Lemon Buttered Shrimp

It’s finally Friday.  I am not sure why I said finally, as though it has been more than 7 days since the last one, or that time has dragged.  This week has flown by.  One minute it was Monday morning and I was off racing around the office like a mad woman, and the next it was Thursday morning and the car was off to the shop for a service.  I am happy to report that I did not need a second mortgage to pay the bill for the service, because after 150,000 miles still nothing needed fixin’.  Yay!  I am still reeling from giving up the $5500 that I traded in for a new transmission last summer.  Oh and the shiny new brakes.  Driving around the Rocky Mountain National Park was a bit more of an adventure than I had bargained for after my brakes decided that they also needed a vacation.  The upside is that I can now drive downhill without even thinking about touching my foot to that left-hand pedal.  I learnt that trick really quickly one sunny afternoon when I realized that the burning smell was not coming from a forest fire.

I should mention that when I say Friday, what I really mean is MY Friday, which looks a lot like many people’s Thursday – those who work a regular work week anyway.  Whatever that is.  My week looks a little different.  I do one thing Monday – Thursday and another thing Friday – Sunday.  My Friday – Sunday looks like a long weekend, because it’s jam-packed with fun stuff – eating, shooting things, eating some more, going on adventures, cooking, writing on here…did I mention eating?  Monday – Thursday I am rather more serious and responsible.  I wear appropriate clothing, lipstick and do complicated stuff to my hair, which sometimes even involves hairspray.  I drive across town at some ungodly hour on those mornings, and eat a lot of spinach.  A *lot* of spinach.  I start early and stay late.  And then eat more spinach.  Popeye was onto something, you know.  Spinach really does make you big and strong.  Well, healthy and slim, but you get my drift.

So it’s my Friday.  And even though it’s already late and I really should be heading off to the Land Of Nod, I’m already excited for My Week, Pt.II.  Mini-Me and The Hubs will be over tomorrow for the next riveting installment of The Friday Night Dinner.  I keep the menu secret from them until they’re seated at my kitchen table, but if you promise not to tell them, I’ll give you a clue.  It’s chicken.

Right now, though, I want to talk about shrimp.  I am trying desperately hard to catch up on myself so that I can get into a simple routine of cook, shoot, eat, blog.  All within a day.  Who knows if I’ll ever get there, but that’s the grand plan, and right now I am behind.  So let’s talk about shrimp.

You may have read about my FAVORITE. SALAD. EVER.  If not, I hope you’ll consider it.  It’s a very delicious salad.  When I was telling you about the last time I made it, I mentioned that I also made Lemon Buttered Shrimp.  This recipe took about 5 seconds to dream up, 5 minutes to do and 3 minutes 25 seconds to devour.  I ate a whole pound in one sitting.  The next day I did it again, without the dreaming up part, because by then it was already dreamed up and just had to be done and devoured.  I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made it since.  When shrimps go on sale any more, I know what I’m having.  Shrimp – it’s what for dinner.

Here’s what it looks like when I am eating alone: 

Here’s what it looks like when I am eating with friends:

Clearly, eating with friends is good for one’s health.

I was never much of a shrimp eater until I came to the US.  Of course, living in Seattle there’s an abundance of them.  In England, at least when I was growing up, they were a bit of a delicacy.  I’m not sure what the shrimp situation is over there now – maybe one of my mates from the other side will chime in and give us an update.

When I make this dish I use the baby pre-cooked shrimp.  The ones called “96 – 120 count”, or something like that.  For four reasons.

1. You get more shrimp!
2. You pay less per pound!
3. You only have to heat them through and they’re done!
4. You get more sauce since the surface area of the shrimp is bigger!

However, if you like to spend more money, or just want fewer-but-bigger shrimp, you may use whatever darn size you choose.  I personally think that the baby shrimp just look prettier.  I refuse to get on the train of thought that says, “Bigger is better!”, because as we all know deep down, size {often} doesn’t matter.  Especially in some things.  Give me substance over size any day. 

This was the first meal that I cooked for Mini-Me and The Hubs.  I am not sure what they were expecting.  Just because I like to eat good food, doesn’t necessarily mean that I am any good at cooking it.  I know plenty of people who *love* food, but can’t boil an egg without burning it.  While pastry is my forte, if I put my mind to it I can cook up a decent plate of nosh.  At least, I haven’t killed anyone yet, and I don’t recall a time when anyone left the table hungry, or furtively looking for the trash can.

Mini-Me exclaimed on the first bite, “OHHH, I love the shrimp!  I could eat an ENTIRE pan of this shrimp.  It is so flavorful.  And creamy.”

This dish tastes so rich, it’s almost impossible to believe that it is staggeringly healthy.  It also takes 5 minutes to cook.  Go on.  Whip a bag of shrimp out the freezer for dinner tonight.  Lemon Buttered Shrimp, Pineapple Pine Nut Salad & some steamed asparagus.  So SANE* I can barely stand it.

Great with Pineapple Pine Nut Salad and steamed asparagus.