bag that is around $6.99 per pound. Still not bad for 50 good size shrimp.
By the way, shrimp is good for you. Shrimp is low in calories and fat, but high in protein. A 4 ounce serving of boiled shrimp has only around 115 calories and .3 grams of saturated fat. The same serving provides 24 grams of protein and a full days supply of Tryptophan, an important amino acid.. Shrimp is also an excellent source of vitamin B12, Omega-3 fatty acids and several other essential minerals.
So don't let the high cost of fresh shrimp discourage you from enjoying such a delicious and nutritious culinary treat as shrimp!
Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo Recipe
Cook Time for Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Ready in: 30 min
Yields: 4-6 servings
My Favorite Chicken Base...organic, fresh, flavorful...
Ingredients for Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
- 10-15 Large Uncooked Shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined (prepare first)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- Green Bell Pepper
- 2-3 Celery Stalks
- 1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Okra
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 6 Green Onions, stalks and greens divided
- 4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 3 Tablespoons of Butter
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (adjust to your heat tolerance)
- 3/4 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Cumin
- Dash of Red Pepper Flakes (adjust to your heat tolerance)
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 (approximately 13 ounce) Smoked Sausage
- 2 Tablespoons of Flour
- 4 Cups of Chicken Broth or Stock (such as my favorite: Better Than Bouillon)
- 3 Tablespoons of fresh, minced Parsley
- 1 teaspoon fresh, minced Thyme
How to Make Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
1. Chop the Bell Peppers, Celery, Yellow Onion and the white portion of the Green Onion into bite sized pieces.
2. Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan.
3. Add chopped vegetables, Garlic, Cayenne, Paprika, Cumin and Red Pepper Flakes. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Slice Smoked Sausage on a slight angle.
5. Add sausage to vegetables and cook for about 2 more minutes.
6. Add flour and stir to coat evenly. Cook for 1 or 2 more minutes.
7. Add 4 Cups of Stock or Bouillon, and the fresh parsley and thyme. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
8. Turn off heat and add shrimp immediately. Let sit for about 2 minutes or until shrimp are firm and opaque. Serve right away: garnish with remaining green onion slices.
I like to serve this Gumbo with rice or warm toasty bread. Enjoy!
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Shrimp Recipe #2
Simple Shrimp Scampi
Simple Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Cook Time
Ingredients for Simple Shrimp Scampi
- 24 Shrimp, deveined
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1 Cup Breadcrumbs
- 2 Cloves Garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp Parsley, chopped
- 1 Cup White Wine, dry
- 4 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1/3 Cup Clam Juice
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
How to Make Simple Shrimp Scampi
- Coat shrimp in breadcrumbs.
2. Heat butter in a skillet and cook shrimp until firm, about 7-10 minutes.
3. Drain most of the butter and add the garlic, parsley, wine, lemon juice, and clam juice. Reduce liquid for 5 minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over buttered noodles or with toasted garlic bread.
Wow! That WAS easy, wasn't it? Yet, oh-so delicious! Sometimes it is the simple things in life that are the best.