Summer Veggie Shrimp Bake (Grain-Free)

Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of views on one specific post of mine: my Shrimp and Chicken Fajitas.

This has resulted in me craving some good ol’ shrimp lately. Since fresh summer veggies are everywhere right now, I decided to pair the two together 🙂

Summer Veggie Shrimp Bake

Ingredients:

1 large onion

2 yellow summer squash

1 eggplant

2 green peppers

1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved 

1/2 + 2 tbsp cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp avocado oil

salt and pepper

1 lb raw shrimp

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a large baking dish.

Chop the onion, squash, eggplant, and peppers into bite-sized pieces and toss in a very large bowl. Add in the tomatoes, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, basil, garlic, avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Mix altogether and spread into the baking dish. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.

While baking, remove the shells from the shrimp and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl and mix with the remaining 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese.

After the 30 minutes are up, taking the baking dish out of the oven and up the temperature to 425 degrees. Mix the shrimp into the veggie dish and place back in the oven for 15 minutes. Let cool before serving.

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Shrimp and Chicken Fajitas (Paleo)

As a kind of tradition, I try to make a nicer-than-usual meal the Tuesday night before classes start again (I visit my mom on Tuesdays). To me, this means seafood. And combined with chicken, I’ve got myself some surf n’ turf fajitas!   

Although there’s some chopping in this recipe, it’s soooo worth it. The best part is (besides the taste) you can make this in advance, so all you have to do is plop it in the oven before serving. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Chicken Fajitas (Paleo)

Ingredients:

Seasoning:

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

pepper

—-

3 tbsp avocado oil

1 lb uncooked and thawed shrimp, peeled and cut in half

1 lb thawed chicken, cut into thin strips 

1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips 

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips 

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips 

1 orange bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 large onion, cut into strips

1 lime

Directions:

Combine seasoning ingredients.

In one bowl, toss together shrimp, 1 tbsp oil, and 1 tbsp seasoning. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours. 

In another bowl, toss together chicken, bell peppers, onion, 2 tbsp oil, and the rest of the seasoning. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours.

Once shrimp and chicken are marinated, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread chicken mixture in a glass casserole dish. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Take out and quickly mix in shrimp mixture. Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Take out of oven and squeeze lime juice over fajitas before serving. 

Spicy Shrimp and Bell Pepper Pasta

For Mother’s Day, I made dinner and dessert for my mom. Unfortunately, I lost all sense of taste by dinnertime.

Darn allergies.

I was so desperate to get my taste back, that I almost drowned myself while trying to use a Netipot for the first time. Still no luck. And so, I ate this meal without knowing what it actually tasted like and bagged some for later (on the plus side though, my mom loved it).

A few days later, I went over my friend’s house where I was offered some wasabi almonds. I’ve never liked the taste of wasabi- it’s just too strong for me. Now, however, I have a respect for them cause after eating a third one- BAM! I got my taste and appetite back. Thus, I was finally able to enjoy the left overs of this dish 🙂 Better late than never!

Spicy Shrimp and Bell Pepper Pasta 

Ingredients:

16 oz pasta

1 lb uncooked shrimp

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp thyme

1 and 1/2 tbsp whole wheat flour

2 tbsp mustard with horseradish

1 cup chicken broth, divided into 1/3 cup and 2/3 cup

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 orange bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, sliced

3 tomatoes, diced

3 cups fresh spinach

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions: 

Cook pasta according to box instructions and set aside. Peel and wash shrimp and place in a bowl. In another bowl, mix together paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, white pepper, chili powder, oregano and thyme. Pour seasoning over shrimp and toss together with your hands. Spray a deep skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook shrimp for 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk together flour, mustard, and 1/3 cup chicken broth. Set aside.

Remove shrimp from skillet and replace in bowl. Respray skillet and add in peppers, onions, and garlic cloves. Sauté for 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and spinach and cook for 5 minutes. Add in flour mixture, 2/3 cup chicken broth, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. Mix shrimp and veggie mixture into pasta before serving.

 

Stuffed Pineapple Boats

Tuesday night was my last night of freedom. Now it’s back to stress and lack of sleep. The downside of college. Unfortunately, this also means that I won’t have much time to create and cook new recipes. And so, the other night I decided to make something extra special.

Awhile back, I saw what is called “pineapple boats” in a magazine. I thought it was such a cute idea with a pretty end result. For my send-off meal, I made pineapple boats stuffed with rice, shrimp, and peppers. Not only did it taste delicious, but it also looked oh so very impressive.

 

Stuffed Pineapple Boats:    

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice, uncooked

1 pineapple

1 tbsp unrefined coconut oil

1 lb shrimp, peeled

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 sweet pepper, chopped

1/3 cup frozen corn

3 tbsp soy sauce

hot sauce to taste

dash of crushed red pepper flakes

basil to taste

Directions:

Cook the brown rice while making the rest of the meal (it’s ok to make the rice in advance). Cut the pineapple in half and hollow out the insides, reserving the hollowed pineapple, the pineapple meat and juices for later. In a deep skillet, heat the coconut oil and add in the shrimp. On low heat, cook for 2 minutes. Add in garlic cloves, onions, and peppers. Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring every so often. While this is cooking, cube pineapple meat to the desired size. After the 5 minutes, add in 1 cup of pineapple chucks, 2 tbsp of pineapple juices, and the corn. Let cook for 3 more minutes. Add and mix in brown rice. Stir in soy sauce, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and basil. Transfer the rice mixture into the hollowed pineapple bowls. With a spoon, top with more pineapple juice. Garnish with basil.

Shrimp Cucumber Slices

It is now the start of summer, well the unofficial start anyway. And the weather agrees. 90 degrees in May! My sunburn proves it. So what better way to cool off with a refreshing appetizer? Light and simple, it’s the perfect way to cool down.

 Shrimp Cucumber Slices 

(Makes 26)

Ingredients: 

1/2 lb cooked and peeled shrimp, chopped into small pieces

1/2 onion, chopped

1 garlic glove, minced

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 tbsp sour cream

1/2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp mustard with horseradish

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried parsley

1/8 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp paprika

4 drops hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1 large cucumber

Garnish: chopped chives and crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the cucumber and garnish. If you want to be fancy, peel the cucumber so that strips of cucumber skin are left. Chop cucumber into 1/4 inch slices and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. For each slice, top with a tablespoon of the shrimp mixture. Garnish shrimp cucumber slices with chives and red pepper flakes.   Let chill in the fridge for a bit before serving. Enjoy!