In no time, a taste sensation from Simply Organic
If you’re a regular reader, Chewing The Fat’s “Product News You Can Use” recently introduced Simply Organic’s expanding product line-up. The all-organic Spice purveyor is now up to 113 offerings. We focused on 7. When we saw a great buy on deveined but unpeeled shrimp, we jumped. We had Simply Organic’s Chile-Lime Marinade and we were set to go. The marinade works fast. Its blend of garlic, chile, black, chipotle and cayenne peppers, paprika, sea salt, onion, oregano and parsley, lemon, and lime packs quite a punch in its 15 to 30-minute time frame. Add some grape tomatoes and white beans and you’ve got a great dinner in a single skillet. (You can find Simply Organic by using their store finder…https://www.simplyorganic.com/storelocator or you can order online at www.simplyorganic.com
Inspired by our last trip to Spain, we added plenty of Garlic.
The Spanish dish ‘gambas al ajillo’ was one of our favorite tapas. Swimming in oil, these garlic-rich shrimp were devoured with chunks of crusty bread. So we added lots of minced and sliced garlic to today’s recipe. The only question remaining was whether to leave the shells on here the way they were left on in Spain. Finally, I decided that I’d do away with the shells to make the dish a little less messy to eat. You can opt to keep the shells on. Just be aware that a lot of the flavor will have been absorbed by the shell itself. So go ahead and eat the shells too! They’re really very good, adding another texture to the shrimp.
Our Inspiration revealed the Fascinating History of Tapas
Gambas al ajillo is arguably the most popular Spanish tapa served in Spain—
certainly in the south and center of the country. But where did ‘tapas’ get their start? Legend has it that King Alfonso X of Castille (23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) recovered from an illness by drinking wine with small dishes of food between meals. Impressed by his recovery, the King ordered that tavernas could not serve wine without a small snack or “tapa”. There is however an alternate origin that makes equal sense. The first tapas were the slices of bread and pieces of meat used by sherry drinkers in Andalusia to cover their glasses between sips. The reason was purely practical: It kept the fruit flies from hovering over the sweet sherry. Here’s today’s recipe followed by a couple of Spanish dishes you may enjoy.
Chili-Lime Marinated Shrimp with Cannellini Beans and Blistered Grape Tomatoes
Simply Organic's Chili Lime Marinade works fast and packs quite a punch in this perfect pairing of tender shrimp, cannellini beans and blistered grape tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 package of Simply Organic's Chili Lime Marinade
- 5 large cloves garlic, divided
- 1 medium lime, quartered
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves and fine stems
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
- 1 pound medium deveined uncooked shrimp
- 1-pint grape tomatoes (about 10 ounces)
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans
- Crusty bread, for serving (optional)
Directions
- Step 1 Mince 4 large garlic cloves into a large bowl. Thinly slice another large garlic clove and set aside. Coarsely chop 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves together tender stems. Place half in the bowl and keep the remaining half to shower over the finished dish.
- Step 2 Simply Organic’s Chile Lime Marinade is made for two pounds of shrimp. It’s not difficult to halve it for use with just 1 pound of deveined uncooked shrimp. ( If you’re mad for spice, you can add more for additional heat. We didn’t find that necessary.) Toss the shrimp into the bowl with the minced garlic. Cover the bowl with cling wrap. Let the shrimp marinate for 15 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Step 3 Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 10-inch cast-iron or heavy-weight skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1-pint grape tomatoes, then season with kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the skins start to pop, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, drain and rinse 1- 15oz. can of cannellini beans.
- Step 4 Add the shrimp and the marinade to the tomatoes. Stir to combine, and cook until the shrimp start to turn pink about 2 minutes. Add the beans and sliced garlic and cook, stirring every minute or so, until the shrimp are just cooked through and the tomatoes have burst open, 3 to 4 minutes total.
- Step 5 Remove from the heat. Season with kosher salt and squeeze lime over the shrimp. Drizzle with more olive oil, garnish with the reserved parsley and serve immediately with crusty bread.
Pan-Seared Trout with Prosciutto and Chile Garlic Oil from Chef Alex Raij in Food and Wine Magazine
Pappardelle with Braised Chicken and Figs Adapted from Chef Kyle Bailey in Food and Wine Magazine
