Garlic Herb & Chipolte Sauteed Shrimp

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Tonight I prepared one of my favorite dishes. My Garlic Herb & Chipolte Sauteed Shrimp. So easy to make, quick and can be used as a stand alone or add to angel hair pasta, top a nice grilled salmon or even a nice filet mignon. I’ve done them all! Oh and lets not forget jazzing up a caesar salad with this dish!

I admire many top chef’s across the county, love watching them cook adding natural ingredients to their hearts content…When you live on a budget like many of us do, you can pull off similar recipes by using a few things already made up. Lets get started!

I enjoy going to Costco to get my shrimp. If you happen to have one in your area, pick up what I call the ‘blue bag’ shrimp. It’s labeled with 31-40 medium size shrimp. The are frozen, and peeled. I like these far better than buying at the local grocery store. These are NOT fatty! Yes, I bet you didnt’ know shrimp could be fatty huh? Well they can. Fatty shrimp will have the pop to them when you chew instead of the meaty texture. So buy good shrimp!

Here’s a little secret…just because the bag says 31-40 shrimp, you’ll find about 50-70 in the bag. Shhh…you didn’t hear that from me. For about $12-$15, it’s worth it. While you’re at Costco pick up some of the Sweet Mesquite Seasoning. As you know with Costco things can be a hit and miss. So good luck with in the seasonings department.

Now to my kitchen! Thaw your shrimp under cold water. Not hot! Don’t want to cook them in the sink! Remove the tails. I like to place my shrimp on a couple of papertowels to soak up some of the excess water. Remember water pops in a skillet! Place all the shrimp in medium/large bowl.

Cut up 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic. If you want more or less, go for it. Set the garlic aside for now.

Now remember, we are cooking on a budget here…so follow me on this one. Liberally pour Worcestershire sauce over the shrimp. Do it, you’ll love it. Now pour about a 1/4 bottle of KC Masterpiece Garlic & Herb Marinade over the shrimp and toss. Add the following seasonings; basil, dill, red crushed peppers, black course pepper, a Sweet Mesquite seasoning, a pinch of course Kosker salt and Oregano. Toss it around. You don’t want any of your shrimp jealous of the others…be fair…everyone should be coated and excited to jump into the skillet shortly. But wait! Not yet. You may use a chipolte powder seasoning or…as I wanted a real kick this time, get you a bottle of the Arriba Hot Chipolte Pepper Sauce. Not salsa. I wasn’t really a fan of Arriba but dang this stuff kicks butt. It does NOT take much! Pour an outer circle over the shrimp. Don’t get crazy with this stuff. You do not want to override all the flavors with too much heat.

Cover the shrimp and set in the frig for about 20 minutes.

Remember the Luna di Luna Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio I told you about in another post? Well, if you haven’t started drinking while you’re cooking this is a good time to start. Relax, get your other goodies prepared and ready. As I said in the beginning, this shrimp dish can stand alone or makes a great topping for other things for a full well-rounded meal that doesn’t leave you overly stuffed. Remember, we are not super sizing here. We are promoting sensible eating.

After you have had a few laughs in the kitchen, pull the shrimp out of the frig. By this time you should have your skillet on medium heat (on electric set at 5 or a 6 setting). Pour a bit of olive oil in the skillet. Not much about a fist size in the middle. Get it heated and drop your cut garlic in the middle. Let it start to brown then pour your entire Shrimp and marinade into the skillet. Spread the shrimp around. I like to try to get it all hitting the skillet. It’s only going to take about 5 or 6 minutes to cook the shrimp.

By this time if you have prepared your pasta, you can do this all at the same time. This time around I had the shrimp as a stand alone dish. We ate light with a nice side salad.

So lets recap. I bag of shrimp, marinade, seasoning, a few garlic cloves, garlic bread…and what did we spend to prepare a meal to feed 4-6 people? If I do not count the wine, around $25 bucks at the most.

You get a protein rich meal. Kids love it and always ask for more. The best part of the meal? Sitting at the dining room table enjoying great conversation, laughter with family.

What more can you ask for? Well winning the lottery comes to mind, but until then…I’ll be happy having fun in the kitchen because my biggest fans are my two teenage sons.

Have fun with food. It’s not fun if you’re not sharing.

One Comment Add yours

  1. "Do it, you'll love it." haha – I, too would be skeptical about pouring Worcestershire liberally over shrimp! great descriptors, though. can't wait to try this. p.s. – luna di luna is my favorite cooking (or drinking while cooking) wine!

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