As I’ve been trying to cook and eat healthier, I’ve been looking for more balance in my meals. While there is cream cheese used in this dish, there are also tomatoes and arugula. This makes me feel far less guilty about consuming cream cheese. I also make a point of always using light/low-fat cream cheese, if I’m able to.
Since it’s my Dad’s birthday coming up, I wanted to make him something that incorporates seafood. He is the one who introduced me to all types of seafood. From our kitchen at home to restaurants in Massachusetts; from lobster and scallops to mussels and salmon, I can’t eat or cook seafood without thinking of my Dad.
Apart from when I was too young to understand how delicious they are, I have never said “No” to shrimp. Whether they are made to dip in horseradish sauce, or sautéed in simple garlic butter to go with pasta, I find them to be delicious. Unfortunately, this dish, inspired by Her Highness Hungry Me didn’t meet my “good enough to give as a ‘gift’ meal” standards. Nevertheless, it was a good experience.
There is no such thing as “wasted” time in the kitchen. No matter what happens, you learn.
The following recipe is intended for one serving. Therefore, simply multiply the amount of each ingredient by the number of servings you wish to prepare. Prepare your pasta or rice simultaneously. I believe I’ll try using orzo next time, so you can play around with what you’d like to serve it with.
Simply combine the shrimp mixture with your choice of rice or pasta. Next time I make it, I would add freshly cut lemon wedges on the side as well.
For this dish, I recommend playing around with the ingredients. Perhaps you’d want to add some red chili flakes for some heat; or replace the cream cheese with heavy cooking cream. It’s truly a recipe to make your own. If you do experiment with it, please let me know how you made it! I’d love suggestions.
Garlic Shrimp with Arugula
Ingredients
1 cup Shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp Cream Cheese
2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tomato, chopped
1/2 cup Arugula
1/3 cup Parmesan
Olives (optional)
Ground Black Pepper
A handful of Fresh Basil leaves
Instructions
- In a pan, heat a bit of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp. Cook for 3-4 minutes while occasionally stirring.
- Add the garlic, tomato, lemon juice, and optional crushed pepper. Then, stir in the cream cheese. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the arugula and basil, and turn the heat off. Add the Parmesan and black pepper. If you are using the olives, add them now. If you decided to not include the olives, you can add a dash of salt instead, if desired.
- Serve your chosen main topped with the shrimp mixture.
Related:
Shrimp and Avocado Citrus Salad Recipe