Garden-driven Recipe a Winner

This time of year is fabulous for cooking, that is, if you have access to fresh produce (ideally from your own backyard). Having put in an Italian Salad Garden in the springtime, I’ve been getting copious tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, lemon cucumbers, zuccini, beans and more. Today I’m highlighting the use of three backyard ingredients, along with freshly grown and minced garlic from my mom’s garden. The creation? A shrimp dish that is so simple, yet mindblowing as to, well, blow your mind. Secondly, a simple, few minute salad that is the perfect accompaniment to the shrimp. The kicker? It’s all incredibly healthy. Enjoy!

Dubbed “Cherry Tomato Garlic Shrimp” by the friend who taught me this great recipe…it’s to die for. Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

Cherry Tomato Garlic Shrimp

Here are the very simple steps to follow to make this amazing dish. It’s incredible how some of the tastiest food is also the simplest! NOTE: The measurements below are for a SINGLE serving (it’s all the shrimp I had on hand). Simply double, triple, etc. this for a larger amount. Each step has a matching photo below as well. And don’t miss the SALAD RECIPE at the end…it’s the perfect match!

Ingredients:

• 6 larger shrimp, cleaned, deveined and shelled

• 15 cherry tomatoes (fresh if possible; I like the orange ones)

• 1 TBSP. Minced Garlic (fresh if possible)

• 2 TBSP. Olive Oil

• 1 TBSP. Salted Butter

• Fresh Ground Pepper (to taste)

• Himalayan Sea Salt (to taste)

• Basil Leaves (for garnish)

Steps:

1. lightly brown the garlic in olive oil

2. Halve the cherry tomatoes and place them into the pan with the garlic and oil

3. Mash the cherry tomatoes and cook them down. Ideally the tomatoes are fairly ripe so they contain a lot of juice!

4. After the tomatoes have cooked for about 8 minutes, add in the butter.

5. Pepper and Salt to taste

6. Now…add in the shrimp and cook them in the sauce until they are pink on both sides.

7. Once the shrimp is cooked…plate it all and garnish with a handful of basil leaves (key).

8. You can serve this dish over pasta or rice…or just eat it as is (better to avoid the carbs anyways, right? ;).

I got these cherry tomatoes from my garden. Nothing better than fresh! Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

Lightly brown the garlic in olive oil. Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

Halve the cherry tomatoes and begin cooking them in the garlic/olive oil. Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

Smash the cherry tomatoes to release their juices. Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

Add pepper and salt to the sauce…to taste. Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

Add in the butter… Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

Add in the shrimp and cook them in the sauce until they are pink on both sides. Don’t over cook and make them rubbery! Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

Voila! Garnish with basil leaves. This is a repeat image from above…but you needed to see it twice, right? ;) Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

The Perfect Matching Salad

For a great accompaniement to this great shrimp dish check out this super healthy salad. So darn good together! Here again, this is for ONE serving. Double, triple, etc. as needed.

Ingredients:

• 1 peach

• 1 lemon cucumber

• Basil leaves (4-5)

• 2 TBSP. seasoned rice vinegar (I use the Marukan brand)

• 2 TBSP. olive oil

Steps:

1. Cut up the peach and lemon cucumber into same size small chunks

2. Mix in the olive oil and rice wine vinegar

3. Mince the basil leaves and mix them in

4. Done! You will not be disappointed and neither will your waistline (with either of these recipes)

You will love this salad…assuming you are good with peaches, cucumbers and a simple vinaigrette. Easily a top 10 for me right now! Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers