I love a good one-dish dinner, especially on a weeknight when we have multiple family obligations. This recipe for Shrimp Creole and Rice meets my criteria:
Fast, Healthy, and Satisfying
- The entire dinner comes together in about 30 minutes
- The entree is loaded with vegetables so that I don’t need to add them as side dishes
- Ingredients are easy to get, or better yet, already in my pantry / freezer
- It will appeal to the entire family (everyone will eat it)
- Bonus – if I can cook it all in one or two pots!
Frozen shrimp is a good staple to keep in the freezer (almost all shrimp in the market has been previously frozen, so it’s just as fresh, or fresher as thawed shrimp). Get a bag of shrimp out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator to slowly defrost, the night before you want to make this recipe.
Sharon’s Weeknight Shrimp Creole
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced organic bell peppers (any color)
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder*
- 1/2 tablespoon red Tabasco*
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper*
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
- Lemon wedges
- Chopped green onions for garnish
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan until warm. Add diced peppers, celery, and onions and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes (with juice), chili powder, Tabasco, Worcestershire, pepper, and salt. Cook on medium heat so that it is bubbling and thickening for 10 minutes, break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Once sauce has reduced, add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 2-3 minutes. Take off the heat, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top (about 1 tablespoon) and serve on rice** with additional lemon wedges and chopped green onions.
*This makes a mild creole, add more spice for a medium or spicy sauce.
**I use Basmati rice, which takes 15 minutes to cook, so once I get the vegetables sautéing, I start the rice and then both dishes are finished at the same time. This is also delicious on brown rice or polenta.
Have a great week!
