With a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer, you’re always ready to make a quick, delicious dinner your whole family will love! | |||
| Doesn’t everyone need a few weeknight dinners they can pull together in minutes without a bunch of planning? Shrimp is freshest when purchased frozen, which means its waiting for you in the freezer whenever you need to make dinner quickly. Unlike chicken or beef, it thaws super quick in a bowl of water. If your kids are little, opt for smaller shrimp that they can eat in one or two bites. May 10th is National Shrimp Day, so celebrate the easy way! | |||
| Quick Stir-Fry Over Rice | |||
 | Start with frozen, medium-sized shrimp that are raw, deveined and tails removed. Empty the bag of shrimp into a bowl of water to thaw. Boil your rice. Add vegetables, ¼ cup of water, and a pat of butter to a sauté pan. You can use frozen mixed veggies or your freshest picks from the famers’ market. To make your kids interested, use at least two veggies you know they will eat and no more than one vegetable that’s unknown to them. My family likes broccoli, fresh peas and either frozen corn or sliced carrots. Sauté the veggies until thawed but still bright, then add the shrimp. Mix in 2 tbsp of teriyaki sauce and cook until the shrimp are pink on both sides but not yet firm. For a fun twist, add a snack-cup of pineapple tidbits, juice and all (do this before you add the shrimp so the liquid can cook down). The pineapple flavor blends really nicely with the teriyaki and the fruit brings a sweetness kids love. Serve over rice. | ||
| Coconut Shrimp | |||
 | Start with frozen jumbo shrimp that are raw and deveined but with tails on. Kids love using the tail as a handle and eating with their fingers. Place the shrimp naked in a bowl of water to thaw. Set up three bowls and a plate along the counter. In the first bowl, add flour (plain wheat flour works fine, but oat flour holds on a little tighter). In the second bowl, add an egg, beaten with a Tbsp of lime juice. In the third bowl, put 1 cup of panko breading and ½ to ¾ cup of unsweetened shredded coconut. Dip each thawed shrimp into the flour, the egg, and the breading, covering all but the tail in each, then place on the plate. Heat a ½ inch of vegetable or canola oil in a sturdy-sided frying pan. When all shrimp are fully coated in each of the three mixtures, place them one at a time into the hot oil. Cook on medium or medium-high until golden brown on both sides. Let the cooked coconut shrimp cool a minute or two on a paper towel-covered plate. Mix up a dipping sauce from ¼ cup orange marmalade, 1 Tbsp cocktail sauce, and one Tbsp either lime juice or warm water. Serve with a side of raw veggies or fruits for a fun, forkless dinner! | ||
| Simple Scampi | |||
 | Start with frozen shrimp that are raw, deveined and tails removed. Empty the bag of shrimp into a bowl of water to thaw. Boil your pasta. Add olive oil, butter, a little lemon juice and water, and crushed garlic to a sauté pan. Cook on medium heat until garlic is cooked through, add shrimp, and cook until pink on both sides. Serve shrimp over pasta, topped with parmesan cheese. This works best for little ones if you use medium or large (not jumbo) shrimp, and don’t mention there’s garlic in there. Notice we’ve eliminated the onion and parsley, to make the meal appear more palatable to the young diner who prefers not to have to navigate through green yucky stuff. | ||
