Shrimp, Asparagus & Shiitake Stir Fry

With my son gone to Science Camp for the week, tonight was my daughter's pick for dinner. Sure enough she picked her favorite foods and everything he dislikes ...and would undoubtably complain about! This was a delicious quick-fix... perfect for a hectic last week of school!

Recipe:

1/2-3/4 lb. shiitake mushrooms - trimmed and left whole (or sliced in half if they're large)

1 large shallot, sliced

1 bunch asparagus, chopped

1 lb. bay shrimp, tail on and deveined

1 T coconut oil

1/4 C coconut aminos

pinch sea salt (optional)

black pepper to taste

Heat coconut oil in a skillet over high heat. Saute shrimp until pink and heat through. Remove, and add shallots to pan. Cook on medium low heat until tender. Add mushrooms. As mushrooms start to soften add asparagus and coconut aminos. Cover and cook for about 4-5 minutes (until asparagus is crisp tender). Add shrimp back to pan. Toss well and add sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy! Quick and easy. :-)

Shrimp & Cabbage Stir Fry

Oooops. I forgot to take something out of the freezer, and I had NO idea what to do for dinner! Ever have one of those nights? I used another great shopping staple from Costco... frozen shrimp! It is super quick to thaw and doesn't take long to cook. This was made up on-the-spot, with ingredients I had on hand (lots of miscellaneous veggies). I am happy to report that is was VERY tasty. Hope you enjoy our last minute, unplanned creation! Paleo meals CAN most definitely accommodate our busy lives. It doesn't hurt to keep some easily thawed items in the freezer for emergencies! :-)

Now, I'm off to bed... a bit sore from today's Turkish Get-Ups!

Recipe:

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T olive oil

1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 C mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup cashews, raw, unsalted

1/2 C fresh Italian parsley, chopped

~1 lb. shrimp

1 small head cabbage, chopped

1/4 tsp. red chile flakes

2 T coconut aminos ("Coconut Secret" soy sauce substitute)

1 tsp. wasabi

Pinch sea salt

Heat oil in large skillet. Saute garlic and shallots. Add peppers, mushrooms, cashews and Italian parsley. When mixture looks thoroughly sauteed (about 5 minutes) remove to a separate dish and add a little more olive oil to skillet. Saute shrimp and cook until just no longer pink, and remove. (I do not like over-cooked shrimp... too rubbery!). Now add cabbage to skillet (maybe a tad more olive oil). Let the cabbage cook down a bit (about 8 minutes). While that's cooking combine wasabi, chili flakes, sea salt and coconut aminos. Now add all ingredients back to the cabbage saute. Mix well, making sure everything is thoroughly heated and well blended. Serve up, and enjoy!

Chicken, Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya

I have been craving Jambalaya! On these cold days, there is nothing better to warm you up! It's spicy and hearty and absolutely deliciously satisfying! I cooked it in my crock pot, too. Which allowed me to take my time cooking it throughout the afternoon. I just added the delicate ingredients, that I didn't want to overcook, close to serving time. Stay warm and enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts

2 sausages (any variety)

1 lb. raw, peeled shrimp

1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes

4 C chicken broth

2 tsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 C spinach

2 C cauliflower rice

1+ T Cajun seasoning (I made my own)... combine following spices:

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

In a large skillet, saute onions, garlic and bell pepper in olive oil. Add to crock pot. Brown chicken breasts on both sides in skillet, cut into bite sized pieces and add to crock pot. Cook sausage, slice and add to crock pot. Now add chicken broth, tomatoes, and cajun seasoning to crock pot. Cook on high for about 1 hour. Turn crock pot to low. Lastly, about 30 minutes before serving, saute shrimp. Add cooked shrimp, spinach and cauliflower rice to crock pot. Cook for about 15 more minutes! This recipe is sure to help you stay warm this winter! Cozy up and enjoy! :-)

Shrimp & Broccoli Stir Fry

A good old shrimp stir fry is such a great stand-by dinner! You can really use whatever vegetables you have on hand! And you can change up the spices to whatever suites your fancy! It doesn't take much time, and it always turns out delicious! I always keep the 2 lb. bag of frozen shrimp handy from Costco. I buy the raw, tail-on, peeled & deveined! This is one of my favorite quick meals.... Hope you enjoy!

Tonight's stir-fry:

Shrimp, (I took out about 20 frozen shrimp and did a quick thaw in warm water)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 C grated carrots

1 C chopped broccoli

3 small red sweet peppers, chopped

1/4 C coconut aminos (soy substitute)

2 tsp. olive oil

dash cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. black pepper

pinch sea salt (optional)

Heat olive oil in a skillet, and saute shrimp (this is when I added a little cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes). Cook until nicely pink! Set aside. In same pan, heat a little more oil (if necessary) and saute onion and garlic. Add peppers, broccoli and carrots. Add the coconut aminos and cook until vegetables are just tender. Add shrimp back to pan. Season with a little black pepper and sea salt (if desired). Toss well and serve! Enjoy!

Paleo Shrimp Alfredo & Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash with a Paleo-friendly alfredo sauce has been on my recipe "to do" list for a long time! I've been super eager to try it with either a chicken or shrimp... and I am so glad I did! We enjoyed it very much. This was only the second time I've ever cooked a spaghetti squash, and I have to say, the method I used tonight was MUCH better than the last. The first time was an utter chore and I was tempted to use a chainsaw! This time I chose a much kinder, gentler and safer method ... the oven. From here on out, there will be no other way for me. I might even put spaghetti squash on the menu more often. The recipe possibilities are endless!!! Hope you enjoy!

Recipe:

1 spaghetti squash

1 T olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 T dried parsley (or 1/2 C chopped fresh Italian parsley or basil)

1 T Italian seasoning

1 C coconut milk (I used "light" coconut milk form Trader Joe's)

1/4 C chicken broth (organic, low sodium)

1/2 tsp. arrowroot powder (as a thickener)

1 lb. shrimp

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. black pepper

pinch sea salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Puncture several holes throughout the spaghetti squash to allow the steam to escape. Place the spaghetti squash on a baking dish and put in the oven for 1 hour. This is the only thing you really have to allow time for when cooking this meal. Everything else cooks quickly! When the squash is done, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting it open. The inside will be very steamy and hot, but will cut very easily!

While the spaghetti squash is finishing its cooking time and cooling a bit, make your sauce. Heat the oil in a skillet. Saute garlic and when garlic starts to brown, add the shrimp. Saute until shrimp is nicely pink and cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside. Whisk arrowroot and chicken broth together, and add to skillet. Cook on medium heat until it starts to thicken. Slowly add coconut milk along with remaining herbs and spices. Add the shrimp back to the skillet. Finish with a pinch of sea salt if desired.

Cut the spaghetti squash open by slicing it in half and remove the seeds. With a spoon scrap the spaghetti squash out of its shell into a bowl. It will look like spaghetti!!! Place desired amount on a plate and spoon shrimp & alfredo sauce over the top. Garnish with some chopped fresh basil and enjoy!

Shrimp Stir Fry

This was a fun and delicious meal! My daughter and I knew we wanted a shrimp stir fry for dinner, but we couldn't agree on the vegetables. So, we took a trip to New Leaf Market and compromised our choices. We ended up having so much fun looking at their selections, a lot of which neither one of us had ever tried. This turned out to be an educational approach to "healthy eating negotiations"! Not to mention, it was an excellent stir fry! I highly recommend a tour through your local vegetable isle or farmer's market with your kids! Having them pick things out themselves is magical. Hope you enjoy our collective creation! :-)

Recipe:

about 14 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 small carrot, grated (Molly insisted on grated carrots!)

1 bunch bok choy, sliced (both agreed)

1 large handful (about a cup) shiitake mushrooms (Molly wanted to try)

2 purple beauty bell peppers, julienned (we both wanted to try!)

1 to 1 1/2 T coconut oil

2 T coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)

Heat oil in skillet, add shrimp and saute about 3-5 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from pan. Add a little more coconut oil to pan if needed and saute the vegetables. I added the shiitake mushrooms last. Saute until veggies are cook through, but tender. Stir in the coconut aminos. Add the shrimp back to the pan, and toss well.

Serve and enjoy! Simple, fresh organic, paleo, kid approved and delish!