3000 miles 'til dinner.

Excellent as dinner or an appetizer any time of the year, this recipe is easy to prepare and so delicious in it’s simplicity. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time, both oven and stove top:  7-8 minutes

Oven temp:  400 degrees

Servings:   2 for dinner or 4 as an appetizer

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥♥

16 -20  Wild Caught raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail on  

2 T unsalted butter

2 large cloves, minced

2 lemons, juiced

1 lemon, sliced in wedges for garnish

♥PREP

Rinse the shrimp and pat dry on paper towels. In a 12” skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until it turns a light golden color and softens -  do not brown. Remove the skillet from heat and add the shrimp, tossing to coat with the garlic butter. Spread the shrimp out so there is room between each one in the pan. 

♥OVEN ROAST  Slide skillet onto the bottom rack of the 400 degree oven.  Roast for 4 minutes or until the shrimp have turned pink and tails are barely curled, like the letter “C”. Be careful to not over cook or they will be tough; they will continue to cook a little after removed from the oven so tails will curl in more, like the letter “O”. 

With tongs or a slotted spoon (leave as much garlic and juices in the pan as possible), place the shrimp in a warmed shallow bowl and cover to keep warm. Place the skillet over high heat, and add 3 T. lemon juice. Cook and stir until the garlic turns brown and pan juices emulsify. 

Consider serving along side HARVEST GRAINS SALAD with FRESH HERBS.

♥♥ WAYS TO “just wing it” ♥♥               consider or substitute

*consider adding fine dice green onion or chives to the skillet, just before pouring juices over the shrimp

♥ Helpful Hints

*The size of the shrimp can be determined by the number of shrimp per pound. 16-24’s are that many per pound.  Trader Joes has excellent frozen (peeled, deveined, tail on) Wild Caught Blue Shrimp in their freezer section: 15-16 count.

*thawed shrimp in most local U.S. markets has been previously frozen

(MIL post)

Update: Jessica’s attempt, Marites’ attempt, and Jessica’s revisit.

My first day working in a French restaurant opened my eyes to the magic of “en papillote”. This healthy and beautiful way of preparing fish, entrees and side dishes is easy and a fun new way to impress yourself and your guests! Simply select the ingredients, arrange them on a heart-shaped sheet of oiled parchment, twist edges to seal, place on sheet pan and bake. The packet will puff as the luscious interior steams and the result will be moist and delicious.

Prep time:   15 minutes

Baking time:   20 minutes

Oven temp:  400 degrees - middle rack

Servings:  2 hearty servings

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥♥

16 oz. fresh fish fillets

1 lemon - sliced into 6 circles

2 T. white wine (option)

2 green onions - fine diced

fresh dill or herbs of choice

2 T. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro 

sea salt, black pepper

2 sheets parchment - 16”x13”

1 T. olive oil

♥Prep - Parchment

Fold sheet of parchment in half (8x12) and cut a big “half heart”, leaving the folded edge hinged (remember elementary school and making Valentines), using the full surface. Fold out to a full size heart. Lay on board and brush with olive oil.

♥Prep - Fish

Place fish in center of one half of the heart and layer on rest of ingredients. 

Fold other half of parchment over the fish, edge to edge. Starting at the top of the heart, twist/roll the two edges together, making a tight seal. You can twist right up to the ingredients. Place packet on baking sheet.

♥ Bake - 400 degrees

Bake for 20 minutes or until the packet is puffed (filled with steam) and the paper has begun to darken/brown.

♥Serving

Place packet on your dinner plate. Snip off the top of the packet (beware of hot steam) and enjoy the amazing aroma.

♥♥WAYS TO “just wing it”.♥♥               consider or substitute

*sub or in combo with: vegetables, thinly sliced, adding butter or a little oil

*sub: chicken or turkey breast, sliced into 5 oz. pieces

*be creative by trying: different herbs, garlic slivers, sauteed onion, spices, pesto, tapenade

♥ Helpful Hints♥

*packets can be prepared up to 4 hours before baking

(MIL post)