Beach Shrimp

The infamous turquoise baking dish makes another appearance.  I love it so!

I made one of my all-time favorite recipes for dinner last night.  I haven't made it since last summer, and was so ready for some of this deliciousness!  I've made this dish off and on for several years now, and yes, I've made it during several beach vacations as well.  It's a crowd-pleaser and the leftovers are good too (which, admittedly, I had for lunch today.)  I add in corn on the cob, halved, and it works wonderfully with the shrimp.  Serve it with some hot French bread to soak up the juices and you're all set.  Be sure to try it out!

Beach Shrimp (adapted, Southern Living)

Ingredients

3 pounds unpeeled, large raw shrimp

3 ears of white or yellow sweet corn, halved

1 (16-oz.) bottle Italian dressing

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 lemons

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup butter, cut up

Preparation

1. Place first 4 ingredients in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish, tossing to coat. Squeeze juice from lemons over shrimp mixture, and stir. Add lemon and corn halves to pan. Sprinkle evenly with parsley; dot with butter.
2. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Serve in pan.  (*3 lb. frozen peeled, large raw shrimp, thawed according to package directions, may be substituted. Prepare recipe as directed, reducing pepper to 1/2 tsp)

Lemon Basil Shrimp and Pasta... Spinach, Part 1

The last two nights' meals have been really good, so you know I have to share!  Plus, I will be gone most of the weekend so these will probably be my last posts until next week. 

You know I love me some Southern Living and Cooking Light... mostly because they are never-fail recipes.  These two are from Cooking Light, and I did not find the need to make any changes. They are simple, wholesome fare and they passed the toddler test.  (He ate the spinach too!) 

I will say, generally I am not a fan of raw spinach.  But when covered in pasta and shrimp, (or in the case of the next recipe, chicken and a hot pan dressing), I enjoy it and don't find the texture so repulsive.  Plus, spinach is just so darn good for you! 

And finally, the reason I used spinach two nights in a row (oh the horror!)...  Salad mix is ridiculously expensive here, so like all my meal choices lately, I have to use what I've got or it's a waste of money.

Lemon Basil Shrimp and Pasta (Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups baby spinach

Preparation

1. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done and pasta is al dente. Drain. Place pasta mixture in a large bowl. Stir in basil and next 4 ingredients (through salt). Place 1/2 cup spinach on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture.